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Next: steering committee's work The city's Vision Steering Committee will sort through oral and written presentations and notes from community members to come up with a defined vision for the city. The committee -- a group handpicked by Mayor Lindsay Berryman -- will meet at least once in April to discuss findings it received Wednesday from seven task forces and from a "Youth Vision" project. The committee is expected to pass along its recommendation on the city's direction to the City Council on May 12. The council plans to use the report to guide policy and budget decisions in coming years. Putting the meat on bones of vision Medford committees share their ideas By JIM DAVIS Medford is making its own version of stone soup. About six weeks ago, the Medford City Council rolled out its stone, water and pot in the form of a "vision process" designed to define the highest aspirations of the community. On Wednesday night, residents provided the meat, potatoes and carrots with their ideas. Those ideas ranged from developing an arts and cultural complex to offering citywide cardiopulmonary resuscitation classes to beautifying the freeway viaduct in downtown Medford. "They envisioned a great place to live," said Dennis Hoffbuhr, a member of the steering committee charged with sorting through the ideas. The city kicked off the process with a February meeting at which it solicited volunteers to serve on seven task forces. More than 339 residents participated in the groups, generating ideas for Wednesday's session. By May, the steering committee is to boil the ideas down to a final document to be a blueprint to guide decisions by city government for years. The committee also is charged with sorting through the "Youth Vision," a similar project to define the highest aspirations of Medford's youngsters. The project will cost the city $75,000 in all. Here are some of the ideas community members brought forward Wednesday: Public safety -- Bob Roe of Medford imagined a safer community that would continue to include police and fire "citizens academies'' and Neighborhood Watch groups. His group also came up with ideas such as getting citizens citywide to take CPR and first aid classes. His group also put emphasis on traffic safety, with such possibilities as video cameras to catch red-light violators, better street signs and intersections cleared of obstructions. Parks, recreation and natural environment -- Susanne Ashland of Medford said her group wanted a city that will have a network of trails and paths that connect people with parks and green spaces. Her group also wanted a skateboard and BMX park in the community. Another idea suggested was beautifying the viaduct -- the portion of Interstate 5 that runs over the city -- by either painting it, planting vegetation along its side or camouflaging it. Economic development and telecommunication -- Ross Kurzer of Medford said his group wanted to improve economic development by connecting the city electronically, building video conference centers and establishing electronic communication between the city and its citizens. The city, he said, needs to improve transportation by encouraging carpooling and possibly adding freeway off-ramps. His group also suggested improving the city's image within Medford's borders and throughout the region. Transportation -- Kay Harrison of Central Point said her group wanted the city to encourage alternative methods of transportation. The group suggested that the city get involved by encouraging conveniences such as lockers at workplaces for bikers or day-care centers at park-and-ride areas. Her group also suggested that the city encourage employers to use flex-time scheduling and telecommuting. Housing and growth -- Mark Soderstrom of Medford said all of the members of his group agreed "they don't want Medford to look like California." The group wanted to protect agricultural land. His group also wanted to continue the renewal of downtown. Arts, culture and education -- Kathie Olsen of Medford said her group wanted Medford to be a place where arts and culture flourish. To reach that end, she said her group wanted the city to develop an appreciation for the arts like Newport's, Ashland's or Seattle's. Her group also suggested creating a downtown arts and culture complex that would house a museum, art exhibit space and auditoriums. Also, she said, the city needs to make a financial investment in arts and culture. "(Arts and culture) costs money, but they generate money," Olsen said. "We think it would be a grand investment." Cultural diversity and human services -- Will Brake of Medford said the city must topple racial, gender, age and religious prejudices. His group suggested that the city leadership must reflect the community's diversity and promote multicultural acceptance in city hall, schools and the city. He said the community must recognize that it has historically and currently accepted intolerance. He said the city must help break that barrier. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA