Here are the seven Our Valley, Our Future game changers
Title: One Community
“Promoting collaboration across Our Valley”
Primary Focus Area: How We Participate and Decide
Building on increasing cooperation between government agencies in the region, such as the two cities, port districts, public utility districts, school districts, parks, law enforcement agencies, fire districts, court systems and others, explore a more unified approach to providing government services to the residents of Our Valley. Partner to explore opportunities for government agencies to collaborate, leverage their combined resources and increase their efficiency and effectiveness. Consider such steps as evaluating consolidation opportunities, assisting agencies to improve regional planning and the integration of transportation, land-use and utility projects, and a regional parks and recreation authority.
Community benefits:
— Builds on existing cooperation and good will between the cities
— Reduces inefficiencies and redundancy in local governance
— Positions cities to meet growing service demands
— Creates economic opportunities on both sides of the river
— Creates more predictable tax rates
— Addresses poverty and social inclusion
— Paves the way for regional planning
— Sets the stage for future growth and development
Lead partner: Our Valley What’s Next (transitioning to civic leaders group)
Supporting partners: Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce, City of Wenatchee, City of East Wenatchee
Title: Regional Housing Approach
Finding regional solutions to Our Valley’s housing crisis
Primary Focus Area: How We Plan and Grow
Form a regional housing coalition of key stakeholders to address Our Valley’s critical housing market issues, including housing availability and affordability. Utilize this coalition to advance local coordination and collaboration on a long-term regional approach to housing in Our Valley, involving a broad cross-section of organizations and interests. Use the coalition to research, recommend and support implementation of new housing market policies and tools at both the local and state levels. Launch the Regional Housing Coalition’s work in early 2017 with an Our Valley Housing Livability Forum aimed at receiving input from residents on the challenges they face in the region’s current housing market and possible solutions.
Community benefits:
— Builds partnerships among key housing stakeholders
— Eases housing crunch especially for low- and moderate-income groups
— Provides opportunities for increased home ownership
— Facilitates economic growth
— Keeps the region livable for all residents
— Encourages young people to remain in Our Valley
— Preserves a sense of community
— Helps businesses recruit and retain employees
Lead partner: Our Valley What’s Next (transitioning to regional housing coalition)
Supporting partners: Community Foundation of NCW, mayors in Chelan and Douglas counties, builders, developers, realtors, Housing Authority of Chelan County and the City of Wenatchee, Women’s Resource Center of NCW, Chelan-Douglas Land Trust, The Trust for Public Land, Port of Douglas County, Port of Chelan County*
Title: Technology and Innovators Hub
Tagline: Placing innovation at the center of Our Valley’s economy
Primary Focus Area: How We Prosper
Develop Our Valley as an attractive center for technology and innovation, beginning with start-up company owners and entrepreneurs, who are looking for a vibrant, outdoors-oriented, lower-cost, livable community for their companies and workers. Kick off this initiative with the first-annual Wenatchee Valley Technology and Innovators Conference in the spring of 2017 for interested entrepreneurs, start-ups, industry leaders, venture capitalists, angel investors, bankers, and technology and business reporters. Begin work on allied projects that will support this initiative, including creating an angel investor network, developing co-working spaces, and tailoring education offerings in local educational institutions to this new sector. Promote linkages with the region’s existing technology and emerging industries, recruitment initiatives, educational institutions and training programs, and inexpensive electric power.
Community benefits:
— Helps diversify the local economy
— Creates new businesses and employment opportunities
— Retains local homegrown talent
— Utilizes existing buildings and infrastructure
— Encourages local investment
— Changes community culture
— Funds “kid start-ups” (young entrepreneurs)
— Focuses education offerings
— Improves workforce skills
Lead partners: Greater Wenatchee Area Technology Alliance, Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce, Port of Douglas County, Port of Chelan County*
Supporting partners for this game-changer: Local and regional angel investors, venture capital firms, Wenatchee Learns Connect, Chelan County PUD, Douglas County PUD, local technology companies
Title: Early Childhood Learning
Tagline: Fostering readiness among Our Valley’s youngest students
Primary Focus Area: How We Learn and Create
Bring together school districts and other organizations to develop an innovative and collaborative strategy that leverages all resources to ensure children have the experiences and skills needed to come to kindergarten ready to learn. Consider offering training and parent education materials to early care and education providers, starting early learning centers, hiring school caseworkers, and other methods to build a sound early academic foundation for quality education through grade 12 and to meet the needs of the whole child.
Community benefits:
— Helps all children to be ready and prepared for school
— Improves student performance from day one
— Improves high-school graduation rates
— Increases opportunities for youth
— Improves workforce skills
— Lessens the demand on social services
— Reduces gang involvement
— Reduces crime
Lead partners: School districts, United Way of Chelan and Douglas Counties
Supporting partners: North Central Educational Service District, Association of Educational Service Districts, civic leaders, child-care providers, health-care providers, pre-schools, housing authorities, cities, counties, Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center.
Title: Graduate Research Center
Tagline: Leveraging graduate-level, place-based learning opportunities in Our Valley
Primary Focus Area: How We Learn and Create
Develop a graduate-level research center that focuses on green technology for agriculture, hydroelectric, fire science, climatology, hydrology, geology, transportation, and other sectors and industries. Promote integration of this research center with educational institutions inside and outside the community, new industries, local economic development programs, and business development and incubator efforts. Expand the Washington State University Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center into a major institute and have it serve as the location for the graduate center, taking advantage of North Central Washington’s status as a world-class fruit-producing region, the need for the fruit industry to innovate, and WSU’s goal of becoming one of the top 25 research universities in the United States.
Community benefits:
— Builds on one of Our Valley’s most established industries
— Adds higher-paying jobs
— Improves educational outcomes
— Nurtures a college-going culture
— Creates support companies
— Retains local talent
— Diversifies economy
Lead partners: Washington State University, WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, City of Wenatchee
Supporting partners: Washington fruit industry leaders, Wenatchee Valley College, other universities and colleges, Port of Chelan County, Port of Douglas County, Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce
Title: Regional Trails Organization
Tagline: Leveraging Our Valley’s natural assets
Primary Focus Area: How We Sustain Our Environment
Form or identify a non-profit organization that will advocate, coordinate and develop a master plan for a comprehensive trails network in Chelan and Douglas counties. Encourage this organization to collaborate with land owners and managers, trail users, outdoor recreation organizations, ports, cities, counties, federal and state agencies, business groups and others in designing this multi-use network. Educate this organization on ways it can fund itself and become self-sustaining, highlighting fiscal models other lifestyle communities have followed.
Community benefits:
— Improves the region’s quality of life
— Takes advantage of region’s existing assets
— Leads to greater-efficiencies and cost-savings
— Improves residents’ health and well-being
— Creates economic opportunities
— Attracts new residents and businesses
— Helps other economic sectors
— Improves transportation options
— Provides Our Valley with another draw
Lead partner: Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce
Supporting partners: Outdoor Recreation Alliance of Wenatchee, WenatcheeOutdoors, Chelan-Douglas Land Trust, cities, counties, Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, U.S. Forest Service, Mission Ridge Ski & Board Resort, RunWenatchee, AdventureWenatchee, Port of Douglas County, Port of Chelan County*
Title: Alleviation of Generational Poverty
Tagline: Working together and building networks to reduce poverty
Primary Focus Area: How We Live and Care For One Another
Develop or support existing regional programs that bridge the gaps between our social services operations and the people who require their services, so that they can work better together in reducing poverty. Provide opportunities for people in situations of generational, working class, situational and immigrant poverty with to work from positions of strength in order to achieve their potentials. Train community professionals to build networks and share information to assist neighbors and others out of poverty.
Community benefits:
— Reduces poverty
— Improves residents’ health and well-being
— Lessens the demand on social services
— Boosts families
— Reduces crime
Lead partner: United Way of Chelan and Douglas Counties
Supporting partners for this game-changer: Women’s Resource Center of NCW, Chelan-Douglas Community Action Council, City of Wenatchee, City of East Wenatchee, state Department of Social and Health Services, other social service agencies
