Preface: If you are concerned about the need to improve the Lake County business and economic climate, jobs, reducing Foreclosures, etc., read this article below and let your Lake County Commissioners know you want a SERIOUS action plan using ideas collected at the meeting held yesterday. The action plan should be developed by March 15th which will be implemented by a COMPETENT Project manager with a sense of urgency and adequate funding to get the job done in months, not years. If they don't do it, I recommend we all move to Dallas and Houston, where the jobs are.
Tavares, FL - Feb. 2, 2011 -
Yes, it is true.
After 3 years of downturns in the economy, the Lake County Commissioners finally, actually had a meeting to collect ideas on how to improve Lake County's economy.
Hard to believe, but the idea was initiated by new Commissioner Leslie Campione, and a terrible giant of activity MIGHT be unloosed.
The meeting was held at Lake Sumter Community College and about 125 community members were there from all types of backgrounds. The brainstorming session was facilitated by Alan Winslow, and consisted of a bunch of breakout sessions where people at different tables brainstormed ideas like "what would attract a business to Lake County" and "what would cause businesses to NOT move to Lake County". Unfortunately, the second list was longer than the first.
Attached HERE is a nine page outline of the ideas and issues discussed. Thanks go to Kelly LaFollette from the County staff who created and edited this and sent it to me this morning.
Download 2011-02-01 BCC Visioning Notes -draft2.docx
The next step is for the County Commission to discuss the ideas at another workshop in late February, prioritize them and give County staff direction to develop an action plan by about March 15.
The problems is that there were many ideas, but I did not detect a lot of enthusiasm on the part of the Commissioners to actually do anything (escept Leslie Campione, and Jimmy Conner was not there due to a family emergency).
To do this like a business would, the Commissioners need to voice whole hearted committment to a serious action plan and appoint a hard charging project manager to "git er done".
I hope they do that, otherwise, we will have a bunch of ideas and no leaders carrying the charge forward.
If you are concerned about the need to improve the Lake County business and economic climate, jobs, reducing Foreclosures, etc., let your County Commissioners know you want a SERIOUS action plan implemented by a COMPETENT Project manager with a sense of urgency and adequate funding to get the job done in months, not years.
vj
You can see my pictures of the event and see pictures of the presentation lists at the "FiscalRangers" facebook page in the photos tab Here.
Videos of several of the sessions will be linked here as soon as I create a YouTube or other account to hold them.