A vision for the future of Chickamauga is the goal of a group recently formed and being overseen by TVA’s quality communities program.

About 25 people on Monday attended a workshop at the city’s Civic Center for a program that has been dubbed “Vision Chickamauga.”

The process officially began in June with an orientation for those interested in being part of the Quality Council, which will facilitate community input and prepare an overall plan.

The council has produced more than 60 expectations and goals for the community to pursue, from exploring the potential for historic zoning and conservation easements to capital investment for marketing city tourism.

Phil Scharre and Homer Gray are with Tennessee Valley Authority’s Economic Development in Nashville and facilitated Monday’s meeting.

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Vision Chickamauga will hold a community input meeting on Monday, Aug, 15, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Chickamauga Civic Center on Euclid Avenue.

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They said the program, which is free to any community that sells TVA power, has been going for about 10 years. Chickamauga sell TVA electricity.

“We help with community economic development by creating a growth plan that will strengthen the town and enhance the quality of life,” Scharre said.

Gray added that it benefits TVA to have solid, economically vibrant communities as its customers.

He exhorted the Quality Council to “trust the process — it will work.”

Economic development leaders in other areas have said TVA’s planning assistance was fundamental for launching their community into a discovery process of what’s feasible.

“The process made us examine our community and forced us to examine our goals, speak them, and take possession of our future,” said Bruce J. Reed, chairman for Vision Henry County in Paris, Tenn.

The council in Chickamauga will produce a consensus vision statement and seek to implement action strategies from community input.

The final report of the plan is expected to be ready early this fall.

From there several community action teams will undertake responsibilities in pursuing the goals set forth by the council, with “re-visioning” and further goal setting as necessary.

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