The citizens have spoken, and on Thursday, January 19, community leaders will listen to a summary of their ideas as they come together in an historic meeting that could lay the groundwork for the future of the area.
The Joplin City Council, the Joplin Schools Board of Education, the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Duquesne City Aldermen will gather to listen and vote on the Citizens Advisory Recovery Team action plan at 7 p.m. on Thursday, January 19, at Billingsly Student Center on the MSSU campus. The public is invited to attend. If citizens would like to speak, they will be given a five minute opportunity. Those wishing to speak are asked to register at the door.
The CART plan was developed during the last six months with the input of several hundred area residents who participated in public meetings. CART has collected information from citizens in a variety of ways including public meetings, Boomtown Days, Third Thursday events, and other open forums. They developed two booklets with the comments and priorities detailed that were available at several locations for public review and further comment. This comprehensive community outreach was imperative to the plan development. The plan focuses on four key areas: Housing and Neighborhoods, Schools and Community Facilities, Infrastructure and Environment, and Economic Development. Another opportunity to review the CART information will be offered at an Open House to be held Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 5:30 until 7:30 p.m. at the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce located at 320 East 4th Street.
The final phase of this planning process is the development and presentation of the implementation steps for approval to put this long term recovery plan into action.
“We’re excited about the community participation that has taken place and helped us reach this point,” said Jane Cage, Chairman of CART. “We’ve listened, documented, planned, and now we’re ready to make the decisions and do the hard work necessary to move forward and rebuild our community. This unprecedented meeting will set the plan in motion.”