Vision Dixie committee endorses nonprofit

ST. GEORGE - The Vision Dixie executive committee endorsed the nonprofit organization, Form Tomorrow, on Thursday as part of an initiative to assist in implementing Vision Dixie.

Peter Stempel, member of the technical advisory committee for Vision Dixie, presented Form Tomorrow to the executive board. He said the purpose of the nonprofit organization is to lend support to the small towns in Washington County who are moving in the direction of Vision Dixie.

"We consider ourselves like a bridge," he said. "Our objective is to support communities in the objective they choose if they decide to be a part of Vision Dixie."

Stempel added the endorsement of the executive board was crucial if members of Form Tomorrow planned to go out and assist the towns.

"We would really like to formalize this collaboration," he said.

Jim Crisp, member of the committee sees Form Tomorrow as an asset.

"I would see them as one additional tool to get things done, recognizing they don't steer the ship, but are there to help get things done," he said.

Stempel said Form Tomorrow is not meant to push an agenda but to help implement the principles of Vision Dixie.

"We're not here to duplicate, but to compliment," he said. "When you go in there knowing these communities are financially strapped we want to help be the glue."

The primary function of Form Tomorrow is to provide towns with resources and point them in the directions they need to be in as they embark on their Vision Dixie objective.

"We're going to go out there and ask them 'how can we help you,'" Stempel said.

Form Tomorrow has five towns they are targeting - Leeds, New Harmony, Apple Valley, Virgin and Enterprise.

Trudy Law, mayor of Leeds, said her town adopted the Vision Dixie resolution the night the implementation committee came out to talk about Vision Dixie.

"I really believe it significantly applies to our community," she said. I see our town is going to grow, rather than grow in sprawl, we want organized growth."

Law said for Vision Dixie to succeed in her town it's going to take people getting together and the residents of Leeds involved in the future of their town.

"This Form Tomorrow is going to be great, they're going to be able to give the resources you need," she said. "You know when you want something and you don't know how to get it, Form Tomorrow will help get us what we want."