The Philomath City Council received an update Monday on the forthcoming Philomath Community Vision 2050 project, a 10-month initiative designed to bring together local organizations, residents and community leaders to chart the city’s future over the next 25 years.
The project, mostly funded by a $75,000 grant from the Ford Family Foundation, was identified as a priority in the city’s strategic plan.
“They’d like to see a long-term economic development plan that comes out of this effort,” City Manager Chris Workman said about the foundation’s grant.
Mayor Christopher McMorran said the project provides an opportunity to zoom out and think about the big picture.
“The city will convene it but we really don’t want it to be the city’s project,” McMorran said. “We want it to be the community’s project. We want it to be a collaboration between all of the different local governments, the different nonprofits, businesses and community groups to create a vision for a shared future.”
McMorran sees the end result as an effort to ensure that all involved are “not all working as independent islands but working as one network because that’s what we are at the end of the day.”
“Community visioning efforts like this play a powerful role in shaping our shared path forward,” Workman wrote in an agenda item summary. “Beyond simply helping identify what residents want and need, visioning also encourages collaboration and breaks down communication silos between organizations.”
The entire City Council has been invited to attend a kickoff celebration scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 15 at a location to be determined. The event will feature refreshments, entertainment and an introduction to the visioning initiative.
Following the kickoff, the council may select up to two representatives to serve on a stakeholder committee that will meet monthly from February through June. Those meetings will likely be held in the evenings, with specific dates determined by committee members’ availability.
McMorran suggested himself and Workman to represent the city on the stakeholder committee, believing that their roles would bring governance and operational perspectives.
The project timeline includes several key phases. From Jan. 19-30, stakeholder committee representatives will participate in 15-minute video interviews discussing their organizations’ goals. Asset mapping will take place Feb. 1-14, during which committee members will identify and map facilities owned or used by their organizations and discuss facility needs and opportunities for shared use.
A community survey will run from Feb. 15 through March 30 to gauge support for various initiatives, collaborations and community priorities. Stakeholder meetings from April 1 through June 30 will focus on shaping the plan.
A draft and final report are scheduled for release on Sept. 30, followed by a stakeholder meeting to review outcomes, establish goals and determine ongoing engagement.
Workman highlighted several anticipated benefits for the city, including better decision-making through access to diverse perspectives, strategic alignment with community values, strengthened relationships with other organizations, new partnership opportunities, leadership skill development and early identification of potential community concerns.
Workman said the next move will be to select a consultant with a final interview scheduled to occur this week. He said $80,000 had been allocated by the city for the effort with the grant paying $75,000 — expenses beyond that amount would come out of city funds.
The council is expected to discuss city priorities at its retreat on Jan. 10.
