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your answers. here. You may have many questions about how a visioning plan comes together or why it's such a valuable tool for the enhancing the growth of our extended community. Hopefully, you'll find most of the answers here. But if you don't, please feel free to email your specific questions to contact@bigsmallall.cc. The Project What is "big. small. all."? "big. small. all." is a project to bring all the people of Champaign County together to build a vision of our future. The project was initiated by a host of Champaign County citizens, as well as leaders from business, non-profit organizatioxns and government. This community visioning project will bring people of all walks of life together to identify goals for just about every aspect of our county's life—including the natural and built environment, economic and community development, transportation, education, culture, recreation, sports, diversity, and social issues, among others. In addition to developing shared goals, "big. small. all." will help us come up with specific strategies to support each goal and develop a plan to move us toward these goals. The purpose of the community visioning project is to foster unity and clarity of purpose among the people of Champaign County so that we can take effective action together. How will "big. small. all." work? "big. small. all." will start with a blank slate, free of any preconceived set of ideas or agendas. Through the Countywide Community Dialogue meetings, residents will provide a foundation of ideas and issues concerning the future of Champaign County. Volunteer committees will then turn those ideas into goals and strategies during the Community Assembly. Finally, the public will review and prioritize these goals during Community Choices. Residents will engage in an unprecedented discussion on issues and values. The Community Visioning Project includes geographic diversity as well as ethnic, gender, age, and social diversity. The intuitive input provided by the public will be integrated with technical research on the anticipated trends for the county to net a realistic and achievable set of goals. Why create a vision? Almost 30 years have passed since the people of Champaign County have considered, collectively, what their future should be. While many public and private organizations have adopted comprehensive and strategic plans of their own, the county, as a community, has not. Many concerns cross lines of function or legal jurisdiction and many opportunities can only be realized by concerted action. The Community Visioning Project—"big. small. all."—will bring the residents of Champaign County together to mutually chart a course toward a common future reflecting our shared values. For decades, communities throughout the nation have been undertaking similar efforts armed with the knowledge that local residents and community stakeholders can come together to create a shared vision for the future and implement the vision. Communities that have benefited from visioning efforts include Chattanooga, TN; Birmingham, AL; Lafayette, IN; Belton, MO; Palm Beach Gardens, FL; among many others. The Public Process What is a visioning process? It is a citizen-based dialogue focused on producing a vision and plan of action for the future. There is significant opportunity for community involvement in the process that will consist of three types of public meetings open only to those who live, work or study in Champaign County. First, meetings will be held to generate ideas about the future of the county—these meetings will simply ask for ideas. Next, meetings will be held to develop the ideas collected into shared goals for the future and strategies to turn those goals into reality. Finally, open houses will be offered to allow citizens the opportunity to review the progress of the effort, identify priority goals, and volunteer to participate in implementation. Why should I come to these meetings? You should attend because the outcome of these meetings will affect anyone who lives, works or studies in the county and will have a lasting influence on our community. For the outcome to truly represent the common values of our community, it is essential that all the perspectives in the community be represented; yours included. How long do the meetings last? Most meetings will last no more than two hours—not long considering the impact that even one idea can have on the future of the county. What will the meetings be like? After brief opening remarks, participants will join a small group to discuss ideas and topics suggested by people who live and work in the county—people just like you. Everyone will have a chance to share his or ideas for the future of Champaign County and all these ideas will be documented. Each group will have a trained facilitator who will work with you to create an atmosphere that is productive, safe and fun. Children are welcome to participate along with their parents. What happens to my ideas? Your ideas serve as the foundation of the vision for Champaign County. Every idea is important and none will be lost. All of the ideas documented during the Countywide Community Dialogues will be entered into a computerized database. After the ideas are entered into the database, they will be sorted by topic. Topics could include everything from jobs, to education, transportation, arts and culture, natural resources, agriculture, etc. There is no preset list of topics; the ideas themselves will suggest what topics are most important to those who live and work in Champaign County. All of the ideas will then be posted on the project website, so you can see ideas from your meeting, other meetings in the county, or ideas by a specific topic. Once the ideas are sorted, volunteer committees will work with the ideas to draft goals for the future for each topic and strategies to achieve those goals. Will my ideas matter? Yes, every idea counts. Any idea could be the one that unlocks an opportunity or solves a problem. The only way that your ideas matter is if you participate. All ideas—each and every one—generated in these public meetings are saved in a database for future use. Do I have to be an expert to contribute my ideas? You're already the expert. You live, work, shop, seek services and recreate in this county. Who knows better than you do? I like things the way they are. Why do we need to change? Things change all of the time. Nothing stays the same. Think of this county 10 years ago compared to today. The decisions made today will have a great impact on how the county will be in the future. Will I be able to talk about the needs of my neighborhood/community? Yes, as they relate to whole county. The ultimate goal is a far-reaching vision, one that addresses the entire county. That is why it is critical for everyone to participate. This has been structured as a countywide effort because the County comes closest to encompassing the various aspects of our lives economically, socially and governmentally. A key element of the process is to encourage everyone to consider the whole of Champaign County as home and think of everyone who lives here as neighbors. Who can I contact for more information? Call Frank DiNovo at 217.328.3313 or check the website at www.bigsmallall.cc. How can I participate? It's simple. Plan to attend one of the several "your ideas. here." Public Dialogue meetings that will take place throughout the county, where you can share your ideas. Look for meeting announcements at www.bigsmallall.cc. You can also help by spreading the word about the process. The Nitty Gritty Where did this project come from? In the autumn of 2003 the Metropolitan Intergovernmental Council (MIC), an organization comprised of the CEOs of Champaign-Urbana government agencies, began discussing the value of a visioning or planning project for Champaign County. Similar conversations had also been occurring at the Economic Development Corporation. This was all occurring during a period when many people were advocating the creation of a county-wide comprehensive plan. In response to these initiatives, Champaign County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) staff proposed a community visioning project as the most effective approach. Subsequently, in April 2004, the Champaign County Board formally requested that the Regional Planning Commission set about organizing a public-private partnership to undertake a community visioning project. Throughout the remainder of the year CCRPC, with the help of Robin Hall, made informal contacts with various individual community leaders, organizations and governments to gauge the level of support for the project. In November 2004, an ad hoc group was assembled to discuss how to move forward with project. By April of 2005, a formal organization was formed and fundraising was well underway. Who is running this project? "big. small. all." is an independent non-profit organization comprised of representatives from business, community organizations, and government. The purpose and structure of the organization is laid out in a written charter. The overall strategic direction and fiscal supervision of the project is in the hands of a Sponsors Council comprised of the chief elected or executive officer of major funding organizations, and also includes other community leaders acting in a personal capacity. The Sponsors Council is chaired by Champaign County Board Chair, Barbara Wysocki, with University of Illinois Chancellor Richard Herman as Vice Chair. The design and implementation of the project is overseen by a 33 member Steering Committee representing a wide array of businesses, organizations, and governments. The Steering Committee is comprised of folks who are willing to volunteer their time and energy to make the project successful and grew out of existing networks in the community. The Steering Committee is led by two co-chairs: Bruce Knight, City of Champaign Planning Director and Jennifer Armstrong, Executive Director of 40 North 88 West. The day to day decisions are in the hands of a 10 person subcommittee of the Steering Committee called the Project Coordination Committee. "big. small. all." has also employed two consulting firms to assist with the project:
How much will the project cost? The estimated total cost of the project spread over two years is $320,000. Who is paying for it? "big. small.all." is designed as a public/private collaboration. It is funded by numerous contributions from business, community organizations and government. To date, contributors include:
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