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Yellow Springs Community Forum
Background and History
Many issues the Yellow Springs community has
faced in recent years reflect an underlying concern about our economic
circumstances, particularly the cost of living in Yellow Springs. In
2002, the Yellow Springs Men's Group organized a group of 30
volunteers to gather information on the Cost of Living in the
community. Professional consultation was provided by the Center for
Urban and Public Affairs at Wright State University. Five task groups
focused on demography, housing and utility costs, taxes, commodities,
and services. The Group followed a Cost of Living model developed by
the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association. Results of
this Cost of Living report were first presented to the Yellow Springs
community in December 2002.
From December 2002 to the summer of 2003, the
Cost of Living report was widely disseminated in the community. Over
800 copies were printed and distributed. Having had time to study and
discuss the data, the community was invited to a second presentation
in October 2003 to consider professional interpretations of the data.
At this time, the community indicated a readiness to further discuss
the findings and consider strategic responses.
From November 2003 to March 2004, the Men's
Group, the Center for Urban and Public Affairs, and a planning
committee composed of representatives from the Village, the Township,
and the School Board met to organize a community forum to be held on
March 27, 2004. The Forum began with another, more detailed summary of
our current demographic and economic situation.
The cost of living affects where people choose
to live, and therefore demographic changes in the Village were
presented, along with costs, to provide context. This effort to
understand Yellow Springs' cost of living is not an exercise in data
gathering. The numbers are important because of the impact they have
on the quality of life in the community. This presentation summary
highlights demographic and household trends first, followed by cost of
living findings.
After the Economic Analysis briefing session
was completed the assembled participants were divided into five
workshops to discuss and reach recommendations about five important
economic factors. Workshops were held on Housing, Education, Public
Services, Taxes and Revenues and Economic Development.
There were three desired outcomes for the
Yellow Springs Forum. The first was to identify and prioritize a set
of action items. The second outcome was to create a community
vision to shape the action items into a plan. The third outcome was to
establish a Community Alliance to work to see that the action items
come to fruition in the coming years.
The first outcome was addressed in the five
concurrent discussion groups, the results of which were just
described. The second and third outcomes were accomplished in the
culminating session of the day.
Community Vision
After the five concurrent discussion groups
met, the full group reconvened so each group could report its
progress. While each discussion group made meaningful progress, the
results that spurred the greatest amount of energy and passion were
the results of the group that focused on the economic base of Yellow
Springs. In fact, most people invited to the forum had volunteered for
the economic base discussion-a precursor to the passion generated at
the forum.
Vernay's exit and the need for expansion and
renovation at Antioch/McGregor, among other business changes, were
relevant motivators to the economic base discussion. Synchronous with
the discussion of Village area economics, the "Schools"
discussion group coined the phrase, "Education Village," and
that phrase resonated with attendees. The energy in the room grew as
lists of individual ideas began to connect around the Education
Village theme. "Education Village" evolved into an economic
development concept. The concept was drawn as an education-oriented
commerce park in a campus setting, capturing the unique arts,
recreation, and environmental assets of the Village.
Click
here to download a pdf version of The Cost of Living Report.
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