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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-30-18 Public Comment - C. Bartholomew - Strategic PlanFrom:Web Admin To:Chuck Winn Subject:[MARKETING] Strategic Plan Comment Form Date:Tuesday, April 03, 2018 10:12:15 AM A new entry to a form/survey has been submitted. Form Name:Strategic Plan Comment Form Date & Time:03/30/2018 11:38 AM Response #:24 Submitter ID:5880 IP address:172.24.96.111 Time to complete:20 min. , 6 sec. Survey Details Page 1 We want to hear from you! First Name Cheryl Last Name Bartholomew Email fitseniors@gmail.com Questions or Comments As a citizen of the city of Bozeman, I would like to offer the following concepts/ ideas for consideration as the city moves forward with its strategic plan. Thank you for the opportunity to voice my opinions which I hope will positively influence the process by which the objectives/goals will be pursued. An engaged community should provide adequate transportation options to serve all ages and abilities and should not be limited to routes/ destinations that address only basic needs ( such as grocery stores, medical facilities, malls, etc.). The destinations should include entertainment sites, sporting events, educational classes, museums or cultural events, parks etc. There should be sheltered bus stops; buses with no step entry/exits. Transportation needs can be both city wide and also neighborhood oriented. Self-sustaining neighborhoods help prevent suburban sprawl. With the silver tsunami upon (aging Baby Boomers), we need to get creative with transportation options. It is time to form new partnerships with senior living communities. They should be contributors within the community. We need to reach out to them and coordinate efforts to keep the residents actively engaged outside the walls of these communities. That means coordinated efforts in providing transportation, wellness and fitness, ongoing educational and employment opportunities etc. An engaged community requires: • Community awareness of all activities, events, work and/or volunteer opportunities for all ages that provide options for living a purposeful life. We need to do a better job of getting information into and throughout the community. • Enhanced advisory boards that include interested citizens (not just business representatives) and reflect the needs/concerns of residents of all ages, socio-economic status and diverse ethnic backgrounds. • Us to promote team effort and foster connectedness through partnerships. Businesses and organizations which provide public services should form partnerships and pool their resources for the betterment of the community. Private businesses should be encouraged to support livable community needs as well. We need to work together to break down the silos. • Development guidelines and incentives for businesses to initiate or support wellness, fitness and healthy lifestyle options for all ages and abilities, founded in the seven dimensions of wellness. This will allow the older adult population of remain actively engaged in life and contribute to society. It is not just about offering services that target low income seniors, it is about providing options for aging baby boomers who want to remain employed and/or engaged in purposeful living. The Area Agency on Aging should play a major role in creating a livable community, as it does in most other states. Bozeman should have its own AAoA office/ representation and it should be funded and staffed to meet the needs of our aging population in compliance the national AAoA mission statement. The collaboration of public/ government agencies, businesses and institutions should not just focus the needs of our youth and college age students, but also the aging population who have contributed to society through work and or service and wish to remain purposefully engaged in life and their community. It is time to tap into the resources and work ethic of the aging population and foster intergenerational learning and programs to enhance social connectedness, inclusion, and respect for all. • Age friendly housing options that go beyond ADA compliance features. Without affordable housing and adequate transportation options, the older adult population will come isolated and be unable to remain engaged in our community ! It is not just about affordability, but also about functionality. Age friendly single dwelling homes need to become a priority. SWMBIA should be a major contributor/ stakeholder in building age in place housing. Most older adults cannot afford to move into senior living communities and need alternative choices to remain at home for as long as possible. It is an injustice not to offer options for them to make their existing home age –friendly or to move into a home that is designed and built to allow them to live independent longer. We need to set standards, provide incentives and creatively partner with developers and certified aging in place specialists to create homes that enhance functional abilities. If we set age friendly as a housing objective then we should offer specific incentives to meet our goals and reject proposals that do not comply with the strategic plan. This is an investment in our community and its people. • That our parks be easily accessible to all ages and abilities! Are trails “walker or wheelchair friendly”? Do we have benches strategically placed within the park to allow persons who are frail or mobility challenged to walk, then rest? Are bathrooms in our parks wheelchair accessible with regard to automatic door entrances? Senior living communities in Bozeman are currently unable to take their residents on a nature walk or to picnic in a park because the logistics of navigating from the parking lot to a picnic area and safety issues prevent them from doing so. We can do better and we should. We all desire to remain active and take advantage of the natural beauty that surrounds us, but older adults are constantly challenged by poorly maintained sidewalks, overgrown hedges that protrude onto sidewalks, ice and snow-covered stairs, walks and roads present safety hazards and barriers to remaining independent and functional. Our climate demands improved outdoor maintenance and more indoor opportunities for people of all ages and abilities recreate. Why isn’t that a priority? Is this a sustainable environment? • We acquire or develop a modern community center that serves as a life enrichment center for all ages. One that offers opportunities to experience fitness, wellness programming and education for all generations. A community center is the heart of a community. It is more than a place to socialize and learn. It’s where you can explore, engage, experience, evolve and enhance your life and the lives of others. A community life enrichment center should be a priority. • Us to think outside the box and find creative ways to initiate and sustain the livable community standards we are establishing. It is time to pursue federal and state funding opportunities. Seek to learn from other communities across the country about resources available and how to tap into them. Businesses that thrive here should be expected to contribute to the community. Public transportation should not be free for everyone. It isn’t practical nor sustainable. It is time to consider forms of taxation other than taxing home owners. An Innovative Economy should include opportunities for all residents who wish to remain employed in some capacity to contribute to the good of the community through part time, full –time and/or mentoring prospects regardless of their age. We must empower our citizens to live full productive lives. Moving forward I would like to see the city focus on intergenerational partnerships and to promote and incentivize businesses and organizations to pool resources to better serve the community. There is a potential for “monopolies” to develop and control certain aspects of life/ health in Bozeman. We need to guard against that happening. It is time to consider taxing tourists and providing tax breaks for homeowners who have carried the burden of all that needs to be done in the name of progress. That is just wrong. If truly value our community then it is time to make the needs of the people a priority. Thank you, City Of Bozeman This is an automated message generated by the Vision Content Management System™. Please do not reply directly to this email.