Wildwood panel lays out 10-year master-plan update, appoints chair and vice chair and approves public engagement materials

The Master Plan Update Committee for the City of Wildwood voted Thursday to appoint a chair and vice chair, asked staff for short element summaries to guide discussion, and approved a public survey and outreach plan as the group begins a scheduled, multi-month update of the city’s master plan.

The committee elected Dan Rauton as chair following a floor nomination and selected Vince Loyle as vice chair by a show-of-hands vote. The appointments were made at the start of the meeting as members organized leadership for the advisory process.

The meeting’s core agenda focused on how the committee will work through the plan’s seven elements — beginning with Environment — and how staff and volunteers will gather public input. Joe Vunich, the city’s director of Planning and Parks, described the staff proposal for each element: background context, goals/objectives/policies, and a consolidated record of the committee’s remarks, followed by a return of draft language for the committee’s review. “The department is requesting of the group tonight is to consider this approach to analyzing and discussing each of the elements,” Vunich told the committee.

Julie Stone, the meeting facilitator, told members the sessions will begin with short prompts to encourage discussion. “Our goal is that we need to hear you first,” Stone said, explaining the committee will do a quick “lightning round” at each meeting to surface priorities from members before staff briefings.

Members voted to ask staff to prepare a one-page summary for each element — a concise background and forward look — to distribute ahead of the element discussions. Becky Boomerschlagel moved for the summary; Deborah Smith McCutchen seconded the motion. The request passed by voice vote.

Staff described outreach measures tied to a short online survey and other engagement opportunities. The department will use the city website, social media, the city newsletter and QR-code cards for parks and events to invite participation; staff also proposed pop-up events at concerts and other community gatherings. Thomas Lee, the city administrator, said staff will work to ensure broad geographic participation and to track responses by ward so the city can identify under-represented areas.

Committee members also discussed whether the committee should “aim high” in brainstorming and let staff later estimate costs and feasibility. City Administrator Lee and Finance staff told members they would provide rough financial and staffing implications for ideas the committee wants to pursue.

The committee set its next meeting for Thursday, April 3; members voted to cancel a scheduled March meeting to allow time for the survey to run and for staff to return results. Vunich said staff will return consolidated survey findings and a draft environmental element for the April meeting.

The update process will cover seven elements (environment, land use and others), with the committee asked to review element background, goals/objectives/policies, and recorded input; staff will prepare revised draft language after the committee completes the element-level discussions. Vunich noted the Master Plan’s land-use map is part of the city charter and is used as a day-to-day guide for zoning and development decisions.

The meeting also included a short screening of archival incorporation materials intended to show the history and priorities that shaped Wildwood’s original master plan. Facilitator Stone asked members to record a two- or three-word priority after the video; those responses — themes such as green space, responsible development and preservation — will be collected and used to shape discussion questions for future sessions.

The committee closed by confirming the outreach plan and next steps. Members were given QR-code cards to hand out to neighbors and business contacts once the survey went live; staff said the survey would be posted March 1 with responses compiled and returned to the committee in April.

— Ending: The committee’s next meeting is scheduled for April 3; staff will provide the one-page element summary, survey results and draft materials for the environmental element ahead of that session.