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Meeting in a Box Summary

Overview

In November following the public forums Meeting in a Box kits were made available to citizens so that residents who were unable to attend the public sessions could host their own meeting and provide the results back to the planning team. Each kit contained instructions for the meeting host, handouts, pens, and even popcorn. The handouts included an information sheet describing Cultivating Community, maps, and data sheets to record information. Three groups totaling 69 people used the Meeting in a Box kits and provided feedback through this technique from November 2007 through February 2008.

Format

During the meeting the volunteer host asked participants to think about and write down responses to the questions below. The questions were taken one at a time and discussion followed as people shared their responses with the entire group.

  1. What 3 values to you believe reflect the best (strengths) of Union County?
  2. What 3 things do you believe reflect the worst (weaknesses) of Union County?
  3. What are your top 3 characteristics (ideas for the future) of your ideal Union County within 10-20 years?

After discussing these issues the group was to prioritize the five most important ideas for the future.

Findings

Group 1 included residents from the Eastern and Central Planning Areas with the majority from the Eastern. Their top five priorities for the future were as follows:

  1. Enhanced recreation—specifically bicycle and pedestrian trails that could be used for transportation and recreation and also an indoor recreation center.
  2. Preservation of farmland
  3. Healthy downtowns
  4. Planning for economic diversity & housing affordability
  5. More uniformity and coordination among municipal governments

Group 2 participants were all from the Central Planning Area with the majority from in and near Mifflinburg Borough. Their top five priorities for the future were as follows:

  1. Stable employment and attraction of businesses that pay living wages
  2. Planned communities and growth
  3. Diversified economy capitalizing on tourism potential of Buggy Museum and other assets
  4. Improved public transportation system (Tied w/#5)
  5. Rails to trails connecting Lewisburg and Mifflinburg

Group 3 included residents from all three planning areas however the majority were from the Eastern and Central regions. Their top five priorities for the future were as follows:

  1. Greater emphasis on sustainability—energy, economy, building and site design, improved recycling
  2. Sustainable land use—New Urbanism, maximize use of existing facilities and resources
  3. Healthy Community—environmental quality, recreation, and fitness
  4. Transportation Alternatives—bike network, ride sharing, van pool to employment centers
  5. Education & Civic Engagement—sustainability education, awareness, increased participation in local government