Residents share community improvement ideas

Housing, child care and health care topped the list of issues needing funding and improvement in Wayne County, according to 15 residents who attended a Jan. 29 public meeting that Forward Wayne County facilitated. The event, held at the Richmond High School cafeteria, was the first of four listening sessions that community leaders are holding to gather feedback about community priorities in anticipation of future funding opportunities.

Acacia St. John, Forward Wayne County’s program director, said the goal of the planning process is to “keep the momentum going” following recent investments in infrastructure across the county. Millions of dollars in public and private dollars have been flowing to the area from programs with acronyms like READI, HELP, ARPA, GIFT VIII and others, and more is expected in the years ahead.

Mason Gordon, an economic development project coordinator with HWC Engineering, the firm hired to help facilitate the planning process, said that when Wayne County has potential projects that are informed by community input and just need money to get started, it will be better positioned to be awarded funds. The firm is focusing on parks and recreation, arts and culture, revitalization, childcare, housing, infrastructure, business development, and planning for the future.

Participants arrived with different hopes and concerns. One person said she had never been to a meeting like this before but heard about it earlier in the day and decided to attend. Richmond resident Bruce Linginfelter said he came to the session because he thinks a “boom decade” is ahead for the area and he wanted to be a part of contributing to that. He identified quality of life issues like walkable, bikeable streets and helping children thrive as essential for the community’s future.

Benjamin Guard suggested that while planning for the future is important, he’s concerned about creating more opportunities, even basic, entry-level positions, for people soon. “We can’t ignore where we are today,” Guard said.

Lisa Felsman wondered how the area can better support young people who are neither in school nor working. “How can we welcome young people back in” to community life, Felsman asked.

Residents have three remaining opportunities to attend and share their feedback, all at 6 p.m.:

• Wednesday, Feb. 5: Lincoln High School cafeteria (main entrance), 205 E. Parkway Drive, Cambridge City. Use main entrance. (Dublin, Milton, Cambridge City and East Germantown residents)
• Thursday, Feb. 13: Hagerstown Elementary School (Door 2), 299 N. Sycamore St., Hagerstown. (Hagerstown, Greens Fork and Economy residents)
• Thursday, Feb. 20: Centerville High School cafeteria (main entrance), 507 Willow Grove Road, Centerville. (Centerville and other countywide residents)

St. John said that if someone is unable to attend any of the events, they can call the Forward Wayne County office at 765-259-3327 to provide input by phone.