Cross Plains sustainability committee makes comprehensive-plan updates a standing agenda item

The Village of Cross Plains Sustainability Committee agreed Wednesday to make tracking the comprehensive-plan revision a standing agenda item so members can provide timely input.

Committee Chair Steve Douglas and members discussed how the plan commission has already reviewed draft chapters and proposed edits. Carly, a Plan Commission member and ex officio attendee, told the committee the commission has completed a chapter-by-chapter review and plans public engagement steps including a community survey and focus groups facilitated by their consultant.

"I want to make sure that at every sustainability committee, we're hearing where we are in the process so that we can be as ready as possible to provide useful input," said Melissa Gavin, a sustainability committee member. The committee voted informally during discussion to move the comp-plan status update to appear early on future agendas so the group will not be blindsided when public comment or formal hearings approach.

Members discussed goals for the committee's role: providing repeated status updates, advising where sustainability concepts could be integrated (transportation, stormwater, energy), and preparing several months of focused discussion rather than a single evening of input. Carly said Vandewal, the village planner consultant, will likely facilitate public-survey and focus-group work as part of the plan revision timeline.

Committee members asked that one member be identified as the contact who will compile and report comp-plan status at meetings. Carly agreed to provide updates for the next one or two meetings and to hand off the role before she leaves. Kevin Dusi, identified as a Plan Commission member, was noted as a resource because he helped write the original sustainability priorities.

The committee said it prefers that sustainability be represented in the comprehensive plan both as a short set of principles for quick reference and woven into relevant chapters (transportation, development, utilities) where appropriate. Members discussed options ranging from a one-page summary in the comp plan to broader integration, and agreed to continue refining their recommendations before proposing specific ordinance or code changes.

Looking ahead, the committee asked staff to (1) add a standing comp-plan status item early on future sustainability-agenda packets, (2) name a recurring contact to provide meeting-to-meeting updates, and (3) prepare a short memo outlining where the committee thinks sustainability principles could be inserted into the draft comp plan so the committee can review and prioritize.