Over the past year the leaders of BEST of Waseca County have been asked two questions repeatedly:
“Why are we doing this?” and “Haven’t we done this before?”
These questions refer to the “Waseca Vision 2030” project that is currently underway. Waseca Vision 2030 is an initiative of BEST of Waseca County, in partnership with Waseca Public Schools, Waseca Area Chamber of Commerce, Mayo Health Systems – Waseca, and the City of Waseca.
To answer the first question, we are doing this because it is critical for the future of Waseca. Our community is at a crossroad. We can either take control and identify our own future, or we can passively allow outside factors to determine what Waseca will be in 10, 20, or 30 years. In order take control, it is critical that we, as a community, determine what that future should look like. This process will assist our community in describing our shared vision, so everyone is working towards the same future.
As to the second question, no, we have not done this before. This process is not about deciding we are going to take one specific action, address one specific problem, or construct one specific building. Hundreds of decisions will be made in this community in the coming years that will impact what our future looks like. Some of these decisions might address a specific problem, but the reason for the visioning process is so that EVERY decision made helps us get closer to the vision we have for the community.
The Steering Committee for Waseca Vision 2030 is embarking on an extensive engagement effort to get feedback on plausible future scenarios for the community. While the result of this process will have specific deliverables and action items, that is not why we need your input. If the final vision for the Waseca community is not broadly supported by the community, decisions will be made to achieve a future that isn’t what our residents want.
Providing your input and perspective in this effort won’t just influence a decision for the next six months or a year, but will influence and define decisions impacting our community for the next decade. We strongly encourage you to attend a Visioning Workshop and have your voice help shape the future of our community. To get involved, please go to www.WasecaVision2030.com and register for one of these important community workshops.
Thank you.