News : Meeting tonight beings work on Vinton Comprehensive plan; public invited

The City of Vinton has started work on a new comprehensive plan. The process, designated 2020 Vision for Vinton, will culminate in a document containing policies and goals to guide the city’s long-term growth.

Vinton city officials have retained the services of the East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG) to help a citizens’ planning committee draft the 10-year comprehensive plan. Residents wanting a voice in the future direction of Vinton are invited to take part in the plan’s creation.

The first step in the process will be a town meeting on May 3rd. This meeting is intended to facilitate public discussion on the future of the city. Chad Sands, Community Development Department Director with ECICOG says, “by receiving broad public participation, the document will represent the needs and desires of the people in and around the city.” The meeting will be held at 7:00 pm at the Vinton-Shellsburg High School Commons on May 3rd. Refreshments will be provided.

After the town meeting, the planning committee expects to meet monthly on the first Tuesday of every month at the US Bank Community Room to work on the plan. Citizens are encouraged to attend these meetings to provide input and direction.

The comprehensive plan will be the cornerstone of the City’s growth management program. Topics to be covered in the plan include housing, infrastructure, economic development, and future land use.

The city received a smart planning grant from the Iowa Department of Economic Development to assist with the cost of the comprehensive plan.

Those citizens wishing to take part in the planning process should contact City Hall at (319) 472-4707 or Chad Sands at (319) 365-9941.

ECICOG is an intergovernmental council governed by a board of directors comprised of elected officials and private citizens. ECICOG was created to promote regional cooperation and to provide professional planning services to local governments in Benton, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn and Washington Counties.