Over 100 Attend Town Hall Meeting
The Town Hall Meeting, which kicked off the two year Missouri Main Street Connection affiliate grant process was well attended by 101 community members. These community members represented local businesses, property owners, organizations, local government and citizens all interested in seeing the historic district revitalized and preserved for future generations.
Keith Winge, Missouri Main Street Connection, Community Development Director gave a presentation on the history of Missouri Main Street Connection and its successes over the years using the Main Street Four-Point Approach®.
During the presentation, Winge explained that the Four-Point approach is a comprehensive approach that brings focus to revitalization efforts. It gathers together community members, public and private stakeholder into committees for Organization, Economic Vitality, Design and Promotion, each of which support each other and the overarching goals.
Following the presentation, those in attendance were divided into four groups, each representing one of the Four Points. The break out groups, moderated by current Love the Square Board Members (Don Peters, Happy Welch, April McLaughlin and Amanda Stites) were tasked with brainstorming ideas and goals then narrowing the list to the top 5.
To conclude the evening, the top 5 “Wildly Important Goals” (WIGS) were presented to the entire group by a member of each break out team. They included:
Organizational Top 5:
- What’s Our Mission?
- Education
- Getting the word out
- Getting youth involvement
- Community Events
Economic Vitality Top 6:
- Information packet for investors
- Website/online presence
- Identify footprint/signage
- Address parking issues
- Diversify businesses
- Encourage local spending
Design Top 5:
- Attractive entryway & signage
- Awnings
- Greenery
- Holiday displays
- Lighting
Promotional Top 5:
- Farm to Table Dinner
- Progressive Dinner/History Crawl
- Bluegrass & BBQ
- Family Dinner & A Movie Nights
- Easter/Kids-Fest
These WIGS will be used to construct, with the assistance of Missouri Main Street Connection, the plans for the next two years of efforts, Winge explained. He also outlined some of the next steps as being additional training sessions and a follow up meeting to discuss the actionable steps needed to move forward on various parts of the plan.
Winge, ended the meeting by again recognizing the group as being filled with positive energy and one of the largest turn outs for a Town Hall Meeting he’s seen. He left the group with this quote, which summed up the evening well.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
Thank you to all who attended! We look forward to the great things we will be able to accomplish together!
Town Hall Photos
