Council approves 2011 Village goals
- Published: December 16, 2010
At their Dec. 6 meeting, members of Yellow Springs Village Council unanimously approved their overarching principles and goals for 2011. Council has discussed the principles, which are largely continued from 2010, and the more specific goals at several meetings over the past months, identifying which 2010 goals had been completed and which need more work. Council goals help to establish Village priorities throughout the year.
Other business from the Council meeting will be included in next week’s News.
The principles and goals are as follows:
Principle #1: Deepen democratic decision-making processes with active citizen participation and effective representative governance
Goal —Active citizen participation
• Continue to provide general orientation materials for all Village of Yellow Springs volunteers working on committees, commissions, boards and task forces of Council.
• Support Cable Advisory Panel’s efforts to provide Web access of meeting videos.
• Put visioning results into action through creation of Stewardship Committee and facilitation of that committee’s work.
• Complete/Update Council rules and procedures.
• Continue review of citizen communi-cations during agenda review in Council meetings.
• Maintain file of letters on pertinent topics.
• Citizens unable to attend a meeting for illness or accessibility reasons may, by request, have the clerk read their letter during Citizen Comments.
• Provide timely and accurate information on the Village Web site.
Goal—Effective representative governance
• Council to begin electronic packets.
• Hold an annual Council retreat to discuss effective governance, process and procedures.
• Meet annually with Miami Township Trustees and the Yellow Springs School Board.
• Funding for all commissions will be reviewed by Council for specific needs.
Principle #2: Be an excellent employer and provider of services within a responsible fiscal framework
Goal—Excellent employer
• Establish a fair and consistent process for staff evaluations and compensation.
• Upgrade maintenance-employee co-ed facilities.
Goal—Excellent provider of services
• Complete plan for sidewalk repairs ensuring accessibility.
• Facilitate Safe routes to Schools application, planning and implementation.
• Complete shovel-ready plan for “bottleneck project” of Xenia Avenue/Allen/Herman Streets and other utility studies recommended by staff.
• Sewer rate discussion.
• Discuss rate adjustment related to gardening water use.
• Review/update CIP yearly.
• Explore and encourage resource sharing within Yellow Springs, Miami Township, Greene County and the region.
• Negotiate RFP/contract for solid waste removal and recycling.
Goal—Provide excellent services under a responsible fiscal framework
• Consider economic impact to citizens and businesses of all decisions made by Council.
Principle #3: Be a welcoming community of opportunity for people of diverse races, ages, sexual orientations, belief systems, cultures and incomes
Goal—Community relations: Work with the Human Relations Commission and other organizations to:
• Strengthen the police/community relationship through two or three community forums, and develop follow-up plan.
• Implement “Swimming for All Children” program.
• Seek villager input regarding symbolic actions Council might take to counter the anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim feeling being promoted by some in the national debate.
• Descriptive materials about the Village by the Village, including Web site and outreach materials, will reference the historic role of the African-American community in Yellow Springs.
Goal—Strengthen diversity
• Explore partnerships for the construction or rehabilitation of housing that is permanently affordable for families with low to moderate income.
• Determine appropriate methods for gathering information on current housing stock, both renter and owner occupied, and compare with regional housing quality, cost and design. Use this information to develop policies regarding future housing development.
Principle #4: Pursue a strong economy that provides diverse employment, a stable tax base and supports the values of the community
Goal—Provide diverse employment and a stable tax base
• Include regional economic development and employment resources on Village Economic Development Web site.
• Update marketing materials to highlight Antioch College, Antioch University Midwest and Village schools.
• Develop an inventory of properties for business including existing buildings and available vacant land.
• Facilitate infrastructure completion and development of the Center for Business and Education.
Goal—Support community values
• Consider policies regarding village purchasing, hiring and contracting practices that remove barriers to local, minority and women-owned enterprises and others under-represented in the work force.
• Establish benchmarks for economic sustainability, with the assistance of the Economic Sustainability Commission, that incorporates vision results and input from other relevant sources.
Principle #5: Seek, in all our decisions and actions, to reduce the carbon footprint of the community and encourage sound ecological practices throughout
Goal—Reduce our carbon footprint
• Develop an Energy Conservation Plan that reduces Village government and village-wide energy use by 3 percent each year.
• Fund continued efficiencies of Village facilities at $50,000 per year.
• Seek advice from the Energy Board regarding ways to increase workplace energy efficiency of the village facilities.
• Continue to work with AMP to seek green energy sources, following through first with the solar energy project.
Goal—Sound ecological practices
• Update building codes to phase in environmentally sustainable design to reduce our overall energy consumption, water use and environmental impact.
• Develop an effective waste reduction and recycling program.
• Work with Village waste removal entities and Greene county to explore methodologies for the collection and exchange of building materials.
• Address issues regarding zoning, detention basins, landscaping site issues and storm water management.
Principle #6: Provide careful, creative and cooperative stewardship of land resources
Goal-—Careful stewardship
• Begin revision of historic properties inventory.
• Hold discussion of community gardens on public land.
• Begin discussion regarding use of Village-owned land to meet the needs of the community.
• Enforce new demolition ordinance.
• Update zoning code.
Goal—Creative stewardship
• Complete parks master plan.
• Explore a plan for Xenia Avenue streetscape improvements.
Goal—Cooperative stewardship
• Commit estate tax monies to Green Space Fund per Council policy.
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