On January 12, 2010, a group of residents from the City of Newton and Jasper County gathered for the City of Newton's Comprehensive Planning Kick-off and Visioning Forum, the first community session planned to gather input for the City of Newton Comprehensive Plan. Dr. Scott Bloomberg began the meeting with introducing Trisha Mason, President of Planning Success LLC, and Ken Larimore, U of I Extension Unit Educator in Community & Economic Development for Jasper County. Ms. Mason then spoke of some demographic trends affecting the local economy and reported on the survey responses received. Community Surveys are still available for completion at the local banks, the Library, and City Hall. Mr. Larimore later introduced himself and spoke of the positive infrastructure improvements made within the City over the past few years, as well as local economic development projects.
The later portion of the event was dedicated to creating a Vision Statement for the City. After identifying what values serve as the foundation for the City of Newton and what makes the community unique, the group was asked to think about what the ideal Newton would look like in 2020. They then worked in small groups, identifying the important characteristics of that ideal community. These ideas where later brought together, shared and discussed. Once all where in agreement with the ideals put forward, Ms. Mason adjourned the meeting and drafted the Vision Statement, which was dispersed amongst the participants for final touches.
The Vision Statement describing what the ideal Newton will look like in 2020 is:
"The City of Newton is a great place to live, work, play, worship, and retire. It is founded on strong morals and faith-based values with modern infrastructure, pleasing aesthetics, and steady growth in both diverse industries and population. The City of Newton and Jasper County are shared stakeholders. The trends and successes of one greatly impact the other. The City is conscious of this relationship and works to fulfill the needs of all Jasper County residents. The City's energy and pride aids in:
Retaining and attracting youth by offering a safe and clean environment, quality education, opportunities for faith-based and community fellowship, and a new subdivision full of affordable homes;
Providing opportunities focused on retirees including independent and assisted living facilities and necessary community and health care services;
Offering good jobs for residents by remaining competitive with neighboring communities in attracting a stable and diverse industry and commercial base;
Communicating local happenings clearly and accurately through the collaboration with local media and service organizations;
Serving as the hub of Jasper County, providing shopping to satisfy the local needs and plenty of entertainment opportunities;
Valuing the importance of cultural and artistic experiences demonstrated by the museum and public arts center located in the Newton Public Library; and
Maintaining and growing its relationship with Jasper County by partnering to accomplish shared goals and representing the best interests of all residents."
Now that a Vision for the future has been created, it is time to begin setting goals to get there. The next community forum is scheduled for Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. at the Newton Community High School Cafeteria. This session will result in developing strong goals to assist the City of Newton in fulfilling this vision. The public is invited to participate and share in this experience.
Newton, Ill. —
