Though still in its early phase, the latest attempt at a new Monroe County comprehensive plan is well underway, and residents are currently being asked to provide their contributions through an online survey.

As previously reported, last year’s push for a new comprehensive plan – the existing plan was last updated in 1994 with supplemental revisions implemented in the early 2010s – came to a halt this past fall following several months of slow progress.

Monroe County Commissioner Dennis Knobloch said at an October board meeting that the Southwestern Illinois Metropolitan and Regional Planning Commission brought in to assist with the planning process was undergoing organizational realignment at the time and was thus deemed unable to meet the county’s needs.

New life was breathed into these efforts earlier this year, however, as members of the Monroe County Planning Commission met Feb. 1, with the meeting led by Emily Calderon, director of planning with Moran Economic Development.

Calderon recalled the initial meeting as centering around big picture topics about life in Monroe County, with those present discussing various benefits and challenges for both residents and businesses.

Discussion also emphasized the balance between preservation and growth, understanding changes in the county.

Calderon further noted the next big effort toward the plan took place April 30, as several focus group meetings took place involving representatives of county agribusiness, community organizations, real estate and general business, with each group touching on their industries and fields and making known the pros and cons of life in Monroe County.

The latest step for the comprehensive plan is the aforementioned online survey in which Monroe County residents are invited to share their thoughts about where they live.

Calderon offered a brief rundown of the questions. 

Starting with basic demographic items, this survey asks responders where they live in the county, what challenges they face and how they would describe life in Monroe County, as well as a few other subjects such as the quality of housing, access to parks and the future of development in the area.

“We’re up to 391 responses right now, which is great,” Calderon said. “Of course, we’d love to see more, and we really appreciate all the people that have taken the time to complete that survey.”

Further down the road, Calderon said next steps in the planning process including putting together an existing conditions report based on survey results within the next few weeks.

From there, the commission will be looking to develop more concrete goals for the plan, further adjusted by a second round of public engagement set to coincide with the upcoming Monroe County Fair – Calderon said the commission hopes to have a presence at the fair to speak with citizens directly.

Calderon also explained that the lead-up to the comprehensive plan is still quite early.

“This is almost a year-long planning process that we’re still in the beginning of,” Calderon said. “We’re still in the data collection phase.”

Regarding the importance of citizen contributions to the survey, Calderon emphasized the impact that responses are set to have for the future of the county.

“The goals that will be developed for this plan will be done with the information gathered from the survey,” Calderon said. “It’ll just kind of guide us on how to focus resources in the future and what to focus our policy recommendations on as we look to the future.”

Monroe County Building Inspector and Zoning Administrator Chris Voelker also offered his thoughts on the survey.

“It would be great help to take the survey and to give opinions, so that way we know how to lead in this comprehensive plan,” Voelker said. “It should be updated more annually than we have, and we want to know what the overall public feeling is toward the growth of the county, which way it should go in the future.”

Voelker also spoke generally about the progress, commending Calderon for her efforts.

Voelker added that, on top of the previously mentioned groups, the commission is interested in hearing from high school and college graduates to get a feel for what younger folks in Monroe County think.

“I think she’s doing a good job,” Voelker said. “She has good questions, and she’s been trying to get a lot of diverse information from different areas of the county – from the farming side to the business side to the general public.”

The survey for Monroe County residents can be found at surveymonkey.com/r/JFSR279 and also on the main page at monroecountyil.gov.