In February 2013, the Vision West ND Consortium began a process to identify and define the top regional issues impacting livability and sustainability in western North Dakota. The Consortium identified fifteen issues of regional importance, and then selected five of the issues for additional focus and refinement. Those five issues are:

• Housing
• Child Care
• Transportation and Roads
• Emergency Services
• Water

As mentioned in a previous issue of the Vision West ND Newsletter, the latest Vision West ND Consortium meeting in Medora June 13, 2013 offered members the opportunity to discuss the scope, perceived problems, and potential solutions for each of these five issues. Discussions on each of the issues were meant to set the foundation for further refinement as the potential solutions are melded into the Vision West ND Regional Plan.

As work toward that Regional Plan continues, we will continue to provide updates on its progress. The next Vision West ND Consortium meeting is scheduled for July 18, 2013 from 10am to 3pm CDT at the RTC Building in Parshall, ND. Potential agenda items may include further work on each of the top five western ND issues. Informative speakers having deeper knowledge of those issues may be asked to join the Consortium and have their expertise folded in to the Regional Plan as well.

Child care, as one of the top issues in the region, will see some assistance from the state's Department of Commerce during the 2013-15 biennium. North Dakota's 63rd Legislative Assembly provided funding totaling $2.6 million to assist ND child care facilities in the form of a child care grant program through the Dept. of Commerce. The Department began accepting applications on July 1, 2013 and will continue to accept applications through August 30. Please check out the ND DoC Division of Community Services website to learn more about the Child Care Grant Program, including eligibility, match requirements, project qualifications, and application guidelines. Additional child care service resources are available on that site as well.

Deb Nelson shown during a news interview during the First Annual Public Health Nursing Conference in Bismarck.

Deb Nelson, Vision West ND Program Manager, recently presented on a panel entitled "Impact of Oil on Health in Western ND" at the first ever ND Public Health Nursing Conference. The conference was held June 20 at the Ramkota in Bismarck and targeted nurses and public health agencies and officials from throughout the state. For more information on the Public Health Nursing Conference, check out this KFYR-TV news report. 

County Plan Directors are reminded to create a Drop Box folder through the invitation email sent directly to them and Steering Committee members on May 22nd. The Drop Box folder contains Plan Implementation Workbooks and the action steps that were created by each county's Steering Committee for the selected economic strategies and quality of life initiatives in each county plan. Also included in the Drop Box folder is a copy of the latest version of each county's Strategic Plan. 

In addition to their own Drop Box activation, it's also recommended that all Vision West ND Plan Directors contact their Steering Committee members and urge them to accept the Drop Box invitation if they have not already. Many have done so, but a majority have not. Those that do not have their own Drop Box folder already established, don't worry. You may contact Vision West ND Plan Facilitator Brian Cole at bc@buildingcommunities.us, and the process of getting one started is quite easy! 

* Vision West ND Homepage 

* U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development 

* ND USDA Rural Development 

* ND Dept. of Commerce Division of Community Services Child Care Grant Program