A new look at community development

The former director of one of the state's most philanthropic private foundations has urged Nebraska lawmakers to consider investing in community development as the state becomes more attractive to outsiders.

The Legislature created a long-range planning committee four years ago to assist state government in identifying emerging trends, assets and challenges and to look at the long-term implications of decisions made by lawmakers. A bill (LB653) was passed by the Legislature in 2009 to establish the committee and set the parameters for future discussion.

A database was created for the committee in conjunction with the University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Public Affairs and Community Service. The goal of the database is to present a common sense and data driven assessment of key areas important to Nebraskan's quality of life. The committee considers nine areas of policy indicators: economy; agriculture; natural resources; state and local government; education; health and human services; public safety; transportation and telecommunications.

Lyn Wallin Ziegenbein, longtime executive director of the Peter Kiewit Foundation, told a recent gathering of the Long Range Planning Committee that Nebraska has caught the interest of people and businesses outside the state and it's time to ensure that change happens in the right way. In her 32 years at the Kiewit Foundation she oversaw the investment of $550 million in statewide projects in the form of matching and challenge grants.

She told the committee she has seen local leadership succeed and watched the power of local citizenry work to make projects happen. She has also seen a state with tremendous needs and the lack of resources to meet those needs. She said she's looking at the entire state, at developing cities to become regional hubs for smaller towns. The database indicates that only 16 Nebraska communities are larger than 10,000 people while an overwhelming 300 communities have populations of fewer than 300 people.

Ziegenbein said she thinks lawmakers need to consider dipping into the $679 million cash reserve to serve as a catalyst for private philanthropy to participate in getting the state into top shape for the changes and growth to come. She said communities need libraries, parks, public art and plantings, health facilities, large recreation areas and supported law enforcement to bring them up to par as part of the "Good Life."

Committee member Sen. Heath Mello of Omaha, who also chairs the Legislature's Appropriations Committee, said he supports the need for community development and planning. Paying for that, he said, is a topic for further debate. He did suggest that the idea of a public-private partnership for such activity is long overdue.

Let's hope that the issue makes it to the table in the coming Legislature and can survive the expected attempts to use some of that same state money to provide tax relief.