by Kevin Smith
Only minor changes were made to Logansport’s new comprehensive plan before it received a unanimous seal of approval from the City Council on Monday.
Kevin Gardiner, the consultant who has worked with the city on the plan since June, said several recommended changes were incorporated following planning commission and council committee meetings last week.
“The main changes we made were to do with the implementation of the plan and items to do with economic development that were suggested by the Chamber of Commerce,” Gardiner said.
Brian Shafer, president of the Logansport Chamber of Commerce, said that while the chamber was happy with the overall plan, it requested greater clarification on its implementation process.
“When we looked at the implementation matrix, we decided to weigh in on the priorities of the plan that were outlined in the matrix,” Shafer said. “The reason we did that was that we felt it would help with accomplishing and defining the outcome of the comprehensive plan.”
Gardiner presented the updated implementation matrix, which included 12 separate goals identified by the plan and categorized by their difficulty to implement.
Arts promotion, a Go Higher educational campaign, increased tourism, marketing and city Web site improvements were deemed as relatively easy and inexpensive goals to complete. Others identified as requiring funding included a strategic economic development plan, wayfinding signage and an arts center. Addressing the one-way system in the city was identified as requiring further study.
He said that by working from these basic tasks and holding regular update meetings the plan will remain an important guiding document as the city looks to the future and not simply be cast aside.
“They need to start with something small and keep at it,” Gardiner said.
Council member Kerry Worthington was concerned about how the council was seemingly pushing the comprehensive plan through without giving it due consideration.
Planning director Stan Williams told the council the city is obliged to meet a state deadline of June 1 to submit the plan and qualify for a $50,000 state grant.
He said that as a working document the plan could be amended whenever the council wished, but to avoid missing out on the grant to pay the consulting fees, the council had to pass it that night.
Williams added a monthly and quarterly task force of citizens will be appointed by the mayor and the council to review the plan.
Gardiner said the ability to change the plan is crucial to keep it relevant and useable. If it is used correctly the plan could play a major part in shaping the city over the next 20 years, he said.
“A lot of things can change in 20 years,” Gardiner said. “Things play out in so many different ways that there maybe things that the plan addresses now that may not be relevant in 20 years time. The comprehensive plan sets the stage, tone and direction for the community to follow. 20 years from now we will see what direction the community did take and will be able to judge its success.”
• Kevin Smith is a staff writer at the Pharos-Tribune. He can be reached at (574) 732-5148 or kevin.smith@pharostribune.com
