Solving our communities’ issues

together

Catalyst & Connectors Club (CCC)

The Catalyst & Connectors Club (CCC) is a core part of Unify Montrose, hosting monthly meetings that unite community members, officials, and leaders to tackle local issues with collective wisdom. It's more than a gathering—it's a platform for diverse voices to delve into community challenges, offering critical insights and innovative solutions while confronting our biases. With a focus on respect and openness, the club fosters a collaborative environment that encourages active participation and shared responsibility, promoting a culture of inclusivity and effective problem-solving.

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Community Report

The community report on the Unify Montrose deliberation on childcare is officially live! You can dive into this 96-page report and explore process details from selection to the week-by-week Assembly Meetups, Delegate voting outcomes and survey highlights, insights, and an appendix with full data.

Explore the full community report

Thriving communities care for kids and collaborate on problems. We have a chance to do both.

Montrose County has a shortage of childcare options, which impacts everything from education and public safety to healthcare and economic development.

To safeguard our community and our youngest generation, Unify Montrose hosted a process to review and build solutions — led by residents. A large panel of Montrose neighbors, like you, (called the Assembly), who represent all of our community, reviewed the facts, discussed the pros and cons of different solutions, and voted on specific actions and ideas.

Thanks to a community-wide effort by Montrose County, the City of Montrose, the Uncompahgre Valley Alliance Childcare Caucus, and Bright Futures for Early Childhood and Families, we know that our community is a "childcare desert" with three times more children than there are licensed childcare providers. (Read more from the 2021 Montrose County Childcare Needs Assessment report from Root Policy Research here.)

Community Problem Solving: The Assembly of Delegates

Here's how it worked:

After two months of community outreach over 200 Montrose residents from all walks of life, raised their hands and filled out a form expressing interest in joining the panel as a “Delegate.” During a live, lottery event, Unify Montrose randomly selected the group for the representative community panel, called the Assembly of Delegates.

This large group of residents with different viewpoints worked together over 12 weeks to deliberate on actions and ideas.

The Latest News

Featured

Jul 9, 2024

Celebrating Our First Locally Run "Mini-Deliberation"

Jul 9, 2024

We are thrilled to share the success of our very first locally run "mini-deliberation" – an experiment in collective problem-solving and inclusive decision-making, organized and executed entirely by local volunteers via the Catalyst and Connectors Club (CCC). This pioneering initiative has set the stage for future community-driven efforts across various issues related to the greater Montrose area.

In early 2024, the Catalyst and Connectors Club (CCC) initiated discussions to enhance Main Street’s appeal and mobility. On February 12, CCC members gathered and unanimously agreed on the need for clearer parking signage to guide visitors to nearby lots, improving accessibility. This widely supported idea became our first project. Unify Montrose, our dedicated volunteer group, presented the parking proposal to city officials, who responded positively. A dynamic team was quickly formed, including members from Unify Montrose and Michelle Wingfield from the Development and Revitalization Team (DART), the city’s Main Street program.

Our journey continued on February 15, when the team met at City Hall to discuss current challenges and strategies to enhance Main Street’s appeal. This meeting was crucial in establishing our shared goal and guiding our deliberative process.

Enhance Main Street’s appeal and accessibility by optimizing off-Main parking, encouraging walkability, and cultivating a connected downtown experience. We aim to balance the needs of businesses with the community’s vision for a vibrant, inviting space.

On March 11, Michelle Wingfield shared DART’s initiatives to boost business growth and community vibrancy, presenting key details about Main Street parking. We gathered ideas from CCC members and city efforts, compiling them into a series of 14 proposed actions.

The real magic happened during our deliberation sessions on April 26 and May 20. These sessions, attended by 14 and 13 participants respectively, were the heart of our mini-deliberation experiment. With the support of volunteer facilitators, we discussed the proposed actions, collected feedback through sticky notes, and shared insights openly. The collective input highlighted a strong community interest in improving Main Street’s parking and walkability, supporting a more inviting and efficient downtown area.

This report captures the essence of our deliberative process, showcasing the community’s collective insights and feedback. It’s a testament to the power of citizens coming together for a common cause.

Read our full report to discover the detailed findings and proposed actions.

Jul 9, 2024

Dec 7, 2023

Voting Results

Dec 7, 2023

The representative assembly of Montrose residents voted in November 2023, and five ideas to help solve the local childcare problem received more than two-thirds support.

Dec 7, 2023