Winnemucca News

Winnemucca News

Winnemucca Futures Project moving forward - 04-22-2010

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WINNEMUCCA — Progress is being made on the initiative that would bring together residents, civics groups, government representatives and clubs to create a long-term vision for the community.

Called Scenario Planning, the program was developed by Innovative Leadership whose  representatives work with communities to articulate what they want their community to be in the future so planning may be developed to achieve the goals they set.

Humboldt Development Authority Chairman Patrick Gray and Small Business Development Center Director Bill Sims were before members of local government on Monday (April 19) to explain the finer details of the program.

Gray explained within the community there are many focused groups all working on different projects --  and that includes the Winnemucca City Council and Humboldt County Commissioners.  During the Scenario Planning process, these many groups are brought to the table in order to get everyone working towards a common goal.

What’s the common goal? They decide that.  Perhaps it’s a healthy balance between industry and protecting the environment.  Perhaps it’s protecting the natural resources in a thoughtful way that still allows use. The point is those at the table would be creating a vision for the future and what they want the community to be twenty or thirty years down the road.

“It’s a good planning tool but also good decision making tool,” Gray said. “If we know where we want to go, and we have good clear vision, we make decisions to go in that direction as opposed to making decisions that would put us somewhere we don’t want to go as a community.”

The initial phase of the program was estimated to take six months, but could go as long as nine months, and would cost $30,000 plus an additional $10,000 in travel expenses for the facilitators.

Gray and Sims hoped to get some financial support from the city council and county commission in order to offset the cost of bringing the program to Humboldt County.

They’ve already submitted a Community Development Block Grant for $10,000 and are applying for another grant of $10,000. In addition, the HDA is putting in $9,500 and the Winnemucca Convention & Visitors Authority is kicking in $3,500.

The HDA is requesting $3,500 each  from the city and county to help offset costs.

Both the commission and council were generally supportive.  Commissioner Mike Bell, who attended the workshop in February where the program was presented, said he appreciated the bottom-up approach; that is,  the drive comes from community members. Councilman Rich Stone said it was a good program the city needs to support.

Commissioner Tom Fransway was the lone critic, but that was just of the cost. He noted the council and commission already support the HDA with a combined $35,000. 

Neither the council nor the commission agendized the financial request so whether or not to contribute funds was not possible; however, the issue of whether or not to fund the program will be on the next agenda for each board.

Written by Dee Holzel - Silver Pinyon Journal - 4/22/10

• Winnemucca News