Please join us for an afternoon of fun at The Shores of Five Island community center on Sunday, October 24th from 2:00 to 5:00 pm. The City of Emmetsburg, Emmetsburg Municipal Utilities, Emmetsburg Community School District, and Emmetsburg Community Visioning steering committee invite you to celebrate the future of our community at Fall Fest, an event designed for residents and visitors to enjoy the season, spend time with friends and family, and learn about the goals and projects identified during the 2021 strategic planning and community visioning processes. 

 

Community-Wide Strategic Plan:
Beginning in October 2020 and spanning through 2021, the City of Emmetsburg and Emmetsburg Community School District (ECSD) worked together in a parallel planning process that identified community priorities and organizational needs. The process included gathering community input through an online questionnaire and small group interviews with small business owners, large employers, younger and older residents, as well as high school students and parents. The planning team used this input, as well as studied economic and demographic data to craft a community‐wide strategic plan for the City of Emmetsburg and organizational strategic plans for the Emmetsburg School and Emmetsburg Municipal Utilities. Planning team members spent many hours reviewing and adjusting draft documents, culminating in a coordinated and actionable strategic plan for the growth and sustainability of the community. City Council has formally adopted the Community-Wide Strategic Plan, and we’re excited to share the plan with the community.

 

Community Visioning:
Emmetsburg was selected to participate in the 2021 Iowa’s Living Roadways Community Visioning program. Throughout the year, a committee of local leaders and residents worked closely with technical experts from Trees Forever, the Iowa State University Department of Landscape Architecture,  and professional landscape architects to create a landscape and transportation enhancement plan reflecting the values and needs of the community. Like strategic planning, this process involved a survey and focus groups to gather information. Additionally, the local steering committee participated in goal-setting sessions and hosted a public design workshop where residents could preview the conceptual designs and interact with the landscape architect team. The committee and landscape architects have worked to revise design concepts, which visualize goals for change and implementation strategies, based on public input and feedback. View the Community Visioning design boards at Fall Fest, and vote on what project(s) you’d be most excited to see in Emmetsburg.  

 

Fall Fest:
We’re celebrating the public reveal of our Community-Wide Strategic Plan and 2021 Community Visioning projects in style with lots of fun, free, family-friendly activities! Outdoor activities will include face painting, carnival games, mini pumpkin painting, jumbo tic-tac-toe, foot races, tug-of-war, inflatables, corn hole, and more. Bring the whole family and take a photo in front of the fall photo backdrop. Come inside to load up on hot cocoa and cider and enjoy the popcorn bar. Be sure to check out our vision for Emmetsburg, strategic priorities and projects, and Community Visioning design boards, all developed to help our community grow and prosper.