Keene Young Professionals Network

Hi All,

I encourage you to sign up for a visioning conversation as part of the Community's Visioning process. We want to hear from you what your hopes and dreams are for the future. Even if you don’t live in Keene, your participation is incredibly valuable!

What is the Community-Wide Visioning Process?
The City of Keene is launching its community-wide visioning activities throughout the months of April and May, and all community members of the community are invited to participate. This exciting process will provide an opportunity for community members to help guide the future of our City. We need to hear all points of view. We are interested in your concerns, your desires and your ideas about how to make Keene an even better place to live, work and play.

Comprehensive Master Plan Background
Beginning in the fall of 2008, the City of Keene will begin a 12 to 18-month process to complete a comprehensive Master Plan for the City. The Master Plan will be a road map for the City’s future, it will take stock of how the City’s past has defined it, what it is now, and what it can be in the future. In preparation for this undertaking, the City is beginning a community-wide effort to engage our community in defining a vision for our future. This visioning effort will occur over 6 months and will seek to involve community members from all areas and all ages. The effort will bring people together for small group discussions throughout the community.

Visioning Conversations
Throughout May and June, community members are invited to participate in a series of Visioning Conversations. These meetings, called Visioning Conversations, are led by trained volunteer facilitators. The conversations will consider what participants appreciate about the City as it is today and what they would like to see change. The groups will meet more than once (at least twice) allowing them to develop a deeper understanding of the issues and the different viewpoints of the participants. This will allow the groups to explore the issues in greater depth.

In July and August, the City will gather summary reports of all of the Visioning Conversations, which will be used to draft a community-wide vision. This vision document – which will be comprised of a vision statement and a set of related goals -- will help guide the comprehensive master plan. The vision document will raise key issues that most participants have agreed are important. It will describe a desired future. It will identify ideal community characteristics and will define topics and ideas that will be addressed in the Master Plan.

Here’s how people can participate:

Sign up to be a part of a Visioning Conversation (call the Keene Planning Department at (603) 352-5474, e-mail kneviz2008@gmail.com, or go on-line to www.ci.keene.nh.us and follow the link at the bottom of the page).

Tell friends, neighbors, and colleagues.

Check in on our web site (www.ci.keene.nh.us) for frequent updates regarding activities, progress and ways that individuals can be a part of shaping the future of Keene.

Please forward this infromation on to everyone you know! And sign-up! This is really important to the future our community!

Best,

~M

Mikaela Engert
City Planner
City of Keene
3 Washington Street
Keene, NH 03431

P: (603) 352-5474
F: (866) 690-8364