The Plymouth Common Council heard updates on the Comprehensive Plan and ONE Marshall County during the regular meeting Monday, March 11.
City of Plymouth Attorney Jeff Houin presented Resolution No. 2024-1100, A Resolution to Establish a Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee.
The Resolution details the history of the committee and then proceeds with the formal establishment of the committee.
“Beginning in late 2022 and continuing throughout 2023, the City of Plymouth engaged in the process of reviewing and updating the City’s Comprehensive Plan. The new Plymouth Forward 2040 Comprehensive Plan was approved by the Plymouth Plan Commission on December 5, 2023 and by the Plymouth Common Council on December 11, 2023.
A Comprehensive Plan is only as good as its implementation, and the Plymouth Forward 2040 Steering Committee expressed a strong desire to continue its work to achieve the goals identified in the Plan. The final Plan recommends formation of an Advisory Committee to ensure effective oversight and continuity. The Advisory Committee would be made up of members representing “a diverse spectrum of expertise, including individuals from the original Steering Committee, active citizens, educators, medical professionals, local business owners, government representatives, and more.
The Plymouth Common Council wishes to formally create the Advisory Committee recommended by the Comprehensive Plan, and now resolves to establish a Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee as follows:
1. Name. The Committee shall be known as the Plymouth Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee.
2. Purpose. The purpose of the Committee shall be to ensure effective oversight and continuity by overusing execution of the Plymouth Forward 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The Committee shall have no formal authority to take independent action but will ensure the Plan has a prominent place on relevant meeting agendas and inspire community ownership.
The City Council and the Plymouth Forward 2040 Steering Committee acknowledge that the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee is established as recommended by the Plymouth Forward 2040 Comprehensive Plan adopted in 2023. However, the City Council anticipates reviewing and updating the Comprehensive Plan regularly, at least every ten years. The Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee, including its structure and purpose, shall all be reviewed regularly and shall continue to oversee execution of each successive Comprehensive Plan.
3. Membership. The Committee shall include the following standing members:
A. City Attorney, who shall act as chairperson for the committee.
B. City Plan Consultant or Plan Director.
C. One member of the Plymouth Plan Commission, appointed by the Plan Commission.
D. One member of the Plymouth Common Council, appointed by the Council.
In addition to these standing members, membership of the Committee shall be open to all persons willing to participate in the work of the Committee. There shall be no minimum or maximum number of members beyond the standing members identified above.
4. Meetings. The Committee shall meet regularly, on a schedule determined appropriate by the Committee. The Plan envisions that the Committee will initially meet monthly, but will transition to a quarterly schedule, balancing oversight with efficiency.
5. Subcommittees: The Committee shall form various subcommittees to conduct the work of the Committee. Each subcommittee shall have a specific focus and shall identify a chairperson. The subcommittee chairperson’s responsibility shall include coordinating activities of the subcommittee and reporting the subcommittee’s progress to a full Advisory Committee.
Subcommittees shall be formed or eliminated by the Advisory Committee as needed. Some subcommittees will likely continue their work generally throughout the existence of the Comprehensive Plan, while other subcommittees may be formed to implement a specific strategy of the Plan and may be dissolved once that strategy has been achieved. By way of example, the following initial subcommittees have been identified and recommended by the Plymouth Forward 2040 Steering Committee:
A. Marketing – to celebrate achievements of the Committee and the City, fostering community ownership and pride.
B. Membership – to identify and recruit Committee members to ensure a well-rounded perspective.
C. Zoning – to implement various strategies of the Plan that require amendments to the Plymouth Zoning Ordinance.
D. Revitalization Rebate – to implement Wellbeing Strategy 9 of the Plan to “Restructure the Facade Grant Program to be stronger and offer a streamlined process to increase participation.”
E. Building Trades – to implement Growth Strategy 7 of the Plan to “Start a renovation-trade class or club as a program offered in Plymouth Schools.”
6. Collaboration. The Committee shall collaborate with other boards, committees, and elected officials within the City to achieve the shared vision presented by the Comprehensive Plan.
7. Reports. To keep the Comprehensive Plan in focus, a standing agenda item shall be placed on the Common Council and Plan Commission meeting agendas for a designated member of the Advisory Committee to update members on the work and progress of the Committee. When appropriate, updates shall include any recommendations by the Committee to take formal action toward implementing the strategies identified in the Comprehensive Plan.
In addition to regular updates at Common Council and Plan Commission meetings, the Advisory Committee shall conduct an annual progress review in the last quarters of each year and provide the results of the review to the Common Council and Plan Commission. “
The council approved the resolution and appointed Don Ecker as their appointee.
In other news, Houin reminded the council that ONE Marshall County is now the formal name of the former Crossroads Committee that was formed under the Stellar Application. Updates on Stellar Projects will continue.
Bids are being advertised for the final construction and engineering of the Greenways Trail Phase III; Houin expects completion by 2025. That project is funded by an Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) grant.
Riverside Commons is nearing completion with an anticipated Ribbon Cutting at both the Plymouth and Lapaz facilities sometime in May.
