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Regional planning commission outlines economic, transportation and loan programs serving Chippewa County
Summary
Scott Allen of the West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission briefed the county board on regional projects including the county comprehensive plan update, Safe Routes to School coordination, broadband work, and the Regional Business Fund loan activity.
Scott Allen, executive director of the West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, told the Chippewa County Board that the commission continues to provide planning, transportation and economic development services to the county and its six neighboring counties.
"We are Regional Planning Commission for Chippewa County," Allen said as he summarized the commission’s work and its staff structure. He presented county-specific materials in the agenda packet and noted the commission’s near-50-year history and its seven-county service area.
Allen highlighted current and recent projects that affect Chippewa County: an update to the county comprehensive plan (including a farmland preservation component and a mailed survey to farmland owners that produced 452 responses), Safe Routes to School coordination for the Bloomer and Chippewa Falls school districts, bicycle route signage and mapping, stormwater outreach for a regional "Rain to Rivers" program, and broadband implementation support tied to state and federal grants. Allen also reviewed the commission’s capital improvements mapping tools that allow the public to view road-improvement projects and click through details.
Allen reviewed the commission budget and revenue sources, noting the commission’s roughly $1.8 million budget and that county levies supply roughly 15–20% of funds. He described the Regional Business Fund, a nonprofit lending arm the commission staffs, and provided examples of recent Chippewa County projects that used the fund’s loans or microloans for building facades, equipment and business acquisition. "From 2007 to August, 144 businesses, 140 loans, over $7.6 million awarded," Allen said, summarizing long-term figures.
Board members asked about geographic representation for comprehensive-plan focus groups and about outreach to northern parts of the county; Allen said he would provide a list of focus-group participants. Several supervisors thanked Allen for the commission’s work and described the commission as a valuable resource for smaller towns and villages.
Allen closed by reminding supervisors that appointments to the regional commission occur in even-numbered years following spring elections and that Chippewa County appoints three commissioners to the commission’s board.
