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Sunday, May 19, 2013
Covering Dallas, Monmouth, Independence, Falls City and surrounding areas since 1868
March 05, 2013
DALLAS -- One of the primary goals of the city of Dallas for 2013 is considering what the city should accomplish and how it should change by 2030.
Looking 17 years into the future, through the "Dallas 2030 Project," will likely take from six months to a year to complete, said City Manager Ron Foggin.
"We want to create a vision and a brand for this community, so what we are interested in knowing is what people would like Dallas to be in 17 years," he said. "It gives people the opportunity to think outside the box and dream a little bit."
More than just a dream, a defined vision will provide city officials with direction in making decisions about Dallas' future as well as an image the city can use to promote itself.
"These projects often surprise communities, when they thought they were one thing and the citizens recognized something else," Foggin said. "It's exciting and I'm looking forward to the outcome."
In his recent State of the City address, Mayor Brian Dalton called the project a "comprehensive visioning process," meaning it won't just include the perspective of the city.
In keeping with that philosophy, the 2030 project will include input from the Dallas School District, local business owners, local service groups, the Dallas Area Chamber of Commerce, citizens, and likely many more as the process continues.
"We would like to hear from as many people as we can," said Doug Zenn of Portland-based Zenn Associates, the consultant hired to coordinate the project.
Doug Zenn
Zenn Associates will be working directly with the city's Economic Development Commission, which is tasked with overseeing the project. Zenn and his team were hired in January for the project, budgeted at $50,000.
Zenn Associates has already begun gathering some preliminary information about Dallas, but the process will begin in earnest this week. Zenn said since the project is community-driven, the assessment will be open-ended and could expand in scope once consultants begin meeting people in the community.
Citizens will have ample opportunity to provide input through a series of open houses and meetings that will be scheduled later in the process.
"We obviously want to get as much community input as we can in the process," Foggin said. "If we get a lot of input early, it could be a shorter process. ... But we are going to err on the side of caution and make sure that everyone who wants an opportunity gets an opportunity."
For more information or to participate: Doug Zenn, 503-256-7222; Dallas City Hall, 503-831-3565.
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