The Town of Normal announced plans for an April 24 public meeting to gather input on quality-of-life initiatives that create a sustainable and vibrant community. The feedback is part of the development process for the Town’s Vision 2050/Sustainability Plan.
Time: 6:30 – 8 p.m. Central Time
Date: Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Place: Community Activity Center, 1110 Douglas, Normal
“Our goal is to engage a diverse group of community members to collect input and prompt collaborative problem-solving discussions,” says Town of Normal Planner Mercy Davison. “All who live in, work in or regularly visit Normal are welcome.”
The session will cover topics such as: access to safe drinking water, green practices, renewable energy, air quality and protecting natural areas.
What to expect
Facilitators will lead discussions designed to identify participant perspectives on how and where the community should focus attention and resources for a positive impact on the lives of Normal residents now and well into the future.
“This is a chance for the public to work on this effort with the planning team. We’ll organize into several small groups using a charette procedure to brainstorm ideas one after the other,” explains Davison. “We want to ensure everyone involved has a chance to contribute. Our team is excited to harness the talents and energies of the community.”
Background
The Town of Normal Council authorized staff in September 2023 to work with the Hile Group to facilitate the development of the Vision 2050/Sustainability Plan. Work on the project began last fall and continues through September 2024.
For more than three decades, the Town of Normal has regularly called together diverse groups of community members to create vision plans. The goal is to generate a vision of what the group hopes the Town of Normal will be 25 years in the future.
The first plan, “Vision Plan 2015,” was created in 1990 and focused on the physical environment, social-fabric governmental affairs, and the economy. Subsequent plans addressed similar issues and added new themes, including regionalization, communication and technology.
The first plan focused on sustainability was created in 2010. The current process will identify progress and chart a course through 2050. The Vision 2050/Sustainability Plan will make recommendations about positioning the community to provide enhanced quality of life for generations to come.
