FARMVILLE — A vision.

Aspirations.

Town council’s got them in abundance.

But how to aspirate those aspirations, breathe life into them, make them real, that is the follow-up question council members are expected to address during their March work session on Wednesday (today) as they re-focus on October’s town council retreat.

“How do you do those things? What’s the action plan?” asked Farmville Mayor David E. Whitus during town council’s January work session. “How are we going to do it?”

The half dozen aspirations targeted by town council during the retreat are: prosperous business climate; strong community partnerships; vibrant, healthy living; well-informed community; progressive growth management; town leadership.

“How do you create and maintain a culture of collaborative efforts?” the mayor continued, noting the specific content to the aspiration of strong community partnerships. “And what would that look like?”

Continuing, Whitus asked, “how do you strengthen and enhance community resources to promote healthy living? “

Town council is expected to call a special meeting to come up with a game plan.

“I don’t think it’s something we can do at work session or a council meeting,” the mayor said. “I don’t think it’s something we can do in 15 minutes.”

During its fall retreat, town council came up with the following descriptions for each of the six aspirations:

Prosperous business climate—promote the uniqueness of our downtown, support existing businesses, and see new businesses that are attractive to multi-generations and yield job opportunities while improving our tax base and providing pedestrian-friendly access.

Strong community partnerships—create and maintain a culture of collaborative efforts to strengthen our growth and development as a community.

Vibrant, healthy living—strengthen and enhance community resources to promote vibrant, healthy living.

Well-informed community—develop and implement effective channels of communication that will proactively inform and educate the public about Town policies and services to enable residents, businesses, and visitors to own and promote the Town’s distinctive identity.

Progressive growth management—prepare and ensure that the Town is properly positioned to take advantage of its unique potential and to offer high quality lifestyle opportunities to many.

Town leadership—continue to foster a Town work culture that results in services that exceed expectations and position the Town structure and staff for the future.

The actual vision statement adopted by town council during the retreat was actually a re-adoption of the existing statement, with an updating tweak of the year in which that vision is realized.

“In the year 2030, Farmville has created a public and private environment recognized as a destination of choice for individuals and families in search of high quality recreational activities, personal growth opportunities, and lifestyle services. Farmville’s success in creating this environment is the result of its leadership role in forging progressive partnerships with its stakeholders in the community and the region. To create an overall sense of wellbeing and pride in residents, Farmville’s strong governmental leadership encourages public participation and is aggressively responsive to the needs of its citizens. Farmville is ‘open for business’ and receptive to innovation, yet mindful of the responsibility to preserve its historic and natural resources for future generations. We are the hub of economic activity in the region, while maintaining our identity as a diverse academic village, a center for culture, and a family-friendly town.”

The how-to-do list of ways to achieve these goals will be the focus when town council convenes that discussion this week.