Harpers Ferry/Vision for Our Future to assess the need for affordable senior housing
9/16/2015
9/16/2015
The Harpers Ferry/Vision for Our Future Increasing Year-Round Residents workgroup will deliver surveys to all Harpers Ferry residents this month that will assess the need for affordable senior housing.
"The goal of this group is to discover ways we can hold on to and increase our permanent population." said group leaders Larry Schulte and Pat Cota. "Many residents have left Harpers because their housing needs changed with time, and we as a community could not accommodate their needs. We hope that our efforts can change that".
If enough need is determined by the surveys, the group will consider creating a nonprofit, applying for a grant and beginning fundraising. The construction of a senior housing complex would not be funded by the city.
The Increasing Year-Round Residents workgroup is one of four Vision for Our Future groups that meet monthly to set goals and develop action plans to shape the future of Harpers ferry. The vision is to create a place where young families thrive, small business and jobs grow, service to tourists is enhanced and a year-round home can be established for an increasing number of residents.
"The goal of this group is to discover ways we can hold on to and increase our permanent population." said group leaders Larry Schulte and Pat Cota. "Many residents have left Harpers because their housing needs changed with time, and we as a community could not accommodate their needs. We hope that our efforts can change that".
If enough need is determined by the surveys, the group will consider creating a nonprofit, applying for a grant and beginning fundraising. The construction of a senior housing complex would not be funded by the city.
The Increasing Year-Round Residents workgroup is one of four Vision for Our Future groups that meet monthly to set goals and develop action plans to shape the future of Harpers ferry. The vision is to create a place where young families thrive, small business and jobs grow, service to tourists is enhanced and a year-round home can be established for an increasing number of residents.
July 9, 2015 Tourists and Seasonal Residents Minutes
A meeting of the Tourists and Seasonal Residents was held on Thursday, July 9, 2015. Lowell Engel called it tp order and ten members were present.
Projects discussed were:
A few other ideas mentioned were:
Next meeting is Thursday, August 13, 2015
A meeting of the Tourists and Seasonal Residents was held on Thursday, July 9, 2015. Lowell Engel called it tp order and ten members were present.
Projects discussed were:
- RV Park: Lowell Engel will talk to Stilwell's about thier land.
- Dredging: Mike Whalen will contact the Army Corp of Engineers. The problem with the ice at Joyce Lake was also mentioned and the possibility of either drilling poles in or building berms.
- Fire and EMS gear: Dave Cota will work on a grant.
A few other ideas mentioned were:
- Fitness and Wellness Center: with either equipment or instructor-led classes.
- Satellite Day Clinic: unsure if it would be utilized enough throughout the year.
- Boat slips for short-term parking: talk to County Conservation Board about making boat slips available for guests to park boats while eating in town.
Next meeting is Thursday, August 13, 2015
Working Group Agenda July 2015
Harpers Ferry Vision for Our Future: The Work Begins
- You are a team of community builders. Welcome & Introductions.
- Sign-In (required by USDA Rural Community Development Initiative Grant)
- Review Contact List. Correct & edit. Who is not here?
- The role of your coach: You are the team. A coach does not play and a coach does not win. The team does. A coach fills in the gaps and works to support each team player, but the team does the work and achieves the goal.
- The role of your leaders: Your leders are the team captains and will serve for one year. They will call meetings, take notes and share them with members, follow-up with members who cannot attend and work closely with the coach to ensure meetings are meaningful.
- Who will take notes and then send them out to the members? (see 9 below)
- Pass out the road map.
- Use the working group project form to assign tasks.
- If necessary, use cell phone cameras to make copies of any handwritten documents from the meeting and share with others via email, as well as send to the Mayor hrfycity@acegroup.cc. Otherwise , be sure notes taken on a laptop or typed and are shared with the group, the mayor, the other working group leaders and with jon@dbqfoundation.org.
Goal Setting Meeting:
- Update Goal Possibilities
- Identify project(s)
- Who are our partners
- What are our resources
The working group should be tasked with:
- Refining goals
- Exploring partnerships and resources
- Naming regular meeting date, time
- Send meeting report to Mayor hrfycity@acegroup.cc, and other working groups, andjon@dbqfoundation.orUse the working group project form to assign tasks.
Enhancing Tourism
Thursday, August 13 @ 5:30 p.m.
City Hall - Harpers Ferry, Iowa
All meetings are open to the public.
Helping Young Families Thrive
Thursday, July 13 @ 6:00 p.m.
City Hall - Harpers Ferry, Iowa
All meetings are open to the public.
Permanent Residents
Thursday, August 20 @ 7:00 p.m.
City Hall - Harpers Ferry, Iowa
All meetings are open to the public.
Business & Jobs
Thursday, August 25 @ 7:00 p.m.
City Hall - Harpers Ferry, Iowa
All meetings are open to the public.
It takes a village to shape a Vision for Our Future
06/16/2015
Through the rain they came--young and old, lifetime residents and new to break bread in celebration and collaboration.
For Harpers Ferry, this was the result of months of community conversations addressing key issues related to strengths and weaknesses, goals,and achievements. This Mayor's Dinner was the next step for Harpers Ferry to take necessary action for the future.
On June 11 at 5:30 in City Hall, Mayor Jerry Valley and Harpers ferry/Vision for Our Future hosted a free dinner to discuss the results of six 'Community Conversation' sessions that have been a part of establishing a baseline of Harpers Ferry residents' dreams and needs.
The Survey
Residents of Harpers ferry were asked to respond to the following questions online and at six 'Community Conversation' events:
As a result of the community surveys, four themes rose to the top to form focus groups at the dinner.
Our Future for Harpers Ferry is...
06/16/2015
Through the rain they came--young and old, lifetime residents and new to break bread in celebration and collaboration.
For Harpers Ferry, this was the result of months of community conversations addressing key issues related to strengths and weaknesses, goals,and achievements. This Mayor's Dinner was the next step for Harpers Ferry to take necessary action for the future.
On June 11 at 5:30 in City Hall, Mayor Jerry Valley and Harpers ferry/Vision for Our Future hosted a free dinner to discuss the results of six 'Community Conversation' sessions that have been a part of establishing a baseline of Harpers Ferry residents' dreams and needs.
The Survey
Residents of Harpers ferry were asked to respond to the following questions online and at six 'Community Conversation' events:
- What is the biggest strength of Harpers Ferry?
- What are the three most significant accomplishments of the Harpers Ferrycommunity in the past 15 years?
- If you could change one thing about Harpers Ferrytoday, what would it be?
- What is the biggest challenge the Hrpers Ferrycommunity faces?
- What doyou think the Harpers Ferry community priority should be for the next three years?
- What would your dream be for the Harpers Ferry community?
- Every community has pains (rising at-risk youth or need for economic development) or passions (the desire for a new community center or a youth section in the town library). Take a moment and write your communitiy's pains and passions. Then open up for group discussion.
As a result of the community surveys, four themes rose to the top to form focus groups at the dinner.
Our Future for Harpers Ferry is...
- A Place Where Young Families Thrive
- Growing Small Business and Jobs
- Enhancing it's Service to Tourists
- A Year-Round Home for an Increasing Number of Residents
Harpers Ferry/Vision for Our Future is a community visioning project sponsored by the Allamakee County Community Foundation and the USDA Rural Community Development Initiative with the purpose of planning for the future of Harpers Ferry.
In 2014, the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque (CFGD) received a $152,492 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) program. RCDI helps community-based development organizations, federally recognized Indian tribes and other groups promote economic growth in low-income, rural communities. CFGD's grant seeks to build greater prosperity and sustainability in four rural counties in Iowa and Jo Daviess County in Illinois. In Harpers Ferry, that effort has helped create the Harpers Ferry/Vision for Our Future.
In 2014, the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque (CFGD) received a $152,492 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) program. RCDI helps community-based development organizations, federally recognized Indian tribes and other groups promote economic growth in low-income, rural communities. CFGD's grant seeks to build greater prosperity and sustainability in four rural counties in Iowa and Jo Daviess County in Illinois. In Harpers Ferry, that effort has helped create the Harpers Ferry/Vision for Our Future.