Vision Themes - Preliminary Discussion Draft

1. Preserving Heritage, Environment, and Uniqueness- Whether it is the preservation of the environment, history, agriculture, or simply the beauty of the area, maintaining the independence and uniqueness of Columbia is a key theme throughout the vision plan.
2. Investing in Columbia: Economic Development, Jobs, and Infrastructure- Another key theme is the need to provide for ongoing, adequate, and timely investment in order to ensure a healthy economy that benefits the entire community.
3. Building Cultural Cohesion- Through improving facilities, building dialogue, more aggressive outreach, intentional collaboration, ongoing communication, and increasing awareness, the vision plan calls for strengthening our sense of community.
4. Delivering Health and Human Services- In the vision plan, there is a strong focus on broadly available and efficiently delivered social services that enhance safety, security, and quality of life for the entire community.
5. Educating the Community - The vision calls for a well educated community both in terms of formal instruction and in terms of keeping citizens informed about how the community works, what is happening in the community, what the community needs, and how to be involved.
6. Designing the City- From sidewalks and bike lanes to sewers and buildings, the vision plan consistently encourages careful planning and design.
7. Improving Collaborative Governance- Whether between the City and the County, between City and the Citizens, or between organizations within the community, the vision plan calls for more open, transparent, and collaborative partnerships at all levels and in all aspects of governing and throughout the community.