By HDN staff
Some say that proper planning prevents poor performance and poor city growth. So to correct the past and to plan for the future, the Havre Long Range Planning Committee has been hard at it since January, perhaps longer, analyzing data, preparing results and gathering public response.
The work has recently been consolidated in a tidy package that details upcoming city projects, future plans and the citys vision. In its entirety, the Long Range Plan is a marvel of preparation, cooperation and participation, and could change the face of Havre for the better for years to come.
With all the hard work and dedication that went into making Havre a better place now and for the future, effort should be taken to see the plans through from beginning to end.
Many projects have already been started and stand as an example of what a little focus and cooperation can achieve: the 10th Avenue sidewalk, the Havre West Project, the waste water treatment plant, and the chip sealing and curb repair to downtown streets and sidewalks. The new jail is nearly complete, several new business have come to town, such as Checker and Super Ice-cream, and a new building for the Job Service is under way. It could be said that the Holiday Village Shopping Mall is on the rebound, and several strong co-op programs have been formed between large corporations and MSU-Northern, such as General Electric and InfoMine.
Short of being overly optimistic, a lot has been achieve in the first eight months of this year, and if that focus and dedication to community are maintained, Havre could find itself competing as a top Montana community, vying for businesses while welcoming in the technological future. But even as progress continues, the past comes back to play: Quantum Five golf course, the straw board plant, Premium Pork, Waterchef all subtle reminders of good visions that didnt quite come to fruition.
So while the community hungers for a bike trail, a solid infrastructure, ample jobs and housing, and controlled growth, the examples of what has been achieved should be used to pursue that which still stands in the idea phase. They can be accomplished, and Havre can compete with a little community focus and persistence by the committee members who seek the positions.
