Envision Hutch Results

The priorities identified, ideas shared, and projects developed through the Envision Hutch listening campaign September 2014 - August 2015

The Results

ENVISION HUTCH 2015

HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 1

August 2015

When we started the Envision Hutch listening campaign in September 2014, we didn’t know who

would participate, what we would hear, or what we would do with what we learned. That said,

we are grateful to our listening partners who came on the journey with us and agreed to help

us process the findings.

Now, we’re pleased to share with you the results of Envision Hutch, gathered from priority walls,

ihearthutch.org, and the Unconference. As you will see in the following pages, several priorities

held true across the age groups and formats.

The first: jobs and business development. The county’s youth want jobs they can stay or come

back for, and the general population want more job options, particularly primary employers.

Other top priorities centered on quality of life issues, including community pride and

beautification, built environment, rehabilitation of empty buildings and homes, and community

building across factions. There seemed to be a call to appreciate, care for, and build on the

amenities that we already have, with an emphasis on historic preservation and downtown

revitalization.

Also, education. We heard that we need to prepare the next generation for STEM careers and

engage them civically from a young age to encourage ongoing involvement in the community.

We know some organizations are addressing these priorities already and that they are adaptive

challenges that take time and patience to see progress on. Yet we also learned through our

experience with the Unconference that there are many others in the community with out-of-

the-box ideas and passion, just waiting to find their place in the conversation.

For our part at the Community Foundation, we are going to continue to look for ways to move

people beyond wanting to doing, to offer other opportunities for citizen-chosen mini-grants for

community projects, and to continually evaluate our community leadership to ensure we—or

another organization—are addressing the priority issues and planning for the future.

As a community leader, we invite you, too, to process these findings with us and think about

how your organization can use them, build on them, and invest in them to help make Hutchinson

and Reno County an even better place to live, work, and play. Please contact us if we can help

you in any way.

Aubrey Abbott Patterson, President & CEO Kari Mailloux, Program Officer

[email protected], 620.663.5293 [email protected], 620.663.5293

ENVISION HUTCH 2015

HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 2

THANK YOU TO OUR

LISTENING PARTNERS

ENVISION HUTCH 2015

HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 3

WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES FOR

RENO COUNTY?

COLLECTED AT ENVISION HUTCH, 9.25.2014 191 PARTICIPANTS

TOP CURRENT PRIORITIES

1. Rehab or demolish abandoned properties

2. Shopping local

3. Downtown revitalization

4. Jobs

5. Retail development

6. Performing arts

7. Festivals/community events

8. Primary employers

9. Animal welfare

10. Bike routes & facilities/Recreation activities (tie)

Arts & Entertainment

Environment

Housing

Transportation

Food/Drink

Youth DevelopmentHealth

Education

Other

Business

Poverty

CURRENT PRIORITY (MAIN CATEGORIES)

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HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 4

WHAT SHOULD RENO COUNTY

SPEND ITS TIME AND RESOURCES

ON IN THE NEXT DECADE?

COLLECTED AT ENVISION HUTCH, 9.25.2014 191 PARTICIPANTS

TOP PRIORITIES FOR NEXT DECADE

1. Jobs

2. Career & technical education

3. Downtown revitalization

4. Shopping local

5. Primary employers

6. Rehab or demolish abandoned properties

7. Historic preservation

8. STEM education

9. Recreation activities

10. (Six way tie)

Arts & Entertainment

Environment

Housing

TransportationFood/Drink

Youth Development

Health

Education

Other

Business

Poverty

PRIORITIES IN NEXT DECADE (MAIN CATEGORIES)

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HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 5

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Youth Sports

Wellness Education & Programming

Water Usage

Utility/Rent Assistance

Trails

Tourism

Suburban Development

Street Maintenance

STEM Education

Sidewalks

Shopping Local

Safety in Schools

Retail Development

Rehab or Demolish Abandoned Properties

Recreation Activities

Quality, Affordable Childcare

Public Art

Primary Employers

Performing Arts

Parking

Nightlife

Neighborhood Identification/Organization

Movie Theaters

More Single-family Home Development

More Multi-family Properties

Mixed-use Development

Mentorship

Mental Health Care

Mass Transit

Local Restaurants

Literacy

Land Conservation

Jobs

Infill of vacant lots

Hunger

Homelessness

Historic Preservation

Green Space

Generational Poverty

Flooding

Fine Dining

Fine Arts

Festivals/Community Events

Farming Community

Faith/Religion

Entrepreneurship

Elder Care

Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation

Downtown Revitilization

Crime Reduction

Continuing Education

Complete Streets

Community Gardens

Chronic Disease Prevention

Career & Technical Education

Bullying

Birth to 5 Early Learning Opportunities

Bike Routes & Facilities

Beautification

Arts Education

Animal Welfare

Al Fresco Dining

After-school Programming

Access to Parks

Access to Health Care

Access to Fresh/Local Food

Hutchinson/Reno County Priorities

Current Priority Priority in Next Decade

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HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 6

WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES FOR

RENO COUNTY?

COLLECTED AT COMMUNITIES THAT CARE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT, 1.19.2015 59 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM ACROSS RENO COUNTY

TOP CURRENT PRIORITIES

1. Sports

2. Animal welfare

3. Drug use prevention

4. School safety

5. School bullying

6. Jobs for kids

7. Volunteering

8. Electives like the arts

9. After school programs

10. Community involvement

TOP PRIORITIES FOR NEXT DECADE

1. School bullying

2. Drug use prevention

3. Sports

4. School safety

5. Animal welfare

6. Jobs for kids

7. Volunteering

8. Electives like the arts

9. Common Core

10. After school programs

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HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 7

WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES FOR

RENO COUNTY?

ANSWERS BY YOUTH PHILANTHROPY COUNCIL, 11.16.2014 24 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM ACROSS RENO COUNTY

GROUP 1

Top current priorities for Hutchinson and Reno County:

1. Job opportunities

2. Increasing youth generation involvement

3. Creating a more attractive environment

4. Increase awareness for education

5. Focus on ALL Reno County

6. Projects that increase quality of life (ex: bowling alley)

What our community should spend its most time and resources on in the next 10

years that would make you want to stay or move back one day:

Building our community

GROUP 2

Top current priorities for Hutchinson and Reno County:

1. Education (focus and awareness)

2. Pride in Reno County

3. Recreation

4. Safety

5. Healthy lifestyle

6. Marketplace (jobs and opportunities)

What our community should spend its most time and resources on in the next 10

years that would make you want to stay or move back one day:

Marketplace

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HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 8

GROUP 3

Top current priorities for Hutchinson and Reno County:

1. Job offerings to people in poverty

2. Industrialize

3. Make Hutch appealing

4. Expand youth opportunities

5. Increasing pride in homeownership

6. Help youth work ethic

What our community should spend its most time and resources on in the next 10

years that would make you want to stay or move back one day:

Make Hutch appealing to bring in industries

GROUP 4

Top current priorities for Hutchinson and Reno County:

1. Education in the community

2. Businesses and jobs

3. Publicity

4. Focus on youth

5. Getting more involved

6. Safety in the community

What our community should spend its most time and resources on in the next 10

years that would make you want to stay or move back one day:

Go back to roots/businesses and jobs being stable; using the life line in the

town to help keep the town alive

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HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 9

HOW CAN WE MAKE HUTCHINSON

& RENO COUNTY EVEN BETTER?

IDEAS FROM IHEARTHUTCH.ORG APPROX. 200 PARTICIPANTS

MOST POPULAR IDEAS

23 neighbors want a Sky Zone indoor trampoline park in Hutchinson.

23 neighbors want revitalization of empty buildings in Hutchinson.

20 neighbors want a comprehensive trail system and bike-friendly

streets in Hutchinson.

18 neighbors want safe routes for children to walk or bike to all

schools in Hutchinson.

17 neighbors want a microbrewery downtown in Hutchinson.

15 neighbors want more support for the arts in Hutchinson.

15 neighbors want sidewalks in Hutchinson.

15 neighbors want healthy food options, including grocery stores like

Whole Foods or restaurants like Panera Bread, in Hutchinson.

14 neighbors want beautification and sense of pride in Hutchinson.

14 neighbors want a task force created to attract/retain large scale

employers in Hutchinson.

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HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 10

CITY/COUNTY AT LARGE

We want racial integration and acceptance in Hutchinson.

We want communities across Reno County that support one another's

activities instead of competing in Hutchinson.

We want more historic preservation in Hutchinson.

I want public meeting places in Hutchinson.

We want a community that is more welcome to progressive ideas and

new residents in Hutchinson.

I want more things for thirty-somethings to do in Hutchinson.

I want day services for the elderly in Hutchinson.

We want more attention paid to addressing poverty in Hutchinson.

We want better housing conditions in Hutchinson.

I want reduced regulations preventing housing starts in Hutchinson.

We want affordable housing for low-moderate income in Hutchinson.

I want to address the number of vacant homes and the number of

homeless in Hutchinson.

We want city programs and incentives to improve housing stock for

middle class (vs. all low income) in Hutchinson.

We want to figure out a way to raise city revenue WITHOUT raising

property taxes in Hutchinson.

We want Lower Property Taxes in Hutchinson.

We want strengthening of infrastructure and housing/business structures in

Hutchinson.

I want to include more "unusual voices" in community conversations in

Hutchinson.

We want a four-year college in Hutchinson.

We want less law enforcement (abuse of power) in Hutchinson.

I want easy access for recycling in Hutchinson.

I want more medical facilities to choose from in Hutchinson.

We want mental and physical healthcare for all in Hutchinson.

I want pedestrian and bicycle crossings around the mall to connect

businesses in Hutchinson.

We want a regular RCAT route that goes to Haven each day in

Hutchinson.

I want continued rail service on Amtrak to Chicago and Los Angeles in

Hutchinson.

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HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 11

CULTURAL/ATTRACTIONS

I want Art, all kinds, a chalk festival, more murals near parks so one can

linger, an art gallery in Hutchinson.

I want a park featuring a huge, historic timeline mural, seats, landscaping

& electronic learning stations in Hutchinson.

We want music to unify in Hutchinson.

I want national popular touring acts at the Fox, Memorial Hall, Sports

Arena, and Grandstand year-round in Hutchinson.

We want cooling in event halls (like Sports Arena and Memorial Hall) for

year-round use in Hutchinson.

We want continued growth of the Smallville Festival in Hutchinson.

We want to see a portion of Main Street blocked off during Third Thursday,

like Sherman to Avenue B in Hutchinson.

We want more support for the Zoo and train in Hutchinson.

Specific wants:

o Bigger swimming pool

o Prairie dog park by the mall

o Splash pad in Rice Park and Grandview

o Live jazz three nights a week

o Clowntown

o More disc golf courses

o Water fountains along the trails

o Food truck court

o Dog park at River Banks Orchard Park

o City-wide picnic in Carey Park

DOWNTOWN

We want a vibrant downtown, with a mix of businesses and housing and

activities on evenings and weekends in Hutchinson.

Specific wants:

o Saturday sidewalk sales

o ATM

o Gas station

o Grocery store

o Teen center

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HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 12

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

We want more local businesses in Hutchinson.

We want more retail stores to prevent Wichita from getting all of our

money in Hutchinson.

We want retailers to stay open later than 6:00pm in Hutchinson.

We want restaurants that stay open later in Hutchinson.

We want more manufacturing and industry in Hutchinson.

We want more viable economic development projects to make wish list

ideas viable in Hutchinson.

Specific wants:

o Dillard’s

o Drive-in Theatre

o Sam’s Club

o Dollar Tree

o Marshall’s

o Buffalo Wild Wings

o KFC on 30th

NEIGHBORHOODS

We want an emphasis on creating neighborhood identity in Hutchinson.

We want parks within walking distance of every neighborhood in

Hutchinson.

We want to add or improve street lighting in many of the neighborhoods

in Hutchinson.

We want to see more parents watching their kids and to stop the break-ins

in our neighborhoods in Hutchinson.

We want Avenue A to be a safer street in Hutchinson.

I want a safe place for kids to play ALL SEASONS within a reasonable, safe

walking distance by HMS7 in Hutchinson.

We want neighborhood block parties in Hutchinson.

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HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 13

YOUTH

We want youth and adults to work together in Hutchinson.

I want day activities or a play place for toddlers in Hutchinson.

We want better early childhood education and services in Hutchinson.

We want classrooms with no more than twenty students per classroom for

optimal learning in Hutchinson.

We want more opportunities for children in the area of Visual Arts,

Performing Arts, & Interest Clubs in Hutchinson.

I want more places for kids to go, like a Mysterious Museum, Laser Quest,

or Lego Land in Hutchinson.

We want a bigger science lab for kids in Hutchinson.

We want a bigger art place for kids in Hutchinson.

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HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 14

32 PARTICIPANTS

7 COMMUNITY CHALLENGES

$15,000 IN GRANT AWARDS

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HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 15

HOW DO WE CREATE AND BUILD

CONNECTIONS AND

RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS

DEMOGRAPHIC, GEOGRAPHIC,

AND SOCIOECONOMIC DIVIDES IN

RENO COUNTY?

Facilitator: Sarah Key

Participants: Elisha Herndon, Mimi Meredith, Jeff Slater, Gina Nachtigal, Julie Black

Project Name: We Are Hutch

Project Summary: Linking interested community members to subject matter experts across

divides. Bridging factions to build relationships to strengthen our community to become a "we"

instead of an "I."

Grant Amount: $2,500

Project Update: The group started a We Are Hutch Facebook page,

distributed Catch the Wave buttons, and produced a Catch the Wave

video that encouraged people to connect with one another, even

through a simple wave hello. They are currently finishing the video and

hope to use the We Are Hutch brand to bring together all of the cultural,

arts, and musical events in Reno County.

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HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 16

HOW DO WE SUPPORT AT-RISK

YOUTH THROUGH PARENTAL AND

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT?

Facilitator: Morgan Starkweather

Participants: Sondra Borth, Marci Malashchuk, Amanda Gonzalez, Kelbe McGill

Project Name: Reno County Families First on August 1st

Project Summary: Having a movie night to increase family unity and provide resource awareness

by breaking down barriers and encouraging community relationship building through

partnerships with local businesses and organizations.

Grant Amount: $2,500

Project Update: The group held their movie night on August 1st at

Stremel Field in Carey Park, bringing together approximately 500

people with community resources and showing a free movie that

encouraged family/community togetherness. Held in

conjunction with National Night Out, the police and fire

departments were also at the event to meet the public and build

relationships in a non-emergency environment.

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HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 17

HOW DO WE USE ART AS A TOOL

FOR ENGAGEMENT, CONNECTING,

AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING?

Facilitators: Mena Michael and David Sotelo

Participants: Morgan Penner, Gale Wale, Patsy Terrell, Sharon Hixson, and Kathy Davis

Project Name: Art on the Move

Project Summary: Providing art experiences at different locations throughout the community,

an artist will share an art form and participants will then create their own art. One large event

plus two small community events in June, July, & August.

Grant Amount: $1,300

Project Update: The grant provided an opportunity to expose

community members to art and was a means of encouraging

community members to create art regardless of their perceived

artistic abilities. It also provided opportunities for families to

engage in healthy recreational activities together. The group set

up canvases outside Smith’s Market during June’s Third Thursday,

held an art journaling workshop at Hutchinson Public Library on

July 18, and had tiles for everyone to decorate at the Families First

on August 1st event.

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HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 18

HOW DO WE MAKE HUTCHINSON

A DESTINATION?

Facilitator: David Inskeep

Participants: Christopher Wietrick, Lady Shawn Teppish, David Dukart, and Jesse Juma

Project Name: Downtown Smallville Mural

Project Summary: We want to provide a tourist attraction--based on the Smallville, KS Festival--

through a new downtown mural, featuring the Hutchinson/Smallville connection to bring new

art and ideas to Downtown.

Grant Amount: $3,000

Project Update: Jim Strawn’s building on the northwest corner of Avenue A & Main (including

Fashionista, Serendipity Cupcakes, and Yarn) has been approved as the site of the mural (facing

the parking lot) and is being prepped. The design has been determined, and they are gathering

materials and volunteers to complete the mural in late summer.

ENVISION HUTCH 2015

HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 19

HOW DO WE GET 16-20 YEAR OLDS

TO BE MORE ACTIVE CITIZENS

IN THE COMMUNITY?

Facilitator: Ryan Diehl

Participants: Candace Anderson Dixon, Leila Emack, Dianne Blick, Linda Schmitt, and Diego

Esparza

Project Name: Operation: Open Dialogue

Project Summary: 30 students (15 college and 15 high school) will be invited for an evening of

dialogue about their experiences in Hutchinson related to civic engagement. Community

leaders will be invited as listening partners to form possible partnerships with students to

encourage and foster community involvement.

Grant Amount: $500

Project Update: The group is planning an Unconference-like event on the evening of August 27th

on the campus of Hutchinson Community College.

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HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 20

HOW DO WE PROVIDE ACCESS TO

OUTDOOR RECREATION

OPPORTUNITIES AND INCREASE

AWARENESS OF WHAT'S

OUT THERE?

Facilitator: Bailey Stiggins

Participants: Amy Raigoza, Rhonda Hiebert, Kristina Griffith, and Spenser White

Project Name: Better Park Project: Project Access

Project Summary: Create temporary park space to demonstrate the need for more playscapes

and water parks. The group will set up parks in desired locations, encourage families to use them,

gather data, and present the findings to community partners.

Grant Amount: $3,000

Project Update: A pop-up park was set up in George Pyle Park as part of the Avenue A

Neighborhood Block Party on April 11, and a pop-up spray park was set up in Rice Park in

conjunction with the March of Dimes Walk on May 9. As a result of the conversations and

demonstration projects, in part, the City of Hutchinson is planning on putting playground

equipment on the southeast corner of George Pyle Park (for which they have applied for a Fund

for Hutchinson grant for partial funding), and a donor has stepped up to help make the Rice

Park Splash Pad a reality, along with the City, Justice Foundation, and Fund for Hutchinson, in

2016.

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HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 21

HOW DO WE ENCOURAGE MORE

LIVING WAGE JOBS FOR THE

CITIZENS OF RENO COUNTY?

Facilitator: Tim Carey

Participants: Lacy Stauffacher, Jill Peck, Jim Seitnater, Anthony Frischenmeyer, Roger

Frischenmeyer, and Richard Robl

Project Name: Your Struggle is my Struggle

Project Summary: An awareness initiative to educate the community on the reality of poverty in

Reno County by exploring cultural awareness and understanding of living wage issues. By

developing a marketing plan to invite and encourage the community to enter into the

conversation on living wage disparity in Reno County.

Grant Amount: $2,200

Project Update: The group is completing production of a marketing video that humanizes the

poverty statistics in Reno County and puts faces to people who are working hard to get out of

poverty.

Download an electronic copy at ihearthutch.org.