LAHARPE — Last August, more than 160 residents, representing every nook and cranny within Allen County, gathered to discuss goals and challenges to improving community health.
The Community Engagement Initiative brought about several priorities identified by each community.
The discussions led to six primary objectives:
— Improving employment and business development, particularly for Iola and Humboldt;
— Increasing public safety;
— Enhancing the community’s perceptions of safe, clean and accessible recreation areas, such as parks and bike trails;
— Developing “complete streets” policies throughout the county;
— Increasing opportunities for physical activity;
— Supporting a new regional technical education center at the old Diebolt Lumber building east of LaHarpe.
NOW COMES part two — turning those objectives into reality.
The inaugural Allen County Tomorrow (ACT) Steering Committee meeting was Wednesday at LaHarpe City Hall, where a group of 10 was briefed on the Community Engagement Initiative background, and touched briefly on where communities go from here.
Damaris Kunkler, program director at Thrive Allen County and facilitator of Wednesday’s session, said the steering committee’s mission is to help those objectives become reality. (A second session was held today for steering committee members unable to attend Wednesday’s meeting.)
They expounded upon the six objectives.
Employment and business development
This topic pertains to restoring the downtown business districts in Humboldt and Iola, Kunkler explained.
Some of the tasks include connecting with downtown business owners to determine which buildings are in need of repair.
If necessary, volunteer group projects to restore some buildings are possible, such as has been done on a limited basis in Iola.
