Still time to share Legacy Fort Wayne ideas

News release from the City of Fort Wayne:

Still time to share Legacy Fort Wayne ideas
Meetups, Feedback Fort Wayne, Group Proposals, Idea Form, All at the Ready

(March 21, 2011) – With the results from two weeks of community meetings now in the growing databank, Mayor Tom Henry and the Legacy Fort Wayne Task Force today highlighted the numerous ways remaining for residents to join the conversation about the future of the Fort Wayne Community Trust and City Light Lease Settlement funds. Both digital and traditional participation opportunities are available to the public throughout March.

“If you have a suggestion for Legacy Fort Wayne, there’s still plenty of time to submit it,” said Mayor Henry. “Every idea is important. You can share your thoughts in person at a Meetup. Jump into the discussion on FeedbackFortWayne.org. Activate your organization to prepare a Group Proposal. Or fill out the Idea Form at LegacyFortWayne.org. This is a real moment of opportunity for Fort Wayne. I want every resident to be involved in determining how we should invest our $77 million legacy.”

Mayor Henry has made civic engagement the centerpiece of the Legacy Fort Wayne initiative. The goal of this phase is to foster a citywide dialogue about the uses of these unique funds, now totaling over $77 million.

1. Meetups. For those who want to take part in a Legacy Fort Wayne discussion face to face, several Meetups are now on the calendar, as follows:

April 4 – 6:00 p.m.
J. K. O’Donnell’s Irish Ale House
121 West Wayne Street

Interested individuals can sign up to attend these gatherings or to set up a new Meetup by going to www.meetup.com/Legacy-Fort-Wayne/. Meetup makes it convenient for residents to coordinate informal, real-world Legacy Fort Wayne events in homes or public places using this online organizational tool. The Meetup input is then collected and transmitted digitally through the Legacy Fort Wayne website.

2. Feedback Fort Wayne. Feedback Fort Wayne, at www.FeedbackFortWayne.org, is the hosted, Web-based forum that gives users the opportunity to offer suggestions, discuss them and rank their preferences at any time. It is the easiest and most immediate way for the people of Fort Wayne to provide comment.

3. Idea Form. Part of the Legacy Fort Wayne website, the Idea Form presents another simple, e-method for transmitting concepts to the Task Force. The Idea Form can be accessed under the Ideas heading at www.LegacyFortWayne.org.

4. Group Proposal Option. To capture the enthusiasm of Fort Wayne’s many organizations, a group proposal option has been developed. Submissions are welcomed from area advocacy organizations, nonprofit boards, associations, commissions and other established entities. Recommendations are also encouraged from organizations or groups that want to collaborate. An overview document containing explanatory information and directions is obtainable at www.LegacyFortWayne.org under the Group Proposals’ heading on the navigation bar.

In April, following the community engagement activities, all of the ideas and proposals will be compiled and sorted by impact areas and compared with the guiding principles. The suggestions will also be posted on the Legacy Fort Wayne website. The Task Force will review and analyze all of the data in May and June. Focus groups may be held and research employed during this period to gain additional insight, refine concepts and determine preliminary feasibility. A report from the Task Force is anticipated to be completed by midsummer.

All of the public input assembled during the community involvement piece of Legacy Fort Wayne will be considered by the Task Force as the members formulate the recommendations they will make to the Mayor and share with Fort Wayne City Council.

Formed by Mayor Henry, Legacy Fort Wayne is the community initiative to guide decision making about the Fort Wayne Community Trust and City Light Lease Settlement funds.

While Legacy Fort Wayne will unfold over the next several months, the two funds will not become available until the settlement agreement has received the approval of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.

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