MONROE - The city of Monroe was selected as a bronze standard of comprehensive planning for the recently adopted municipal outline that took nearly two years to complete.
Assistant City Administrator Martin Shanks was notified by the American Planning Association that the Monroe Comprehensive Plan was recognized with a bronze level designation, meaning it scored 70 percent out of the grading criteria within the organization.
"Everyone involved in making this project happen, including our elected officials, Plan Commission members, city staff, (Southwest Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission), (Green County Development Corporation), UW-Extension and the community at-large should be very proud of this achievement and recognition," Shanks wrote in an email announcing the news last week.
The regional planning commission facilitated the plan for Monroe after hosting numerous meetings with residents last year. Topics included different aspects of the community, such as housing, transportation and recreation.
The city's plan was submitted to the APA Comprehensive Plan Standards Recognition Program Pilot this year. According to the APA website, any plans which had "integrated sustainability" within the past five years could submit plans for consideration. Monroe scored as bronze, alongside Issaquah, Washington, and Los Angeles County in California. Of the six currently named award recipients, including three silver designations, Monroe has the smallest population.
City Administrator Phil Rath said the recognition marks Monroe as a community "exceeding the curve."
"The key going forward is to use the plan," Rath said. "Keep it off the shelf and continue to utilize it. We've seen some positive results already and the community can take ownership of the document. It will help assist with being able to use this document moving forward."
Rath noted the group of residents who consulted the comprehensive plan to organize the use of a new unleashed dog park recently approved in the north industrial park as a good example of citizen engagement with the plan.
In the APA Review Summary of the Monroe Comprehensive Plan, reviewers cited the city comprehensive plan as "a superior comprehensive plan for a municipality of 11,000 persons."
"It clearly represents deep public involvement in identifying issues facing the community and devising effective responses," reviewers wrote. "It is an enthusiastic and engaging document that should engender momentum towards its goals."
Other positive points were the focus on "authentic citizen participation" and keeping the comprehensive plan in use rather than tucked away on a shelf. The point of the commendation is to award communities which kept sustainability a focal point of the plan.
Issues APA reviewers felt were lacking were the need to include alternative growth scenarios to aid in a final land-use selection plan and the need for a more outlined approach to the monetary impact of community planning. It was also noted that more use of benchmarks would help those involved better understand what progress has been made toward ultimate goals outlined within the plan. In all, Monroe scored 169 out of a total 243 points available.
Assistant City Administrator Martin Shanks was notified by the American Planning Association that the Monroe Comprehensive Plan was recognized with a bronze level designation, meaning it scored 70 percent out of the grading criteria within the organization.
"Everyone involved in making this project happen, including our elected officials, Plan Commission members, city staff, (Southwest Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission), (Green County Development Corporation), UW-Extension and the community at-large should be very proud of this achievement and recognition," Shanks wrote in an email announcing the news last week.
The regional planning commission facilitated the plan for Monroe after hosting numerous meetings with residents last year. Topics included different aspects of the community, such as housing, transportation and recreation.
The city's plan was submitted to the APA Comprehensive Plan Standards Recognition Program Pilot this year. According to the APA website, any plans which had "integrated sustainability" within the past five years could submit plans for consideration. Monroe scored as bronze, alongside Issaquah, Washington, and Los Angeles County in California. Of the six currently named award recipients, including three silver designations, Monroe has the smallest population.
City Administrator Phil Rath said the recognition marks Monroe as a community "exceeding the curve."
"The key going forward is to use the plan," Rath said. "Keep it off the shelf and continue to utilize it. We've seen some positive results already and the community can take ownership of the document. It will help assist with being able to use this document moving forward."
Rath noted the group of residents who consulted the comprehensive plan to organize the use of a new unleashed dog park recently approved in the north industrial park as a good example of citizen engagement with the plan.
In the APA Review Summary of the Monroe Comprehensive Plan, reviewers cited the city comprehensive plan as "a superior comprehensive plan for a municipality of 11,000 persons."
"It clearly represents deep public involvement in identifying issues facing the community and devising effective responses," reviewers wrote. "It is an enthusiastic and engaging document that should engender momentum towards its goals."
Other positive points were the focus on "authentic citizen participation" and keeping the comprehensive plan in use rather than tucked away on a shelf. The point of the commendation is to award communities which kept sustainability a focal point of the plan.
Issues APA reviewers felt were lacking were the need to include alternative growth scenarios to aid in a final land-use selection plan and the need for a more outlined approach to the monetary impact of community planning. It was also noted that more use of benchmarks would help those involved better understand what progress has been made toward ultimate goals outlined within the plan. In all, Monroe scored 169 out of a total 243 points available.