SACO — The City Council has now weighed in on a 10-year vision for Saco.

Facilitator Pam Plumb gave a brief overview at Monday night’s council meeting on Bridge:2025, a visioning project currently underway.

Plumb said 370 people had participated in the process over 12 focus groups, one community-wide meeting and an online survey.

“Now this is in your hands,” Plumb told councilors. “It’s up to you to take the information and make a vision statement that will be your guiding star.”

City Administrator Richard Michaud held up a copy of a report from Bridge:2025, noting that double sided, it was about half an inch thick.

“This is a real mass of information,” he said. He encouraged people to read the report, which is online at the city’s website.

City councilors broke out in pairs and discussed their visions for Saco’s future, which they later relayed to Plumb. Plumb wrote down all the input on poster-sized papers, and councilors later rated which items were of importance.

Key priorities among councilors were building collaborative working relationships with other municipalities to reduce operating costs, maintaining the infrastructure, and resolving traffic issues at Route 112 and Saco Island. Another priority was looking at consolidating Saco Middle School with Thornton Academy.

Councilors Kevin Roche and Bette Brunswick agreed to draft a vision statement based on the night’s feedback. The proposed vision statement will be presented at the March 2 City

Council meeting.

Mayor Don Pilon and City Councilor David Precourt said they wanted to keep the public involved as Saco continues to create a vision.

“It’s their community, they need to be involved to keep the process going,” said Pilon.

For more information and updates on Bridge:2025, go online to www.sacobridge2025.org.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext.325 or egotthelf@journaltribunecom.