PUBLIC PARTICIPATION:
Public Participation Community Forum #1 Survey Results Stakeholder Interview


PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PLAN

I. Introduction

The Village of Holmen and City of Onalaska have received a State of Wisconsin Planning Grant to update their individual Comprehensive plans pursuant to the State’s Comprehensive Planning Law, Section 66.1001 of the Wisconsin Statutes.

Section 66.1001(4)(a) of Wisconsin Statutes specifically requires the governing body of the local governmental unit to adopt written procedures designed to foster public participation, including open discussions, communication programs, information services and public meetings for which advance notice has been provided, in every stage in the preparation of the comprehensive plan. These written procedures contained within this public participation plan satisfy this requirement. This plan will guide public participation throughout the Village of Holmen’s comprehensive planning process.

This plan was adopted by the Village of Holmen, Village Board on (Adoption scheduled for September 11, 2003.)

The public participation program offers all citizens, businesses, interest groups and other parties a range of opportunities to participate throughout the planning process in a meaningful way to shape the future of the Village and region. Effective public input is critical for the success of this planning process because it is our citizens, businesses and groups that will experience the plan’s costs and benefits on a daily basis for many years. This plan will, in part, determine where and how our residents live, work and play, and how they travel from one place to another. They will also be the main implementers and enforcers of the plan.

The participation program is creative, inclusive and persistent. It employs the use of innovative, unique, and thoughtful ways to encourage people to participate in the process and to maximize the effectiveness of their contributions. The opportunities are open to everyone with a stake in the outcome of the comprehensive plan. Several participation opportunities are available to a wide range of citizens – people with different incomes, races, ages, and occupations – in all stages of the planning process.

The public participation process will:

• Ensure all planning decisions are open to public comment;
• Produce better planning decisions;
• Support and add credibility to all Village decision making processes;
• Provide opportunities to disseminate information about the plan and process to all segments of the Village;
• Strengthen the relationship between our decision makers and citizens; and,
• Develop a shared vision for the future of Holmen.

The public participation plan has been created as a collaborative effort between the planning consultants Schreiber/Anderson Associates, Inc. (SAA) and the Village of Holmen.

II. Public Participation Opportunities

The Village of Holmen has established the following list of public participation opportunities in consultation with SAA. These techniques are designed to maximize public participation in every stage of our planning process. This collection of opportunities will meet both the letter and spirit of Wisconsin’s Comprehensive Planning Legislation and will include the following:

1. Community Survey
A community survey will be mailed to a random sample of approximately 10% of Holmen households. The survey will be approximately four to five pages in length, and be designed to obtain public opinions and preferences on key community issues such as growth and development, traffic, environmental protection, the provision of public services, etc.

2. Visioning Meeting 1: Issue Identification
Two public visioning meetings will be conducted. The first meeting has two purposes. One is to create public awareness of and education about the planning process and to answer questions. The second purpose is to facilitate a goal setting exercise. Consultants and plan committee members will lead an exercise that will engage community participants in a discussion about issues and opportunities that should be addressed in the comprehensive planning process. Participants will also set their top priorities for the process and Village over the next 20 years by ranking issues and opportunities. The results of this exercise will provide the foundation for the development of project and community goals and objectives.

3. Visioning Meeting 2: Visual Preference Survey
A Visual Preference Survey (VPS) is a planning tool that provides the public with the opportunity to offer its opinions about the visual quality of various types of development (i.e. single family residential, apartments, retail establishments, industrial buildings, offices, etc.). The VPS allows the public to rank the visual quality of different types of development via the review of a series of photographs of different types and styles of development. The results of the VPS can be used by the Village to draft specific plan recommendations and implementation ordinances to facilitate the types and styles of development the public prefers. The VPS can be a powerful and effective planning tool for gauging the public opinion about the quality, type, style and location of development and overall community land use patterns.

4. Website
The consultants will maintain a website that will host Holmen comprehensive plan and planning process information. This information may include the project schedule, meeting notes and agendas, draft plan elements and reports, maps, photographs, and survey results. In addition, website newsletters will be provided online during the process. The website will also provide an opportunity for residents to submit comments and input on the plan and planning process electronically at their own convenience.

5. Past Planning Accomplishments Memorandum
The consultants will prepare a public document that highlights previous planning efforts in Holmen and the outcomes of such plans. This report will contribute to the public awareness and successes of past plans.

6. Press Releases
The Village and consultants will work together to produce press releases and other public information pieces at key points to facilitate widespread awareness and education of events and overall plan creation progress.

7. Meeting Notices
The Village will post meeting notices for each meeting and event in a timely manner at accessible locations.

8. Steering Committee Meetings
The nine elements of the comprehensive plan will be developed at a series of meetings between the Holmen Planning Steering Committee and the consultants. The meetings, unless otherwise noted, will be open to the public and allow opportunities for public comments. The meetings will focus on the development of plans, policies, and programs to implement the community defined vision. These sessions also will include intergovernmental cooperation sessions with the City of Onalaska.

9. Open House to Review Draft Plan
The Comprehensive Planning Law requires municipalities to hold at least one formal public hearing with a Class 1 public notice prior to adoption of the "Final Comprehensive Plans." Prior to adoption of the Final Comprehensive Plans, the consultants will conduct an open house that will be chaired by the Plan Commission. The intent of the community open house is to provide an opportunity for the public to review and comment on the complete "Draft Comprehensive Plan."

After the community open house, the Village Plan Commission will adopt, by resolution, a "Recommended Comprehensive Plan." After the Recommended Comprehensive Plan is adopted, the plan will be forwarded to the Village Board. The Village will also send a copy of the recommended plan to all neighboring jurisdictions, districts, etc. as required by the Comprehensive Planning Law, eliciting their written comments and feedback prior to adoption.

10. Public Hearing on Final Plan Adoption
The final step in the plan adoption process is for the Village Board to hold a public hearing on the proposed "Final Comprehensive Plan" adoption ordinances and the "Final Comprehensive Plan" documents. The Village Board is required to consider any comments received on the Recommended Comprehensive Plans prior to adopting a Final Comprehensive Plan. After adoption of the ordinances for the Final Comprehensive Plans, the plans and adoption ordinances shall be distributed by the Village to the recipients listed in Section 66.1001(4) (b) of the Wisconsin Statutes.