Platte County is in the process of updating its plans for the future of the county thanks to the work on the Platte Profile 2020. Currently a citizens’ group has been meeting to provide direction for the county to proceed with growth and prosperity.
The Platte Profile will hold an open house on Wednesday, Oct. 24 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Platte County Administration Building in Platte City.
The Profile has been holding meetings since May 2007 to discuss topics such as: parks and recreation, partnership and collaboration, environment and sustainability, public safety and emergency preparedness, growth and planning, economic development and tourism, community services, and transportation and infrastructure.
On Thursday, Profile members were discussing ideas brought up by focus groups concerning the eight different areas. In a meeting held at the Platte County Resource Center, the groups were rewriting the vision statement of each area and trying to determine what would be the main priorities of the particular area.
For the volunteers, the word of the day was sustainability. The volunteers were asked to approach the topics in the terms of making them sustainable for the county.
The group defined sustainability with: “As a sustainable community, Platte County will endeavor to enhance economic opportunity, maintain public infrastructure, and improve overall quality of life while respecting and conserving the natural environment. Platte County will achieve these goals by listening to its citizens, practicing strong fiscal accountability, and fostering collaboration with public agencies and the private sector to meet present needs without compromising opportunities for future generations.”
One of the major ideas discussed at several tables was the consolidation of separate districts in Platte County to form one large district serving the county in the areas of ambulance service, fire protection, sewer, water, and roads.
It was also important to many of the volunteers to maintain and improve existing parks before building new parks or trails.
The next open house will be for the public to provide input to county officials about the Platte Profile and provide more direction for the project.
For more information about the Platte Profile go to www.platteprofile.com or call the county commission at 816-858-3334.