KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM/FM) — Kalamazoo city commissioners have voted unanimously to adopt the “Imagine Kalamazoo 2025” strategic vision plan after two years of work and dozens of public hearings.
Mayor Bobby Hopewell said it was the most comprehensive effort ever undertaken by the city to get public input and will be plugged into their Priority Based Budgeting model to set priorities for future budgets.
Commissioner Shannon Sykes, who was initially skeptical of the foundation money and the strings that might be attached, seems to have embraced it now. She says she is quite excited that they are now thinking about new ways to do things.
The ultimate goal is to create a city that is more pedestrian friendly, where everything residents need to live is within walking distance, with fewer one way streets and more bike paths. A decade from now they also hope to have a city where generational poverty is being eradicated and everyone is safe.
So far, city commissioners have only managed to spend $3 million of the $10 million in aspirational funds they had available this year from the Foundation for Excellence grant to achieve some of those goals, and most of it may be rolled over until next year.
On Monday, they allocated $1.5 million to sidewalk and lighting projects on the north side and for improvements at three city parks, that had been planned but not yet funded. That’s in addition to money already allocated for summer youth programs and replacing lead water lines.
Director of Community Planning and Development Laura Lam says they hope to maximize bang for the buck by turning the millions the city spends to provide city services into training opportunities that help fight poverty.
They plan to have a full spending plan ready to go later this year when commissioners consider next year’s city budget. A special workshop is set for next Monday night to go over the agreement between the donors and the city that lawyers for both have been negotiating.
