Just where is Kimberling City headed?
That’s the question that students from Drury University will be focused on soon as they prepare to create a vision statement for Stone County’s largest city.
While many of the county’s smaller towns have already had a study completed, Kimberling City is just now getting ready to move forward after area businesses and individuals donated money to make the study possible. City leaders, aware of a budget crunch, decided early on that the process would require funds other than taxpayer money.
The study will encompass a wide variety of topics, designed to set a suggested course for the city for future growth in residential, business and economic categories. While students will do the actual assembling of the report, input is required from area residents, high school students and business owners.
“We need to have an idea of where the city will be in 20 years,” said Kimberling City Mayor Jason Hulliung. “This study is a good starting point.”
The study will look at economic trends, historical factors, community and business satisfaction as well as several other areas while preparing the final report.
Kimberling City faces several challenges over the next several years including the Highway 13 construction project, which could well limit the influx of tourists through 2012. In addition, the city has been struggling to attract new businesses and to bolster the weak economy experienced over the past three years on a national level.
The study will identify areas that the community may improve on and methods of achieving that improvement.
In other Stone County studies, the report has noted the lack of business hours that are conducive to working families as one reason businesses are not reaching their potential. In the latest Drury study, they noted Reeds Spring, although having a viable downtown area, was failing to capitalize on it because most of the businesses were closed by 5 p.m.. In addition, there was little to attract people to the downtown area in the way of entertainment.
Another problem the university’s studies have shown in some of the Stone County towns is a lack of structured areas, such as playgrounds, for area youth. Both of these items are likely to show up in the final version of the report on Kimberling City, too.
One hot topic will likely be the sewer treatment plant financing, which has put a strain on city budgets and will continue to do so over the next several years.

The studies have been effective in many of the towns that have participated. For example, in Webb City the opening of a Route 66 Visitors Center came about in part because of the vision of residents led by a group of Drury University students.
In Reeds Spring, groups are considering a greenway area to address some of the concerns expressed by the study, and there has been talk of utilizing the railroad to connect Reeds Spring to other towns, as it had been in the past. Most notably, are the discussions about how to revitalize the town’s historic downtown area.
The success of the study planned of Kimberling City will depend on a variety of factors, including the city’s ability to implement any suggested changes and the public’s participation in the study and future committees.
Hulliung noted the real success of the study will be in having a strong group of residents, students and business owners participate. Elected officials are discouraged by the university from participating, however.
Citizens, students and business owners interested in assisting with the study are asked to contact the city hall in Kimberling City or the Table Rock Lake Chamber of Commerce. At least 10 volunteers are needed to form the Vision Committee.

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