Cape city council to take Vision 2020 in new direction

~ The group co-sponsors such events as the city's Neighborhood Nights.

On Monday, Cape Girardeau's City Council will take the first step in restructuring Vision 2020.

"Vision 2020 was originally formed to help implement the strategic plan for the city," said Connie Hanner, Vision 2020's chairwoman. "Once those objectives were met, it became a monitoring board."

These days, the group co-sponsors such events as the city's Neighborhood Nights and has volunteered to support Keep Southeast Missouri Beautiful's efforts to recruit others to take on litter pick-up projects. That's why Hanner approached the city earlier this year and asked for a new structure.

"We're slightly reshaping the focus and streamlining it," she said. "As a group we want to decide on two or three initiatives we want to address on a long-term basis. Each year, the vice-chair will pick up the mantle of responsibility of a particular initiative."

She said that will add continuity and long-range planning to Vision 2020 projects.

One of the key areas she said the group will begin focusing on is finding ways to strengthen families "and work with the at-risk community, through the River City Task Force, the Family Resource Center or United Way," she said.

The ordinance change, she said, "is really more administrative than anything. The biggest change is we're reducing the number of people on the board. We just physically don't need that many people."

The frequency of meetings would also be reduced from monthly to quarterly in an effort to bring more residents into community service.

"If you can show a very efficient, very effective advisory board that takes four meetings a year instead of 12, and does a significant amount of targeted work, then people will say 'I can commit to that,'" she said.

Hanner said she'd like to see people move from a role on Vision 2020's board to other city advisory boards.

"We are always looking for people to get involved," she said. "You don't have to be an attorney or doctor in this town. This is your city. These are your advisory boards. Take a minute to have a voice."

Hanner said she also hopes to hear from service clubs and other groups who want to book Keep Southeast Missouri Beautiful presentations by Vision 2020 speakers.

"With the holidays coming, the sooner we get on the calendar the better," she said.

For details, call 651-6286.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127