Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is ImagiNEXT?
A. The mission of ImagiNEXT is to engage the greater Marion area in an open, all-inclusive discussion to develop great ideas that will enhance that will reinforce the fact that Marion, Iowa is the best place to raise a family and grow a business.

Q. Why is this important for Marion?
A. Imagine8 established the success of putting community input to work in Marion! Engaging residents in a visioning process is a valuable tool for community development and planning for our future. ImagiNEXT is critical for receiving state and federal funding which will be the foundation for future development.

Q. How do I get involved?
A. Ideas were solicited from the public October 1, 2017 – January 15, 2018. Applications for the Selection Committee were also accepted through November 4, 2017. Voting for the Top 25 ideas will take place February 19 – March 5, 2018. Initiative Committees will form to further develop the final ideas once they have been announced by the Selection Committee in March 2018. If you are interested please let us know here.

Q. Can anyone participate?
A. Everyone is invited to participate in ImagiNEXT.  This is an all-inclusive process not only for Marion residents, but for surrounding areas, Linn County residents and beyond.

Q. How were the ideas narrowed for the survey?
A. A 23-person Selection Committee was selected through an application process, their job was to establish criteria and narrow the list for the community vote. In addition to the criteria, duplicates were removed and ideas that were clearly for the private sector were narrowed out of the finalist pool. A second committee is being formed to look closer at these ideas and work on connecting them to the appropriate individuals, organizations, and businesses in the hopes of making even more ideas come to fruition.

Q. How was the idea timeline determined on the survey?
A. The survey represents a general timeline that is subject to change. Factors include funding sources, existing strategic plans and various organization’s priorities.

Q. Where is my idea on the survey?
A. With over 3,000 ideas submitted not everything can make the final list. A task force will be taking over many of the submitted ideas and connecting them with the private sector or organizations that may be the right fit.

Q. What happens after the community vote?
A. Once the Top 25 are determined by vote, the Selection Committee will reconvene to determine a final 3-5 initiatives that will be announced toward the end of March. Each initiative may include several ideas.