The Vision 21 Implementation Committee continues its work to support numerous projects and programs within our community that are designed to help Belmont achieve the Vision developed by Town residents six years ago. In addition to its support for other groups that are working toward these goals, the Committee has implemented activities and initiatives that bring the Vision to Town residents as well as visitors. Today, six years after development of the Town's Vision, the Vision 21 Implementation Committee continues its work to ensure that newcomers to our Town learn and gain an
understanding of the Vision, while longer-term residents are afforded opportunities to offer feedback on the Committee's progress in achieving the Vision.
Two projects undertaken by the Vision 21 Implementation Committee in 2007 were a "Capture the Vision" photo contest that took place in the spring and a mobile "Vision Display." Designed to encourage residents and others affiliated with the Town to revisit the Vision and submit photos portraying scenes within the limits of Belmont that, in their opinion, best depicted certain aspects of the Vision, the contest garnered a great deal of beneficial publicity and resulted in a series of winning entries that were subsequently featured in the Belmont Citizen-Herald. The mobile display, designed to provide residents with a way to provide direct input on programs that help Belmont achieve its Vision, has been implemented at numerous public events and locales including Town Meeting and "Meet Belmont."
Another initiative of the Vision 21 Implementation Committee, Belmont Neighbors Network, sponsored the fifth annual "Meet Belmont" event in August. Held in the Belmont High School cafeteria, the event drew approximately 150 residents. Organized like a fair, about 75 Town groups and Town departments explained their work, gave information, and invited participation. "Guests" included both people relatively new to town and more long-term residents interested in acquainting (or reacquainting) themselves with the many opportunities that the Town offers. Our local Morris Dancers group performed several dances during the evening. In the fall, both the participants and the Town groups were surveyed to get feedback that can be used in planning Meet Belmont 2008.
In further support of its mandate, the Vision Committee co-sponsored the Martin Luther King breakfast in January 2007. Additionally, the Committee co-sponsored the Belmont Against Racism "More Than Money" discussion of housing issues in Belmont.
Sustainable Belmont, a task force of the Vision 21 Implementation Committee, has as its mandate "to develop and implement a variety of activities and initiatives to assist Belmont's government, residents, and businesses in becoming a more environmentally responsible community."
As part of its continuing effort to spearhead the development of the town's climate action plan (CAP), Sustainable Belmont continued drafting the CAP with input from the Belmont community. Separate surveys were conducted among Town employees and business owners to measure their carbon footprint and gather their suggestions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A prototype of a residential "climate saver kit" was developed as well.
Sustainable Belmont continued public outreach on several environmental issues by sponsoring public forums on climate change, how to responsibly raise backyard chickens, and how communities can plan a pedestrian- and bike-friendly community. Sustainable Belmont also increased public awareness on a variety of environmental issues by writing a monthly article/opinion piece for the Belmont Citizen-Herald and energy conservation tips for the Belmont Municipal Light Department (BMLD) quarterly newsletter.
Other major collaborative efforts included working with the BMLD and its Advisory Board on ways to reduce peak demand electricity use; partnering with the Belmont Department of Public Works, Police Department, and Public Schools on the "Cleaning the Air" campaign; and collaborating with the Permanent Building Committee to draft a Sustainable Building Design Policy (passed by the Belmont Board of Selectmen in March 2007).
We, as members of the Vision 21 Implementation Committee, continue to be excited about the challenges of achieving our mandate and about the many opportunities that we visualize leading us toward that goal. But we recognize that the whole truly is greater than the sum of its parts, and we encourage Town residents to join us in our activities throughout the year and provide us feedback on those activities as well as suggestions as to how we might continue to meet the goals set by our Community in the Town's Vision 21 statement.
Respectfully submitted,
Kirk Hazlett, Chairman
| 
