While the booming oil business brings prosperity to some small towns, the good times don't last forever, and when the oil dries up, those towns are left scrambling to survive the loss of their major source of business. But guided by an architectural and economic vision plan from the University of Texas San Antonio, some Eagle Ford Shale communities are using available funds to give their towns a serious makeover before the local oil business declines, Pamela King reports for EnergyWire.
"In the worst case, communities morph into ghost towns when the oil and gas industry departs, leaving residents without jobs and businesses with a significantly diminished customer base," King writes. "In the best, municipal officials will grasp the boom time as an opportunity to explore other economic opportunities." (UTSA graphic: Vision plan for La Vernia, Texas)
In the Eagle Ford region that means olive oil processing, geothermal, agriculture, water
recycling and desalination, tourism, hunting and wine and beer making, UTSA's Thomas Tunstall told King. Tunstall noted that "improving medical facilities, education, broadband access and town
branding are some of the elements that can help communities 'lay the
groundwork' for diversification."
Some towns, like La Vernia, located about 25 miles from San Antonio, are missing out on millions of dollars by not taking advantage of higher sales tax revenue to reinvest in the community to keep people shopping locally, King writes. The La Vernia plan says: "While there are various places where people can meet, there is no one place—a singular place or civic place, such as a plaza or park—where citizens can gather to hold both formal and informal community celebrations." Culture and community gatherings are key elements of UTSA's plan.
For now, towns like La Vernia need to take advantage of the good times to prepare for the eventually downturn in the local economy, King writes. La Vernia has seen its poverty level drop from 2000 to 2012 from 12.3 percent to 6.2 percent, and the town's median income increased 33.8 percent during that same time. (Read more)
"In the worst case, communities morph into ghost towns when the oil and gas industry departs, leaving residents without jobs and businesses with a significantly diminished customer base," King writes. "In the best, municipal officials will grasp the boom time as an opportunity to explore other economic opportunities." (UTSA graphic: Vision plan for La Vernia, Texas)
Some towns, like La Vernia, located about 25 miles from San Antonio, are missing out on millions of dollars by not taking advantage of higher sales tax revenue to reinvest in the community to keep people shopping locally, King writes. The La Vernia plan says: "While there are various places where people can meet, there is no one place—a singular place or civic place, such as a plaza or park—where citizens can gather to hold both formal and informal community celebrations." Culture and community gatherings are key elements of UTSA's plan.
For now, towns like La Vernia need to take advantage of the good times to prepare for the eventually downturn in the local economy, King writes. La Vernia has seen its poverty level drop from 2000 to 2012 from 12.3 percent to 6.2 percent, and the town's median income increased 33.8 percent during that same time. (Read more)
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