It has been such a whirlwind the past few weeks. We have been meeting with different civic groups all over the Town presenting and talking with them about our updated Strategic Plan II. Our staff have been to the Ina/Orange Grove Business Coalition, the Senior Center, the Marana Chamber of Commerce, and the Avra Valley Fire District Board of Directors! Whew!
Each of these groups has had positive feedback on the plan and how their unique needs are addressed. Avra Valley Fire District was very glad to see how they fit into our plan, since they are part of our planned growth area.
Tonight is the open house at the Wheeler Taft Abbett Library at 6:00 p.m. There will be plenty of staff on hand to answer your questions and address any concerns you may have about the plan. A copy can be found online at www.marana.com under the Government link, or by clicking here. We are looking forward to hearing what you have to say on the direction the Town is going. We are wrapping up the outreach at the end of the month so make sure you get out there and have your voice heard!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Dove Mountain Civic Group
Last night visit to the Dove Mountain Civic Group was the latest step in the Town's SPII outreach.
There were about 40 people in the audience at Heritage Highlands, and as usual, they were engaged and passionate about Town development. Town Manager Gilbert Davidson gave an overview of where changes have occurred and let the crowd know that we welcome public comment. Councilmember Carol McGorray, a Heritage Highlands resident, was there to provide support for the Plan and ask residents to give feedback.
Overall, it was well received. Many residents said we must continue keeping the Sonoran Desert pristine, a subject that has been discussed at length and is a priority for the Town. Keeping our beautiful deserts not only makes our neighborhoods attractive, it also is a driver for tourism and economic development. This was a great example of how Strategic Plan priorities and focus areas overlap.
Please visit our website to take the survey on the plan, download a copy or keep up on dates for our next outreach events. There will be an open house Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. at Wheeler Taft Abbett Sr Library near Crossroads at Silverbell Park. We look forward to seeing residents there.
There were about 40 people in the audience at Heritage Highlands, and as usual, they were engaged and passionate about Town development. Town Manager Gilbert Davidson gave an overview of where changes have occurred and let the crowd know that we welcome public comment. Councilmember Carol McGorray, a Heritage Highlands resident, was there to provide support for the Plan and ask residents to give feedback.
Overall, it was well received. Many residents said we must continue keeping the Sonoran Desert pristine, a subject that has been discussed at length and is a priority for the Town. Keeping our beautiful deserts not only makes our neighborhoods attractive, it also is a driver for tourism and economic development. This was a great example of how Strategic Plan priorities and focus areas overlap.
Please visit our website to take the survey on the plan, download a copy or keep up on dates for our next outreach events. There will be an open house Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. at Wheeler Taft Abbett Sr Library near Crossroads at Silverbell Park. We look forward to seeing residents there.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Marana Rotary Club
This morning, Rodney and Amanda got up bright and early to attend the Marana Rotary Club's weekly meeting. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet civic and community minded residents and business owners who are dedicated to the betterment of the Town. It's a great group of people.
The meeting started with presentations of guests and any new members. Club membership has almost doubled in recent months. We were the agenda for the final 20 minutes of the meeting. Rodney began with an overview of why we have a Strategic Plan and outlined the Town's outreach strategy. Amanda talked about the changes that have been made and the overall update process, including retreats for staff and Council. Each club member present was given a handout with accomplishments, Focus Areas, Goals and Overriding Principles. This is a great general reference sheet. We have been handing them out at our outreach events.
There were great questions regarding plans for transportation and working with the RTA, as well as providing support for the Marana Rotary from the Town. Overall, it was a job well done, and a great way to continue our outreach.
There are many more organizations and boards to visit and a community open house at Wheeler Taft Abbett Library on Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. We hope to see many of our residents and business owners during this month of presentations.
The meeting started with presentations of guests and any new members. Club membership has almost doubled in recent months. We were the agenda for the final 20 minutes of the meeting. Rodney began with an overview of why we have a Strategic Plan and outlined the Town's outreach strategy. Amanda talked about the changes that have been made and the overall update process, including retreats for staff and Council. Each club member present was given a handout with accomplishments, Focus Areas, Goals and Overriding Principles. This is a great general reference sheet. We have been handing them out at our outreach events.
There were great questions regarding plans for transportation and working with the RTA, as well as providing support for the Marana Rotary from the Town. Overall, it was a job well done, and a great way to continue our outreach.
There are many more organizations and boards to visit and a community open house at Wheeler Taft Abbett Library on Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. We hope to see many of our residents and business owners during this month of presentations.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Employee Reactions
On January 25 and 30, our Town Manager, Gilbert Davidson, gave several presentations to staff regarding the update to the Strategic Plan. He presented at four different times to enable all staff to attend one of the sessions. He began with a description of the many things the Town has accomplished over the last year. He then moved into the Strategic Plan II discussion. This was a great overview of how the update came about, what themes and ideas were given by Council and how staff was able to pull those themes into a cohesive plan.
The Focus Areas, Goals, Index and Numbering System were laid out for staff to review and see how we have made this plan much more reader-friendly and accessible. We also handed out wallet cards to the employees so they can have that information at hand to act as a quick reference to the Plan. There is still plenty of time to have your comments heard. There are comment cards and a copy of the plan at the front desk of the Marana Municipal Complex at 11555 West Civic Center Drive and at the Marana Operations Center at 5100 West Ina Road. We are looking for feedback, so please take a minute to use one of our many options. All can be found on the new Strategic Plan webpage.
Next week begins the strong outreach to the public. We have had a few neighborhood meetings last week, but the month of February is filled with outreach plans. Keep an eye out for one that is taking place near you. There will be an open house at the Wheeler Taft Abbett Sr. Library on February 23 at 6 pm. Please come out and let us know what you think.
The Focus Areas, Goals, Index and Numbering System were laid out for staff to review and see how we have made this plan much more reader-friendly and accessible. We also handed out wallet cards to the employees so they can have that information at hand to act as a quick reference to the Plan. There is still plenty of time to have your comments heard. There are comment cards and a copy of the plan at the front desk of the Marana Municipal Complex at 11555 West Civic Center Drive and at the Marana Operations Center at 5100 West Ina Road. We are looking for feedback, so please take a minute to use one of our many options. All can be found on the new Strategic Plan webpage.
Next week begins the strong outreach to the public. We have had a few neighborhood meetings last week, but the month of February is filled with outreach plans. Keep an eye out for one that is taking place near you. There will be an open house at the Wheeler Taft Abbett Sr. Library on February 23 at 6 pm. Please come out and let us know what you think.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Going public
With the Strategic Plan update draft complete, the Town is ready to present the document to the public for feedback. The best opportunity for residents and business owners will happen at an open house Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. at Wheeler Taft Abbett Library.
Town Manager Gilbert Davidson and members of the Town Council will be at the library that night to go over the plan and solicit feedback, just as they did for the initial plan in 2009. It's a great chance for people who care about Marana to have their voices heard and make an impact on where our Town goes in the future.
There are many other plans in the works, including meetings with homeowners' associations, civic groups and online chats. So anyone who can't be at the library for next month's meeting need not feel left out. The Strategic Plan update impacts everyone who lives in Marana, so the Town plans to give all interested parties their chance to weigh in. More updates are coming as we continue crafting this important plan.
Town Manager Gilbert Davidson and members of the Town Council will be at the library that night to go over the plan and solicit feedback, just as they did for the initial plan in 2009. It's a great chance for people who care about Marana to have their voices heard and make an impact on where our Town goes in the future.
There are many other plans in the works, including meetings with homeowners' associations, civic groups and online chats. So anyone who can't be at the library for next month's meeting need not feel left out. The Strategic Plan update impacts everyone who lives in Marana, so the Town plans to give all interested parties their chance to weigh in. More updates are coming as we continue crafting this important plan.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Draft Approved!
We are starting the outreach process. We will be attending meetings with local community members and groups to present the plan and how it will affect them and their membership. This outreach program will begin on Tuesday and run the rest of January and February. Keep checking back to see when there will be a meeting close to you.
We have also finalized an online survey where you can provide your input on the plan, should you be unable to attend one of these meetings. You can find it here. This page also has a complete draft version of the plan available for download.
We are excited about this process and the support we received from Council. This is its document and guiding vision, we were just putting a shine on it by adding index, a numbering system and cleaning up grammatical inconsistencies. Make sure to check the Marana website to see all the dates and times of the outreach programs. We hope to see you soon.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
January 10, here we come!
The working group has finished its review and refinement of the draft Strategic Plan. The document has been uploaded into the Town's agenda software and sent to Council for review before next week's meeting.
This is a very exciting time for the Town and staff. There has been a lot of hard work put into getting this document ready for Council over the past few weeks. The plan includes a numbering system and an index to make it more reader-friendly. The team finished the final details yesterday. It feels great.
The next step is to present the updated draft to Council next Tuesday. Council has been provided the document ahead of time and will be able to ask questions of staff during the meeting. After the meeting, Council will allow staff to continue with public and staff outreach programs. This outreach is vital to generating excitement and buy-in from Town partners, citizens and staff.
Keep following the blog to see when and where you can review the document and provide comments. You are welcome to provide feedback in the comments section of the blog, and keep an eye out for the online survey and presentations that might be coming to your community. We are dedicated to getting as much public and staff feedback as possible, so make sure to have your voice heard! Hope to hear from you soon.
This is a very exciting time for the Town and staff. There has been a lot of hard work put into getting this document ready for Council over the past few weeks. The plan includes a numbering system and an index to make it more reader-friendly. The team finished the final details yesterday. It feels great.
The next step is to present the updated draft to Council next Tuesday. Council has been provided the document ahead of time and will be able to ask questions of staff during the meeting. After the meeting, Council will allow staff to continue with public and staff outreach programs. This outreach is vital to generating excitement and buy-in from Town partners, citizens and staff.
Keep following the blog to see when and where you can review the document and provide comments. You are welcome to provide feedback in the comments section of the blog, and keep an eye out for the online survey and presentations that might be coming to your community. We are dedicated to getting as much public and staff feedback as possible, so make sure to have your voice heard! Hope to hear from you soon.
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