Community plan
Input was gathered. Notes were made. It's time to get down to the nitty gritty of planning.
Marion Planning Commission held a work session Monday evening to gather public opinion about the future of Marion. I was impressed with the number of people who showed up for free sandwiches and meeting.
The topics were the same ol' ideas that have been cussed and discussed but not accomplished.
What I would like to see is one, just one, of the ideas mentioned at that meeting actually materialize.
Now it is in the hands of the planning commission and the city council to direct Marion's future. A plan is only as good as a budget to support it and a community to make it happen.
Here are some of my comments about the process.
1) A comprehensive plan is only as good as the action steps and those need to be doable.
Action steps include assigning the tasks to specific entities which include identifying the city's responsibilities. Is the city council ready to budget for a downtown improvement project or other items on the five-year plan?
2) Sometimes outside consultants can bring a different perspective to the table. When we live in a town for a while our ideas can become somewhat convoluted and we can't see the things that are obvious to "fresh," out of town eyes.
3) The composition of the planning commission should be more diverse. I have nothing against the two city employees on the board, but to me it's not a fair representation of the community. There also should be someone from the lake and/or within the urban influence area for future development.
The rest is up to us. When the comprehensive plan is finalized and set on the shelf, we need to be willing to roll up our sleeves and be a part of the action plan. A plan should belong to the community, not the planning commission or council, but the community has to help the plan become a reality.
— SUSAN BERG
