BLUEPRINT FOR GROWTH - INTRODUCTION
The Blueprint for Growth is a strategic, action-oriented document. It provides
a variety of strategies and actions to be implemented in order to address issues
raised in the participatory process and achieve desired outcomes in pursuit
of the vision for the future of Reno County. Successful implementation of the
strategies and actions in the Blueprint for Growth depends on the people of
Reno County taking ownership of the recommendations and vigorously pursuing
the accomplishment of the recommendations.
Change will happen in Reno County. The critical question is:
Will change occur because Reno County citizens are sitting on the sidelines
watching things happen to them?
OR
Will change occur because Reno County citizens are involved in making desirable
things happen?
The participatory process indicated that many citizens, once informed, do not
want to sit on the sidelines and wait for things to happen. Many more people
need to make that same choice.
The Blueprint for Growth is intended to provide the citizens of Reno County
with an understanding of what needs to be accomplished and a game plan for
taking control of the future. This Blueprint is not a recap and projection
of current trends; instead, it is strategic plan for intervening in and changing
current trends by taking action.
The Blueprint for Growth is organized around seven major vision categories.
- Jobs
- Leadership and Partnerships
- Effective Education and Training
- Regional Development
- Image and Attitude
- Living Choices
- Enhancing Lifestyle
Within each of these vision categories a series of strategies and actions
are outlined. In addition to outlining the strategies and actions,
an implementation matrix provides information with regard to implementation
participants. By identifying roles and responsibilities for various
actions and indicating the timing of implementation strategies, the implementation
matrix is a tool for understanding the manner by which Reno County
can accomplish the strategies and actions effectively and efficiently.
Business leaders, elected officials and staff at all levels of government
should use the Blueprint for Growth on a regular basis. Most importantly,
it is a tool developed for use by the citizens of Reno County -
whether in a rural portion of the county, a small municipality or Hutchinson.
All of these people and the decisions they make are linked to each other
by the common desire to make Reno County a better place.
2.1 The Progression of Reno County Visioning
The Blueprint for Growth represents a high water mark for visioning in Reno
County. For the past several years, citizens in the County
have been informed regarding Reno County’s standing in comparison
to other counties around them and the rest of Kansas. What they have heard
has not always been pleasant and, as a result, a small group of people
sponsored by Reno County government was given the task of developing a
strategic plan for the future of the county.
Focusing on the analysis of University of Kansas Professor Dr. Charles Krider,
regarding where Reno County stood in relation to current
and expected trends, to the identification of clusters (i.e.: agriculture,
medical/health, tourism, and corridors) that could serve as a foundation
for economic growth in the future, to the formulation of the 2020 Vision
Task Force, and through the successful start-up of the Spirit of Success
campaign by the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce, the majority
of citizens of Reno County have wondered what can they can do to proactively
improve the anticipated future of Reno County.
 
A critical step in visioning the future of Reno County was the creation of
the 2020 Vision Task Force. This volunteer group of citizens, as well as
its predecessors, has been diligently working for several years to support
growth and positive change throughout the county. The Task Force mandate
has been set by the population goal of 80,000 people in Reno County by 2020
(80 in 20). The Reno County Commission, the City of Hutchinson, and the Hutchinson/Reno
County Chamber of Commerce also adopted the 80 in 20 goal in 2001.
This growth goal is an achievable target for Reno County. It is not a target
that will overwhelm the positive character of the county; rather, it represents
a pace of growth that roughly parallels the state’s growth rate. Also,
the pattern of growth depicted later in this report would preserve Reno County’s
intrinsic character.
To achieve this goal requires the dedication of many more people beyond the
membership of the 2020 Vision Task Force. Achieving the growth desired and
maintaining the quality of life that citizens recognize requires a regular
commitment to continuous improvement in the way things are done in Reno County.
The Blueprint for Growth was completed, taking into account the input provided
by citizens through the participatory process. The ability to achieve the vision,
strategies, and actions in the Blueprint for Growth will require further dedication
by Reno County citizens in the future.
2.2 The Participatory Process
A Task Force is not enough to make things happen. Citizens from all walks of
life and all parts of Reno County must participate in the formulation, implementation,
and evaluation of the Blueprint for Growth. The 2020 Vision Task Force recognized
this, and it initiated a participatory process to broaden “ownership” in
the creation of the vision for the Blueprint for Growth.
2.2.1 Public Meetings
During the week of January 26, 2004, a series of five public meetings were
held in the communities of Buhler, Nickerson, Arlington, Haven and Hutchinson.
The primary intent of these meetings was to gather information regarding the
issues facing Reno County, the assets that exist in Reno County, the priorities
for the future, and a feeling for how people in Reno County view the future.
The steps that need to be taken in order to continue to move forward in a proactive
and positive manner as a community were also discussed. Approximately 120 people
participated in these meetings.
2.2.2 Community Survey
From mid-January to mid-February, 2004, a community survey was distributed
throughout Reno County. This survey was not scientific, but it served several
very important roles for the project. First, it was a tool for broadening public
awareness of the Blueprint for Growth process. Second, it gave an opportunity
to those who could not or would not attend one of the public meetings, or were
uncomfortable with public speaking, to provide input into the process.
This survey was distributed through the efforts of the 2020 Vision Task Force.
Many people who attended the public meetings also delivered copies of the survey
to friends and neighbors. Approximately 1000 surveys were completed and returned
to the Task Force.
2.2.3 Interviews and Presentations
In addition to the public meetings and surveys, approximately fifty key person
interviews have been conducted. These interviews have involved a variety of
community leaders, including government staff/elected officials and business
owners and leaders. Several presentations have also been made to civic organizations,
such as the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce. A number of media interviews
have also been conducted with the local newspaper and taped and live radio
talk shows.
The primary objectives of these interviews and presentations have been to supplement
the input received from the meetings and surveys, and to broaden general awareness
of the project.
2.2.4 Countywide Workshop
Close to seventy people attended a community wide workshop on February 19,
2004. This workshop provided a forum for citizens throughout Reno County to
meet in one location and discuss their vision for the county and its future
growth. Through small group discussions centered on a series of standardized
questions, participants were asked to develop growth scenarios for Reno County.
Each of the small groups developed their own scenario during this workshop
with a common growth pattern emerging from the comparison of these scenarios.
In the scenario, physical growth, represented by growth in people and employment,
was focused around communities in the eastern portion of Reno County. In general,
Hutchinson and the communities along the K-61, K-96 and US 50 highway corridors
(Buhler, Haven, and South Hutchinson) were seen as having the greatest potential
and opportunity for growth in the future. Arlington, Nickerson and Pretty Prairie
were seen as places that may expect some growth in the future. No matter the
level of growth, the results seem to indicate a desire to retain the unique
character of each place as an important priority.
In addition to the growth scenarios, participants were asked to develop a sense
of their vision by creating a brief vision statement.
2.2.5 Mayors’ Meeting
Ten mayors from the municipalities in Reno County gathered with representatives
of Reno County for the first time on February 18, 2004. They found value in
discussing common Issues, and they expressed a desire to
continue these meetings. There has been general discussion regarding the Blueprint
for Growth and the need to work in a cooperative manner. Many common objectives
were discussed, including efforts to deal with sanitary sewer upgrades and
other services, as well as facility and policy items. Additionally, the mayors
have been asked to envision the future and goals for their community that they
believe are important, as well as strategies to achieve these goals.
Several of the smaller communities in Reno County have been involved with investigating
and instituting creative solutions for a variety of issues including commercial
and residential growth. Much of this information was shared among members of
the group and a commitment to future meetings was made in order to reinforce
potential collaboration.
2.3 Implementing the Blueprint for Growth
While the activities outlined above serve as a record of the participatory
process, it is important to stress that momentum in Reno County is building.
The 2020 Vision Task Force has been reaching out to the citizens of Reno County,
and the citizenry has been responding through their input and involvement.
Now the citizens of Reno County must be involved in implementing the recommended
strategies and actions in the Blueprint for Growth. Together the strategies
and actions articulate a method for achieving the Vision for Reno County. A
picture of that vision is provided by the conceptual framework for physical
growth in the next section of this document.
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