My take on 'fiscal responsibility' in those statements included a general sense of not getting too 'creative/risky with the monies', such as the TIF financing scheme. It probably would include 'balancing the budget', but being off for a yr or two is alot different than risking it over a 23 yr period.
Riverside Info » About Riverside
Village Mission Statement
(79 posts)-
Posted Friday Apr 6, 2007 10:36 #
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It has to be "C" - hands down. Really - Tom/Kim - that is very eloquent. It should have appeared in the Landscape Guide that the Village recently printed. Maybe on thewall in the Town Hall, Library and Train Station. How many times have we all recalled the Bulwer Lytton from above the libary entrance? It ought to be right out there as a sign of how proude people REALLY ARE to live here.
Posted Friday Apr 6, 2007 11:10 # -
Mike T.
I promise to love, honor, cherish (Statement C), and wash your socks, and make dinner, (Statements A & B), and I will try to wash the windows on a semi-regular basis (Statement D.)
Posted Saturday Apr 7, 2007 04:58 # -
I hear what you are saying, KimJ: 'fiscal responsibility' can be interpreted as too detailed, too "spec'y" (as in specifications) for a properly contructed vision statement. Too me, it should, however, be construed at a very high level of money management. It would definitely include a TIF. A tif is so much more than a simple selling of bonds. It involves the cabining of funds to some and therefore is probably fiscally irresponsible (for more on this, read 3,400 posts).
I DO like the high level that the vision C is stated.
Olmsted (which I take to include the whole opening statements of the others)
Humanity/People (see below)
EducationWhen I was just starting to organize my thinking on this subject, for the 11-21-06 public comment meeting, the first thing that I thought, 'not good for me'. Then I understood that this matter, a Riverside matter, should be judged on how it affects Riverside, and not just MikeT's family.
As I thought more on this, I asked what is most important and essential to Riverside? If the thing that we are considering violates or compromises these things, then it would not be a good thing to do. I came away with the obvious: Olmsted's principles of a unified curvilinear landscape that yields a certain tranquility amidst modern day stress AND fine education for the children as the two pillars of Riverside.
THEN, as I was thinking some more on this, I understood that this is not about Riversiders, it is about a bunch of HUMANS interacting with each other. At 50,000 feet, the view would be of a few humans who want to do something against all those other humans. At this level, if there were special infrared detection that could record undue discord, strife, and stress, it would light up around the gps coordinates that we call 'Riverside'. I knew at this level, the level of 50,000 feet, is what really governs the assessment of what is the right and wrong thing to do. If the thing is unfair, unjust, and causes undue stress to those people, then it is a wrong thing to do.
Later in the discovery process of the last 6 months, when we were doing vision statements and getting more into Olmsted, I found that Olmsted contains a high level of concern for Humans and for the cooperation between them. Cool. In Olmsted and therefore in Riverside, you get more than curilinearity; you get an attempt at right relations among humans.
So this is one reason I can affirm vision C.
Posted Saturday Apr 7, 2007 13:59 # -
To elaborate on A & B, they are very similar because B was in based in part on A...as well as a sprinking of C.
In my opinion, C is more succinct than A or B...but, it could be even cleaner if you take all the "points to do" out....this should all come in Goals and a Plan.
With all respect to the author of C, I propose the following:
"We, the people of Riverside, humbled by the foresight of Frederick Law Olmsted and in gratitude for the privilege of living our lives as guests of his masterful creation, are dedicated to protecting his vision for Riverside for generations to come.
Faced with modern-day challenges that Olmsted's vision does not address, we are guided by the spirit of his concern for humanity and nature, and the innovative and thoughtful essence of his work.
We invite visitors of all ages to share in our heritage and explore the inspiring and beautiful Riverside experience."
Any thoughts?
Protect, Preserve, Explore...Riverside
Posted Saturday Apr 7, 2007 15:07 # -
Very good Tim. You have my vote. Please don't vote for "Feathers."
Posted Saturday Apr 7, 2007 16:02 # -
I like at least the word 'education' being in the mission stmt. Can one say that word or concept is contained in the phrase Olmsted's 'concern for humanity and nature'?
thinking on it some more, what if we had a 'children of man'+ kind of thing and there were no more children to educate, or if, by chance, along the way, nobody with children came to live in Riverside, and Riverside was an almost exclusive place where only adults live? Would 'education' be a pillar of Riverside? Hey, adults can like 'education' too.
Or am I getting too sci fi-like?
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+a new sci fi movie where sometime in the future there are no more childen or something like that; I just saw the coming attraction
Posted Saturday Apr 7, 2007 16:07 # -
Don,
No matter which Vision/version we choose, you may have full rights to publish "Protect, Preserve, Explore...Riverside" on your informational brochures.
tim
Posted Saturday Apr 7, 2007 16:23 # -
We shall use it . Since it is a free brochur I will giove you not less than half the profits and we can raise a toast to our success some summer evening on your new terrace. Since your share and mine will amount to zero, I'll bring the wine.
Posted Saturday Apr 7, 2007 19:10 #
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