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During
the first three planning sessions, residents vocalized four main
goals for improving their town, listed projects to reach those
goals, and prioritized the suggested projects. The agenda for the
Action Planning Session was twofold: List informational resources
the community needs to begin the projects and plan the presentation
for the entire town.
The
meeting began with four different groups summarizing the projects
they want to implement in the next three to five years in order to
reach one of the specific goals. The four groups even separated
those projects they definitely plan to pursue from those they hope
to pursue.
The
first goal the resident planners vocalized is to increase Elkhart’s
population. In order to do that, the planners want to bring
businesses to the town and expand the town’s utilities for
businesses and homes. Other projects the group hopes to work on are
advertising and community beautification.
The
second goal, high-quality K-12 education, will be met by creating a
community task force and ensuring the schools get proper funding.
The group hopes to expand technology, begin a tutoring program and
add to the extracurricular activities at Elkhart Grade School.
The
third goal is to create a stable business environment. The one
project slated to reach this goal is a new power generation plant.
Other projects the group hopes to begin are a town grocery store and
tourist or recreational attractions.
The
fourth goal of a competitive, sustainable, convenient community will
be met by increasing the amount of family housing. The group also
hopes to begin a community day care center and welcome wagon.
Richman
and Kline shared with Elkhart’s planners how impressed they were
with each group’s detail. Not only had the groups brainstormed
many community-improvement projects, but they also vocalized ways of
measuring their progress.
Following
the four group reports, Richman and Kline introduced Robin Hanna of
Rural Economic Technical Assistance Center (RETAC). RETAC, just like
MAPPING, is a branch of Western Illinois University’s Illinois
Institute for Rural Affairs (IIRA). RETAC is a funding resource for
small Illinois towns. RETAC does not write checks but tutors
communities in economic matters and points them to groups that do
write checks.
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[click here to see the map full-size]
Hanna’s
experiences provide him with ideas for helping communities.
Throughout his presentation he shared stories of how other
communities accomplished the same goals Elkhart wrote. He described
how those towns overcame challenges in the same projects Elkhart
envisioned.
Based
on Hanna’s funding presentation, the planners noted resources he
mentioned that they wanted: guidelines for zoning, information on
attracting businesses, plans for developing housing and much more.
During
one of the breaks, Lincoln Daily News was able to ask some of
the planners why they had become involved in the MAPPING process.
Jeff Gustafson, an Elkhart resident for three and a half years,
believes that Elkhart is a special town and friendly community with
a lot of potential. He sacrificed some of his vacation days from
work to help other residents turn Elkhart’s potential into
reality.
Another
longtime Elkhart resident sees the MAPPING project as a key to the
town’s growth. She said that there was a need to pull ideas,
because in the past residents have held different opinions about
community improvements. She believes that the MAPPING process will
help to unify residents around one comprehensive plan.
That
theory will be tested in the upcoming town meeting. On Thursday, May
10, the resident planners will present their goals and project ideas
to the entire community. The planners hope to rally full community
support for their vision and ideas. All Elkhart residents are
invited to the 6:30 p.m. meeting at the grade school.
If
the town meeting goes as well as all of the planning meetings, Logan
County will see Elkhart begin to grow over the next three to five
years.
[Jean
Ann Carnley]
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Western
Illinois University developed the IIRA to serve as an "ongoing
source of information, research, education, and technical assistants
regarding a variety of issues affecting the future well-being of
rural Illinois." The institute has several divisions: The Rural
Transit Assistance Center, The Small Business Assistance Center, The
Rural Economic Technical Assistance Center, The Business &
Industry Data/GIS Center, The Center for Competitive Government, and
Mapping the Future of Your Community.
Elkhart
Mayor Dayle Eldridge contacted the MAPPING branch of IIRA. MAPPING
stands for Management And Planning Projects Involving
Nonmetropolitan Groups. Eldridge said that since becoming mayor, she
has noticed a growing interest among residents to improve and expand
their community.
The
mayor thought of two community-improvement resources: hired planners
and IIRA’s MAPPING. She did not like the idea of hiring a planner.
Besides the great expense, planners come in, give suggestions and
leave. Eldridge was concerned that this approach would not spur a
lot of community involvement and willingness to work.
Eldridge
had heard of MAPPING through her job at Healthy Communities
Partnership, and she appreciated the program’s methods. MAPPING
representatives facilitate town-planning sessions, but residents
plan and execute their own project suggestions. Eldridge commented
that the town may hire planners later for individual projects, but
long after the community has already begun to work.
MAPPING
"enhances local decision making processes by providing accurate
information, effective forums for public dialogue and problem
solving, and knowledge of innovative practices that are consistent
with a community’s vision for growth and change." The whole
planning process takes 12 to 16 weeks. Even after the planning is
completed, MAPPING representatives still help communities by
connecting them to the resources they need for their projects.
Eldridge
complimented the residents of Elkhart: "I have been very, very
pleased with the turnout we’ve got." She said that the
planning meetings have attracted residents from a variety of ages
and occupations. She is very excited about the community’s
commitment so far to the three four-hour planning sessions.
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Thursday,
March 22, was the third of the visioning sessions. It began with a
PowerPoint presentation on Elkhart, but the bulk of the meeting was
brainstorming. The attendees broke into four different planning
groups—one for each of the town’s four high-priority goals.
Every 20 minutes, the groups rotated to a new goal. They
brainstormed brand-new ideas and projects or enhanced previously
suggested projects. At the end of the goal rotation, the groups were
dissolved, and the entire body worked on consolidating and
prioritizing projects. Different individuals volunteered to focus on
specific projects.
Elkhart’s
four high-priority goals are to "Increase the Population,"
"Maintain & Continue Developing K-12 Education,"
"Strengthen & Sustain the Business Environment," and
"Develop & Sustain a Highly Competitive, Convenient
Community."
The
next session, called Action Planning, will be Thursday, April 5,
from 8 a.m. to noon. Committees concerned with individual projects
will plan to present their ideas at the Town Meeting. They will also
decide on the time, location and format of the community meeting.
During the Town Meeting, committees of resident planners will unveil
their high-priority goals and project ideas to the entire community.
Mayor
Eldridge expects that this MAPPING process will yield
community-improving projects for the next three to five years, at
least.
Although
IIRA’s fee is not as great as an independent planner’s fee,
there is still a cost. Mayor Eldridge would like to thank the
following Logan County businesses and organizations for donating the
funds to pay for Elkhart’s MAPPING project: Corn Belt Energy,
Needs and Goals, Illini Bank, CCA Online, Welch’s Agri-Business,
Blue Moon, Myers Rabin & Hanken Association, Gwen Rosenfeld,
Elkhart Christian Church, Lincoln Christian College, Elkhart Public
Library, Talk of the Town, Davis Truck Services Inc., Elkhart Grain,
STS Consultants, Village of Elkhart, Elkhart Homecoming Association,
and Johnson & Johnson.
If
you are from a small rural town in Illinois, and are interested in
learning more about MAPPING, contact Nancy Richman or Steven Kline
at (309) 298-2237 or (800) 526-9943. They have served communities of
300 residents to towns with over 15,000 residents.
[Jean
Ann Carnley]
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