2040 Thriving Communities Council shares initial phase results

The Benton County 2040 Thriving Communities Council is hosting six events to share nearly 9,000 responses from more than 3,400 people over the past few months. The next 2040 Council “Report Out” events are scheduled for:

  • Alsea Library (solo ingles):
    • 19192 Alsea Hwy, Alsea
    • Wednesday, May 24 at 6:30pm
  • Casa Latinos Unidos Office (Sesion en español):
    • 128 SW 9th St, Corvallis
    • Monday, June 12 at 12:15pm

​Since late last summer, members of the 2040 Thriving Communities Council attended community events, hosted an online survey, conducted 42 listening sessions, and reviewed community plans to explore what people in Benton County like about living here, what they want the county to be like between now and 2040, and how we get there.

The data-gathering and visioning process allowed council members to synthesize 2040 Core Values to address long-term complex issues. These values will be used to align the work of government, citizen groups, businesses, and people to help achieve our visions for the future.

“We have been immersed in this data gathering process for the past year, and as a council, we’re really excited to bring this information to our communities and talk about what we found,” said Peggy Lynch, 2040 Thriving Communities Initiative Council member.

The purpose of the these events is to provide the public with the background and desired outcomes of the 2040 Thriving Communities Initiative, describe and share data and feedback from the past year, and explain how the 2040 Council will reengage communities to gain feedback on the 2040 Core Values.

“I have been impressed with the deliberate and thoughtful approach used by the Thriving Communities Initiative. The council has taken a full year to meet with residents from all over Benton County and really hear what they value about living here,” said Vince Adams, 2040 Thriving Communities Initiative Council member.

“Now we’re going to take some time to check in to make sure we got the message right and invite more people to engage. The goal for this phase of the work is to make sure the core values arising from our community conversations really reflect what is important to the people of Benton County. That will guide our goal setting and strategy work going forward.”

The 2040 Thriving Communities Initiative is a community-driven exploration of what we like about where we live, and how we want our communities to be like in the future. The 2040 Council is a group of individuals representing a variety of interests, including the farming and logging industries, Oregon State University, regional development, municipalities, private sector and community organizations.

For more information about the 2040 Thriving Communities Initiative or Council, please visit www.Benton2040.org or contact Sean McGuire at 2040inititaive@co.Benton.or.us.