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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