What future for 2020?

["Priscilla Salant" <psalant@moscow.com>]

Dear Visionaries,

As you know, Susan Palmer recently resigned from the three-person, Vision
2020 steering committee.  Bill London and I are the two remaining members. 
About two weeks ago, Bill asked on the listserve for a volunteer to replace
Susan.  I'd like to report that we were inundated with responses, but this
wasn't the case.  It seems a good time to think about a change in course. 
I’m using this post to give you my ideas, in the hope that it will
stimulate discussion and eventually, some direction.

First, a little background on 2020 as I know it . . . (Please excuse the
length, but this is history, after all.)

I became involved about four years ago, before the listserve began, and
when the organization actually had fairly regular face-to-face meetings. 
Suvia Judd, Steve Cooke, Kenton Bird, Dave Peckham, Bill London, Nels
Reese, and Susan Palmer were among the most active members working to
encourage more public information and debate about the future of Moscow and
Latah County.  In March 1995, we developed a 2020 mission statement, which
is still part of the web page kindly donated by First Step Research.

Our activities over the last few years have included public forums and
workshops on community based planning and public participation methods
(facilitated by Tom Hudson); what was then the proposed Altura Business
Park; and Jon Miller and Steven Peterson’s report, “Why is Moscow
Growing?”.   With the school district and library, we were also responsible
for the recent community retreat.  I’m sure others can think of additional
activities that I’ve forgotten.

Those of you who have been in the area for more than a few years know that
Kenton Bird was a strong force behind much of what 2020 accomplished in its
early days.  After he left Moscow for a position at Colorado State
University, we became more of a virtual organization, with fewer public
meetings and more electronic discussions.  Susan, Bill, and I watched over
the listserve (as much as you ornery and spirited citizens need “watching
over”).  We have continued to be involved in public issues related to
growth and development, but not on the same scale as in the past.  It
worked well for the three of us to meet once a month (though weekly, almost
HOURLY it seemed, when we were planning the retreat).

With Susan gone, I think it’s time to re-evaluate what 2020 is and should
be in the future.  I’d like to throw out some questions for your
consideration and comment:

Should we be anything more than an electronic public forum?  Is there
energy among us for reaching a wider audience on issues of growth and
development?  For acting more and discussing less? I don’t mean to
undervalue this forum — I believe it has made many important contributions,
but are we making a conscious decision to limit ourselves to this media?

Should we re-constitute the structure of 2020 so that the steering
committee consists of more than these two old-timers?  (OK — so maybe we’re
just middle aged, but I for one would appreciate a few new voices.)

Are there particular issues or projects in which 2020 is especially
well-suited to become involved?

Is it time for ... hold on ... a face to face discussion of where we should
be going in the future?

Respectfully, 
Priscilla Salant