Nearly 100 Marshall County leaders and organization representatives attended an input session Thursday morning surrounding the county’s quest to become a Regional Stellar Community. The event was held at the Swan Lake Resort in Plymouth.
Marshall County is a finalist in the Regional Stellar Communities Designation Program.
Two tabletop breakout sessions occurred where those seated at a table expressed ideas behind several of the proposed projects in the county’s Regional Stellar Communities application and some other placemaking and healthy initiative projects that could be developed in this effort.
The Town of Argos has three projects including a multi-use trail, sidewalk improvements and housing. The Town of Bourbon is focusing on housing, commercial development and a putting together a Main Street organization. The Town of Bremen is looking at a community gathering space and a community pool, while the Town of Culver hopes to complete the third phase of the walking and biking trail. Town of Lapaz officials want to extend public infrastructure to the proposed development parcels. Plymouth City officials are including the renovation of the Rees Theater, a firehouse restoration project and permanent supportive housing, and Marshall County officials are looking to increase workforce recruitment and a branding and marketing plan.
Other ideas include traveling art, a trail that connects all of the communities in Marshall County, a newly constructed building with more room to house more opportunities at the Neighborhood Center, and competitive projects between all towns.
Marshall County Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Jerry Chavez said it was a great collaborative effort from all involved.
“We saw an engagement, a conversation, of some ideas about what are those projects that really make Marshall County a Stellar Community? What are those projects that are being developed today? More importantly, what are the projects for the future that will attract families to come and live in this area? What will attract capital investment? This is part of what I would character development in its core,” commented Chavez.
The Co-Chair of the Steering Committee for the Marshall County Stellar Communities Designation application Ginny Bess Munroe said the committee will look at all of the ideas and see how they may be developed, even if the county is not designated a Stellar Community.
“Actually, we’ll take all of the feedback and prioritize some of the projects that have come out of this,” said Munroe. “We could change some of the projects that we have in terms of what makes those projects unique and distinguished, what makes them about connecting Marshall County, about what we’re trying to do here in terms of quality of life and in terms of the goals that we outlined today.”
The final application is due Sept. 21 with an hour-long presentation to be presented later to state officials. The county officials will know by the end of the year if Marshall County is a Regional Stellar Community.
