Forum to help guide Marion’s planning

By DEB GRUVER

Staff writer

The city of Marion wants public input about its strategic plan, but it hasn’t widely publicized a workshop scheduled next week to gather just that.

One of its council members didn’t even know about the workshop earlier this week.

Zach Collett mentioned the workshop at the council’s Monday meeting. Council member Ruth Herbel said she hadn’t heard about it.

“They want input from the citizens, but they don’t invite them,” Herbel said.

She noted that she also didn’t know about a forum last week at Marion Senior Center.

Wichita State University’s Public Policy and Management Center, which the city hired to help with its strategic plan, has led six meetings. There are three upcoming meetings, including one at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the auditorium of city hall.

The meeting Monday will be done in focus groups of six to eight people, depending on the number of attendees, the center’s Abigail Hammack said.

Hammack earlier told the Record that information collected during forums would be used to identify needs in the Marion community, needs of the governing body, and opportunities for the strategic action plan.