Tonight will be the first of five opportunities for community members to voice their opinions as part of the Muncie Action Plan.
Virginia Nilles, co-chair of the steering committee and director of the Muncie Public Library, said MAP's main purpose is to define what Muncie citizens can do to help themselves better the community, and she expects a large turnout for the meetings.
"In order to move Muncie forward, we all need to get involved," she said. "Defining the city's goals when asking for money is a big part of MAP, but it's also about what we can do to help ourselves, not just how the government can help us."
Nilles said there will be five town meetings on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for citizens to identify the changes they want to see in the community. Each meeting will be conducted the same way: a forum and small group discussion.
"If we have 1,000 answers, some will be the same and some will be different," she said.
To address the many responses they expect to receive, Nilles said, a matrix will be compiled that identifies what percentage of citizens identify each issue as a priority.
Jessica Oxley, chief of staff for Student Government Association, wants to establish better communication between Ball State University and the Muncie community. She said several SGA executive cabinet members plan to attend one of the meetings, and a she hopes a variety of students will come out.
"[I want to talk about] how to get the Muncie community involved with cultural events on campus," she said. "And we need communication with the city on how we can get students to attend their cultural events. The campus is so secluded."
Director of Events for Downtown Development Cheryl Crowder said the action plan is a call for individuals to speak about their needs, not a time for groups to give a platform for the changes they want to see.
"There is no set agenda," she said. "Consultants will guide the discussion."
The city has awarded $125,000 to the consulting company ACp Visioning+Planning to help create the plan or vision for Muncie's future, according to a news release from the Star Press.
Nilles said after the public meetings, the next step is to develop action goals, then action steps. Ideas will be presented to county officials by January, and the action plan should be established by June, she said.
Dates and times for meetings-
- Dec. 1 – Ball Memorial Hospital Auditorium, 2401 W. University Avenue – 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- Dec. 2 – Southside High School Cafeteria, 1601 E. 26th Street – 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- Dec. 2 – Muncie Area Career Center President's Room , 2500 N. Elgin Street – 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- Dec. 3 – Forest Park Senior Center, 2517 W. 8th Street – 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
- Dec. 3 – Northside Middle School Cafeteria, 2400 W. Bethel Avenue – 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
