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A collaborative vision for the future by members of the Moosehead Development Council |
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Previous discussions by various community leaders have indicated to us that there are common threads woven through all of our agencies and businesses working in the Moosehead Lake Region. Likewise, there are threats or obstacles to our individual organizations' abilities to create that desired outcome. We believe that by articulating our desired vision for the future Moosehead Lake Region, we can better work toward creating it.
Please give some thought to the greater Moosehead Lake Region, which we would define as the service center of Greenville surrounded by Shirley to the South, and all of the organized and unorganized territories surrounding Moosehead Lake to Greenville east, west and north. The vision we are ultimately looking for would involve all of the community components – from housing to job base to tax base to demographics to total population – for the region. We hope you will take some time to reflect on your preferred future for both your own organization and for the region. Please bring these forms with you to a special dinner meeting of the Moosehead Development Council at 5:30 PM at the C.A. Dean Boardroom. We will go over these forms and discuss our vision and our application of this vision to regional and state relations. Sincerely; Luke Muzzy John Simko
To develop this vision, please begin by thinking about your own organization, and answer the following questions: Your Name & Title: John Simko, Town Manager Your Organization: Town of Greenville What is the current state of your organization? Please include a BRIEF description of what your organization does, what projects your organization is currently working on, and any other pertinent information (please be brief): The Town of Greenville is a service center community of 1,823 year-round residents. The seasonal population can grow to three times this amount. The following is a list of projects underway by the Office of Town Manager for the current year: January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2003 AIRPORT A. Completion of Site Location of Development PermitPUBLIC WORKS A. Implement Road Improvement ProgramRECYCLING A. Improve efficiency and user-friendliness of recycling centerSOLID WASTE A. Plan for hazardous materials pickup dayPLANNING Implement requirements of GASB 34.JUNCTION WHARF Secure funding for reconstruction of Junction Wharf in 2004.INDUSTRIAL PARK / ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT A. Implement park-wide TIF DistrictTOURISM A. Assist Acadian RailwayPUBLIC FACILITIES A. Implement plan to renovate municipal buildingEMERGENCY SERVICES A. Develop community-wide disaster planMISCELLANEOUS Keep snowmobile trail program running.What 3 tangible goals would you like your organization to achieve within the next 12 months? What benefits would your organization get from achieving these goals? What obstacles stand in your way to achieve these goals? 1. Open for operation proposed wood composites incubator center.Benefits: High wage job growth and increase industrial share of tax base.2. Develop comprehensive trails plan, including heritage trail / self-guided walk. What 3 tangible goals would you like your organization to achieve within the next 5 years? What benefits would your organization get from achieving these goals? What obstacles stand in your way to achieve these goals? 1. Full Revaluation:Benefits: Greater fairness in levying property tax; likely increase in total assessed value, therefore dropping the mil rate; avoid decrease in state revenue.2. Increase single family housing units by 5% What 3 tangible goals would you like your organization to achieve within the next 10 years? What benefits would your organization get from achieving these goals? What obstacles stand in your way to achieve these goals? 1. Increase total year-round population by 10%.Benefits: Increase workforce capacity; contribute to increased student enrollment; diversify community; possibly increase total income available for consumption of goods and services within the community year-round.2. Increase single family housing units by 10%. Having considered these factors for your own organization, please describe briefly here your vision for the ideal Moosehead Lake Region for the future (however you wish to define the future)? Please note specific community and regional aspects, such as job base, tax base, cultural activities, school and hospital conditions, tourism trade, etc. The Moosehead Lake Region will be a desired location to live, work, and/or visit by residents, businesses and residents from throughout New England and in some aspects, the world. The service center for the region – the economic engine, supplier of essential programs and services such as education, emergency services, and solid waste management will be the Town of Greenville. Formal conservation projects will be established to protect our natural resources from overuse or development, and also secure the public's right of access. Our schools will provide a strong core curriculum competitive across the state, and will include specialty courses in outdoor / experiential learning, as well as computer technology application. The community will have a balanced tax base and job base, with relatively balanced components in industrial and retail sectors. The Industrial Park will offer three-times as many full-time jobs as they do now, all at higher-than-average median incomes as compared to the rest of the labor market. Unemployment will not exceed 5%, but total workforce will increase and improve. Completion of post-secondary degrees or certifications from Greenville High School graduates will increase by 25%; possession of some degree of post-secondary degree or certificate will increase by 25% in the total population. Municipal infrastructure will be properly funded through a Town capital improvement plan and with the assistance of greater funding by the State of Maine: major pieces of infrastructure such as the Junction Wharf, Municipal Airport and Municipal Building will all be renovated to be more efficient and appropriate for their given uses. The Greenville landfill will be transformed into a repository for material collected and separated at a combination solid waste transfer station / recycling center / universal wastes collection point. Community literacy rates will improve; juvenile delinquency and vandalism rates will also decrease greatly (by 10-20%). Tourism development will focus on increasing the variety of interests to be satisfied by visitors (not just motor sports but also eco-tourism and “muscle-powered sports” interests. Tourism attraction will done in such a manner as to increase visitation in the shoulder seasons. Checks and balances will be put into place to protect the community from over-development. Trail systems will be in place throughout the region for multiple uses, perhaps multiple trails for singular uses. Indices for physical health of community members will vastly improve through a strong community education program for healthy lifestyles, promotion of fitness activities, and access to prevention programs and screenings offered through the local hospital. The public entities within the community – the municipal government, the school, the hospital and others - will increase their membership capacity and their fiscal strength through a stronger community and regional economy. |