If the leaders and staff ofmyregion.org and its partners have learned anything through the “How Shall We Grow?” initiative, it is the power of partnerships. For any successful project to take shape, having strong support from diversified organizations is crucial.
Early on, representatives of myregion.org knew that they would have to bring influential leaders together at the same table to start discussing “What Matters Most” to citizens. This is a region of 3.5 million people and they have expressed their most important concerns. Preserving open space… high quality education… transportation choices… affordable housing… all have emerged as the reasons why people move here to Central Florida, and why they stay here. This is a region of great prosperity, recognized around the world as a quality destination… and we want to keep it that way.
Thinking Outside The Box
In a recent survey, more than 86% of the participants said that they want a future that is different than where current trends will lead if current policies remain unchanged. Input from citizens and elected officials has shown an eagerness to develop and implement innovative policies that will alter the “status quo”, but developing consensus on future policies is a monumental task. You can view the full survey results at www.myregion.org.
With seven counties and 86 cities in Central Florida, bringing together key leaders and elected officials from across the region is a major undertaking. Prior to last April, the seven county chairs had gathered together only once in the history of Central Florida and the mayors had never met in a collaborative session.
As part of the “How Shall We Grow?” initiative, these key elected officials have participated in regular meetings to discuss opportunities and brainstorm possible solutions to the challenges facing the region.
Recently, the Joint Policy Framework Committee, consisting of the seven county leaders, a mayor representing each county and two members of the Central Florida School Board Coalition was formed and is meeting regularly to fine-tune shared practices and polices that tackle the key regional issues and encourages future regional collaboration. These practices and policies will formalize into a Regional Growth Compact and a Policy Framework that can be used throughout the region.
Taking Initial Steps
The Joint Policy Framework Committee has begun to identify opportunities for city and county governments to work together in addressing issues that affect the entire region.
In the recent survey, 65% of respondents said it was of the highest importance for regional leaders to work together to preserve the environment and open spaces.
The Regional Policy Framework calls for the development of a regional “Green Print” that would identify an inter-connected network of regionally significant conservation, open space and recreational areas. This “Green Print” would then be the basis for future strategies on how to preserve specific key areas within the region.
At its initial meeting, the Joint Policy Framework Committee called for county staffs to begin discussion on the formulation of a regional “Green Print” which could weave together the work done to date of each county. Lake County agreed to spearhead this effort and the first meeting of key staff members is scheduled for April 12, 2007.
The committee also discussed other potential opportunities for regional collaboration, including water use, land use planning and transportation.
What Lies Ahead?
Regional “Work Groups” are being identified to address future strategies for collaboration in the areas of the economy and transportation. The goal is to form similar groups that develop recommendation for addressing the other key growth principles. These groups may take the form of a new committee, or they could result in forming partnerships between organizations and agencies that already are addressing these critical regional priorities.
The 15-month “How Shall We Grow?” campaign will conclude in August 2007 with a Community Summit that will seek “Consensus on Action.” The final vision and action plan will include specific recommendations for community leaders, creating a guide for how Central Florida can grow and prosper for generations to come.
In the meanwhile, we continue to accept your input and thoughts on the roadmap that is shaping our future. You may review the roadmap - Policy Framework document - on our website at www.myregion.org and send your feedback to Shelley Lauten at shelley.lauten@orlando.org
