While myregion.org is working to create a shared vision for all seven counties and 86 cities in Central Florida, individual areas are trying to gain an understanding of what impact growth will have on their specific community.

One city that has been very thoughtful in trying to address the question of how they should grow is the city of Tavares in Lake County.

On July 25, 2006, the city of Tavares held what would be the first of many workshops designed to encourage community discussion about the future of their community. By “beginning with the end in mind,” Tavares has the goal of achieving input for future master plans in the city.

Beginning this past May, Mayor Nancy Clutts of the City of Tavares and Mr. Phil Laurien of the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council began taking the myregion.org concepts and applying them in the City of Tavares. Mr. Laurien became an intricate part of the process by volunteering his time and expertise to facilitate each of the sessions. During his presentations, Mr. Laurien stressed the importance of planning for future growth.

Mayor Clutts, having been profoundly involved in the steps Tavares is taking towards it’s future, has been ‘excited’ by what’s been happening in the city. She stated, “The workshops have been the catalyst for both an abundance of positive dialog and an evolution of creative ideas contributed by many in our community. I believe that by taking the myregion concepts and utilizing them to revitalize our city we, in turn, will be discovering possibilities and opportunities we never could have imagined.”

There have been two workshops since the end of July. These first two sessions challenged participants to assess Tavares’ current development trends, as well as analyze the city’s strengths and weaknesses. The next workshop is scheduled to be held on Monday, October 9, 2006 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. in the Tavares City Council of Chambers.