The Borrego Valley Stewardship Council (BVSC) is holding a visioning forum for its 50-organizations and all interested parties on the future of Borrego Springs, 5, 10, 20 – 50 years from now, on Dec. 10, 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. held at the Borrego Springs Library, 2580 Country Club Road, or attend virtually via Zoom. The event is free of charge to all community members.

According to David Garmon, Consultant Emeritus to the BVSC Leadership Team, the visioning session entitled “Borrego Dreaming: Shaping the Future of Borrego Springs” will be an opportunity for community members share their thoughts about, “What you would like to see in Borrego; what you don’t want to see in Borrego; and what you dream about making a reality in Borrego Springs. In particular, attendees will have the opportunity to share their ideas on housing, jobs, the environment, water, transportation, healthcare, and more.”

Garmon went on to explain that one of the goals of the session is to begin a process of developing as broad a community perspective as possible on issues that will be addressed in the coming update of San Diego County’s General Plan.

“Because the Stewardship Council has such a broad base of membership – 50 Borrego groups and non-profit organizations – we believe these conversations will begin to reveal common priorities, values, and visions, as well as where there are differences of opinion there are things that can be done better. This will begin to paint a picture of how Borrego Springs, as a community, can come together to meet present and future challenges.

“This format of gathering information from people about what they want, versus being told what they need, will also allow us to blend goals for Borrego’s organizations that are implementing plans for downtown revitalization, water use, economic opportunities, and health and social service providers and non-profits.

“The future of Borrego Springs should well up from the community with goals and priorities that local organizations can advocate for with a collective voice. This means active representation from young and old, all income levels, and nationalities. I am hoping people will speak freely, with no holds barred, so that we can learn and document what is really on people’s minds,” Garmon concluded.

Jim Wermers, Co-Honorary Mayor and member of the BVSC leadership team, noted that the goal is to be inclusive and to capture a snapshot of Borrego now and Borrego in the future. “This format of gathering information from people about what they want, versus being told what they need, will also allow us to blend goals for Borrego’s organizations that are implementing plans for downtown revitalization, water use, economic opportunities, health and social service providers, and nonprofits.

“The future of Borrego Springs should well up from the community with goals and priorities that local organizations can advocate for with a collective voice. This means active representation from young and old, all income levels, and nationalities. I am hoping people will speak freely, with no holds barred, so that we can learn and document what is really on people’s minds,” Wermers said.

“The event will be fun, creative and, hopefully, encourage people to begin to think and dream about the type of community they want to live in. I believe, in the process, we will find opportunities to improve and innovate in a uniquely Borrego Springs’ way, as well as inspire and generate the human and natural resources needed to accomplish our vision.

“I’m excited about the fact we will also be hosting the same type of in-person forum at the high school with parents, the majority of which are Hispanic. I’m hoping this will help us close the cultural divide and ensure the Spanish speaking members of our community participate in the planning and actualization of Borrego’s future.”

Kathy Dice, a member of the BVSC leadership team and president of the Borrego Springs Water District Board, added that this is just the beginning of a process that can be fine-tuned and used as a tool to collectively implement the common needs, desires, and dreams of people who love Borrego Springs and the desert and want to make it sustainable and livable for the next 100 years.

“When people feel their voices are being heard and that they have a say in the present, they will be more inclined to participate in shaping the future. I know that making Borrego the best place to live and work is the goal of all our wonderful organizations and nonprofits. By combining our efforts, sharing, getting involved, and advocating for a vision that includes everyone, we have the potential of creating and shaping a community that serves everyone.

“This is the first step in the process,” stated Dice, adding that, “There will be further forums to discuss and drill down into the challenges and limitations that economic and environmental circumstances such as the Drought are causing. With everyone thinking out of the box and contributing, we may find there are more solutions than problems.”

When: Friday, December 10, 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Registration to attend in person or via Zoom go to bit.ly/3xP8KyH

For registration questions or assistance contact Simone Cordery-Cotter at scorderycotter@lgc.org

For more information about the Borrego Valley Stewardship Council or to subscribe to the monthly newsletter, go to the website: borregovalleystewardshipcouncil.org.