Ecologue

Some Oregon State groups participated in listening sessions regarding Benton County 2040, and now it is time to share from results from those responses.

The Benton County 2040 Thriving Communities Council is hosting five events in May to share nearly
9,000 responses from more than 3,400 people over the past few months. The 2040 Council’s “Report
Out” events are scheduled for:

• Tuesday, May 16 at 6:30pm Monroe Library: 380 N. 5th Street, Monroe
• Wednesday, May 17 at 6:30pm Marys River Grange: 24707 Grange Hall Road, Philomath
• Thursday, May 18 at 6:30pm Adair Village City Hall & Community Center: 6030 NE William R. Carr Avenue, Adair Village
• Tuesday, May 23 at 6:30pm Corvallis Library: 645 NW Monroe Avenue, Corvallis
• Wednesday, May 24 at 6:30pm Alsea Library: 19192 Alsea Hwy, Alsea

Since late last summer, members of the 2040 Thriving Communities Council attended community
events, hosted an online survey, conducted 42 listening sessions, and reviewed community plans to
explore what people in Benton County like about living here, what they want the county to be like
between now and 2040, and how we get there.

The data-gathering and visioning process allowed council members to synthesize 2040 Core Values to
address long-term complex issues. These values will be used to align the work of government, citizen
groups, businesses, and people to help achieve our visions for the future.
“We have been immersed in this data gathering process for the past year, and as a council, we’re really
excited to bring this information to our communities and talk about what we found,” said Peggy Lynch,
2040 Thriving Communities Initiative Council member.

The purpose of the these events is to provide the public with the background and desired outcomes of
the 2040 Thriving Communities Initiative, describe and share data and feedback from the past year, and
explain how the 2040 Council will re-engage communities to gain feedback on the 2040 Core Values.
“I have been impressed with the deliberate and thoughtful approach used by the Thriving Communities
Initiative. The council has taken a full year to meet with residents from all over Benton County and really
hear what they value about living here,” said Vince Adams, 2040 Thriving Communities Initiative Council
member.

“Now we’re going to take some time to check in to make sure we got the message right and invite more
people to engage. The goal for this phase of the work is to make sure the core values arising from our
community conversations really reflect what is important to the people of Benton County. That will
guide our goal setting and strategy work going forward.”

The 2040 Thriving Communities Initiative is a community-driven exploration of what we like about
where we live, and how we want our communities to be like in the future. The 2040 Council is a group of
individuals representing a variety of interests, including the farming and logging industries, Oregon State
University, regional development, municipalities, private sector and community organizations.

For more information about the 2040 Thriving Communities Initiative or Council, please visit
www.Benton2040.org or contact Sean McGuire at 2040inititaive@co.Benton.or.us.