Consultant previews Plan Stoughton chapters, seeks committee feedback

Katrina Becker, project lead with Becker Professional Services, reviewed the draft natural-resources chapter of the Plan Stoughton comprehensive-plan update and asked the Public Works Committee for written feedback.

Becker said the public-engagement phase exceeded expectations: "we went beyond our goal for the number of responses. So, that's great. It was more than double or at least double the number of responses from the previous comprehensive plan update." She asked committee members to review the chapter in the packet and send comments directly to her.

Becker outlined the process: draft chapters are posted to the Plan Stoughton website (planstoughton.com) as they are released to committees; staff will collect public comments via an online form; the committee will review related chapters on transportation, utilities and community facilities in July. A public open house to gather broader input is scheduled for Sept. 10; after committee review Plan Commission will recommend the plan for Council adoption and the city will hold a formal public hearing prior to adoption.

Committee members suggested sharing the draft with the Sustainability Committee and other stakeholder groups to ensure cross-committee feedback. Becker said she had incorporated material from the Sustainability Plan where possible and encouraged members to use the website form or email her directly with suggestions.

Next steps: committee members will review the current draft and send comments to Katrina Becker ahead of the July meeting, when additional chapters will be available for review.