Cortez Heart and Soul wants the character of the community to shape development.

In January 2012, Cortez was awarded a Heart and Soul Community Planning Grant from the Orton Family Foundation. Aimed to communicate with citizens in new ways, Heart & Soul of Cortez has collected stories and surveys from the community to better determine the city’s future.

“We have compiled values and issues from over 900 surveys, held four neighborhood block parties, 21 community conversations and listened to over 10 hours of video interviews,” said coordinator Rocky Moss. “We’ve logged countless volunteer hours in an effort to reach every citizen of Cortez.”

On Saturday, Nov. 16, Heart & Soul officials will convene to wrap up the “Explore Your Community” phase of the project. Held at the Cortez Recreational Center, the 3 p.m. meeting is designed to create the project’s value statements.

“The City of Cortez will use these value statements to update its comprehensive plan and land-use code,” Moss said. “We want to ensure our future decisions and planning efforts are made in harmony with the character of the community.”

For information, visit the Orton Foundation at www.orton.org/what-we-do/heart_soul.

tbaker@cortezjournal.com