Aspiration Statements.These 10 statements will act as a starting point for discussion for the aspiration groups during the 2019 Vision Check.
Arts & Culture: Heritage, Sub-Culture, & SocietyDefinitions:
The arts are a societal cornerstone that brings people together and builds community. The arts touch people's lives in profound ways: in their understanding of themselves, in their connection to local and world communities and cultures, and in their understanding of their own creativity. By the year 2030, Citrus County will be an innovative community where both residents and visitors can enjoy and feel safe in their explorations and connections with all forms of the arts. Citrus County will collaborate with and support community sub-cultures while considering and promoting the cultural significance of our underlying heritage. We will reflect on traditions that unify our past, while providing room to develop new traditions that serve to create one cohesive community. Performing and visual arts will be widely supported. Events, festivals, and community improvements (i.e. new businesses, organizations, beautification projects) will highlight our natural resources and place focus on the heritage and transitioning significance of the area. Citrus Countians will possess a true sense of their community, which will be shared by all members who reside within it. Representatives: Ardath Prendergast & Aspen Welfel Economic DevelopmentA sustainable community with good jobs paying living wages allows citizens to live comfortably and meet their financial obligations with enough left over to be able to give back to the community to support the amenities that make Citrus County an inviting place to live, work and play.
In 2030, Citrus County will enjoy a thriving, diversified economy filled with attractive employment opportunities that make it possible for the youth in the community to remain in Citrus County to develop into our future leaders. Growth in economic development will be a public / private partnership. It will focus on industry sectors that protect our natural beauty and resources while providing the goods and services most required by our citizens and visitors to the area. It is recognized that existing businesses play an important role within the framework of the community and they will be supported and strengthened as part of the area’s foundation and economic heritage. Business growth will continue within environmental parameters that insure the protection of our community’s future, and residents will recognize the critical role that business plays in supporting the infrastructure and amenities required by the community. Representatives: Josh Wooten & Ardath Prendergast EducationIn the year 2030, Citrus County will have world-class educational opportunities with clear and accessible pathways for study in fields leading to high-skill, high wage occupations. The Citrus County School System, Withlacoochee Technical College, and College of Central Florida will provide high-quality and affordable vocational, technical, and academic programs for students of all ages who wish to prepare for rewarding careers and/or further postsecondary study.
Representatives: Vernon Lawter & Marc Shapot Health & Social ServicesIn 2030, Citrus County will have become a place that:
A) Preserves the health of Citrus County residents by: • facilitating health care and social service accessibility and delivery • improving the livability of the community • advocating for improvement in all social determinants of health • addressing mental health and substance abuse issues with the focus on eliminating root causes • providing all residents education and opportunities for healthful, active living B) Supports economic development, consistent with the county’s culture, that provides sufficient well-paid jobs so residents can obtain adequate food, clothing, shelter, education and access to medical care and health insurance, and so that the number of children living in poverty is dramatically diminished if not eliminated. C) Provides services for those in need, including protections for the most vulnerable. D) Prioritizes awareness of what constitutes a healthy community, to include physical and social determinants of health, and ensures through education and advocacy that decision-makers adopt a “health in all policies” approach. Health in all policies is a collaborative approach to improving the health of all people by incorporating health considerations into decision-making across all sectors and policy areas. Representatives: Carmen Hernandez & Rebecca Martin Nature & ManCitrus County has spent the last decade prioritizing, protecting, and enhancing its natural resources. By 2030 the county will continue these efforts and see some of these early projects come to fruition as well as embark on new plans to further enrich this county’s natural resources.
Citrus County prides itself on considering the impacts of growth and development on its natural resources, and works hard to balance the needs of a growing economy with the natural beauty that makes this county such a gem within the Nature Coast. The county and its citizens know that the health of their ecosystem is directly tied to the health and well-being of its residents through ecotourism activities. Our world-class natural environment, which includes our many springs, rivers, lakes and parks, can offer tourists from around the globe opportunities unlike anywhere else, and the county is hard at work to ensure these pristine resources improve in the next decade ahead. Representatives: Cheryl Phillips & Corrine Sachewicz Public Safety & SecurityCitrus County has been fortunate to enjoy a reputation of excellence in public safety for many years. This may be due in part to the united commitments among law enforcement, fire rescue, emergency management, and emergency medical services to keep our community safe. Keeping the community safe requires resiliency in preparedness, response, and recovery.
Resiliency of public safety in Citrus County is developed from the coordinated efforts and collaboration apprised during multi agency education, trainings, strategic planning sessions and tactical delivery during incident response. It is vital that all public safety organizations in Citrus County arrive well-prepared and equipped to handle any and all emergencies. The community’s safety is something that cannot be taken for granted, which is proven through our community leaders' dedication to public safety improvements. By 2030, the anticipated population of Citrus County may increase by 23%. To keep up with the increased demand for services that will naturally occur with a larger population, Citrus County will remain adaptive to an expanding community to maintain the excellent levels of service our citizens experience and expect. The training, recruitment and retention of our first responders will be among the highest in the state, and Citrus County public safety agencies will have formulated expansion plans for personnel, facilities, equipment, and capital improvements to meet the prospective demand for services to make Citrus County the safest community in Florida. “Citrus County, the City of Crystal River and the City of Inverness are dedicated to providing exceptional public safety through serving the citizens with integrity, compassion, quick response, education, and prevention.” Representative: Craig Stevens Smart GrowthBy 2030 Citrus County residents will be healthier and more prosperous because community leaders will make infrastructure and redevelopment a top priority.
Citrus County has unique characteristics that offer great potential for providing a high quality of life for residents and an economic engine for tourism, recreational activities, and industry. However, these attributes also present challenges with coastal flooding, impaired waterbodies/wetland systems, and the basin that forms the springsheds for the Crystal River/Kings Bay, Homosassa and Chassahowitzka Springs groups. Citrus County leaders will identify such resources and work with the characteristics of the land to ensure that buildings and other improvements are sustainable and complement our ecosystems. In short, this is who we are, and we will work with it and not against it. Smart growth means investing in neighborhoods and downtowns, providing for a variety of housing opportunities in proximity, and connectivity for residents to have safe opportunities to walk or ride a non-motorized vehicle to a neighbor’s home, a restaurant, or a local shop. Smart growth leads to resilience over the long term. Public policy and development regulation will be retooled to encourage it over the undesirable alternatives. Representatives: Avis Craig & Chuck Dixon Tourism, Recreation, & Social VenuesIn the year 2030, Citrus County will be known for our unique mix of ecotourism, recreation, and social venues. We will have preserved the balance of Florida's abundant natural resources, ecological systems, and wildlife while enhancing the civic and cultural life of our community. We will have supported the development and maintenance of attractions, events, amenities, hospitality services, and related infrastructure that will provide a positive local experience for visitors and residents of all ages. This balance will have resulted in steady economic growth within the community, making Citrus County an even more enjoyable place to live, work, and visit.
Representatives: Cassie Cross & Veronica Kampschroer Trade/Career & Technical EducationIn the year 2030, Career and Technical Education (CTE) has a positive perception within Citrus County. CTE incorporates forward-thinking skills that prepare students to succeed in post-secondary education, the workplace and community life, keeping Citrus County intentionally competitive. Future young leaders have the means to live, work and thrive in Citrus County.
CTE programs/trainings offered are determined by a seamless partnership among schools, public leaders, and the private sector. Because of the rapid global change in emerging occupations and economies, CTE programs are more responsive so that skill sets needed in the workplace are met and industry needs of our community are supported. CTE programs are offered in the middle and high school worlds through innovative curriculum and approaches. Educators are empowered to deliver high-quality CTE programs that ensure all students are positioned for career success. Employers value both technical skills and employability skills such as communication and critical thinking. The strongest job growth is in knowledge-based and non-routine occupations. The majority of jobs will require some form of postsecondary education or training. Representative: Gloria Bishop Youth DevelopmentIn the year 2030 our youth will live in balance. Excellent educational opportunities will be balanced with numerous recreational activities for kids of all ages.
Outdoor recreational opportunities in nature will continue in abundance and will be balanced with indoor technological and cutting edge recreation. Less-regulated free play areas will be balanced with more organized and supervised activities. Opportunities for advanced education leading to university entrance will be balanced with technical and trades-based education, preparing all of our youth for entrance into the working world with skills and knowledge regardless of career path. In 2030 our youth will be well-fed, well-housed, well-educated, well-rounded, and will speak with pride of growing up in a community with opportunity for all things and one that prepared them for a rich, civic-oriented adult life. Representatives: David Reed & John Weil |
Community ParticipationCounty residents interested in participating in the planning for Citrus County’s pathway to 2030 may email their names, residential zip codes and phone numbers to citrus2030info@gmail.com or submit their information at the end of our community survey.
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Guest SpeakersCivic, professional, business and community organizations interested in having a guest speaker make a Citrus 2030 presentation may email their requests with a preferred and alternate date and time to citrus2030info@gmail.com.
Community groups interested in a guest speaker should indicate if a presentation on a particular aspiration is desired. |