LEAD - Lead citizens say the city's general appearance is declining, and the business community is in jeopardy. They also believe the city's infrastructure and funding sources are crumbling.

Those were some of the findings of a 2008 study of Lead's community sentiment about its present condition and its future prospects.

The project gathered information from 100 Lead residents regarding their wishes for improving the town and enhancing its image locally and regionally.

A meeting coordinated by the Lead Comprehensive Plan Committee unveiled the findings Tuesday night at the Golden Hills Inn in Lead. Organizers hope it is another step toward shaping the future of Lead.

Using public and private funds, the committee of city commissioners, business owners, city leaders, school officials, nonprofit organization representatives and citizens solicited the expertise of three consultants who hosted a series of community workshops and in-depth interviews with citizens. Committee chairman Nick Krebs said elements of the city's comprehensive plan include idealistic visions for housing, education, recreation, culture, transportation and aesthetics.

One of the consultants is Eric Abrahamson of Vantage Point Historical Resources of Rapid City. He said the interviews and planning sessions boiled down to three main concepts that define Lead. Those ideas are that the Homestake gold mine left a proud legacy for the town; Lead is located in a prime scenic location; and the underground science lab project has the potential to unlock the secrets of the universe.

Abrahamson said the intention of the study was to gather ideas from citizens regarding their concerns about the town and turn them into opportunities for improvement.

"How do you take the aesthetics of the community from one era to the next? You take the pulse of the community to find out how they want to move forward," he said.

Joe Bartmann of the Rural Learning Center of Howard partnered with Abrahamson for the project. The interviews indicated to him that citizens are proud of their community's history, and they want to make it a better place to live. The stumbling block is how.

He said many citizens are aware of several plans and lists of goals that have been drafted over the past two decades, but they believe very few have actually been accomplished.

A report from the Comprehensive Plan Committee challenges that mindset, showing that dozens of ideals in the city's five-year-old comprehensive plan have been achieved.

After the two men completed their presentation, Comprehensive Plan Committee member Michelle Eddy described some of the successes that have been achieved in town.

The audience then went to work, giving their ideas regarding Lead's priorities in terms of physical improvements.

The committee would like to develop ad hoc groups that will on a special project and follow it to completion.

"We're inviting you to join the larger movement to implement the comprehensive plan over the next couple years," Krebs said. "Citizens must take an active role in reshaping the future. This meeting is a step in a series to foster the discussion."