Henry Luke-
Newsletter #33-COMMUNITY VISIONING RESULTS
September 2002
CABARRUS, NC-On
September 19, 2002, Envision Cabarrus had its first Annual Implementation
Town Hall Meeting at the historic Gem Theatre in Kannapolis, NC.
Envision Cabarrus Chairman, Richard Flowe, led the celebration of the
first year implementation results. The seven Strategic Alliance and
Vision Partner reports were among highlights of the session.
- The Infrastructure
Foundation Team has worked with each government entity in Cabarrus
County to develop a comprehensive list of Capital Improvement Projects
that is recommended by staff and consultants over the next ten years.
The current CIP's from the jurisdictions responsible for providing
infrastructure in Cabarrus County identify a $1.6 billion funding need
to maintain levels of service and help close gaps in the existing
service levels. NCDOT roadway and transportation improvements account
for 45% of the required infrastructure cost, leaving $850 million
dollars in local infrastructure needs to provide schools, water and
sewer, parks, fire and police stations, government facilities, and
airport improvements. (see
attached charts)
The next step is for the Comprehensive
Land Use & Infrastructure Alliance Partners to develop a Comprehensive
Land Use & Infrastructure Plan that establishes acceptable levels of
service, prioritizes all planned projects, identifies available funding,
creates a schedule for improvements based on funding availability, and
creates a plan to reduce funding gaps from desired level of service.
- The Faith
Based, Business & Government Alliance has pulled together the
governments, the business world and the Faith Based Community into an
organized group to begin filling in the gaps where the State has cut
funding. White House Faith Based Representative, Jeremy White
heard about the efforts of the community growing from 6 Faith Based
leaders to 178 Faith Based leaders involved with Envision Cabarrus.
He met with them to discuss possible funding that can be channeled into
the area in the future for filling in some of those financial gaps where
services are needed in the community. The Alliance Partners have
applied for a $750,000 grant, and they are waiting to hear if
funding will be awarded in this area.
- The Community
Centers Alliance has begun compiling a list of all places in the
community serving the citizens in Community Center fashion in various
areas of need - from sports and social services to large group meetings.
- The Government
Foundation Team successfully received endorsement as Vision Partners in
the Government Commitment Alliance from four municipalities and
the County Government. The partners have begun the process of
adopting specific Strategies from the plan, setting Benchmarks,
developing Action Steps, and beginning Implementation.
- The Graduation
Alliance is working with both Public School Systems, the Home School
Associations, and the Private Schools to ensure higher graduation rate
through support in the community. The Mentoring Alliance,
just getting started, will help to coordinate (with all education
systems) volunteers through business, churches, and other organizations.
The alliance will actively seek these groups for help in the ways that
will best suit the educational groups needs.
- The Proactive
Economic Development Marketing Alliance is actively working to make
the local economy grow by bringing in new business, and making the area
a more desirable economic area to live in through quality services
offered. Cabarrus County ranked 3rd among North
Carolina in job announcements during the 1st half of 2002.
- Lori Ruff of
Document Solutions went through the Strategic Plan and adopted the
strategy, “Provide specialized services for special needs students”.
Lori gave an exciting report about the special needs class that Document
Solutions has adopted. She challenged everyone to search the Strategic
Plan and adopt the strategy in which they were most interested.
http://www.envisioncabarrus.org/
ATLANTA,
GA-The Vision Directors of Luke
Planning’s clients are meeting in Atlanta on October 10-12, 2002 to share
implementation ideas and opportunities. Vision personnel will be present
from Yakima, WA; Rapid City, SD; Saginaw, MI; Harrisburg and Schuylkill,
PA; Wilkes, Cabarrus, Rutherford and Union, NC; Dalton and Conyers, GA;
St. Johns and Lakeland, FL; Mobile, AL; and Curacao, Netherlands Antilles.
BAY
COUNTY, FL- A partnership of
the Panama City-Bay County Airport and Industrial District, Bay County and
the St. Joe Company developed a sector plan for 75,000 acres in the West
Bay Region. This is a part of the one million acres of land that St. Joe
Company owns in Florida.
Plans include a 4,000-acre
international airport/industrial complex, 28,100 dwelling units that
will provide housing for 71,093 future residents, a village center,
business center and regional employment center.
SCHUYLKILL, PA-The
Pottsville/Schuylkill Technology Incubator has attracted its fourth
tenant. Over a three-year period, the company will create 80
high-technology jobs with most of the new employment opportunities in the
$50,000 to $80,000 annual salary range. The new software training
opportunities available in the county will support the jobs.
Joseph H.
Jones, Sr. completed five years as chairman of Schuylkill County’s VISION
and was replaced in August 2002 by Herman J. Fenstermacher. Joe
Jones provided steady and strong leadership in a county with the diversity
of 64 municipalities, 12 school districts, and over 400 elected officials.
Newspaper
editor, Jim Kevlin, said in an August 23, 2002 editorial, “Since
Schuylkill County’s VISION came on the scene, five years ago, the local
debate has changed and there is no going back. Doesn’t it seem that
the county has moved from an ‘every man for himself’ kind of place to one
where people recognize everybody benefits from a prospering community.”
http://pottsville.koz.com/servlet/randhsite_ProcServ/DBPAGE=cge&GID=00038000000961353781155409
Pottsville REPUBLICAN & Evening
HERALD
HARRISBURG, PA-
Four central Pennsylvania counties are trying to create a Regional Asset
District, funded with up to a 1% sales tax. This approach has been
successful in the Pittsburgh area in Allegheny County.
http://www.harrisburgregionalchamber.org/display.aspx?pathId=envision
Central Penn Business Journal
ORLANDO,
FL-Orange County
voters approved a ½ cent hike in sales taxes to build public schools by a
healthy margin of 59% on September 10, 2002. The sales tax increase
is projected to bring in $2.7 billion over 13 years for refurbishment,
replacement and new schools.
Orlando Business Journal
SAGINAW,
MI-In early
September, Saginaw County Vision 2020 released its first annual survey on
race relations. The Vision 2020 survey, conducted by a class at Saginaw
Valley State University, was completed by 875 people.
SSH Properties made a deal with the city that will return the
2,200-seat, 75-year old Temple Theatre to its former luster. The
deal also includes the empty Delphi Tower and is part of a very healthy
resurgence along the downtown riverfront.
Delphi Saginaw Steering System will make electric power steering
systems for General Motors Corp. vehicles in its new Saginaw County plant,
the company announced on September 24, 2002. In January 2001, Delphi
announced a $300 million investment in the site. Delphi received a
Brownfield redevelopment Single Business tax credit of up to $30 million
over ten years.
The new facility
incorporated two Delphi award-winning manufacturing processes…one
that uses computer software systems to make adjustments on machines
without setting foot on the plant floor, another that improves the
responsiveness in the electric steering mechanism.
http://www.scv2020.org/
The Saginaw News
TYLER, TX-Tyler
received the Texas 2002 Community Economic Development Award for its
population category. This is the second time that Tyler has received
the award. The Tyler Award was based upon eight projects including
the following:
·
Cox
Communications: received a seven-year tax abatement agreement for
construction of its $11.78 million Customer Care Center on Loop 323, which
should result in the creation of about 400 jobs.
·
Tyler Junior
College Skills Training Center: TJC obtained a loan from Southside Bank
for the $4.48 million center. The payback at 5.3 % interest over18
years will total $7.74 million, with funding generated by tax increment
revenue from the zone pledged by Tyler Independent School District, Smith
County and TJC.
·
Tyler Pipe
Industries: The company obtained a four to six-year, 100 % tax abatement
to help fund a $40 million expansion and improvement plan that promised to
create at least 100 jobs.
MOBILE, AL-
The September 2002 Envision Quarterly Update is on their web site at
http://www.mobilechamber.com/development/Aug02.html
SPOKANE, WA-
Area researchers and business leaders met on August 27, 2002 to sharpen
their plan for creating a medical research center in Spokane. The
National Institutes of Health’s Deputy Manager told the group that federal
research dollars are in ample supply for communities like Spokane.
But the key for Spokane is in the area of clinical research----real-world
studies of how patients respond to new drugs. Chamber
President, Rich Hadley, described the bio-medical research initiative as
“our next step in regional economic development.”
On the same day, Alliance Partners along the
Interstate 90 Corridor met to discuss collaboration
between Spokane, WA & Coeur
d’Alene, ID. Topics included attracting new companies, marketing the
575,000 population region as one entity, protecting the Spokane River and
increasing work force training dollars.
The Spokesman-Review
CURACAO, NETHERLANDS
ANTILLES-The
Netherlands Antilles and Aruba have reached the final, decisive stages in
setting up a stock exchange. Trading will soon be a reality on the
Dutch Caribbean Stock Exchange (DCSX).
Curacao Chamber Business
GILLETTE, WY-Campbell
County employment was up 0.6% from June 2001 to June 2002. The
unemployment rate was 3.2%.
UNION, NC-The
2nd issue of Union Vision 2020 Partners newsletter can be
accessed from their web page at
http://www.unionvision2020.com/. Vision 2020
has named Woody Faulk as Co-chair Elect as part of its leadership group.
ST. JOHNS, FL-The
St. Johns Vision Strategic Plan was approved by the Steering Committee on
August 22, 2002 and is available at
http://www.stjohnsvision.com/
The Draft Strategic
Plan was vigorously presented to St. Johns Citizens for input between May
10, 2002 and August 13, 2002 including: 22,000 copies were
distributed by the media; 1,500 plus copies of the draft were downloaded
from the St. Johns Vision Website; over 35 newspaper and magazine articles
and editorials were written; The Task Force made presentations to over
1,600 St. Johns County residents; presentations appeared daily on the
Government TV channels for three weeks; and two final community meetings
were held on August 12 and August 13. All of the input received was
documented and carefully considered by the Steering Committee.
PAST COMMUNITY
VISIONING REPORTS, the
Community Strategic Planning Process, and client web sites can be reviewed
from the menu below. Luke Planning, Inc.
provides facilitation for Community Vision and Community Strategic
Planning. Please forward this newsletter to anyone who may have an
interest in these topics.
Subscribe/Unsubscribe…Subscribe
to this free e-mail newsletter by e-mailing
Click Here Subject: Subscribe; Message: full name, title,
organization, address, & phone. We encourage your forwarding this
newsletter to your colleagues. To unsubscribe, e-mail your name and the
word “unsubscribe” in the subject line. We will promptly remove your
name from our list. However, you may have received the newsletter
through forwarding and we do not have your name.
Henry
Luke
