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Planning -- Watershed Communities "Diving In" A recent VSN survey of what some of the Watershed communities are doing to address comprehensive planning yielded a variety of responses. As is usually the case, the plates of those serving in local government are mighty full. Planning is just one of many topics they are wrestling with. To their credit, many government members and citizens are joining together to begin the work of creating their comprehensive plans. The 12 Vernon County government units that joined together to hire Mead & Hunt of La Crosse as their planning consultant have been meeting in large and small groups, and it seems are beginning to get headed in the direction of progress. It is important that anyone who wants to get their "two cents" in on how these plans take shape do so now. The process is one that builds on each step taken earlier, and while backtracking and revision are part of the process to some extent, maintaining forward motion is key. The two-and three-community small groups, or "clusters", have done surveys, reviewed census data and growth projections and are considering issues related to transportation, housing, agriculture and natural resources. Other townships and villages seem to be working well on their own. Clayton Township in Crawford County has had a planning group for some time that writes a newsletter and has been instrumental in helping the town deal with current issues by ordinance, while they continue to work on the development of a comprehensive plan. Haney Township, also in Crawford, has a newly formed Planning Committee working through the process of getting organized, gathering information and getting started. VSN has advised all the planning groups, with or without the aid of a consultant, that the VSN Kickapoo Conversations--Vision 2020 notebooks can be provided for all participants while supplies last. The 3-ring binder format is also good for adding information and important reference sheets as needed. Citizens of Christiana Township, Westby and others in Vernon County as well as Haney and Clayton Townships in Crawford County expressed appreciation for the useful, down-to-earth information in the reports. Anyone who needs copies should call the VSN office (637-3615). Change comes quickly and can be a fertile bed for conflict. Ordinances are sometimes enacted in response to a particular issue or problem area but without a great deal of thought as to how they might fit together to form a "growth strategy" or some other form of policy. However, a consistent focus on preservation of farming, health and safety issues, protection of natural resources or other themes that guide the development of individual ordinances, and thus a community, is just that--a strategy for growth. Each community is finding out what works best for them to document their ideas and get them into the prescribed form of a comprehensive plan that can be adopted and be consistent with their ordinances and rules. VSN can be helpful to them by locating information and resources or in helping to connect folks who could benefit by working together. So give us a call and let us know how we might help all the folks who are "diving in."
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