Portage 2025 Visioning Project

The process of developing and articulating a shared vision of the future is the first step needed in order for a community to build that future. The Portage City Council, as part of their 2006 Goals and Objectives, identified the importance of conducting a community visioning project. Portage 2025 will serve as the framework for identifying and accomplishing future city goals. The City of Portage last conducted a visioning process in 1991 called Portage 2020.

The results and outcomes of the recent Portage 2025 Visioning project are captured in the final report. A detailed visioning process document was also developed by the city visioning facilitator, Dr. Peter Dams that provides more extensive detail of the visioning process and how the participants developed their visions and goals.

Process

Process

Portage 2025 was a citizen-based process in which participants will focus on establishing a future vision for key topic areas.

The process involved citizen committees meeting at four forums conducted January 17 and 24 and February 7 and 21, 2007. Each forum began with a keynote speaker who set the stage for the evening’s dialogue. Participants next broke off into their respective workgroups to develop specific goals and objectives. At the end of the evening, all participants re-grouped to present the findings of the workgroups and ultimately, identify a vision for 2025 for their specific topic area.

Participants

Nearly 150 individuals throughout the community signed up to participate in the Portage Visioning 2025 project. Each participant worked with one of seven workgroups to develop a vision for the specific topic area.

The Portage City Council and City of Portage staff members served as resources to each of the seven workgroups.

Portage 2025 was facilitated by Dr. Peter Dams of Dams & Associates. Dr. Dams has a doctoral degree from Western Michigan University. Dr. Dams has led several visioning and strategic planning processes for other regional organizations.

Outcomes

The resulting Portage 2025 vision will serve as the framework for identifying and accomplishing future City of Portage goals. The outcomes of Portage 2025 vision will be utilized in the development of annual City Council goals, the development of the annual municipal budget and Capital Improvement Program and with other long-range planning processes. The Portage 2025 vision will serve as the framework for taking the first step for the next generation and help ensure that the City of Portage remains "A Place for Opportunities to Grow".

Portage 2025 Final Report
Visioning Process Document