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Kane County subcommittee narrows six categories for online idea wall, debates wording and scope
Summary
Subcommittee members agreed to six broad categories for a social‑pinpoint “ideas wall,” debated wording for items such as IT, transportation and the “built environment,” and emphasized the need for short explanatory text and subtopics to guide public input.
Anne (chair) convened the Kane County Strategic Plan Subcommittee on Sept. 24 to finalize six categories for a public “ideas wall” and to discuss how to word those categories so online respondents provide usable input. The group agreed to six top‑level prompts and to add short explanatory text and examples beneath each category before the public launch.
The subcommittee adopted these six categories: jobs and economic development; transportation; community well‑being and public health; information technology, communications and county services; energy and environment; and housing, land use and infrastructure. The decision followed extended discussion about whether to include public safety and judicial items and how to label technical categories so residents understand them.
The choice of just six categories reflected a limitation of the consultant’s social‑pinpoint software. “Because of the software that they use, they can only” accept six categories, a subcommittee member said, and members tested several alternate phrasings to reduce ambiguity. Several members argued for short parenthetical examples under each heading so contributors could see what belongs in a category — for example, “transportation (roads, parking, buses, paratransit).”
Speakers pushed to avoid jargon. Roger (staff member) suggested replacing the acronym “IT” with “information technology” and adding “communications” so the term resonates with the public. One member warned that “mobility” means different things to different people and supported using the broader label “transportation.” Another committee member asked that county buildings remain visible in the plan, either as a subcategory of infrastructure or as an example under infrastructure, because building projects can be large, high‑cost county investments.
Members also discussed how much the county can actually control. John (subcommittee member) noted that the county can report measures such as unemployment and household income but cannot “create jobs for private industry,” only shape conditions through land use and zoning. The group said the online prompts should focus on where the county can be responsive while providing a short paragraph that explains county versus municipal responsibilities.
On next steps, members asked staff and the consultant to draft 1‑sentence definitions and brief examples for each category to appear on the virtual wall before public launch. They also said they will refine subcategories once community responses arrive so the plan team can synthesize input for the subsequent strategic plan phases.
The session included public comment before the category discussion and ended with scheduling and stakeholder follow‑up.
