Lawrence is working on Vision 2030 — the first update to the strategic plan since 2020 — and the city is inviting community members to provide their input.
The strategic plan is like a community roadmap with measurable goals, according to the Vision 2030 landing page.
“Our Strategic Plan should reflect the people who call Lawrence home,” said Casey Toomay, acting city manager, in a city news release. “Every conversation helps us better understand what our community values, what we’re doing well, and where we should focus as we look toward the future.”
2020’s plan established aims such as equity and inclusion, sound fiscal stewardship, environmental sustainability and more. The city had intended to adopt an updated plan five years after that plan. The current timeline aims to send Vision 2030 to the city commission to be adopted by the end of 2026.
Don’t miss a beat … Click here to sign up for our email newsletters
Click here to learn more about our newsletters first
Per the project’s timeline on the website, July and August are focused on community conversation. The release said the city has already reached out to some groups, schools and businesses directly for input.
The city will release a survey for all residents in early August. In the meantime, here’s how folks can make their voices heard:
Speak with city representatives at events
“Over the next four weeks, you’ll find City staff and trained Community Listeners at farmers markets, concerts, recreation programs, neighborhood events, community gatherings, and meetings throughout Lawrence,” the release reads.
These are the upcoming opportunities to chat with staff and trained listeners, according to a city newsletter:
• 7:30 a.m. Saturday, July 25 at the Lawrence Famers Market, 824 New Hampshire St.
• 8 to 10 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 2 at Cleo & Leo, 300 Elm St., Suite A
• 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5 during adult swim at the Outdoor Aquatic Center, 727 Kentucky St.
Request a kit to host a conversation about the plan
People can also request community engagement kits that residents can use to run a conversation in their neighborhood, organization, workplace or other group.
“Each kit includes simple facilitation materials and everything needed to collect ideas and return them to the project team,” per the release.
People can ask questions or request a kit by emailing [email protected] with the subject line “Vision 2030 Engagement Kit.”
If local news matters to you, please help us keep doing this work.
Don’t miss a beat — get the latest news from the Times delivered to your inbox:
Click here to learn more about our newsletters first
This post is by the Lawrence Times news team.
If you have news tips, questions, comments, concerns, compliments or corrections for our team, please reach out and let us know what’s on your mind. Email us at [email protected] (don’t forget the KS!), or find more contact info and a quick contact form at LawrenceKSTimes.com/contact.
Follow us so you won’t miss the local news that matters most to you:
Latest Lawrence news:
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Jacob Rice / Lawrence Times
