New Carlisle schedules work session, public survey and town hall as city prepares comprehensive plan

City of New Carlisle officials told the council on Feb. 17 they expect a draft of a new comprehensive plan to be ready for review at the next council meeting and scheduled a work session for March 23, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in Heritage Hall to begin detailed discussion. Staff committed to producing a public survey to gather resident and business input and recommended a town-hall event to coincide with the plan's formal introduction or vote.

Why it matters: the comprehensive plan shapes land use, zoning, community identity and long-range capital priorities. Council members said they want the plan to reflect the city’s small-town, blue-collar identity and to be informed by resident input so the city can better manage growth and preserve key agricultural and residential character.

Key commitments and next steps: manager and staff said Ryan Moore will provide a draft for council review by the next meeting and will post an online survey by the end of the next week to solicit resident feedback. Council agreed to a March 23 work session and discussed holding a town hall in April timed with the plan introduction; staff also suggested multiple engagement channels such as water-bill mailers and open work sessions.

Additional context: council tied the comprehensive-plan process to several policy items discussed the same night, including proposed moratoriums on certain land uses, vacant-property registration options and revisions to the city code. Staff said some code changes may be best addressed together in a single code rewrite tied to the comprehensive plan.