Do we need more planning? If so, on what topics?
We have heard over the past year that we need to do some community planning for Hot Springs. We have heard this regarding parks, streets, and general infrastructure. Do you think we need more planning, and if so, what topics should have a formal plan?
October 26th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
The Hot Springs Horizons II participants are to be commended for all the hard work they have done already. Certainly these topics and others need to be addressed.
Some other issues that have been presented in various ways are: housing, youth, environment, health care facilities, jobs, business and economic development just to name a few.
Recent discussions seem to have centered around the community growth process.
How will that take place?
We get to decide! I hope you all will make your voices heard as we develop our strategic plan for the future of the Hot Springs Community.
Dan O.
November 10th, 2007 at 10:30 am
Hot Springs is going to grow and the City should be on top of what is coming. The City should hire a certified City Planner to help the Council get a handle on what has to be done to take care of future growth and the needs associated with it.
November 10th, 2007 at 11:28 am
Noreen suggests hiring a city planner. See http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos057.htm for a city planner job description. In Hot Springs, many individuals and organizations currently do pieces of that job description.
The Visioning/Strategic Planning Committee has offered a temporary place for the different entities to come together and talk to each other. I wonder if there is a permanent way for decision-makers in different disciplines — infrastructure and parks, utilities, education, health care, economic development, housing, services to the poor, city and county government and others — to come together and “inform” each others’ thinking and decisions.
January 15th, 2008 at 11:28 am
The most important area for planning that our community could choose to address is the topic of energy conservation. Perhaps we could position our community as a leader in this subject of timely need. Things we offer the traveler or our residents that enable them to reduce their expenditure of gasoline, electricity, etc should be loudly displayed, pointed out and promoted. The public is looking for any help they can get, whether it is to save their personal money or to help save the planet or somewhere between.
January 18th, 2008 at 5:52 am
Cindy, I wonder how we could do that in a visible, leading way. Perhaps the Hot Springs City Council could adopt a resolution that incorporates “green” principles. I think the Keep Hot Springs Beautiful group (Kelli Juhl is doing a great job promoting a sustainable community, in her Star column and by example) could help draft an acceptable resolution.
By the way, in a recent conversation with Kelli she was focusing on the topic, in her Master’s Degree study, “Building Sustainable Communities to Alleviate Poverty,” right down our alley.
Just a thought.