Wausau council adopts public participation plan to guide comprehensive plan outreach

The Wausau Common Council voted unanimously May 12 to adopt a public participation plan that will shape outreach for the city's comprehensive plan. The resolution, pulled from the consent agenda for discussion, passed 11 to 0 after staff described outreach tools and answered alder questions.

City staff member Carrie Edmonson told the council the plan includes traditional methods such as a website and social media, a citywide survey, a "meeting in a box" for small groups, stakeholder interviews and topic-focused focus groups. "We really do want a community-driven plan," Edmonson said.

Sam Wessel of the North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, the city's partner on the project, said state statute requires adoption of a public participation plan and suggested adding a neighborhood identifier to the survey so responses can be analyzed by neighborhood without revealing individual identities. "We could put a question in there where people could selfidentify which neighborhood they're coming from," Wessel said.

Alders asked for stronger language on language access and neighborhood outreach. Alder Killian said she was concerned that materials in English only would not be truly inclusive; staff agreed to add a statement that translations would be provided on request and to clarify that outreach should work through neighborhood contacts rather than relying solely on alders.

The council adopted the plan (file 01-0907) with a motion from Kellian and a second from Slantsky. The resolution directs staff and the regional planning commission to proceed with the public engagement program described in the adopted plan.

What happens next: staff will finalize survey questions and outreach materials and coordinate neighborhood-level engagement as described in the plan. The city and its regional partner said they will return with specifics as the project develops.