[Vision-l] Visioning FAQ's

[Imagine Columbia’s Future]

As you know from previous Vision Notices, the Community Choices Open
House begins at noon tomorrow, September 13 with a ribbon cutting and
celebration at Lela Raney Wood Hall, Stephens College, 6 North College
Avenue, at the corner of Broadway and College.

You may find the following Vision FAQ helpful. Thanks for your past
interest in Visioning.  
We hope to see you tomorrow!


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Background Questions

What is a vision?
It is a community driven effort that brings together civic, public and
private interests in “big-picture” thinking and planning for what
Columbia should be like in 10, 15 or 20 years.  It provides a
comprehensive framework to help the public make informed decisions. 
Other cities have used visioning to reverse general decline, establish
core priorities and get control of their futures.  

Why create a vision?
The Sponsors Council, which includes the City of Columbia, Boone
County, University of Missouri-Columbia, Stephens College, Columbia
College and Columbia Public Schools, realize that Columbia is
continually growing and changing.  Without a community-driven vision
plan, we risk going in directions that could result in lost
opportunities for all members of community.

What steps were taken to involve all segments of the community in the
visioning process?
Outreach included speaking engagements, appearances on television and
radio programs, information on the City’s Cable Channel and website,
advertisements on the radio and in a variety of print publications,
email campaigns to representatives of various community groups and
individual networks and distribution of flyers throughout the city.

How was the vision plan created?
Imagine Columbia’s Future started without any preconceived agendas. 
The foundation for the vision plan began with 1,500 issues and ideas
that were contributed by citizens through surveys, workshops, public
“Big Idea Gathering” meetings, vision festivals and discussion
groups.  Everyone was invited to participate in their choice of 13
citizen topic groups that addressed a wide range of issues. The Citizen
Topic Group volunteers worked for eight months to distill the original
1,500 “Big Ideas” into 13 topic vision statements, 41 subtopic goals
and 128 strategies.  


Community Choices Questions

What is the purpose of the Community Choices Open House?
This is the opportunity for every community member to select and place
dots next to the six strategies he or she personally feels are most
important to Columbia’s future.  While all of the goals and strategies
will remain in the final vision plan, the ranking will reveal our
community’s shared priorities, concerns and collective aspirations for
the future.
 
How many stickers does each person receive?  
Each person will receive six blue dots to place one dot next to each of
the six strategies he or she feels most passionately about.  Using all
six dots for one strategy is not advised.  With so many issues, it is
important to have citizens address multiple priorities.

Why only six dots?
Most communities who have completed the visioning process limited
Community Choices to three top priorities.  Since Columbia has an
extraordinarily large and diverse number of subtopic goals and
strategies, we can increase the number of dots and still get an accurate
read of our collective primary concerns and shared priorities. 
 
There is a lot of information to rate.  What if I haven’t read the
material in advance?
The vision plan is posted online, and there are several copies of the
entire draft vision plan available throughout the ballroom.  Citizens
are encouraged to review these copies before proceeding to the boards to
place their dots.  

Can I vote without attending Community Choices?
>From the beginning, the visioning process has required interactive
public participation.  All vision related events, including Community
Choices, have involved open, public gatherings.  The open house format
will allow people to choose the time of day that works for them. 
Participants can expedite the process by going to www.gocolumbiamo.com
to review and select priorities in advance of coming to Community
Choices to vote.

What if people have ideas that are not included in the vision draft?
Participant packets contain comment cards.  Feel free to submit your
ideas and suggestions for consideration.

Looking Ahead

What happens after the Community Choices Open House?
Ranking results will be tabulated, evaluated and included in the final
vision plan report.  The report, which will include suggestions
regarding implementation, is scheduled for completion and delivery to
the City by the end of the year.  

How will the vision plan be implemented?
Discussion regarding acceptance and the implementation process is
currently underway by the Vision Committee and their Co-Chairs.  The
acceptance process will be incomplete until the final written vision
plan report is done, particularly with regards to the results of the
public’s ranking of the strategies.  Recommendations for
implementation of the vision plan and the written final report will be
presented to the Sponsors Council for review and acceptance by the end
of this year.    

How do I stay involved and informed about visioning?
Your packet contains a commitment card that allows you the opportunity
to stay involved in the visioning process as it moves into the
implementation phase.  Please fill the card out along with the subtopic
and strategy in which you are most interested.   Updates on visioning
will also continue to be posted at the “Imagine Columbia’s Future”
section at www.gocolumbiamo.com.

Whom can I contact for more information?

Complete information online at 
	www.gocolumbiamo.com - click on “Imagine Columbia’s
Future” 

Communications and Outreach
	Renee Graham, 573-874-7316, RYG at GoColumbiaMO.com