We all mentioned on the show today that we have grown faster than we anticipated.  I know that I didn’t think there would be the level of interest that has been generated at this point in our organization.  Mr. Cates asked how you might be able to get involved in Transform Topeka.  The first and best way is to comment on our blog and go the forum to join a discussion thread.  All we ask is that, as a contributor, you are respectful and constructive in your comments.  We plan on being a part of the Community Thanksgiving meal and will be adopting a Christmas Bureau family.  We encourage you to be a part of these annual traditions as well.  Soon, we’ll be posting our next event coming in January.

Another question we were asked (but didn’t have an answer) was our hit count for this site.  In October, we had more than 1000 visitors and in November we’ve had about 25 unique visits a day.

We are so thrilled and encouraged that there are so many who are looking for a positive outlet to talk about Topeka.  To me, it says that Topeka is on the cusp of some true change.  I find it just as exciting that such a long-time mainstay of Topeka airwaves allowed us time on his show.  THANKS JIM!

So why was the language changed?  On October 28, The Capital Journal reported that County Commissioner, Vic Miller, was concerned with the language “We are in a downward spiral” and “Our population is growing older” (see CJOnline Article for further details).  Commissioner Miller also stated that he was concerned with the statements that “our tax base is shrinking”, “those left are paying more, yet services are decreasing”, and “our quality of life is diminishing” to name a few.  I am almost 30 years old.  A good majority of the people I went to high school with have relocated to other cities, some stating they will never come back.  There are fewer and fewer young people hanging around, as evidenced by the numbers presented in the Draft Plan.  I am seeing a trend starting and I don’t understand how Commissioner Miller is able to discount the facts.  He just states that he is courting a potential employer for the area and that language like this could turn off this and other potential employers.  The potential employers are going to see this language because the Draft Plan was already made public.  I would think that a potential employer would be receptive to a city that recognizes that it has some problems and is working to solve them.  Not admitting we are struggling to maintain our population, could come back to bite us when a potential employer realizes this and packs it in.

On October 29, in a presentation to the City Council, this same sentence drew more criticism from Mayor Bill Bunten and Councilwoman Sylvia Ortiz.  I find it hard to believe that this many citizens (many were involved in putting together this Draft Plan) don’t have it right.

We cannot live in denial anymore.  My name is Shanae Gooden and I live in Topeka.  Topeka is in a downward spiral and will eventually become a retirement community unless we do something.  Whew… it feels so good to finally speak the truth.  Now that I have vocalized that we have a problem, I can work with others to improve our community so that can grow and prosper.

So why was the language changed?  On October 28, The Capital Journal reported that County Commissioner, Vic Miller, was concerned with the language “We are in a downward spiral” and “Our population is growing older” (see CJOnline Article for further details).  Commissioner Miller also stated that he was concerned with the statements that “our tax base is shrinking”, “those left are paying more, yet services are decreasing”, and “our quality of life is diminishing” to name a few.  I am almost 30 years old.  A good majority of the people I went to high school with have relocated to other cities, some stating they will never come back.  There are fewer and fewer young people hanging around, as evidenced by the numbers presented in the Draft Plan.  I am seeing a trend starting and I don’t understand how Commissioner Miller is able to discount the facts.  He just states that he is courting a potential employer for the area and that language like this could turn off this and other potential employers.  The potential employers are going to see this language because the Draft Plan was already made public.  I would think that a potential employer would be receptive to a city that recognizes that it has some problems and is working to solve them.  Not admitting we are struggling to maintain our population, could come back to bite us when a potential employer realizes this and packs it in.

On October 29, in a presentation to the City Council, this same sentence drew more criticism from Mayor Bill Bunten and Councilwoman Sylvia Ortiz.  I find it hard to believe that this many citizens (many were involved in putting together this Draft Plan) don’t have it right.

We cannot live in denial anymore.  My name is Shanae Gooden and I live in Topeka.  Topeka is in a downward spiral and will eventually become a retirement community unless we do something.  Whew… it feels so good to finally speak the truth.  Now that I have vocalized that we have a problem, I can work with others to improve our community so that can grow and prosper.

]]> http://www.transformtopeka.com/heartland-visioning-revises-harsh-language-in-the-draft-plan/feed/ http://www.transformtopeka.com/thank-you-to-valley-park-nia/ http://www.transformtopeka.com/thank-you-to-valley-park-nia/#comments Fri, 31 Oct 2008 02:30:33 +0000 Shanae Gooden http://www.transformtopeka.com/?p=297 Tonight, we had the pleasure of speaking at the Valley Park NIA meeting tonight.  They were not only having their monthly meeting, but also marking their 2 year anniversary.  We talked about what TransformTopeka is, how we got started, and the plans we have for the future.  We would like to thank the nieghbors in Valley Park for the warm reception and well wishes.  We look forward to working with you in the future.

Thank you again!

What do we mean by “positive”?  We desire to discuss the solutions to problems and not just discuss the problems themselves.  We want all communication to be thought provoking and create discussion, but we do not want to be argumentative.  We want diverse opinions and thought, but we want everyone to respect each others opinions and thought.

What do we mean by “better”?  We all want to make Topeka a desirable city for people to live, work, play, and raise a family.  We want to raise our families here and want to stay here, but need to be able to grow both personally and professionally in Topeka.

We have been asked what areas we want to focus on: Entertainment, Jobs, the “Green Arena”?  Do we want to showcase what is already in Topeka or see all new stuff built?  We think there are cases to be made that a little bit of all of this needs to happen  to change the image of our community.  There is a poor perception of Topeka and in order to correct it, we need Topekans to reconnect with what they love about their community.  We want to encourage Topekans (both residents and non-residents) to communicate their likes and dislikes about Topeka as well as what things they would propose to change.  We want to help promote the changes that will grow the community.

We are not sure where the future will take TransformTopeka, but we are sure about one thing.  We all love Topeka and moved back (or chose to stay here for some) for a variety of different reasons.  We want to encourage others to share why they chose to live in this great community.

First of all, I was very surprised to find that this section is only one short page. Maybe that is good thing, because the key to this Vision becoming a reality is the people in the community and private investment, not relying on the government to make it happen.  We do however need their support and some items in the Vision do & will fall in the public realm of government responsibilities.

The Vision for Governement is: Shawnee County will have streamlined, efficient governments that work with state and federal governments to create a better quality of life for all Shawnee County. I think the important words to note in this are efficient and streamlined. I don’t know if there are many people that would describe our local government with quite those words currently, but to move forward & grow, we do a an efficient & streamlined government.

Many of the strategies focus on having the local governments and government officials support Heartland Visioning and implement appropriate strategies.  A couple other important strategies to note are: Increase transparency in government. Expect effective, efficient, accountable government.  Maintain a website that includes each elected officials voting record.  & Increase opportunities for citizen input.

One issue that has come up in a lot of the discussions I have had with people is, does having a streamlined, efficient government mean we need to consolodate city/county government?  Maybe.  This was a very hot topic in the Task Force meeting, but consolodation was purposely left off knowing that it is a very controversial topic and the Task Force did not want that to become a reason for people to not support the Vision. With the right people and a few small changes, the form of government we have now may function just fine.  Maybe we need to have more cooperation between the two?  I don’t know the answer, but I think it is important that this does get addressed and addressed quickly in the implementation of the Vision.

One strategy that I think should be included in the Vision is that we need to regain people’s trust in our local government.  Trust came up a lot in the Visioning process and there is a page dedicated to Trust in the Vision, but I think a big part of this is trust in our government officials to guide the community in the right direction and promote growth and positive change.

Maybe the Vision for government needs to be a streamlined, efficient, accountable government.  What are your thoughts on changes or strategies that need to be added?

TransformTopeka would like to know. We are kicking off a contest that will take place between now and December 15th. For every positive post that you make about things you love in Topeka you will be entered in a drawing. On December 16th we will draw three winners and they will receive a prize (yet to be determined but I promise they will be cool). We can’t wait to see what everyone loves about Topeka.

The rules:

• The post must be on the TransformTopeka Forum
• You must register on the forum to post
• The post must be positive
• Be creative
• Post as many times as you want as long as each post is about a different thing you love in Topeka
• Post pictures if you would like
• Have Fun!

For ideas, please view the Topeka Chamber of Commerce Quality of Life video.

The vision listed under infrastructure is as follows:  Shawnee County will build a community that promotes learning, health, safety and growth for all residents through long-term planning and best practices. I think this is probably a pretty fair assessment of just about all people everywhere :)  Who doesn’t want this?  But it is among the top 10 issues that were deemed the most important in our county.  In fact, this section addresses 3 of the top ten issues.  Here’s a copy of it so you to follow along.

The strategies are broken into 10 areas of infrastructure… almost like a wish list.   We’ve all mentioned this before, but this is an ala carte type of thing.

Downtown & Riverfront::

• There is a very good description of the plan that is being worked on by the Topeka Riverfront Authority.  The report refers to this plan as its ‘flagship project’.  I certainly hope the intent is to work with the existing plan and group to move forward.
• Another idea is to “develop an attractive boulevard corridor from downton to Washburn University and the Expo Center including walking and biking trails and large parks.”  I think that this is a good idea, in theory… These are the areas, after all, that most of our visitors are going to see.

Growth Management & Planning::
In my book, planning a city this size is so crucial, especially as the ultimate goal is to grow.  I’ve heard folks talk about wanting to avoid ‘urban spraling’ as well as talking about how crowded and mish-mashed Wanamaker was.  So, it’ll be important in moving forward to actually think 15-20 years out and imagine what the new developments might eventually look like.

I won’t list all of the points that are listed in the plan.  I encourage you to look it over.  Here are some of my favs and least favorite ideas.

• Enforcement of ADA accessibility issues::
  I see this as crucial.  Disabled citizens and visitors alike should be able to move about the sidewalks with dignity and ease.
• Increase street lighting::
  The plan doesn’t list anywhere in particular that street lighting needs to be increased.  But I do believe that lighting can deter crime; which I think might be the issue though it’s not really listed.  Certainly areas that are primarily walkways should be lit.  But I’m more concerned with the lighting that already exists and that there is money in the city budget to use them… otherwise they are nothing more than weird-looking artwork.
• Streamline all permitting processes::
  AMEN!  I am one who believes in less government… and I think the less bureaucracy the better.   Having lengthy and tedious regulations can interfere with development.
• Expect local government to make new and expanding businesses feel welcome::
  This is crucial in development.  I think that businesses should feel encouraged to come to Topeka.  But it’s not just the government’s job to make them welcome.  We all most do our part.
• Adopt best practices such as “Smart Growth” - New Urbanism through mixed land use, unobtrusive building design, create walkable neighborhoods, transportation choices, sense of place and strengthen existing neighborhoods.::
  Again, I think that well-planned developments are important.  However, I don’t want to impose on anyone who is building a home or business on what type of building the construct… I’m happy to see any new building!

Neighborhoods::
This section is somewhat generalized in improving our city’s neighborhoods and is specifically aimed at the east and south areas of Topeka.

• This first point is really a number of areas covered.  One point is to expand, empower and improve Neighborhood Improvement Associations (NIAs).  I think this is so crucial.  Each neighborhood needs to have the wherewithal to take care of their own areas.  Reclaim ownership.  Create relationships among neighbors.
• Another point is to ‘require low income multi-family housing units to provide programs and activities for children and parents that improve the quality of life, safety and educational opprotunities’.  This is another great idea and certainly fills a need.  However, I’m leery of the word “require”.  Who is requiring this programming and how would it be paid for.  I’d be concerned about the cost of this housing to go up for all the residents while not everyone would be using it… single folks with no children or empty-nesters or the elderly.  I think this would be a great program for a community group or church to take a hold of.  But I see it as an unfair request to the housing units.
• Reintroduce the neighborhood watch program… I can see where this program would be reclaimed if the NIAs became more involved.  If the neighborhoods have ownership of their block, then they’ll watch out for the neighbor’s homes as well.  I think that it would be a natural extension.

Environment::

• I don’t think that anyone can disagree that there should be opportunities for recycling and ways to dispose of harmful waste.  And I can see the beginnings of demand for green buildings… but Gwen might be able to speak more that particular point.
• Enact no smoking ordinances in businesses::
  This, I take issue with.  I’ve never been a smoker… I don’t like to go to smokey places.  But I don’t think that there should ever be an ordinance on business owners about whether they allow their customers to smoke.  The best way to make this work is to simply tell the owner or management staff that you’ll have to stop coming to their place of business.  Each owner has to make the decision themselves.

High Speed Communication::

• I don’t know why this is under infrastructure.  I see it as a quality of life issue and, frankly, one that needs to be addressed with the companies serving our county.  Those utilities need to get on board as well

Transportation::
Here’s an area that I know is an issue for most Topekans… and I see this as one (of the few) areas that our city leaders need to get involved in.

• MAINTAIN STREETS AND ROADS.
  Who hasn’t gone down a street and felt like you’d be better off off-roading it though someone’s yard?  It’s not everywhere in the city; but I think that the main thoroughfares throughout Topeka need to have some sort of systematic way to have upkeep, patching, and refinishing.
• Provide effective snow removal.
  This goes back to maintaining streets and roads.  I think that if the snow and ice are treated and removed, then potholes wouldn’t be quite the issue… an ounce of prevention really does beat a pound of cure, right?
• Coordination of traffic lights and timing
  I think this has got to be a relatively easy fix.  I know that I hate the start-stop of the traffic flow and I see that it could shorten driver’s times.

Beautification::

• Create beautiful, well maintained entrances to our community.
  I see this as important.  Don’t you make sure that  your porch and living room are nice and tidy when you expect guests?  As the capital city, we should always expect visitors.
• Unify the grassroots community to beautify all neighborhoods.
  Absolutely!  I think that there are a lot of things that we can all do to make our neighborhoods beautiful.  If you are looking for a way to get involved, the Topeka and Shawnee County Keep America Beautiful office would be a great place to start.

Historic Preservation::Everyone should be aware of our history.  But I think it’s important too not to get so caught up in this arena that it inhibits growth.  I think that there can be a happy medium in preserving history while encouraging progress!

Water, Sewer, and Other Utilities::This section talked about the importance of these services in all areas of the city.

Housing::

• Provide educational opportunities for first-time home buyers on buying, maintaing a home and prevention of foreclosure.
  This would be a great program.  Especially in this economy.  And it’s not really another taught in public schools.  My thoughts on this would be to see if the Topeka Realtors Association or a mortgage company would get on board.  It might just be beneficial for that group of business folks.
• Provide safe, affordable, quality housing for college students.
  I think that there probably are several options for college student housing.  The campus has very recently added new and beautiful dorms; there is the college hill apartments (while they might not be as affordable as other places to live, I think that it would a great option); and so on.  But it’s true that we need to keep in mind that there is a college in Topeka.

While I’ve not hit on every point, I’ve listed some of the points that I think are great and some that I fear would cause other issues.  If you’ve made it this far in my rambling, you deserve a medal.  These are just my opinions and I welcome all comments and dialogue.  I also encourage you to attend the final meeting of the Heartland Visioning on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. in the Henderson Learning Resource Center , Room 100 on the Washburn University campus to share your thoughts about this proposal.

1. We live here!
2. Monthly Art Walks - 19 galleries and counting
3. Festivals, Festivals, Festivals - Cider, Apple, Indian, Eastern Orthodox, Jewish, German, Sunflower Music, Coleman-Hawkins, Prairie Fest at the Villages, Celebration of Cultures, Festival of Trees, Mexican Fiesta, Exodusters (Juneteeth)
4. Railroad Days
5. Christmas Home Tours - especially Holiday Park’s (Their vision and intentional move into the city center is so uplifting!).  Also, Potwin Area with Christmas lights.
6. City/County Library - with classes (especially the free computer classes), Annual Library Book Sale, and free movies & great gallery
7. KS State Capital/Tours
8. KS State History Museum - Reenactments, Children’s Hands-On Place, Picnic Area & Trails, School House
9. Warde Meade - Prairie Town and Arboretum and Park
10. Walking/Biking Trails - Shuga, Doren Wood (East of Highland Park = a woods within the city)
11. Parks in General - Frisbee golf, skate park in one/BMX in another, Gage Park train, Rose Garden, Bark Park
12. Swimming Pools
13. Tennis Courts
14. Great Overland Station & Veteran’s memorial
15. Gem and Mineral Show
16. Wood Carvers Show
17. Center for Historical Research
18. Charles Curtis House Museum
19. Brown vs. Board of Education Historic Site
20. Pretty downtown - beginnings of apartments being occupied
21. Volkssport Association
22. Combat Air Museum at Forbes Field - “Starbase” for schools - 5 day classes that National Guard teaches to introduce kids to a fun way to learn about math, science, and technology (connect with Judy Jones at McEachron Elementary to learn more).
23. Lake Shawnee - picnic, swimming, campground, Volunteer Flower “Jewel” = Ensley Gardens
24. Frito-Lay tours
25. North Topeka Business Group - annual celebration
26. Best Rescue Mission - people from all over the U.S. come here to see it (they’re amazed at the local support given).
27. Washburn University - beautiful campus, interesting & thought provoking plays, great museum/art gallery
28. Annual Art Fair (on WU campus)
29. KS Expocentre - concerts, shows, 4-H fair
30. Some pretty good public/private schools with hardworking teachers who spend enormous hours trying to make school fun and enjoyable in the face of No Child Left Behind.
31. Hummer Sports Complex - state of the art sports park for USD #501
32. Sports Zone - indoor soccer
33. Community Centers
34. Topeka Civic Theatre and Acadamy
35. Helen Hocker Theatre for Youth Musicals
36. Friendly Churches/Temples/Mosques - offer classes, free auto care for single mothers, divorce care, daycare, etc
37. First Presbyterian Church’s Tiffany Windows
38. Topeka High School - architecture, diversity, plays, musicals, tours
39. Topeka Zoo - animal classes
40. Kansas Lavendar - Agro Tourism !!! (12021 NW 13th, - 15)
41. Farmer’s Market - weekly, convenient, fun!
42. Heartland Raceway
43. Topeka Auto Show
44. Airport - restaurant to watch planes come in and go out
45. Great Restaurants! - of all type/taste
46. Cheap $2.00 Movie Theatre
47. Some great Antique/Thrift Stores
48. Positive Mayor
49. Governor’s Mansion & Walking Trail
50. Westridge Mall let’s people walk their halls for exercise!
51. Hidden away gift shops (with unusual gifts) - St. Francis Gfot Shop, Topeka Public Library, KS Museum
52. Annual Home Tours - Every Women’s Resource Designer’s Showcase, Contractors, Yard and Garden, etc
53. Pretty Neighborhoods & good local businesses!

Sherry said creating this list was a great trip down memory lane for her.  I am sharing her list to allow her thoughts to be shared in her words.  Sherry, Frank, and all those who were at the Potluck last week, thank you again and please continue to share what you think makes Topeka a great place to live and work!

I received an email on Tuesday from the Sprint Center with the following message:

Hi Shanae,

We look forward to seeing you at Sprint Center for So You Think You Can Dance Live Tour 2008, on Wednesday, October 15 at 7:30PM.

Please be advised that due to ongoing construction near Sprint Center, you may experience some traffic delays. Plan your trip carefully and allow extra time to arrive for the show. Doors are scheduled to open at 6:00 p.m.

No professional cameras, no detachable lenses, no audio or video recording devices are allowed.

The email also had links to Show Info, Parking Map and Info, and advertising for the Sprint Center.  This was just one of two emails that I received.  Today, I received the following email from the Sprint Center:

Thank You

On behalf of Sprint Center, thank you for attending So You Think You Can Dance Live Tour 2008 on “Wednesday, October 15″.

During Sprint Center’s inaugural year, more than 1.3 million guests descended upon downtown Kansas City to attend 140 live entertainment events. Identifying opportunities to improve the guest experience at Sprint Center remains our priority.

Please take a moment to complete a brief survey to offer feedback regarding your most recent visit to Sprint Center and suggestions for improving your next visit. We look forward to seeing you soon at a future Sprint Center event.

Click here to provide your feedback

Thank you,

Brenda Tinnen
General Manager
Sprint Center
Giving Kansas City Reason to Cheer

This email contained links for upcoming events and allowing me to provide feedback.  It got me thinking, do patrons of TPAC and the Expocentre experience the personal touch like this?  I didn’t buy the tickets to the show at TPAC so I am not 100% sure if these type of personal emails are sent, but I did purchase the tickets to the Expocentre show and I didn’t receive any contact like this from them.  I believe that the Sprint Center is doing it right and that the Expocentre and TPAC should consider sending emails like these to their patrons.  It might help ensure that patrons return for future shows.

Here’s a couple of photos that we took at the event. Enjoy!