The Medford City Council formally accepted the executive summary of the city's vision process at its regular meeting on Thursday night.

Elaine Cogan, a Portland consultant working on the project, praised the community for its effort in making the vision.

"Medford is on its way -- I can say with conviction -- to being an ideal community to live, work and play," Cogan said.

Pedro Cabrera, one of the steering committee members who helped shape the document presented to the City Council, said he was cynical when the process first started.

But he said that he became convinced in the months since it began.

"We got together as a large group and shared our concerns and visions," Cabrera said. "They're all interwoven. That's what this is about."

The City Council will take the vision to its goal-setting session next week. The council and city staff will come up with a plan to achieve the vision, which is the city's preferred future as voiced by hundreds of people who participated in the program.

Councilman Curt Bennett said he has already begun making decisions based on what he heard from the community through the vision.

Council President Jim Key said he hopes the vision will continue to shape public policy for the city for years to come.