PRESS RELEASE

CINCINNATI – Over the past several months, the Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission and Community COMPASS have encouraged residents of Hamilton County and those who work there to participate in the creation of a new comprehensive plan for the county.

In October, residents gathered to share their ideas and concerns about the county. In November, goals were beginning to develop based on the ideas from the October meetings. Going into January, these goals and ideas will be discussed by 1,000 residents of Hamilton County and prioritized into one unified vision.

“People always ask me what a comprehensive plan is and why we need one,” said Ron Miller of the Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission. “So to answer simply but informatively, we’ve assembled some statements we’ve already heard from participants and created a Community COMPASS Top 10 list of reasons why Hamilton County needs a new comprehensive plan.”

The list:

10. The last comprehensive plan for Hamilton County was 37 years ago. We need to bring the County into the 21^st century!

9. By focusing at a regional level, this plan will be more encompassing than any other decision making process in the County.

8.  Has anyone seen Indianapolis or Louisville lately? We need to keep up!

7.  We need to work together to protect and enhance natural assets, such as the Ohio and Miami rivers – no jurisdiction can do this alone.

6.  A unified plan will give us the unified voice that’s needed to get our share of money and support from state and federal governments.

5.  A comprehensive plan will help enable the 49 municipalities to work together to make the county a better place.

4. In the last 30 years Hamilton County lost almost 80,000 residents and Cincinnati lost 22% of its population - YIKES!

3.  Racial and social separation in our region’s elementary schools is greater than in all but one of the 25 largest metropolitan areas in this country.

2. Citizens will have the opportunity to influence the county not a bunch of outside experts.

  And the No. 1 reason why Hamilton County needs a new comprehensive plan:

Community COMPASS gives residents their big chance to create the county's to do list for the county’s future.

“Community COMPASS creates a terrific opportunity for people to impact their communities for the long term,” Miller said. “There are a million reasons why residents and Hamilton County workers should get involved. Rather than listing all of them, we’ve again created a Top 10 list.”

Miller said that everyone who is interested in Hamilton County’s future should get involved with Community COMPASS because:

10. Visit our beautiful treasure, Music Hall, for free on Jan. 12.

9. Who said there is no such thing as a free lunch? The Countywide Town Meeting will have both a free lunch AND a free breakfast!

8. It’s not quite “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”, but the technology for the Countywide Town Meeting is pretty impressive. We don’t have Regis, but we’ve got someone better: You.

7. Remember all the times you complained that traffic made you late for soccer practice or late for dinner? Here’s your chance! Stop complaining and tell decision-makers how to get you home on time.

6. Planners and elected officials aren’t mind readers – you need to make your voice heard.

5. With the events of September 11, it is more important than ever to be civically engaged. We have the time, the date, the place and the expertise. We just need you.

4. You will help decision-makers make the right decisions for you.

3. Your voice can make a bigger impact here at the Countywide Town Meeting than any other meeting held in Hamilton County.

 2. The chance to leave your mark on Hamilton County’s future is here!

And the top reason residents should get involved with Community COMPASS:

 1. It’s your life and your community, shouldn’t you be a part of it?

For more information on Community COMPASS or to register for the Countywide Town Meeting on Jan.12 at Music Hall, please visit  www.communitycompass.org on the Web or call the Community COMPASS hotline at 946-4505.

About Community COMPASS

Community COMPASS is a countywide effort by the Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission to bring together all interested groups to plan for the future of the county. Sparked by the Planning Partnership – a union of municipal, county, private and civic organizations – Community COMPASS is working to incorporate the thoughts, ideas and visions of county residents in the development of a comprehensive master plan. A series of Community Forums from Oct. 9-18 gathered ideas, and a Countywide Town Meeting will take place Jan. 12 at Music Hall. Community COMPASS has the unanimous support of the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners. For more information, please visit www.communitycompass.org on the Web or call the information hotline at 946-4505.

About the Countywide Town Meeting

The Countywide Town Meeting will involve 1,000 residents in analyzing and prioritizing key issues identified in the Community Forums. The Countywide Town Meeting will use a unique blend of conversation and technology, and will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Jan. 12, 2002, at Music Hall.