Vision West Hosts Regional Meetings
Vision West ND hosted two regional meetings last week.
The first was a Regional Housing and Planning and Zoning Workshop on Wednesday, July 16 at the Mountrail County South Complex in Stanley. The workshop was designed to bring together community leaders, planning professionals, and housing advocates to explore solutions and strategies to address housing needs and zoning challenges in rural North Dakota.
Attendees heard from regional experts on workforce housing, accessory dwelling units, and local revitalization programs. Topics included USDA incentives, legislative updates, extraterritorial jurisdiction, and the future of infrastructure such as data centers and battery energy storage systems.
Vision West ND also hosted its regional consortium meeting on Thursday, July 17 at the Powers Lake High School.
This meeting highlighted several key focus areas including grocery store grant opportunities, updates on childcare availability and funding, wind energy development in the region, and the Farm to School Program.
Vision West has eleven priority areas identified for this year.
They include rural and behavioral health along with public safety, childcare, workforce recruitment and retention, organizational sustainability, natural resources stewardship, housing, planning and zoning, municipal infrastructure, energy, technology and transportation.
Vision West ND continues its commitment to strengthening regional collaboration through events that address critical development issues and promote sustainable growth. The purpose of the consortium is to lead, educate, and collaborate; ensuring communities are supported and informed. Vision West ND continues to serve as a convener of regional voices, helping local leaders move ideas into action.
Through events like these, Vision West ND supports collaborative planning efforts, fosters partnerships, and helps local leaders identify solutions that create long-term value for their communities.