The Grand Vision News Flash!
We'll post the latest updates about how The Grand Vision is going on this page. You can also keep up with The Grand Vision through our email newsletter and our News Page.
Grand Vision Update: November 13, 2008
Here is the latest news from The Grand Vision. A special thanks to all of you who have participated and stayed involved with the process! There is much more to come and we hope that you stay involved!
-The Grand Vision Team
Region Sets Record for Grand Vision Participation! Overwhelming Response Slowing Tabulation
(Traverse City, Michigan) - The Grand Vision project leaders are pleased to announce that 12,089 people filled out The Grand Vision Decision Scorecard in October, establishing a new national record for per capita regional public planning studies participation and providing a wealth of input for the project's future! An especially overwhelming number of printed scorecard submissions were received within the last several days of the event, which is postponing final tabulations and analysis.
"The response to the Grand Vision scorecard was like the 2008 election-record high turnout!" said John Fregonese, president of Fregonese Associates - the Oregon-based firm that led public scenario planning workshops for the two-year land use and transportation project. "With over 12,000 scorecard responses, almost one in ten people across the six-county region took the time to share their ideas and priorities for shaping the future of the area.
"The participation on a per capita basis exceeds even some of the most highly successful public involvement planning efforts ever conducted across the country - almost as many returns as the Austin (Texas) region, with a regional population of 1.5 million. It is safe to say that the citizens' scorecard responses will guide the development of a Grand Vision that reflects the hearts and minds of area residents."
"Participation was outstanding and we exceeded our overall goal," said Marsha Smith, chairperson of The Grand Vision Public Involvement Committee. "The response to the scorecard, combined with the previous participation of over 3,000 people in public workshops and values surveys, as well as having over 25,000 unique visitors to the project website, helped us exceed our goal of having 15,000 people participate in The Grand Vision process. We are thankful to all the citizens, governmental units, schools, businesses and communications media that generated such widespread participation."
According to Smith, over 600 scorecard distribution locations were spread throughout the six counties participating in The Grand Vision to reach citizens who might not have easy website access. In addition, the scorecard process was supported by over 33 school systems, over 60 of the largest employers in the region, as well as dozens of non-profit groups, newspapers and broadcast stations that encouraged people to "Fill it out!"
The Grand Vision scorecard described significant characteristics for each of four proposed land use and transportation growth scenarios, asked a dozen multiple-choice questions and provided space for personal comments.
"Instead of receiving 80 percent or more of submissions online as expected, it was more like an even split between online and printed scorecards," said Matt McCauley, Associate Director of Regional Planning for the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments. "In addition, we're entering every written comment we received on the scorecards and we received a surprising number of them."
Scorecard findings will be added to the input received from thousands who previously participated in over a dozen public workshops and values surveys over the last year. Together, this information will assist the professional consultant team in developing a draft Grand Vision plan that could be unveiled as early as February, 2009.
