July 30, 2002

Click here to download the Summary of Steering Team Recommendations on The Vision for Hamilton County's Future.

(1.2 MB  |  Adobe Acrobat PDF)

NOTE: This is a large download. If you have a low-bandwidth (modem) internet connection you should right-click the download link and choose to "Save Target As" or "Save Link As". Once the file has downloaded, open it in Adobe Acrobat.

Summary

A little more than a year ago the Community COMPASS Steering Team – a committee of the Planning Partnership -- was charged with trying to make a difference for the future of Hamilton County and the region. The Steering Team, comprised of Planning Partnership representatives as well as other public, private and civic sector members, set out to create a unique and comprehensive vision and a countywide strategic plan. The process adopted was not top-down but rather a grass roots, bottom-up visioning and planning process with open communication and professional support – with citizen participation representative of Hamilton County's population.

This document includes the summary recommendations of the Community COMPASS Steering Team. It is a report on "The Vision for Hamilton County's Future" -- the results of work accomplished, over the course of nine months, by the participants of the Community Forums, the Countywide Town Meeting, COMPASS Action Teams (CATs) and the Steering Team. The committee and team participants are listed at the end of this report (pages 26 to 29). The table on page 3 summarizes “What’s been completed” (COMPASS process and products) and “What happens next”.

The overarching, comprehensive goals of COMPASS that the Steering Committee recommended are outlined on page 5. Through the Countywide Town Meeting and work of the CATs, these comprehensive goals were more clearly defined into four core goals:

     • Assuring Economic Prosperity
     • Building Collaborative Decision Making
     • Embracing Diversity and Equity, and
     • Balancing Development and the Environment

Each core goal contained a number of specific objectives for the plan. These four core goals and objectives are shown on page 6. Page 8 demonstrates the relationship between the core goals, strategies, and initiatives (which are a set of strategies with a similar focus). The steering team examined the list of initiatives and strategies to identify the "first-tier" initiatives – key actions offering greatest leverage (shown on pages 9-12). The remaining 25 initiatives are outlined on pages 13-22.

Thus far, has COMPASS worked? Is it successful? The Steering Team’s evaluations of the COMPASS process (page 23) following their final meeting affirm that it has and is. Three national awards also attest to its value and success.

Thanks for your review of these important recommendations and for your efforts in discussing this matter with the elected and appointed leaders of your community.