Resident urges restructuring draft so actions sit under each objective

Megan Salmon Toomas, an Ashland County resident and member of the City of Ashland sustainability committee, used the public‑comment period to ask the committee to change how the draft plan presents objectives and actions. "All of the objectives are grouped together, and then all of the action steps are grouped together," she said, adding that the structure makes it difficult for newcomers to find what the county plans to do on topics they care about.

Megan suggested a layout she had seen in other comprehensive plans: an objective stated as a header followed immediately by the specific actions associated with that objective. She said that format makes it faster for the public to identify a topic and the county’s proposed responses, which in turn improves the quality and usefulness of public input. Committee members thanked her, discussed examples (including Bayfield County’s approach), and asked her to share a sample if available.

Emily, the committee’s planner/facilitator, and other members said staff would consider reformatting options for the draft and noted that changes to layout could be made prior to posting the draft for public review.