PITTSBURG, Kan. —
Housing, jobs and opportunities for youths are among the top concerns of a cross section of Pittsburg residents who recently shared observations and opinions with a consulting group formulating a 20-year plan for the town.
The project is being referred to by a steering committee as Imagine 2030.
The group, Bernard Consulting based in Kansas City, Mo., has gathered three-quarters of the information it needs to gather via a survey sent in water bills, one-on-one interviews with key stakeholders, and a dozen focus group meetings with residents representing specific industries.
“We wanted input from a wide base of stakeholders,” said Destry Brown, superintendent of Pittsburg schools and steering committee member. “We had a group of educators from USD 250, various organizations, clubs, civic groups — they’ve tried to get a broad base of people, including younger people, senior citizens and everything in between.”
“We really just want to know, ‘What do you want Pittsburg to be like in 2030?’”
What they’ve heard so far is not surprising, said Brad Hodson, who co-chairs the committee.
“We have heard a lot about economic development, the need for more jobs in this community, the need for better housing,” said Hodson, who is Pittsburg State University’s vice president for university advancement. “That theme has come through very clearly. You will for sure see those two important concepts in the vision plan we put forward at the end of this process.”
“If you have something important to say, we want to hear it, even if you already participated,” Hodson said. “Come again — this is your chance.”
Pittsburg resident Jack Kennedy said some of his priorities include improvements to U.S. Highway 69 and adding motel rooms.
“I also think we need to keep graduates and their brains in the area.”
Kennedy said a mix of local ideas and outside perspectives “is priceless and not as limited as only one view.”
Following the town hall meetings, Bernard will analyze patterns and emerging themes, then prepare a first draft of the plan for the steering committee.
“We’ll then take that back out to the community in case we’ve totally missed something, or there is too much or not enough emphasis on an issue,” Hodson said.
On April 1, the steering committee will present a final report to the community, most likely in the form of a website and printed copies available at multiple locations throughout Pittsburg.
Brown sees the plan as having an impact on both the city and the school district.
“For example, we’ve heard people say in these groups that kids can’t walk to school or even walk to the park because without sidewalks they have to walk in the street,” he said. “That has a direct correlation to both the infrastructure of the city and the students we serve.”
Stakeholders also voiced concerns about what opportunities for the town’s youths are available after school, in the late afternoons and on weekends.
“That’s been a concern we have heard in almost every group,” Brown said. “So has adequate housing. If we improve housing, we improve peoples’ living conditions and way of life, and that improves their outlook and success in education. It all intertwines and works together in some way.”
Meeting dates
The final opportunity to collect information will be via town hall meetings planned for Jan. 31 and Feb. 1-2. They will be open to all, regardless of whether they completed a survey or participated in a focus group.
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