WWW arkcity.net

By FOSS FARRAR
Traveler Staff Writer

Sid Regnier of Arkansas City was to present the final Vision 20/20 plan at a Cowley First meeting June 21.

The plan's vision statement includes 11 separate points reflecting shared community goals for the future.

They include having a drug-free county, a strong economy with good jobs, lively downtowns, safe and affordable housing, and strong community charm and tourism opportunities to draw visitors.

"This vision incorporates the ideas and thoughtful conversation of more than 4,000 residents, gathered through focus groups, community meetings, breakfast meetings and a survey, representing all of the communities in Cowley County," said Regnier, honorary chairman of the Vision 20/20 task force.

In addition to the 11-point vision statement, the document includes 37 "strategy statements" grouped under five headings -- people, economy, place, health and culture.

Over the past year, the five teams fleshed out the vision and its strategies by coming up with goals and action steps to accomplish them.

For instance, People group members noted that retention of young people in the community is a concern. One plan of action to retain young people is to develop a Web site to stay connected with them.

* The People team also came up with the specific objective of developing daycare services. This objective was developed under a strategy to "increase available early childhood programs and build community awareness about the value of these programs."

A related plan of action under that strategy is to provide early childhood education and awareness programs for daycare providers, including creation of a local daycare provider "association."

The People team also developed a plan to possibly partner with the existing Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cowley County to accomplish another strategy: "Provide mentoring and leadership to promote diversity, reduce poverty and create a balanced economy."

The plan of action would be to work with BBBS to deliver "social, financial and entrepreneurial training."

Specifically, volunteer trainers would help deliver three programs for children ages 8 through 12 years old: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Financial training for kids, and Entrepreneur opportunities project.

"A project recognition fair will be held upon completion of each program at the end of the respective quarter," the final document states. "The fair will be designed to expose parents of the BIGS and public to this training, BBBS volunteer opportunities, and additional assistance through MidCap or other resources for adults of LITTLES."

The people team collaborated with many people in putting together its final report, said Dolly Bonfy, captain of the People focus team.

"People truly wanted to get a wide cross-section of the county community and welcomed all input in a variety of ways," Bonfy said. "It was exciting to be able to remind many community planning groups to refer to the outcomes of the survey when considering the year's agenda.

"It was a good sample the concerns of the people and I was fortunate to be a part of it."

* Team captains for the Economy team are Debra Teufel, director of Cowley First -- the economic and community development group, and Leroy Alsup, Cowley County administrator.

The Economy team came up with a plan to create a single database of all existing businesses in the county for ongoing communication of the tools available to help businesses. This plan supports the strategy to "retain and expand existing business and industry."

Other action plans developed by the Economy team that are aimed at maintaining a stable business environment include: develop a long-term strategy to market local business and industry to residents, regularly assess the needs of the business community through the efforts of the Chambers of Commerce and the Cities, and develop an incentive policy that is fair and consistent for new as well as existing businesses.

Overcoming barriers to successful workforce recruiting and development is another concern addressed by the Economy team.

One action plan developed to support that strategy is to develop a countywide coalition of "vision partners" to address significant barriers to employment training, such as affordable housing, high drug abuse rates, daycare and technical training programs.

Other action plans by the Economy group: "encourage local business to take advantage of workforce training opportunities available through Cowley College and Southwestern College; support training programs that prepare local residents for higher paying employment; special emphasis should be placed on training targeted towards future employment opportunities for local youth by encouraging (the school districts) and colleges to maintain ongoing dialogue with business and industry regarding future workforce needs."

* The Place team worked on supporting the strategy of providing reliable air and rail service for agricultural, commercial and industrial transport needs. The team developed a goal under this objective to support the endeavor to determine the feasibility of expanding Amtrak passenger service on a north-south route through Cowley County with possible passenger stops.

To achieve that goal, the transportation committees of the Arkansas City and Winfield chambers of commerce plan to write letters at least semiannually to the proper railroad authority in support for expansion of Amtrak.

Another objective to support that transportation strategy is "to promote and market Strother Field Airport and Industries to the community and regionally," the document states.

The Place team also addressed the mobility needs of residents who lack access to a personal automobile.

To improve ride services for seniors countywide, the team came up with a plan to contact state senator and house members in Cowley County to write legislation to remove "Area Agencies on Aging" from sales tax liability on vehicles purchased for program usage.

* A priority strategy addressed by the Health team is to reduce drug and alcohol abuse among youth and adults in the county.

The team came up with the objective of developing prevention initiatives, and a plan of action that involves the development of experiential prevention programs such as "Every 15 Minutes."

"Recruit a team that consists of law enforcement, school, staff, mental health ... to investigate program options, explore funding possibilities such as grants and sponsorships, and coordinate implementation," the document states.

Linda Young with Cowley County Mental Health was focus team captain for the last year. She said the task involved note-taking and followuing up on by gathering information.

"The focus groups helped bring a cross-section of individuals in our community together to work on a common goal," Young said. "It was almost a grass roots effort to be able to brainstorm ideas and discuss how we might work together."

The result of the focus groups' efforts "will hopefully help with educating the public about resources available, develop more resources in under-served areas, help to improve the quality of life, better prepare folks for life's challenges and hopefully make our community more pro-active in looking at and solving problems.

"Having more healthy folks will help our workforce become more productive."

* The Culture team developed the goal of having a countywide system of farmers markets to provide opportunities for craftsmen, artists and food concessionaires. This goal supports the strategy of developing "pedestrian-friendly downtowns for day and evening activities to offer leisure and tourist opportunities for all ages."

The plan of action would be to work with existing farmers markets to set policy for area markets, find local agencies to sponsor farmers markets and stagger the days so that vendors can rotate to the various communities of the county.

The team also came up with several plans of action to support the strategy of showcasing "Cowley County's history, architecture, waterways and other natural spaces in order to expand leisure activities for residents and tourists."

The plans are: develop inventory of waterways, develop inventory of architecture, locate interesting historical sites and determine ties to the Flint Hills.

People can access the entire final document at the county economic development group's Web site: cowleyfirst.com. The document can be found by clicking on the Vision 20/20 tab, Teufel said.

Long term goals of Vision 20/20

1. Attract and retain young people in the community through increased economic opportunities, appealing housing choices and civic partnerships that make the area more appealing to young people.

2.Increase available early childhood programs (birth to age 5) and build community awareness about the value of these programs.

3. Build understanding of our diverse cultures to welcome all residents and include them in public decision-making and community affairs.

4. Support and improve public education for all students

5. Expand educational opportunities for young people who elect not to attend college, and for young women and gifted students.

6. Provide mentoring and leadership to promote diversity, reduce poverty and create a balanced economy.

7. Improve services for seniors countywide by obtaining increased funding at the local level.

8. Secure adequate, long-term funding for the Cowley First Economic Development Partnership.

9. Retain and expand existing industry.

10. Overcome barriers to successful workforce recruiting and development, especially in housing, child services and perceptions of quality of life.

11. Promote entrepreneurship development through a network of services to stimulate and support startup business ventures.

12. Promote rural development through expansion of tourism activities and initiatives in agri-tourism.

13. Target and recruit new businesses and industries that will create jobs.

14. Expand the number and variety of retail businesses in the county.

15. Grow endowments for the purpose of retaining wealth in the community and directing its use to future community needs.

16. Improve the appearance of commercial, residential and public properties, with a priority for those areas first encountered by visitors to the community.

17. Improve and expand the availability of good quality, affordable housing for rental and home ownership.

18. Begin implementation of a plan for development of the Highway 77 corridor from the north to the south county borders.

19. Complete and implement regional and countywide transportation plans.

20. Provide reliable air and rail service for agricultural, commercial and industrial transport needs.

21. Develop and implement countywide public transportation. 22. Protect and improve the natural environment and natural resources in the Cowley County region.

23. Reduce drug and alcohol abuse among youth and adults in Cowley County through strengthened prevention initiatives, expanded mentoring opportunities and aggressive law enforcement and judicial responses to offenders.

24. Offset the attraction to alcohol and illegal drugs by expanding recreation and other programs for young people and adults.

25. Promote the physical and mental health of residents through expansion of public facilities and programs.

26. Establish accessible free or low-cost medical clinics in Winfield and Arkansas City.

27. Increase access to health insurance in Cowley County.

28. Increase the number of healthcare professionals in Cowley County.

29. Undertake a public education campaign for a countywide tobacco-free environment in public spaces and the elimination of youth access to tobacco products.

30. Reduce the historically high incidence of confirmed child abuse in Cowley County.

31. Reduce the health threat from childhood obesity through school programs that increase physical activity and promote healthy nutrition choices.

32. Protect the quality of our air and water.

33. Develop pedestrian-friendly downtowns for day and evening activities.

34. Showcase Cowley County's history, architecture, waterways and other natural spaces in order to expand leisure activities for residents and tourists.

35. Encourage diverse local cultural festivals and celebrations, leisure activities and sports.

36. Develop a Cowley County cultural life center.

37. Develop and begin implementation of a countywide plan for marketing cultural arts.