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Unemployment, foreclosures and affordable healthcare are just three issues the Community Focus Committee cited as areas that need work in Springfield. The committee released its biannual “Community Focus 2009” report today, to address the “red flags” and “blue ribbons” in Springfield and Greene County. KSMU’s Kristian Kriner reports.
The focus group compiles data each year and releases a report card on what areas the city and county are doing well in, and where they need to improve.
These are indicated on the report card as either a “red flag” or a “blue ribbon.”
Dr. Cristina Gilstrap is a Drury University faculty member who also served as this year’s focus group leader.
She says due to the recession, Springfield has seen an increase in unemployment, house foreclosures and access to affordable healthcare.
“We still face challenges with low income and uninsured citizens accessing medical, behavioral and dental care. We also have middle class citizens now facing problems with high coverage payments and difficulty getting into doctors,” Gilstrap said.
Gilstrap says another “red flag” locally is child abuse and neglect.
She says this year the committee has added a new section to the community report called the “emerging issues.”
Gilstrap says these are issues that may become “red flag” issues within the next year.
Some of those issues are voter turnout, child obesity and bicycle and pedestrian accidents.
She says even though there are a lot of “red flag” issues that need to be addressed, the community has had several problems that have now turned into “blue ribbons.”
“The 2004 report introduced concerns regarding drug arrests for those under 18 years of age. Due to partnerships among agency and community groups, numbers have declined from 98 in 2004 to 25 in 2008,” Gilstrap said.
Other “blue ribbons” cited in the report are that Springfield Public School’s dropout rate has decreased, Springfield has better water quality and its roads are safer.
Jim Anderson is the president of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce.
He says he wishes there had been more progress made this year to solve the major “red flag” issues, but he says most of those issues are long term and will need more time to solve.
“I am convinced that we have a focus and we have a significance toward those issues like we would have not had without this community report card,” Anderson said.
He says this report really proves that the community is working hard to make Springfield and Greene County a better place to live.
For KSMU News, I’m Kristian Kriner.
