Results from Phase III Community Forums:

Norris Rd. Veteran's Hall - March 24, 2000

Our Slogan:
· There is nothing we can't be or do when we stand United!
· Unity begins with you
· Opportunity for every community


Our Image:
· Shady & cool
· Moderate
· Clean air
· Attractive to residents and visitors
· Encouraging place where people are working together
· A diverse community working in harmony


Our Reputation:
· Friendly greeters
· Friendly people
· Positive place to live
· Athletic teams: pro soccer. Ladies pro basketball
· A clean, attractive community


Civic Culture:
· City/county cooperation


Business Environment:
· Incentives for business to choose Bakersfield
· Marketing of Bakersfield thru U.S.
· Use tourist trade for city tax
· County/city/private sector partnerships


Arts & Culture:
· Cultural arts pavilion (indoor/outdoor)
· Recreation: Family resort(s)
· Symphony Hall/Performing arts center
· Professional basketball
· Children's Performing Arts Center


Heart of the City:
· Mix youth and elderly activities
· Friendly, caring community
· No cars in the city center
· Friendly people
· Pretty streets - lots of trees
· Churches/business/government working together for social, economic change


Technology:
· Computers for each student
· Universal access, on-line education systems
· School of engineering


Transportation:
· Light rail system
· High speed rail
· Bake lanes the norm on all streets
· Affordable electric cars
· Mass Trans/underground - reduce by ˝ cars


Our Values:
· Community involvement
· Strong families
· Families first


Biggest Changes:
· 1,000's of new trees planted
· New airport
· Lots of restaurants!
· Employres sponsor child care for employees
· Good medical care for families
· Internet communication - schools, churches, business, government
· Higher education level of the citizens


Break Thrus
· Public transit vs More big stores
· 400 billion bps processing speed
· Drug, alcohol free community
· Valley Fever Research


Looking Back I'm Most Proud of…
· A culturally integrated community
· Each high school grad has a place incollege
· Safe environment


What's our Vision ofr Our Economy over the next 10-20 years?
· More diversity in economic base
· Business development in incubator
· Use solar energy - get away from dependence on oil
· Diversify beyond oil/ag. Perhaps we could focus on transportation and also emphasize recreation and tourism
· Offer tax incentives for businesses to relocate to this area
· New malls
· Lots of fun family activities (water parks, etc.


What kind of Economic Development Initiatives do we want to create?
· Lazer tech to purify saltwater for more water supply
· Transportation, communictions and recreation
· Better educated population will allow greater market penetrtion to the high tech industries


What kind of Jobs do we want to attract here over the next 10-20 years?
· High tech
· Clean industries
· Television and movie related
· Jobs in tourism, communictions, and recreation, and also oil/ag
· Job opportunities for unskilled workers that will pay whilethey train for more skilled positions
· Better pay, better benefits, people friendly work environments


Our Vision for Downtown: · Nice new airport
· Light rail system completely surrounding the downtown area
· Expanded Metro Rec Center for Youth Activities - near Museum
· Trees everywhere
· Park N of 24th and S of California between Chester and Oak
· Water Park and youth activity center N of 34th ST. between Chester & Union
· Pedestrian friendly housing developments (European Model) N of 34th St. E. of Union
· "River Walk" in central downtown through Central Park
· Water, trees, pedestrian urban entertainment zone along riverwalk
· Marketplace in core downtown
· Continue downtown beautification
· Zoo in Lakeview Area
· Canal diversion from river - Riverwalk business similar to San Antonio
· Oildale: attractive housing - business growth
· Hope Center near Oak and 24th and and S. of California - W of Unio and E of Lakeview
· Performing Arts Center between Union and Truxturn (Central Park area)
· People living downtown
· Complete revitalization of Truxtun South in the Lakefiew area
· Attractive affordable housing on Lakeview
· Marketplace II E of Lakeview
· Central Square between California & Truxtun, W of Union


In our community's future, we wanted and we got:
· Safe, clean neighborhoods
· Lush vegetation/trees
· High paying jobs
· Preserve mobilehome parks for low cost housing
· All major streets to have a landscaped median - especially Airport Drive - 1st road visitors see
· Lights on all freeway street signs
· Senior citizen developments/children
· Clean up blighted areas for improved neighborhoods and city
· High speed rail to L.A./Bay area
· Cross town freeway - a real one
· Widen Freeway 99
· More Ed for welfare reform
· Ball park
· Positive visual entries to community
· Trees- flowers
· Open more Hope Centers
· Lower gas prices
· Continued maintenance of parks
· Ice skating rink
· More medical centers for lower income people
· Big amusment park with water element
· Enough water
· Jabotat fpr ji,amotu jpisomg
· Affordable care, housing & recreation for seniors


In our community's future we didn't want and didn't get…
· Graffiti
· Crime
· Indifference in our communities
· Pollution Air/Water
· Concrete canals
· Dairy odor
· Pollution/litter
· Higher taxes
· Bad air quality
· Kids with no hope
· Continued increase of abuse and neglect
· No gangs, more drug enforcement
· Run-down neighborhoods


Common Themes:
· Transportation
· Unity
· Family friendly
· Water Themes
· Tourism
· Trees and landscape
· Less pollution
· Performing Arts
· Activities for children & seniors together
· High tech job opportunities
· City/county cooperation
· Alternative energy
· Education
· Eliminate blight
· Professional sports
· Economic sevelopment
· Shopping malls


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