Yumans encouraged to dream big for their city

  Wanted: Cool ideas from Yuma residents on their vision for the city of tomorrow - If they could reshape the city, what it look like.

  "It's time to dream about our city," City Administrator Mark Watson told about two dozen people gathered for Mondays With the Mayor and City Council earlier this week.

  "There's a proverb," he said, " 'Everyone drinks from a well that someone else dug or sits under a tree that someone else planted.' Sometimes we forget we have a responsibility to plan for the future."

  The results of a community making a commitment to the future can be seen in other cities, said Greg Hyland, who recently attended the Innovative Group conference in Greenville, S.C. He said that city made the commitment 25 years ago to become the best city it could, and today "it has developed into a great city ... a model for other Southern cities."

  Yuma city officials hope the same can happen here. As a first step, they have instituted an exercise they call Dream Yuma and encourage residents to let their ideas flow.

  Those attending Monday's meeting were asked to list the things they would like in the city of tomorrow and prioritize them. Then they were asked to list problems they see in their neighborhoods today and what they might be able to do about them. Finally, they were asked to list concerns around the city and how they might be able to help fix them.

  The process will be repeated over the coming months as Mondays With the Mayor and City Council moves on to each of the city's other fire stations. Residents also are encouraged to go the city's Web site at www.ci.yuma.az.us, click on Backstage at the City link, then Community Development Department to reach the Dream Yuma link and submit e-mails with their suggestions.

  "It could be as specific as wanting a Souper Salad," said Laurie Lineberry, head of the Community Development Department. "Or focus on a street with landscaping ... just look to the future. A lot of ideas people have can spin off to something else that takes hold and results in something really wonderful."

  The desire for more recreation, entertainment and cultural opportunities was a common theme among those at Monday's meeting, with such suggestions as a performing arts venue, more parks, expansion of the river walk, an antique railroad museum, more children's activities and support for the proposed multipurpose events center.

  All the ideas gathered over the coming months will be considered as city planners move on to the next step in updating the city's General Plan. When completed, city voters will be asked for their stamp of approval of the document.

  Slated to go into effect in  2012, the updated the General Plan will serve as a guide for city policies and decision making for the next 10 years on such issues as transportation, parks and recreation facilities and land use.

  "It's not just a vision," said Deputy Mayor Ross Hieb, who stood in for Mayor Larry Nelson at the meeting. "It defines how we use land down to the specifics. It provides a blueprint as the city deals with planning and growth."

  The next Mondays With the Mayor and City Council meeting has been scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 3 at Fire Station No. 4, 2850 W. 16th St.

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Joyce Lobeck can be reached at jlobeck@yumasun.com or 539-6853.