Young Professionals Meeting

When
September 11, 2008

Purpose
To teach young professionals about the planning process through an interactive exercise.

The participants were divided into groups and given a scenario to think about:

The year is 2050…Charlotte County has just been named to the “Top 10 Best Places to Live” list and you are being interviewed by CNN about your community’s new honor…

The groups were then given out-of-the-box roles to play within the scenario above.  Roles included a County Commissioner, Small Business Owner, Retiree, Eight-Year Old, and Ranch Owner. Keeping in mind the scenario and their groups roles, three interview questions were posed:

1) What does a community have to have to get on this list?
2) Where was Charlotte County when you started your quest to be a great place?
3) What did it take for the County to get from there to here?

The groups were given time to write their answers to the interview questions.

The results from this exercise were...

It is 2050,

1)      What did your community have to do to get on this list?
Commissioners: We have an exceptional education, parks and recreation system.  We have promoted business.
Small Business Owner: We have a diversified businesses and lots of activities in the community.
Retirees: We have a quality health care system, affordable housing, low taxes, public transportation and affordable services.
8-Year Olds: We have great parks and playgrounds, good schools, with technology, bike trails, kids places (Zoo, Aquarium).
Ranch Owners: We have preserved farm land and opened state lands.  We allowed a new university to develop. 

2)      Where was Charlotte County when it started its quest to be a great place?
Commissioners: We were stomped on by Hurricane Charley.  Population was too old.
Small Business Owner: We had an antigrowth attitude.
Retirees: It was very expensive to live in Charlotte County.
8-Year Olds: Nothing to do, the community was so spread out, too few kids in our community.
Ranch Owners: We got rid of the confusion between whether we were a big city or a small town. 

3)      What did it take to get from where it was to where it is now?
Commissioners: We promoted things that promoted young families remaining in Charlotte County and in making choices to locate here.  These items included education, family and recreational opportunities.
Small Business Owner: We increased tax incentives for small businesses.
Retirees: We promoted tax reform, voted in politicians who supported our goals and became involved in Smart Charlotte 2050.
8-Year Olds: Industry/economic opportunities were developed for our parents. The community became engaged in government decisions. 
Ranch Owners: We recognized the importance of business, creating careers, not just jobs.