The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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December 18, 2005

Our View -- Envision 2020 needs public input

It took 25 years, but ACT 2000 has a sequel.

The long-range planning process done 25 years ago helped the area achieve such things as downtown redevelopment and transportation strategy. Now it has a younger sibling. Envision 2020 is today’s version of long-term planning for the area.

The new effort deserves community support and needs public input.

The project philosophy is that it takes about 20 years to tackle big projects, and it’s entirely up to the community to determine what those goals are.

The Envision 2020 Steering Committee has invited more than 180 people they refer to as “stakeholders” to take part in the process. But that is just a starting point. If you didn’t receive an invitation, you are still more than welcome to become involved in the Envision process. The National Civic League, which is facilitating the project, said the stakeholder group needs to be as diverse as possible, representing every major viewpoint, interest and perspective of the community.

There is a schedule of meetings that are open to anyone and everyone. The kick-off meeting is 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Jan. 5 at the Midwest Wireless Civic Center. And beyond the regular stakeholder meetings, sub-committees will address specific interest groups, such as education, economic development and other topics.

The ultimate goal of the Envision 2020 is to figure out a direction and put a plan on paper. The larger group will meet every three weeks for three hours through June. The target is to publish a plan in the early fall.

The group initiated its work when a number of the core group members traveled to Bellingham, Wash., to learn about that community and how it has achieved what it has. Along with getting that information, it is just as important to gather information from within this community to figure out what we already have and where it is we want to go. That can only come from solid, organized planning. And the name for that process in the Mankato region is now Envision 2020.



To become involved in Envision 2020, contact Trisha Rosenfeld at the Greater Mankato Chamber of Commerce at (507)345-4519 or e-mail her at trosen@greatermankato.com

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