The City of Hillsboro is once again asking local residents to participate in Imagine Hillsboro, a comprehensive plan to revitalize the town, by reviewing a draft vision statement and a set of goals and objectives.

Citizens intererested in participating can visit www.hillsboroohio.net to provide their feedback on the draft vision, goals and objectives, which will serve as a guide in creating a plan of recommendations for Hillsboro.

“We would love your input, and we would really like to get the younger people involved by telling what they would like to see,” said Kimberly Newman, a Hillsboro clerk. “We’d like to know what they want to see because they’re the ones this is going to affect the most down the road.”

The draft vision and goals, formed by a steering committee and the Hillsboro Planning Commission with help from consulting firm McBride Dale Clarion, have been framed in accordance with information collected to date and input provided by the community. Statements were created based on the issues and opportunities shared by the community in a vision and values survey, and discussions with the steering committee, in November 2018 and January 2019, a news release from the city said.

The proposed draft vision is: “Imagine Hillsboro, a flourishing city that honors its rural, hometown values, true to its historic identity with a robust and welcoming economy; transparent leadership and collaboration; great neighborhoods; a safe and healthy community; and accessible to local and global networks.”

The steering committee, made up of members of the local business community and others, has also drafted seven proposed goal statements. Citizens are asked to review them and their associated objectives, and suggest any important goals they feel are missing. The goal statements are:

* Economy — Hillsboro will have a robust and thriving economy that serves its citizens, welcomes businesses and organizations to grow and develop within the city, and increases economic development and redevelopment activities.

* Communication and Collaboration — Hillsboro will have open and transparent decision-making processes between the government and its residents.

* Neighborhoods and Housing — Hillsboro will be a town of strong neighborhoods with housing options for all, and active and involved citizens.

* Community — Hillsboro will be a safe and healthy community that promotes individual well-being, the pursuit of self-improvement, and encourages pride in being part of the community.

* Local Resources and Heritage — Hillsboro will be a place that embraces its environmental, historic and local resources and preserves those resources to establish and build city identity.

Connectivity — Hillsboro will be an informed and connected city with access to resources that extend beyond municipal boundaries.

Mobility — Hillsboro will be a place with efficient interconnectedness through well-organized and designed transportation infrastructure systems.

The consultants and the steering committee will review the results of the survey to prepare a fifth draft of the vision, goals and objectives to be shared at the workshops to be held later this winter. Dates and locations will be announced soon for the upcoming public workshops to begin discussing how the city can best achieve its goals by asking citizens to share their ideas about how to address transportation, land use, economic development, community activities, infrastructure and recreation in various neighborhoods and districts of Hillsboro, according to the news release.

”The steering committee is relying heavily on citizen input and review to shape the content of the plan’s recommendations,” the news release said. “The process aims to create a vision and recommendations for the future of Hillsboro that reflect the values and goals of the community and provide guidance to address the city’s challenges and opportunities.”

Questions can be submitted via the forms on the website. All questions may not be answered in writing, but participants should see their input reflected in the next set of information published online.

If you have questions regarding the planning process or would like to find out more about how you can participate, visit the city’s website at www.hillsboroohio.net or contact the city offices at 937-393-5219.