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Much riding on success of tourism committee
Last week, the
city commission, in a unanimous vote, adopted a resolution to establish
a Key West Resident/Visitor Planning Committee. The mayor and each
commissioner appointed two members of the committee and the result
provides a reasonably diverse 14-member group that includes the business
community.
To the mayor
and the commission we say, "Good work." To the new committee, we say,
"Thank you for taking up the task."
The new
committee represents the hopes of all citizens that the outline of a
doable strategy will emerge as a means to sustain a robust economy,
protect the environment and ensure the quality of life in our
residential neighborhoods. And, oh yes, assure our visitors a wonderful
experience when they visit Key West. With diligence, patience and a
spirit of collegiality the committee can accomplish its mandate. And it
must. Our citizens — all of them — are insistent in their anticipation
of a thorough and fair-minded assessment of policy options that can be
mined from a menu of issues identified in a "road map" recently
presented to the commission by the predecessor Ad Hoc Planning
Committee.
What is now
under way is a second critical step in finding accommodation as between
conflicting opinions, some of them fiercely asserted, that simply must
be mediated in order to fashion a common vision of a future that Key
West wants. Surely, we can continue to be a popular tourist destination
without becoming a coarse and noisy theme park that is uninhabitable by
ordinary residents and their families.
If this second
step in the process fails we are likely to become warring tribes in a
disputed territory that will be increasingly unattractive to resident
families, desirable businesses and eager tourists.
The new
committee confronts an ambitious agenda but a nonetheless clear
objective: The group is mandated to sort through the existing road map
and present the commission with policy options, not take it or leave it
recommendations. A final report is due Dec. 1, a timeline that is
sufficient but won't allow for foot dragging, mindless squabbling or
dead-end detours. The commission also has wisely mandated periodic
reports as the work of the committee unfolds. This requirement provides
opportunity for input while at the same time assuring that the final
product cannot be dismissed by the commission as an unwelcome, unhelpful
surprise.
The
committee's first scheduled meeting is April 20, at which time a
chairperson will be chosen and, perhaps, the elements of a work plan
will be discussed. Accordingly, we have a few modest suggestions to
offer:
* Sort through
the existing "road map" and limit your focus to meaningful issues that
hold the key to long-term strategic initiatives.
* Consider
undertaking a credible, professional survey of public opinion to help
define priority policy issues for consideration. This will reassure the
public that priorities are not being shaped by special interests and,
also, will deflect a lot of otherwise needless wrangling.
* Provide lots
of opportunity for citizen participation in formal as well as informal
ways.
* Seek
volunteers to assist with pesky staff work you will have to undertake.
For example, gathering facts and accumulating data from communities
elsewhere in the country.
The work of
this committee is an important undertaking for the future of Key West.
Let's get the building blocks in place and give the city commission a
head start in fashioning a successful strategy. What our citizens want
is a win-win outcome, not an impasse.
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