Published: June 30, 2008 11:11 pm            

Setting goals for Kokomo’s future

Decade-long goals outlined

Work to develop a vision for Kokomo and Howard County officially began Monday when community members met at Inventrek to begin setting goals for the next decade.

“This is an exciting morning for Kokomo,” said Ron Harper, director of the Howard County Community Foundation. “We are starting the important work of developing a community vision.”

The Community Foundation is working with a group looking to combine economic development efforts in the community.

Those in attendance Monday were divided into eight groups and asked to develop three goals that will be accomplished in the next 10 years.

Vaughn Grisham, the retired director of the McLean Institute for Community Development at the University of Mississippi, made his second visit to Kokomo in the past two months to help organize the effort.

“You have an impressive town here,” Grisham said. “I like Kokomo. It is a good community. We’re talking about taking a good community and caring it to the next level.”

Grisham said the people gathered were there to talk about the kind of community they want in the future.

“You have to be passionate about raising the quality of life in the community,” he said. “We’re trying to find out how to raise the quality of life for your community. I want you to dream big.”

Kokomo has resources that must communities don’t have when they start the process, Grisham said.

“Most communities I work with are trying to break out of poverty,” he said.

The process begins with improving the people who live in Kokomo, explained Grisham. He said the group has to draw other people into the process of improving Kokomo.

Grisham said the number one priority is jobs and that the manufacturing sector in Kokomo knows that in the future fewer workers will be needed.

He said inside of trying to lure new companies, the community has to take care of the businesses already located here.

“The only way any town has ever grown is by attracting investment,” Grisham said. “Kokomo has to become a place where other people want to come to invest and live. The goal is to create the kind of community that will attract talent.”

Ken de la Bastide can be reached at (765) 454 -8580 or via e-mail at ken.delabastide@kokomotribune.com



Goals mentioned by eight groups looking at segments of Kokomo and Howard County:

Healthy Non Profit Sector

1. Strive for more true collaborations.

2. Change attitude and enthusiasm about the community.

3. Work on developing leadership in boards and staff.

Active Faith Communities Outside Their Walls

1. Promote racial inclusiveness.

2. Develop communications network.

3. Bring faith-community resources together.

Enthusiasm and Positive Attitude

1. Education, internal and external, of positives in community.

2. Expand knowledge of positives in the community within the service industry.

3. Build brand of the community.

Efficient Health Care for All Citizens

1. Develop a system that offers 100 percent of residents access to health care.

2. Develop a communitywide program of case management.

3. Develop coordinated health-care education, particularly that of the family.

Nurturing Environment for Children

1. Establish better connections between faith and business community to provide mentoring to students.

2. Have all children participate in a character-building program.

3. Make parenting programs available to all residents.

4. Establish quality preschool for all children.

World Class Schools and Lifelong Learning

1. Build bridges, not walls, between all schools and places that educate children.

2. Campaign to develop a communitywide attitude that education is important. Build a local endowment for post-secondary education for those who can't afford it.

3. Emphasize science, technology, engineering and math at all levels of education.

Sound Proactive Government and Infrastructure

1. Look at revising local governments and more partnerships with the private sector.

2. Emphasize quality education.

3. Foster an attitude of desiring change.

Robust Growing 21st Century Economy

1. Complete the consolidation of community's economic-development organizations.

2. Support existing businesses to create and retain jobs, including those small businesses of 10 employees or fewer.

3. Increase the educational attainment of the entire community.

        

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