Marquette Township – February 2, 2013 – All local business people are invited to attend the township’s initial strategic planning preparatory session on Saturday, February 2nd from 11:00am to 2:00pm at the Lost Creek community room.
Present will be many Board appointed commission/committee members to participate and help shape how the public strategic planning sessions will play out for the next years. Lunch will be provided and please RSVP so we have lunch for you. To RSVP for lunch, please call Lyn J. Durant, Innkeeper, Cedar Motor Inn, Inc., 2523 US Highway 41 W, Marquette, MI 49855-2258, (906) 228-2280
And a personal note from township supervisor Dennis Liimatta
Just wanted to send out a reminder for this weekend’s strategic planning/all committee work session. I’m really looking forward to seeing everybody and sharing ideas about the direction the township will be going in for the next few years. We will have copies of the citizen survey from last year as a reminder of what our residents have shared with us as their priorities. I would encourage you to review the responses again if it has been awhile since you’ve seen it last. We have adopted the updated Master Plan as proposed by the Planning Commission, and I hope we are familiar with this document also.
I want to have a frank discussion regarding the various committees and their make-up, reporting responsibilities, purpose, and scope of activities. I’m a firm believer in getting more people involved in the running of the township, but we also need to be cognizant of the fact that we all need to be on the same page working towards the same ends to be successful. This is going to be the perfect opportunity to have your voice heard if you’ve got ideas on making us more effective. We will have white boards available to capture our thoughts.
We are going to discuss how to get more of the public involved in the Strategic Planning sessions. While we were successful last time with over 70 different individuals participating in the various sessions, how can we get even more? Can we get every unique neighborhood represented? Do we have buy in from the business community that our Strategic Agenda meets their needs as well? The Strategic Agenda that we created for the Township Board was entirely driven by the planning sessions, and having it hang over our shoulders forced us to keep it in the fore front of our decisions. I am proud of the work of this board in addressing those agenda items, as well as the work of every committee in the Township. Now, can we continue to move forward with enthusiasm recognizing and meeting the needs of business and residents alike?
I believe that we have an incredible group of talented and passionate people. I absolutely love the grassroots feel of how we operate here in our little neck of the woods. We are responsive to the people we represent. So……….., that’s good, but how can we do it better? Looking forward to the answer.
My business friends, See you Saturday!
Dennis Liimatta
