Sean C. Morgan
Members of the city-led vision committee are seeking more involvement from the community as they prepare for a community-wide meeting in November to begin finalizing the new vision, an updated strategic plan, goals and objectives.
“What we’re doing is getting together a Power Point presentation over the past couple of months, two or three meetings,” said city Planning Assistant Julie Fisher. The members, about 12 actively involved, are figuring out what they want and how to present it.
“It’ll be a public meeting so we can have more people to say, ‘Yes, this is what we want for Sweet Home,’” Fisher said.
The proposed vision statement is, “Sweet Home is a community where we live in harmony with the surrounding environment supporting a clean, safe and economically viable small town lifestyle for the benefit of present and future generations.”
“At this point, we’re not looking to change the vision or goals” unless there’s a big turnout with a lot of comments suggesting something different is needed, Fisher said.
The Strategic Plan should reflect the values and goals of the community.
“We want to know that the Sweet Home Strategic Plan best serves the community,” Fisher said. “We won’t know that unless we hear from the public.”
Other community groups are and will be hearing about the vision and plan leading up to the public meeting, Fisher said. They may find projects that coincide with theirs and find reinforcements for their plans or have projects to add.
The community needs a vision and plan in place, Fisher said. It drives projects in the community, and “there might be funding opportunities that arise.”
It’s been a long time since the Strategic Plan was updated, she said. The last time was in 2003.
“The vision process is to bring the community together, so they can decide what Sweet Home’s identity and personality will be,” said Trisha Rice, a member of the committee. The question is what kind of town the people of Sweet Home want it to be.
“There are some well-known towns that have an identity people like,” Rice said, such as Sisters, although the proposed plan isn’t that big or far-reaching.
“You’re going to have input into what the community is, not only what it can be now but what it can be for future generations,” said Mike Adams, Public Works director and a member of the committee.
“A community vision needs comments from the community, and the community is made up by all of us,” whatever each resident’s paradigms and viewpoints are.
If any community groups are interested in hearing about the vision and plan, the members are ready to and willing to provide a presentation now, Adams said.
The public meeting is tentatively scheduled for 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 13 in the City Council chamber at City Hall, 1140 12th Ave.
Fore more information or to get involved, contact Fisher at (541) 367-8113 or [email protected] or stop by the city’s planning office at City Hall.