This list takes the ideas and comments from Sunday’s discussion about the Vision for the Future of Union County, consolidates a few of them, and groups them under thematic headings. Given the large group format of the discussion, and comparing that to small break-out groups, we generated as many ideas as 3 or 4 groups. I’m not certain how we should now go about voting, though. It seems difficult, given the array of concepts to just pick our top 5. Instead, I’m going to ask people to pick their top 12. You can vote for an idea more than once, but your total votes can’t exceed 12.

You can print a copy of this list and indicate your 12 choices. You can download this list to a word document and edit it to indicate your choices. You can send an email to Sam ( sam.z.pearson@gmail.com ) with your choices, etc.

As a precursor to all of this, remember again that the plan has already begun to coalesce around the goals of Agricultural and Open Space Preservation; Preservation of Town and Country Character; Sustainable Economic Development; Transportation Enhancement; Trails and Greenways; and one other I can’t come up with this instant. I’ll fill it in shortly. The ideas below were part of our attempt to look at what’s been done and note what’s missing from that vision.

Institutionalized Sustainability

• Pursue green community attributes per County designation
• Sustainability Coordinator as an official position (community? county? region?)
• Move away from financial assessment as final arbiter of program adoption
• Taxes get a bad rap; they are FOR something
  public attitudes are counterproductive

Sustainable Energy

• Plan for an energy-constrained future
• Building Codes
  apps, enforcement, and SALDOs to encourage energy efficiency
• Incentivize innovation for green building, rehab and rennovation
  low-interest loans
  tax incentives/tax breaks
  e.g. Sonoma County toilet replacement incentive
• More solar panels
• More brick buildings (local materials, historic preservation)

Recycling

• Comprehensive Recycling Program
  coordination between municipalities
  ability to recycle electronics, batteries, all plastics, chipboard, etc.

Sustainable Economy

• Financing/planning/expediting of specific economic development projects
• Local agricultural economy
  rural way of life is disappearing
  farmers need alternative to CAFO or selling off lots

Sustainable Land Use

• Articulate views on limiting growth
  consider: Is this sustainable?
• Emphasize New Urbanist concepts
  walkable, human scale, functional communities
• Need for meeting space
• Use existing facilities fully
  share libraries, sports facilities, meeting rooms

Health

• Stream restoration & monitoring
  including fugitive pollutants, personal pharmaceuticals
  water quality
• Air quality (burn barrels)
• Recreation, not just trails and paths – more support, more facilities, more programs

Transportation

• Bike network – not just paths
• Incentivize/facilitate ride sharing
  employer incentive
  parking space bonus
• Library Access
  transportation to libraries from schools - trails/ paths/ buses; away from cars
  branch libraries
• Transportation –
  pool school district funds with public transit (like Hawaii, Philly, Providence)
  regional light rail
  cooperative arrangements with large employers (van pools, car shares, public/private partnerships & incentives)
  multi-county transportation infrastructure
  50 Years ago
  Rt. 45 bus route
  E/W train
  trains in Sunbury – 16 per day

Education

• Public Education on Sustainability (Chicken and Egg problem)
  regarding green building/rehab/renovation to build market and drive supply
• Lead paint awareness
  families in town, street cleaners, existing regulations are only minimally observed, raise medical community’s awareness
  Milton inspects home before each tenant change
  enforcement of codes

Public Engagement

• Environmental clean-ups as a community
• Building a sense of community around environmental principals
• Environmental neighborhood watch

Governance

• More power to the county
• Balance need for community & regional goals
• Regional governance infrastructure
  (for trails, rec, transit, energy efficiency)
  clarify formalizing potential

Enforcement

• Across-the-board enforcement of all regulations
  (e.g. DEP, codes, air quality, household lead)

Civic Engagement and Communication

• Increased civic engagement w/ planning commission
• Get direct input from low-income families; not from agencies
• Visual planning exercise
• Fostering Communication
  announcements/ zoning hearings
  high school bulletin board-like to announce county meetings
  community website
  county newsletter/brochure
  improve communications from municipalities
• Engage people where they are as part of the regular public process independent of comp plan
  e.g. “Meeting in a Box” for existing social groups
• Ongoing public participation
  build-in occasion to revisit/revise comp plan (e.g. in case gas prices go to $10/gal)

Human Services

• Services for people with intellectual disabilities
  county to spearhead
  housing, employment, beyond the minimum
• Internet access should be shared

Projects

• Traffic light at Reitz & 45
• Crosswalk at 45 & 15th St.

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