Imagine Columbia’s Future Visioning Overview

 Background

1. The City Manager and Columbia City Council first explored the Visioning idea in January 2006.
2. In spring 2006, more than 60,000 questionnaires where distributed throughout the community.
3. A Sponsor’s Council was created that originally included Dr. Wendy Libby, President, Stephens College; Columbia Mayor Darwin Hindman; Columbia City Manager, Bill Watkins; Dr. Brady Deaton, Chancellor, University of Missouri – Columbia; Boone County Presiding Commissioner Keith Schnarre; Dr. Gerald Brouder, President, Columbia College; Dr. Phyllis Chase, Superintendent, Columbia Public Schools.
4. The Sponsors Council reviewed bids and selected the project consultant, ACP. 
5. The Sponsors Council also appointed the Vision Co-Chairs, M. Dianne Drainer and Dr. Jeffrey Williams, and subsequent Visioning Committee members.
6. In fall 2006 and early 2007, Vision Festivals and Big Idea Gatherings were held, generating 1,500 “Big Ideas” contributed by citizens. 
7. Over 450 people have participated in the Visioning process.
8. Since January 2007, volunteers have worked in Citizen Topic Groups to address broad community issues that emerged from the Big Ideas.
9. Thirteen Citizen Topic Groups distilled these issues into draft goals and strategies.
10. “Exploring the Vision Workshop” on April 4 gave the community-at-large an opportunity to evaluate the draft goals and strategies and provide feedback.
11. Representatives from each Citizen Topic Group presented goals which were rated by attendees on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being the least and 5 being the most important.
12. After the assembly, the public visited Citizen Topic Group stations to meet with representatives from each group and to fill out comment cards that listed the topic group’s draft goals and priority strategies.
13. During the April 18 Citizen Topic Group Meeting, group members reviewed the rating sheets and comment cards and used that input to refine their goals and strategies. 
14. The topic groups then identified duplications and overlaps with other group goals or strategies and determined whether they needed to consolidate specific issues or continue as separate strategies. 
15. During the May 16 meeting, Citizen Topic Groups began their Community Resources Scan, which helped the groups define what actions were needed for successful implementation of each strategy, and how they would determine success. They also identified what existing community resources, initiatives and organizations should be involved with each specific goal and strategy. 
16. On June 20, the Topic Groups worked on action plans. Using information from the resources scan, the groups determined what existing community resources and new private or public services or partnerships could help implement priority goals and strategies.  
17. In July, the 13 Citizen Topic Groups reviewed results of their Community Resources Scan, finalized goals and priority strategies, worked on completing their Action Plan and preparing their final Topic Group Vision Statement.
18. The month of August was used to combine the work of all 13 Topic Groups into a consistent and comprehensive Vision plan.

Looking Ahead

• The Thursday, September 13, 2007 Community Choices Open House will offer the public a chance to review and rank priorities for the final Vision plan.
• Citizens can stop by Lela Raney Wood Hall at Stephens College anytime between noon and 8:00 p.m. Public transportation runs until 9:25 p.m., and shuttles will be available between Stephens College and Twilight Festival at 10th & Broadway.
• The goals and strategies for all 13 topic groups will be listed on mounted display boards. There are 41 subtopic goals and 128 strategies. Each person who comes to the Community Choices Open House will receive six dots to place on the strategies he or she feels are most important to Columbia's future. It is his or her opportunity to say, "Out of all of these wonderful ideas in the Vision Plan, these are the six I feel most passionately about."
• While all of the goals and strategies will be included in the final Vision plan, the results of this ranking will help identify our common priorities, concerns and collective aspirations for the future.
• Community Choices also offers everyone a chance to become stewards of the Vision as it moves into adoption and implementation phases.
• Full details about the Community Choices Open House and the goals, strategies and action plans for all of the Citizen Topic Groups are available online.

Adoption and Implementation Phases

1. Once the public has ranked the Vision priorities and strategies, the plan will be finalized and submitted to the Sponsors Council for review and then formally presented to Columbia City Council.
2. The Vision Plan will be a living document meant to influence public and private policies over the next five, ten, fifteen and twenty years.   
3. Citizens will have the opportunity to serve as “keepers of the vision.” They will help the community incorporate the Vision goals, strategies and action plans into private and public decisions and foster partnerships to help turn vision into reality.

Contacts:

Vision Co-Chairs

• M. Dianne Drainer, 573-256-3106, ddrainer@centurytel.net
• Jeffrey Williams, Ph.D, 573-882-8806, williamsjeffrey@missouri.edu

Assistant City Manager

• Paula Hertwig-Hopkins, 573-874-7218, PHHopkin@GocClumbiaMO.com

Columbia Public Communications Officer

• Renee Graham, 573-874-7316, RYG@GoColumbiaMO.com