Visioning group discusses city image

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Jun 19, 2009 by Mike Hall

By Mike Hall

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Most of the 75 people gathered in a hotel meeting room Thursday afternoon had a chance to speak, but the greatest spontaneous applause went to Jamie Borgman.

The group was the Community Image Strategic Alliance, a subgroup of the Heartland Visioning process. Its goal is to identify an image for the community and recommend ways to put it into the minds of both residents and those living elsewhere.

"We need to get rid of this attitude of let's do it cheap and start thinking let's do it right," Borgman said.

The mother of three preschoolers, she said she and her husband have lived in several cities and love Topeka.

"It's a Topeka people my age are moving back to," she said.

At the end of the two-hour, brainstorming session at the Holiday Inn West Holidome, the group adjourned without identifying an image. But Marsha Sheahan, moderator of the meeting, said the ideas brought up will be discussed by the leadership team of Heartland Visioning, along with ideas generated by other subgroups, and decide the next move in the process.

Steve Jenkins, economic development director for GO Topeka, explained to the group why a positive attitude is important in recruiting and retaining business in the community.

If a representative of a business visits Topeka and is put off by the appearance of the town or the lack of culture or recreation, that person will report back that it will be difficult to recruit employees to work here.

The group acknowledged that is one aspect of the challenge, but also said it is important to make the community as good as it can be for the sake of those who already live here, too.

The group compiled long lists mostly of positive things about the community that should be promoted but also identified some weaknesses.

Topeka has friendly people, lots of arts, culture and recreation, a sense of community, good health care and education, and no cliques -- it is welcoming to outsiders.

The areas for possible improvement could be categorized as developing downtown as a community cultural center, creating a positive attitude among its residents, beautification and promotion of what is already good about the city.

Mike Hall can be reached at (785) 295-1209 or mike.hall@cjonline.com.By Mike Hall

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Most of the 75 people gathered in a hotel meeting room Thursday afternoon had a chance to speak, but the greatest spontaneous applause went to Jamie Borgman.

The group was the Community Image Strategic Alliance, a subgroup of the Heartland Visioning process. Its goal is to identify an image for the community and recommend ways to put it into the minds of both residents and those living elsewhere.

"We need to get rid of this attitude of let's do it cheap and start thinking let's do it right," Borgman said.

The mother of three preschoolers, she said she and her husband have lived in several cities and love Topeka.

"It's a Topeka people my age are moving back to," she said.

At the end of the two-hour, brainstorming session at the Holiday Inn West Holidome, the group adjourned without identifying an image. But Marsha Sheahan, moderator of the meeting, said the ideas brought up will be discussed by the leadership team of Heartland Visioning, along with ideas generated by other subgroups, and decide the next move in the process.

Steve Jenkins, economic development director for GO Topeka, explained to the group why a positive attitude is important in recruiting and retaining business in the community.

"When you buy a house, you pay a lot of attention to the neighborhood you're moving into because it affects your property values," he said.

If a representative of a business visits Topeka and is put off by the appearance of the town or the lack of culture or recreation, that person will report back that it will be difficult to recruit employees to work here.

The group acknowledged that is one aspect of the challenge, but also said it is important to make the community as good as it can be for the sake of those who already live here, too.

The group compiled long lists mostly of positive things about the community that should be promoted, but also identified some weaknesses.

Topeka has friendly people, lots of arts, culture and recreation, a sense of community, good health care and education, and no cliques -- it is welcoming to outsiders.

The areas for possible improvement could be categorized as developing downtown as a community cultural center, creating a positive attitude among its residents, beautification and promotion of what is already good about the city.

Mike Hall can be reached at (785) 295-1209 or mike.hall@cjonline.com.