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January 15, 2003 |
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At their annual goal-setting session last Tuesday, Village Council members presented a unified front in their emphasis on promoting growth in Yellow Springs. Asked at the meeting’s beginning to identify their individual goals for the Village, all five Council members identified business and residential growth as priorities. “We’re saying the ‘G’ word,” Council member Jocelyn Hardman said. “We want to grow.” The goal-setting process took place with no disagreements between Council members and highlighted a sense of Council members’ shared vision of what’s best for the Village. By the end of the meeting, Council members articulated five goals for the Village in 2004, and pledged to identify action plans for achieving each goal by the end of March. The 2004
goals are: 2. Facilitate new construction and renovation across the housing spectrum 3. Create a five-year Village sustainable financial plan that will engage the community, review services, enhance revenues, reduce costs and address capital needs 4. Increase interaction between Village government and the public 5. Continue 2003 goals of implementing the Wellhead Protection Management Plan, improving communication between Council and Council’s boards and committees, and supporting the use of volunteers All Council members identified promoting business growth as their first priority, and this year’s goal continues the 2003 Council goal of promoting both new and existing businesses. Last year Council worked toward that goal by focusing on the creation of a commercial park, according to Council president Tony Arnett. “At this point, Community Resources has the ball” and is focusing on securing land on which to build a park, said Arnett. In 2003 Council also supported local businesses by offering its first tax abatement, to The Antioch Company, for the purchase of a new press, and by creating a list of economic incentives Council is prepared to offer businesses, Arnett said. Other efforts toward promoting business included Council’s proposal to Antioch University to create a business incubator, and improved communication between Village Manager Rob Hillard and local businesses. New this year to the business goal is an emphasis on filling existing commercial space, which Arnett suggested. “I’m getting concerned by the number of open storefronts,” he said. Each Council member also identified residential growth as a priority, with Mary J. Alexander suggesting that the Village hire a public relations firm to “promote the village as a place to live.” Residential growth was also emphasized by George Pitstick, who suggested that the Village redefine its urban service area to “include desirable development areas.” “I’m looking for the areas that could be developed,” Pitstick said. “What we need to do is to help a developer develop” more housing. The residential goal goes a step further than Council’s 2003 goal, which was to “increase housing supply across the spectrum (type and cost).” Council worked toward that goal last year by approving the Hull Court development project and completing a survey of empty housing lots in town, according to Arnett. Concern over maintaining the Village’s fiscal health led to Council’s third goal for 2004, that of creating a five-year “sustainable financial plan that will engage the community, review services, enhance revenues, reduce costs and address capital needs.” “We need to go to another level of understanding. We almost need further study about what’s available and what other communities are doing,” said Swinger, who had suggested as an individual goal that Council “educate ourselves first and with the community on various funding options available to meet capital needs and set a plan in place.” Council’s fiscal plan goal broadened and replaced its 2003 fiscal goal of having a balanced budget, a goal that Council met, Arnett said. Several Council members stated their desire to include the public as much as possible in the financial plan process. Arnett, Pitstick and Hillard agreed to develop an action plan for this goal and present it to Council at its meeting Jan. 20. Increased public participation in Village government was Council’s fourth goal, including updating the Village Web site, a goal suggested by Arnett. Arnett said public interest in Village government is sporadic. “I feel a sense of frustration with how little” the public participates in local government,” Arnett said. “Those moments when they have interest are too few and far between.” Council’s fifth goal is to continue several items from its 2003 list, including implementing the Wellhead Protection Management Plan, improving Council’s communication with its committees and boards, and supporting the use of volunteers, a goal expressed repeatedly by Swinger. Council chose not to include on this year’s list other 2003 goals, including improving the relationship between Council and the Miami Township trustees. That goal is no longer needed because the two boards now have a good working relationship, Council members said. Council also took off its list the continuation of the Appreciative Inquiry visioning process, which Arnett said has “morphed into” the new goal of developing a five-year financial plan. Council also removed from its list a 2003 goal to develop a 10-year capital improvement plan, since in 2003 Council received such a list from Hillard, which it prioritized. —Diane Chiddister
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