Joliet launches community survey and schedules workshops for comprehensive plan update

Jane Bernhard, Joliet planning director, updated the City Council on July 15 about the citycomprehensive plan project and announced a live community survey and upcoming public workshops.

Bernhard said the project completed phase one (evaluate) and has entered phase two (investigate), during which staff will use community input to shape vision goals and objectives across topics such as housing, economic development, parks, transportation and sustainability. "We just completed phase 1... and now we are in the investigate phase of the project, phase 2," Bernhard said.

The online survey is available on the project webpage (joliet.gov/comprehensiveplan). Bernhard said the survey is available in English, Spanish, Polish, Arabic and Traditional Chinese; print copies at City Hall are available in English and Spanish. She said the survey will run through Friday, Sept. 19. Bernhard also announced an open-house public workshop in the Joliet West cafeteria scheduled to run from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; she described the workshop as drop-in style and said topic-based working-group workshops are planned later, likely beginning in November.

Councilman Juan Cardenas asked that one of the larger community meetings be held on Joliets East Side and asked whether Spanish translation would be provided; Bernhard confirmed translations and print-language options and said the project team is seeking broad outreach. The planning director noted the existing conditions report is posted on the project webpage for public review.

Bernhard said the comprehensive plan is intended to guide the city's investments and development for the next decade and encouraged residents to spend under 10 minutes on the survey to shape priorities. The planning team will present additional workshops and working groups later in the fall and keep the public updated via the project webpage.