VIEW ’22
San Benito County’s 10-year Initiative: 2012-2022
We, the residents* of San Benito County, acknowledge important issues facing our community and are working to find common ground on shared goals, based on our stated values & expectations. These values form the following Collective Statement, representing the diverse elements of San Benito County. By the year 2022, we envision our county to be the best place to live in California.
- San Benito County will be a prosperous, unified community with a strong sense of place and effective communication hubs – both physical and virtual – where residents of all ages can go to be informed and active citizens. We will create a vibrant, healthy and beautiful county where people feel safe, engaged, stimulated and fortunate to live here.
- Newcomers and new ideas will be welcomed, even as we celebrate our heritage, recognizing that diversity strengthens our community.
- Our community members will take on a new attitude and approach; leaders will be committed to assessing how the needs of the whole community may be better served.
- City and county leaders will receive clear input and direction when addressing issues so they can make well- informed decisions. Citizens will be encouraged to become leaders, actively creating the community they envision. The process through which we address community issues will be dynamic and marked by respect.
- We realize there is a sense of urgency toward the youth in our community. We will create opportunities for youth. Children will be safe, healthy and well educated.
- We will create jobs by making it easier to start new businesses and implementing policies that increase economic development.
- We will consolidate limited resources when it is more effective and consider joint-use developments, including new educational and recreational facilities and a state-of-the art public library that are easily accessible and can be used by residents of all ages.
- We will respect and preserve our natural resources, realizing that various forms of agriculture, large and small, are not only part of our heritage, but a driving economic force in our future that creates jobs and preserves our rural character.
- We will capitalize upon and leverage aspects of San Benito County that differentiate us from other places: our county’s climate and soil, natural beauty and historical sites that attract visitors, a thriving and unique arts scene, and proximity to food production, transportation corridors and recreation opportunities.
- We will collaborate with public, private and non-profit organizations to implement our County General Plan and realize a realistic, workable goal for community revitalization including downtown improvements and public parks.
*Residents include more than 800 people, representing various parts of the community, who participated in a 16-month visioning process.
Full reports from surveys, 17 Listening Sessions and a three-day Vision Summit can be found on our website: www.cffsbc.org/communityvision.php Join the discussion – Our vision is a work in progress!
Visit our blog: http://communityvisionsbc.wordpress.com/
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“Our mission is to encourage & facilitate participation of all residents in decisions that improve our community’s quality of life.”