Pickens County Pickens County Vision 2025Vision 2025

ImplementationImplementation

Community VisioningCommunity Visioning Community visioning is both a process Community visioning is both a process

and a productand a product The process gave residents the The process gave residents the

opportunity to express what they value opportunity to express what they value about their community and to develop a about their community and to develop a consensus on what they would like to consensus on what they would like to change or preservechange or preserve

Pickens County Vision Pickens County Vision 2025 Plan2025 Plan

A Vision Plan was created from citizen A Vision Plan was created from citizen input. The plan represents a manageable input. The plan represents a manageable and feasible set of community goals and and feasible set of community goals and an action planan action plan

Our plan was completed and presented Our plan was completed and presented to the community in September 2007to the community in September 2007

The Vision PlanThe Vision PlanHistory History

Greenville Vision 2025 Sparked Interest Greenville Vision 2025 Sparked Interest in Pickens County in 2005in Pickens County in 2005

Steering Committee Formed in 2005Steering Committee Formed in 2005 Raised funds in 2006 Raised funds in 2006 Citizen Input Through Town Hall Citizen Input Through Town Hall

Meetings, Focus Groups, Individual Meetings, Focus Groups, Individual Interviews, & On-Line Forms in 2007Interviews, & On-Line Forms in 2007

Implementation Team Formed 2008 Implementation Team Formed 2008

Five Goal AreasFive Goal Areas

A Healthy Safe A Healthy Safe CommunityCommunity

Fifteen Objectives Including:Fifteen Objectives Including: Promote healthy lifestylesPromote healthy lifestyles Grow resources for emergency, law Grow resources for emergency, law

enforcement, & health care as the enforcement, & health care as the population growspopulation grows

Build collaboration among organizations that Build collaboration among organizations that work with childrenwork with children

Provide services for troubled and distressed Provide services for troubled and distressed families and individualsfamilies and individuals

A Planned CommunityA Planned Community

Twenty one Objectives including:Twenty one Objectives including: Countywide land use planning for growthCountywide land use planning for growth Promote our natural resources and assetsPromote our natural resources and assets Transportation PlanningTransportation Planning Master Planning for utility, recreation, and Master Planning for utility, recreation, and

emergency servicesemergency services Provide for an aging populationProvide for an aging population

A Working CommunityA Working Community

Fifteen Objectives including:Fifteen Objectives including: Plan for and provide infrastructure to attract Plan for and provide infrastructure to attract

new commercial enterprisesnew commercial enterprises Develop well-paying jobsDevelop well-paying jobs Train our workforce for future jobsTrain our workforce for future jobs Promote creative and respectful synergy Promote creative and respectful synergy

between educational institutions and the between educational institutions and the communitycommunity

A Sense of PlaceA Sense of Place

Twenty Objectives Including:Twenty Objectives Including: Foster a sense of individual communities Foster a sense of individual communities

while providing for cooperationwhile providing for cooperation Build relationships between current & new Build relationships between current & new

citizens, & foster welcoming community citizens, & foster welcoming community Develop enhanced access to lakes and Develop enhanced access to lakes and

rivers for recreational activitiesrivers for recreational activities

An Educated An Educated CommunityCommunity

Eighteen Objectives including:Eighteen Objectives including: Make education a priority for all, and Make education a priority for all, and

promote the value of lifelong learningpromote the value of lifelong learning Promote the need for high school and higher Promote the need for high school and higher

education for all education for all Retain students by developing additional Retain students by developing additional

relevant and engaging curriculumrelevant and engaging curriculum

IMPLEMENTATION IMPLEMENTATION Putting the Vision Plan into ActionPutting the Vision Plan into Action

Vision Partners—Vision Partners—Any organization, Any organization, business, civic group, government entity, business, civic group, government entity, individuals, church etc. that volunteers to individuals, church etc. that volunteers to collaborate with other community collaborate with other community members to members to implementimplement the Vision Planthe Vision Plan

Vision Partners make the individual Vision Partners make the individual objectives realityobjectives reality

Vision PartnersVision Partners

Vision Partners will:Vision Partners will: Adopt individual objectivesAdopt individual objectives Form strategic alliances where appropriate with Form strategic alliances where appropriate with

other partners to support the implementation of other partners to support the implementation of objectivesobjectives

Create strategy benchmarksCreate strategy benchmarks Develop action steps to accomplish the objective Develop action steps to accomplish the objective

and meet the strategy benchmarksand meet the strategy benchmarks Request and allocate resources for Request and allocate resources for

implementationimplementation Generate progress reportsGenerate progress reports

Vision AlliancesVision Alliances

When individuals/organizations (Vision When individuals/organizations (Vision Partners) come together to support the Partners) come together to support the implementation of at least one objectiveimplementation of at least one objective

An organized approach to developing An organized approach to developing partnerships without creating another partnerships without creating another bureaucracy bureaucracy

Vision Partners Vision Partners & Citizens & Citizens

Vision Partners and citizens complete the Vision Partners and citizens complete the objectives in the Vision Plan. The objectives in the Vision Plan. The Implementation Team provides the process, Implementation Team provides the process, guidance, and supportguidance, and support

A goal in creating healthier communities is to A goal in creating healthier communities is to develop citizens who are mutually accountable develop citizens who are mutually accountable for what happens in our community, and will for what happens in our community, and will get engaged in the ongoing process of bringing get engaged in the ongoing process of bringing about change in our community life.about change in our community life.

Accomplishments Accomplishments 2008-20092008-2009

Vision Partnership with United Way Vision Partnership with United Way Community Impact Task Forces on Community Impact Task Forces on Education, and Financial Stability Education, and Financial Stability

Encouraged City of Easley to develop a new Encouraged City of Easley to develop a new downtown park with water featuredowntown park with water feature

Promoted bike/walkway plans & funding for Promoted bike/walkway plans & funding for Easley Easley

Assist City of Pickens with local vision Assist City of Pickens with local vision process and identity process and identity

Visited several small business incubators in Visited several small business incubators in adjoining states to learn benefits and adjoining states to learn benefits and resources for starting hereresources for starting here

Accomplishments Accomplishments 2010 2010

Helped initiate Pickens, Anderson & Helped initiate Pickens, Anderson & Oconee counties leaders & citizens with Oconee counties leaders & citizens with equine interest to create new non-profit to equine interest to create new non-profit to promote equestrian economic benefits & promote equestrian economic benefits & attract new class of eventsattract new class of events

Started e-mail newsletter Started e-mail newsletter Exhibiting at local county festivalsExhibiting at local county festivals Lobbied for inclusion of Vision 2025 Lobbied for inclusion of Vision 2025

objectives in Pickens County objectives in Pickens County Comprehensive Plan, with over 50 Vision Comprehensive Plan, with over 50 Vision Plan objectives in June draftPlan objectives in June draft

Accomplishments-Accomplishments-continued 2010 continued 2010

Joined with Tri-County Tech to work toward Joined with Tri-County Tech to work toward creating a 3 county small business creating a 3 county small business incubator. Arranged for key leaders from 3 incubator. Arranged for key leaders from 3 counties to visit Asheville-Buncombe counties to visit Asheville-Buncombe County Technical College Small Business County Technical College Small Business Incubator July 2010 Incubator July 2010

Leading collaboration of cultural heritage & Leading collaboration of cultural heritage & art interests, with City of Pickens to apply art interests, with City of Pickens to apply for government grant leading to more for government grant leading to more tourism in north Pickens County tourism in north Pickens County

Pickens County Pickens County 2015-20202015-2020

What could we become in 7 to 12 years?What could we become in 7 to 12 years? What would we accomplish?What would we accomplish? What would we look like?What would we look like?

Lofts converted from old Lofts converted from old mills--appeal to young mills--appeal to young entrepreneurs (PC-19) entrepreneurs (PC-19)

Sense of Place-Preserve Sense of Place-Preserve small town feel (SP-3)small town feel (SP-3)

Business Incubator (WC-Business Incubator (WC-8)8)

Asheville-Buncombe County Asheville-Buncombe County Bus. Incubator July 2010Bus. Incubator July 2010

Our Potential Our Potential

We should become known as a We should become known as a premier destination in SC (PC-premier destination in SC (PC-1)1)

Towns in Pickens County—A Towns in Pickens County—A Cycling Destination in the Cycling Destination in the UpstateUpstate

Walk/cycle Friendly (PC18) Walk/cycle Friendly (PC18) Easley is implementing a Easley is implementing a walk/cycle plan walk/cycle plan

Build on our community Build on our community distinctive characteristics distinctive characteristics (SP-9) Central as railroad (SP-9) Central as railroad attractionattraction

Encourage Affordable Encourage Affordable Housing (PC-10, 12)Housing (PC-10, 12)

Include an Equestrian Include an Equestrian Element in recreation & Element in recreation & economic options (SP-19)economic options (SP-19)

A economic impact of $63 A economic impact of $63 million in our 3 counties million in our 3 counties

Meeting of S.C. Upstate Meeting of S.C. Upstate Equine Council 2010Equine Council 2010

What are our Challenges?What are our Challenges?

Better communication and cooperation Better communication and cooperation between county, municipalitiesbetween county, municipalities

Citizens have created the Plan, now, get Citizens have created the Plan, now, get involved to execute the Planinvolved to execute the Plan

Citizen based groups taking action get Citizen based groups taking action get results--Public-Private Partnershipsresults--Public-Private Partnerships

Questions? Questions?

What other nearby counties are What other nearby counties are engaged in a county-wide vision engaged in a county-wide vision process? Answer: Greenville, process? Answer: Greenville, Anderson, OconeeAnderson, Oconee

How can I get involved? How can I get involved? Answer: Sign up as Vision Answer: Sign up as Vision PartnerPartner