City sets June 26 for Envisioning meeting with the public
June 8, 2010
In an effort to hear from Joplin residents, and to begin the decision making process on various ideas and projects for the City, the Joplin City Council will host an Envisioning Session on Saturday, June 26. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m., at the Joplin Senior Citizens Center, located at 22nd and Jackson Avenue. It will conclude at approximately 12 noon.
Having held a similar session last summer, this meeting will allow an opportunity for City Council and staff to review the ideas and suggestions brought forth by citizens already, as well as hear any new ideas residents may have.
“We welcome citizens’ input and look forward to hearing from them on what they would like for the future of Joplin,” said City Manager Mark Rohr. “The public contributed a great deal at last year’s meeting, and we hope to hear about any new ideas that have developed since then.”
The agenda will have a period for citizens’ input and time for discussion by City staff and the City Council. After this information is gathered, Council will begin to reflect on these items, as well as those brought forth at the August 2009 meeting. Council members will then be asked to rank the projects for the upcoming years.
This process was originally used in the development of the Blueprint for the Future, an outline of short-term, mid-term, and long-term projects for the City in an effort of community enhancement. The Blueprint was adopted by City Council on July 16, 2007 after holding an Envisioning Session with city officials and the public a month earlier.
By creating a projects list with information gathered in the past year, City staff can research these items and make final recommendations to Council for their approval at a public meeting. Upon completion of this step, some projects may be included into this year’s budget process that is held during the third quarter of the year, and subsequently in future budget documents.
Once the Blueprint is updated, some of the projects can be incorporated into this year’s budget process that occurs during the third quarter of the year and subsequently in future budget documents.
“With today’s economy, we will need to be realistic about the projects and the amount of resources that would be needed for them,” said Rohr. “But in addition, we want to be forward thinking so to move Joplin into the next century for the benefit of our citizens and their families.”
This process follows the “DO IT” initiative Rohr brought to Joplin in 2004. DO IT refers to the “Determine Objectives for an Improved Tomorrow” Strategic Planning Process. This original concept was utilized in the development of the 2007 Blueprint for the Future.
For more information, contact Lynn Onstot, Public Information Officer at 624-0820, ext. 204.
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