To increase community engagement, the City of Carefree is hosting a personal open house to allow community members to learn more about the city’s revitalization, signage and road safety.
The Open House will be held on Wednesday 12th October at Carefree Council Chambers. The event will focus on three distinct areas: city revitalization, wayfinding, and pedestrian and vehicle circulation. These issues are part of the city’s master plan change.
There will be no formal presentations. Instead, they will be informal meetings with City of Carefree officials, including Communications Manager Erica Shumaker, Economic Development Director Steve Prokopek, and Planning and Zoning Administrator Stacey Bridge-Denzak.
Community members have the opportunity to learn more about future plans and contribute to issues that matter to them.
“This is an opportunity for them to stop by and talk to us on their way home from work or after dinner,” Shumaker said.
Shumaker said the City of Carefree held virtual meetings during the peak of COVID, but they were unable to get the level of public engagement they wanted.
“Typically, we go to the neighborhoods to get citizen participation and engagement, to hear their ideas and thoughts on city businesses and economic development,” Shumaker said.
“But because of the pandemic, we haven’t been able to do that very effectively. So we’re really going back to that model of outreach to the community and inviting them to our city to get their questions answered, give their opinions and let us know what they would like to see in this next vision for the city.”
During the open house there will be visuals focused on key topics of discussion, including maps of the areas referenced and images of signage that would make navigating the city easier.
“We give images so people have a better idea of what we’re talking about than just what their imaginations can produce. We’re giving them specific details to review,” Shumaker said.
In revitalizing the city, discussions focus on beautifying the city and locating businesses that fit the city’s aesthetics and character. The conversation about wayfinding will focus on signage for pedestrians and vehicles. Pedestrian and vehicle circulation will focus on creating more visually appealing and safer walkways and cycleways.
Shumaker says this is just the beginning of efforts to educate and engage the public, and there will be more similar events in the future.
“This open house helps us take the first steps to win the community over to us and we will be with them along the way,” she said.
Shumaker has been the city’s communications manager for almost a year. As part of her efforts, she has attempted to engage more with the public through social media channels and newsletters. She said social media has increasingly become a way people look for information, especially since the peak of the pandemic.
“We’re trying to increase that effort and anticipate the digital trends of the future,” Shumaker said.
Carefree open house
IF: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, October 12
WHERE: Council Chambers of City Hall, 33 Easy Street, carefree
COSTS: Free
THE INFORMATION: carefree.org
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