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In the month of May, the City of Fairfield will unveil a strategic plan that covers every aspect of community life for the next ten years, and will have the opportunity to take the next step in the creation of a Civic and Convention Center in the downtown.
On May 3, members of the Strategic Planning Commission will hold an unveiling celebration in Central Park at 11 AM. The plan is the culmination of 14 months of work by a broad based group of citizens and has been endorsed by over 80 local agencies, boards, clubs and organizations. It represents the most comprehensive planning effort ever undertaken in the city.
The planning process was conducted by the Institute for Decision Making of the University of Northern Iowa. The elements of the plan include a vision statement, values, and five main goals. Each of the goals is divided into aims and objectives. The full plan will have a limited publishing and will be available on the city web site, www.cityoffairfieldiowa.com. A condensed version of the plan in brochure form will be available on Saturday and throughout the city after the ceremonies.
The five main goals are:
- To expand Fairfield's dynamic economy;
- To improve our community's physical assets, beauty and natural environment;
- To advance Fairfield's educational opportunities;
- To cultivate Fairfield's cultural richness and recreational opportunities;
- To strengthen Fairfield as a caring community.
The aims and objective of the plan provide specific action steps and strategies, while assigning responsibility to some organization of the community.
One of the most ambitious objectives of the plan is the development of the Jefferson County Civic and Convention Center. This project is in its final stages of capitalization. To date, the project has raised $2.6 million dollars in private funding and an $800,000 dollar grant from the State of Iowa. The City of Fairfield would like to contribute $1.4 million in local option sales tax over a four-year period, but needs the approval of the voters in the city to do so.
The referendum vote will take place on Tuesday, May 13 and will ask registered voters in the city to "change the use" of the local option tax from the Law Center and jail, to the Civic and Convention Center. The local option sales tax is a one-cent tax that was put in place in 1999 to build the Law Center and jail. It is structured as a ten-year tax and revenues have been good enough to retire the debt for the Law Center four years early. By law, voters must approve the use of the tax, hence the vote to "change the use." We are fortunate to have this opportunity with the remaining tax revenues. If the change were not approved, the revenues would continue to go to the Law Center and jail.
Once the local option tax money is secured, the final phase of private fundraising would proceed, and with all of the funds secured, groundbreaking could take place later this year.
Our strategic plan calls for the creation of many new festivals and activities that have the potential of making our community a desired destination for arts, culture and recreation. We have real opportunities to attract tourists to our region of the state and to our city. The Civic and Convention Center would anchor these opportunities and showcase our community's finest attractions.
Our strategic plan also calls for growth and the creation of jobs. The Civic and Convention Center will be an important amenity to attract and retain companies, executives and workers, and most importantly our young people.
You can insure that our planning gets off to the best possible start by voting in the referendum on Tuesday, May 13. All five polling places in the city will be open and absentee ballots are available at the courthouse.
This next month will be the beginning of many exciting developments that will shape our community for years to come. Please come out and participate in the unveiling ceremonies for the city strategic plan on May 3, and please plan to vote on May 13. |
