HERMISTON — Hermiston community members had another opportunity last week to learn about the city’s 2040 survey and give input on the city’s future.

The Community Vision Open House was Thursday, Dec. 2, in Victory Baptist Church, downtown, while the town’s tree-lighting ceremony took place.

“This is a community vision, not just a city staff vision, so we are trying to encourage as much participation as possible,” Hermiston City Manager Byron Smith said.

The open house attracted the attention of people who had not heard of the project previously, according to Hermiston officials, and city representatives, including city councilors, were present to explain the Hermiston 2040 survey results.

According to the survey, people want more stores, additional restaurants, an indoor pool and aquatic center. City officials and members of the public initially discussed the results at The Hermiston Vision Labs, Nov. 16-17. The open house Dec. 2 was the latest public event regarding the survey.

City Councilor Roy Barron was on hand at the open house and he talked about the survey effort and said there had been a lot of excitement from the public. The item that attracted the most interest at the open house, he said, was a possible indoor sporting facility and aquatic center.

This is something that has long been a goal for the public and the $28 million cost is a concern, so a lot of planning is necessary to fund it in a responsible way, he said.

“I think it’s on the horizon, for sure,” he said.

In from Portland, Sarah Singer Wilson of SSW Consulting was in the building to meet locals and discuss the project, which she described as “asking people what Hermiston wants to be when it grows up.”

In the church, the list of goals were broken down into categories: “Safe and Healthy Hermiston,” “Sustainable Hermiston,” “Growing and Prosperous Hermiston” and “Connected and Engaged Hermiston.” Those categories were posted throughout a room, with lists of action items.