Freeland Chamber of Commerce

Committee chairman Mike Dolan says the meetings are, "not intended to be a problem solver." But rather an attempt to, "engage a broader contingent of the community" and get them involved in helping determine the area's future.

"Nobody knows what the community wants," says Dolan but added that the meetings will provide a better picture and give the public, "an opportunity to participate in discussions...that will impact the community."

The four identical forums will be at 1 pm and 7 pm on January 18th and 25th at Freeland Hall.

The Freeland Vision 2025 Committee, a joint operating committee of the Freeland Chamber and the Friends of Freeland, has been meeting almost every week since last spring. They've been organizing the issues into a series of topics, gathering background information and creating presentations.

The Chamber and the Friends of Freeland formed the Freeland Vision 2025 Committee as a way to add detail to a very generalized plan Island County put together several years ago for Freeland. Dolan likened that plan to a skeleton and said the purpose of this process is, "to put some meat on the bones."

Dolan hopes that after the meeting people will be ready to join one of several proposed subcommittees taking on an issue that, as he put it, "tugs at their heart strings."

He says that when people arrive they'll have the chance to examine a series of topic boards. He says the boards are there, "not to present answers, but to ask questions."

One of the boards will ask questions about incorporation, an issue that grew out of the organizing meetings. Dolan says this happened because self-determination was a key component "every time we talked about the various issues." He noted that other communities the committee studied did, "really well when they took their destiny in their own hands." He adds he hopes to see, "a very serious discussion" of this issue over the next few months.

Other topic boards will cover issues such as traffic and parking, downtown revitalization, tourism, community design standards, and affordable housing.

People attending will also have the chance to examine at least one interactive model of the community. They'll also see a movie about community planning before settling in to discuss issues.

Dolan emphasizes that the town hall meetings are just the start of the process. He hopes to see six to eight subcommittees formed after the meetings.

The process will even go on-line, with the Freeland Community Forum offering the chance for both working group members and the general public to discuss Freeland's future via an Internet site.

Additional information about the Vision 2025 committee can also be found on-line at www.vision2025committee.com.

Click here.