The State of the Community County-Wide Conference has been structured to get the full amount of public input into the direction Richland County will take in the future.

The idea for the conference started with a growth policy and the state requirement that it be updated every five years. The natural thought progression became: Why not update it every year and have the community play the main role? Thus, the idea of the conference began and now it is almost a reality.

The thing of greatest importance to realize is that you are this conference. The residents of Richland County are the reason for this conference, and only your input will make this conference a success. What do you want to see happen in this community? What do you think is an area that needs work? What frustrates you about the state of the county? Most residents have commented on this with family or with friends. Now is your chance to have your input taken into consideration when a policy is changed that will play a main role in determining this county’s future.

Topics that will be discussed include: sustainable economic base, public facilities and natural and cultural resources, public services, population and agriculture, infrastructure for economic growth, land use and housing.

The event will conclude with a conference evaluation and overall target mapping.

This conference is a chance for the community to take responsibility for the community, to let the city and county officials know what is not working in our community and what is. This is your home, and this conference wants to help each and every person take care of it.

On March 14, the conference will take place in the Sidney Assembly of God Church.

Registration fee is $75, which includes lunch, snacks and all conference materials. County scholarships of $50 are available. For more information, call 433-6975 or e-mail sschmitt@richland.org.