The Harmony Economic Development Authority (EDA) is hosting the second series of “Experience Harmony” to gather community input on how to continue to grow and improve the community over the next several years. The first Experience Harmony series was held in early 2014, shortly after major regional initiatives like Mayo Clinic’s Destination Medical Center, or DMC, were announced and Harmony community members wanted to work together to better harness the projected major economic growth opportunities.
In the first series, about 35 community members met over the course of two public input meetings to dream about what would make Harmony a better place to live, work, and play. No idea was too big or too small and cost was not an object in the first meeting’s brainstorming session. Project ideas ranged from building a community garden to digging a lake. During the second meeting, participants took those ideas to try to tackle the basic project feasibility, develop conceptual work plans, and identify potential project champions to move the projects forward. From the concepts that came forward in the public input meetings, a community survey was conducted for additional feedback and based on all of the results gathered, five projects were identified as priorities. Four of the projects, attract a new day care center, build community gardens, hold career fairs for Fillmore Central high school students, and city landscaping beautification, have been completed.
To keep the momentum and community engaged in Harmony’s growth, the second series of Experience Harmony was announced by the EDA to start in September. The first meeting will be held on Wednesday September 13, 2017, at 7 p.m. and the second meeting will be held on Wednesday September 27, 2017 at 7 p.m. Both meetings will be held in the council room at the Harmony Community Center and will last about 90 minutes. The public is welcome and encouraged to participate.
This new Experience Harmony program seeks to identify the projects, qualify of life, and other community goals that should be set and tackled over the next one to five years and beyond. For more information or questions about the project please call Chris Giesen, the Harmony EDA coordinator at (507) 886-2846.
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