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What's your vision for Caldwell?
Local government and business leaders have begun casting a vision for Caldwell County's future through an effort now known as Caldwell 20/20. Now it's your turn to do the same. Several weeks back, the community was introduced to a consulting firm from Atlanta that was hired through private donations to help determine a consensus strategy and formulate a plan for implementing it. I can already hear some naysayers grumbling, “Here we go again. The politicians are going to decide how all of us should live,” or “What do people from Atlanta know about Caldwell County?” Both are valid points, and in many cases the big consulting firms are too political or don't listen to what the average citizen, or even the not-so-average citizen, has to say. But not in this case. And that's what will make it a success. Market Street Services currently is gathering data for the Caldwell 20/20 project, which is being initiated by the Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce. This week, a series of focus groups involving a wide range of Caldwell County residents and leadership commenced. These sessions focused on a variety of topics and gave the firm's representatives a chance to hear ideas, issues and concerns straight from those who live here. But that effort doesn't stop with the targeted focus groups. The next step is getting input from the rest of the community. This will be accomplished through a survey of topics such as jobs, healthcare, environment, business, education, quality of life, transportation and infrastructure. And the best part, every single resident of Caldwell County is invited to participate. The survey takes about five to 10 minutes to complete and can be taken online or on paper. According to a flyer given to focus group participants Tuesday, “Your input is critical to this process and will be used to help develop a proactive strategy to create local jobs and wealth in Caldwell County.” Jobs and wealth - sounds good to me. Information provided will be kept confidential and will be combined with other responses to build consensus. In an effort to include and inform the public about the initiative, progress reports and statistical data will be posted on the Web site periodically. So, not only does everyone get the chance to participate, but they also learn about the results at the same time as local leaders. How often does that happen? To participate in the survey, and to get more information about Caldwell 20/20, go to www.lenoircaldwellstrategy.com. The Web site is still under construction, but should be ready by Monday. If Web surfing isn't your speed, or you just prefer a nice old-fashioned piece of paper to a computer monitor, call the Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce at 726-0616 to get a copy of the survey. The survey period closes March 31, so don't put it off. Good luck on your survey and thanks for making an investment of time in our future. Caldwell County thanks you. Edward Terry Editor eterry@newstopic.net
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