Vision process taking shape

More than 100 people gathered Tuesday night in the educational annex of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, east of Bryant, to continue the process of building a county strategic plan for the future.

Led by Derek Okubo of the National Civic League of Denver, Colo., the group reviewed an early draft of a vision statement for the county's plan in its third 20/20 Vision session.

That statement says, in part, "By 2020 Jay County will be a bustling center for a rich and interdependent blend of manufacturing, agricultural, technological, and commercial activity county-wide."

The vision statement will continue to be revised during the weeks and months ahead.

Tuesday's session saw a review of a broad variety of statistical data about the county, ranging from population trends to household income, from graduation rates to crime rates, from property taxes to construction activity.

The planning process is open to the public, and a number of those participating Tuesday were involved for the first time, including several in the 25 to 35 age group that had been under-represented in earlier meetings.

Okubo told the group the next step is to identify four key areas to be addressed with specific strategies and plans. That will be the focus of the next meeting, set for 6 to 9 p.m. on Sept. 22, also at Holy Trinity.[[In-content Ad]]