Grand Vision Benzie Meeting

[Shauna Fite]

Hello Friends, 

Our next Benzie Grand Vision meeting is coming up on Thursday, April 14, 3:30-5:30 p.m. at the the Benzie Government Center in the former commissioner's room - please note the earlier than normal start time in order to accommodate scheduling conflicts. 

Notes are attached from last month's meeting, which was really fantastic. Everyone around the table took a few minutes to update the group on what they are working on. It was a really great display of how our work is connected and how much we have to gain from each other, from an informational and networking perspective. We also reached some clear conclusions about the focus of this Grand Vision Benzie group. You can read the details in the meeting notes, but the biggest development was deciding to focus each month's meeting on a Grand Vision network. 

April's meeting will focus on Growth & Investment in our cities and villages. Josh Mills from the City of Frankfort will lead a discussion focusing on current projects and initiatives within Benzie County, and challenges and opportunities for public and private investment in our cities and villages. Ed Hoogterp will give some Benzie County stats from the 2010 census related to the goals of the Grand Vision. We will hear updates from Honor's revitalization and Beulah's new plans for their downtown. Representatives have also been invited from the Benzie County EDC, USDA Rural Development, NW Michigan Council of Governments, and Manistee Economic Alliance for Success to discuss funding and resource opportunities. 

Attachments include, DRAFT April agenda, March notes, and GV Benzie Focus for 2011. Let me know if you have any questions, hope to see you Thursday!

Thanks everyone,

Shauna