The Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce says a Leap Day Visioning Luncheon was a success as participants looked at ways to improve the community.
More than 40 people were in attendance at the luncheon held Monday at the Savannah School District Office.
Participants included individuals from the City of Savannah, Andrew County Government, the Andrew County Museum, Savannah School District, Andrew County Ambulance District, MWSU, Northwest Missouri Enterprise Facilitation, Healthcare, Insurance, Finance and Utility Industries, and many other local businesses, non-profits, and residents.
Mary Ingersoll, Chamber Dir. said participants were challenged to make the most of the extra day in 2016 by casting a vision for the next Leap Day in 2020. She said they were asked, “Where do you want to be in your personal life, your business and as a community?”
The group was asked to discuss their community’s Best Kept Secret. This conversation led to a listing of the top four existing community assets. These were first, our people, sense of community & community events. The second asset identified was our strong schools. Third was the town’s location and proximity to many big city amenities including an international airport and world-class professional sports teams. The fourth asset recognized was the local amenities & services including parks, museum, library, emergency services & more.
Five issues & projects were identified. First the group wants to do a better job of welcoming newcomers and visitors and marketing the community. Second there was a strong emphasis on the need to improve community collaboration for growth. The third initiative recognized was the need for rehabilitation of the Savannah town square. Fourth was a renewed focus on cleaning up the town and code enforcement. Fifth on the list of action items was development of a Performing Arts Center and Recreation Center.
Participants made commitments to the issues or projects that they would most like to pursue and encourage. Ingersoll said the next step will be getting started on each of the five groups together in meetings scheduled in March.