The Visioning ‘Brand’

At last Friday’s Muleskinners forum, fourth ward City Council candidates Sarah Read and Tracy Greever-Rice shared comments about the visioning process.

For the record, Greever-Rice is a member of the visioning commission and Read created the Draft Visioning Implementation Report after the city contracted her. Read owns and operates The Communication Center, Inc.

At the forum, Read expressed concerns about creating a visioning “brand.” Greever-Rice quickly asserted that the commission was not interested in the visioning “brand.”

Read cited the Columbia Visioning Commission’s Dec. 17, 2009, meeting minutes as proof.

Here’s the part she was likely refering to. It’s the only place where “brand” is mentioned in the minutes.

Discussion of Council mini-retreat
Dan Goldstein attended the Council mini-retreat on December 12 (8 hours! Thanks Dan). At the retreat City Manager Bill Watkins proposed the consideration of “shovel-ready” sites, because the idea had come out of the Vision process. However, there is no mention of shovel-ready sites in the Final Vision Report January 2008. Instead it appears to have surfaced in the Draft Visioning Implementation Report prepared by The Communications Center, January 2009, in collaboration with the City Manager’s office and City staff.

We discussed the problem of the recommendations of the Draft Visioning Implementation Report, prepared without formal public oversight, being confused with the recommendations of the Final Vision Report, the result of a lengthy public process. Dan pointed out that it is very important for us to protect the Vision “Brand” and not allow conflation of other interests with those expressed by the public through the visioning meetings or through the Commission.

Phil drafted a letter which he read for the commission, outlining the concerns Pat moved and Dee seconded sending the letter to the City Manager and City Council before their January meeting. The letter is included at the end of the minutes in favor – all