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Local Pagosa Springs News
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| OPINION: The Gold Mine Under Our Feet, Part Two |
| Teddy Herzog | 2/26/10 |
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| Back to the News Summaries |
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Read Part One
Yesterday I offered some quotes from consultant Henry Beers.
Henry Beers’ Communication Arts is a design firm that helps towns fix problems with their land use planning, marketing and vision for the future. Services include environmental graphic design, branding and identity, and place-making within retail, resort, recreation, entertainment, sports, hospitality, urban and food environments.
But what they do is successful only if it is propelled by a real desire for change.
In the early 1970’s, the downtown core of Boulder, Colorado was on the verge of total collapse. Shopping malls outside of the core began attracting more and more of the consumer dollar.
Henry Beers and Communication Arts was hired in Boulder to come up with a plan. That plan became the huge social and financial downtown success of Pearl Street Mall. Boulder enjoys a thriving downtown today because someone decided to make a huge change.
The surrounding Boulder business owners needed to vote for an assessment district to approve the project. Pearl Street Mall in Boulder was barely approved by only two votes twenty-seven years ago. Mr. Beers claims that it would not be approved today because we are too stuck on consensus-driven politics.
Henry Beers talks about the Big Hairy Audacious Goal.
Most people don’t really know what they want and what would really be good for them. A great leader is able to mobilize the people who don’t agree. We need more leaders like that.
As part of the package of what Henry Beers would have recommended for our town is that we go for as much height and density downtown as we have the guts for. Why? So that we can create a true sense of place downtown, a real destination place for tourists, a desirable place inviting in new members for our community, and new sources of income for all of us.
If we don’t have something audacious, if it is all small scale, then don’t expect anyone to get excited about it.
The downtown business owners are hanging on by their fingernails economically and they won’t grow towards a future of excellence until they have a future vision worth building.
Near the end of the Henry Beers presentation, town manager Mark Garcia asked the following. “I want to get specific on what you want to do for us, Henry. We are trying to figure out if politically we can make this happen. I would like to see how you feel that you could provide something for us that Council could use.”
To which Beers replied, “As I sit here right now, I’m not sure that I’m convinced that the things that need to be in place are in place that would enable us to be successful. Rather than saying what am I going to do next for you -- I would suggest that you (the Town) take today and you get together amongst yourselves and see what you can come up with. And then let's get together again.
"I’m going to put it right at your feet. I’d rather that one of you take the leadership on this because sooner or later it is going to have to be.”
And, so, Henry Beers left town — and has not yet been invited back.
The downward economic spiral and implosion of our local economy is in full momentum. People and businesses are leaving. The pain of the darkest hour is not yet upon us.
This election year, there are three things on my mind.
Number one, we need to continue the process of the Town and County coming together in a way that represents the single, unified community that we really are.
Number two, the downtown core of Pagosa Springs needs a brand, a vision and a Big Hairy Audacious Goal. The downtown core is the heart and soul of the entire Archuleta County community. The downtown core is the economic engine upon which our entire community will prosper or continue to die.
Number three is that it is time to draw the line. If we expect young, energetic, internet-savvy entrepreneurs to show up to our little community then we are going to need a top notch education system for their kids. Right now, we do have a quality public school system. The problem is that the State is talking about cutting back 10 percent or more of the State funding for our public school district next year. And probably more the following year. The "real problem" is that now our school district is talking about cutting its own budget in response.
We have quality families already living here in Pagosa Springs who will walk away if we allow our public school system to deteriorate.
Our economic deterioration has now become an emergency. We are at the precipice. Either we make a course correction and demand a "remarkable" public school education for our kids or else more families are going to walk. And no entrepreneurs with families are going to move here. Our community will continue to get older and continue to die.
No compelling future will be written.
Let me say it another way. If we don't start investing more money into our community right now then there is going to be less and less money all the way around.
"Pretty good" is not a viable future. "Remarkable" ... now that is something we can work with.
It is time for us all to take a stand. Bold leadership is required. From me and from those of you who are able to lead.
We are going to have to find a way to provide local financial support for our public schools right now. We are going to have to find a way to begin building our "remarkable" future right now. We are going to have to inspire ourselves to build a remarkable future for ourselves with our own hands.
We need all hands on deck. Over the past 18 months, excellent progress has been made on our little Town and little County governments working together.
All hands, together, can create the access tunnels to the "gold mine" that is already beneath our feet. |
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