The ValpoNEXT Community Summit on May 28th welcomed over 200 people. After introductory remarks by Mayor Jon Costas and the Valparaiso University Provost, Dr. Mark Schwehn, participants got down to business by voting and sharing their preferences on a number of different key items.
The Community Summit utilized real time polling through audience response keypad system by Turning Technologies. Each participant was given a keypad to input their answers to the questions presented. All the responses were tabulated in real time and displayed for the entire room to see.
The questions were organized into the topical areas of Place, People and Prosperity. Each round included three value statements based on input received at the Big Idea Workshops, one vision question looking 20-30 years into Valpo’s future, and a variety of action questions focusing on specific policies, programs or actions.
Spirits were high after the Community Summit as people really enjoyed getting a chance to view the big ideas collected at the Big Idea Workshop and vote on which ones they thought should be top priorities for the city. The questions are now available online through the project websitefor anyone who missed the Summit and still wants to contribute their preferences.