The New Cities initiative for West Liberty is a fantastic idea for our community. There will be a lot of work that must be done to accomplish the plan that derives from the meetings. In order to make the community of West Liberty a “New City” city leaders, business owners, educators, and the public in general need to come together to get the work done. I believe the first step is to hold meetings with community leaders and other influential members of the area, which has already been started since there have already been two meetings.
Whether the plan includes economic growth, recreation ideas, or even to better the educational system there needs to be a lot of brainstorming with fresh and new ideas. The people of the community should be included in the decision making process because they are the ones who will be utilizing the outcome. This can be done by conducting phone calls and by going door to door to find out what kind of changes the people of our community are looking for or needing. They should also be invited to planning meetings. By no means will we be able to make everyone in the community happy, but the people do need to know that their opinions and ideas about bettering our community are appreciated and needed.
Besides going door to door and making phone calls, we can create flyers to inform the public about meeting times and what the New Cities Initiative is all about. We can utilize the Licking Valley Courier, conduct radio spots on Kick 102.9 explain the plan and to get the people excited about what is going on and to get them involved. We could also get in touch with local television stations as well. The internet is also another great avenue for informing the public, especially the younger generations. We can utilize our Facebook group by inviting others to join the group, as well as informing folks about our blog.
Interest groups such as the Kiwanis Club, Ministerial Association, local churches, educators, and the Chamber of Commerce need to be included because they may have connections that someone else may not. They may also be able to help the plan become a reality especially if it is beneficial to them as well as to the community as a whole. Interest groups can also help with fundraising and possibly donate money to the cause. If economic growth is the concern of the “New City” committee, the Chamber of Commerce is essential because they aid in helping the businesses of our county. At last check, there were 42 members of the Chamber of Commerce here in West Liberty. They could aid in bringing new jobs to the area.
We might also need to enlist the help of local, district, or state leaders to get the “New City” plans accomplished, which might include asking our Judge Executive, Mayor, State Representative, or our U.S. Representative to help us get the plans approved. We may even include the Governor. These leaders may also be able to help us get the money needed to accomplish the plan. Political leaders should want to help especially if the public is really behind the plan because all the leaders in our community want to be re-elected and care about how the people view them as leaders.
In closing, I would like to say that I am really excited about the West Liberty New Cities Initiative because we need more economic growth in our community and we need good change. It will take us all working together across party lines to get the job done.
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