Geneva wants to hear from you

Perhaps you've spent many a summery Saturday afternoon perusing the goods at boutiques up and down Third Street.

Or enjoyed a special-occasion dinner at Isabella's Estiatorio on State Street.

Or cursed under your breath trying to find a parking space to do either of those things.

If you have ideas on how to improve downtown Geneva -- or want it to stay the same -- Monday night is your chance to be heard.

The city is conducting a community forum at 7 p.m. at Riverside Receptions, 35 N. River Lane, to discuss Vision 2 of its 2017 Strategic Plan, which was adopted in the spring.

Vision 2, one of seven parts of the plan, is all about the downtown.

Monday night, the city's downtown development coordinator will explain what already is going on, such as the institution of a downtown partnership group.

People attending the meeting will be asked to prioritize goals the city can work on to make the plan's dream come true.

There are six goals, each with a subset of objectives. They address the downtown's physical beauty; its "people-friendly" environment; maintaining an eclectic business environment while emphasizing retail and dining; increasing parking and making the best of what is available; and marketing it as a destination for shoppers, diners and visitors, among other things.

Ideas bandied about in the objectives include building a centrally located parking deck for employees of downtown businesses; expanding the downtown district out to Anderson Boulevard and East Side Drive; having more housing downtown; having new festivals; and encouraging businesses to open Sundays and stay open later on weekdays.

To see a copy of the plan, visit www.geneva.il.us, click on "bulletins" and then "Strategic Plan for 2017."