Success Stories: Comprehensive Plan

Connection to Community Action Plan: Goal 4

A comprehensive plan is a document that contains the goal and objectives of a community. This provides a blueprint for future land use, serves as the basis for zoning, subdivision, and land use codes. The Comprehensive Plan for Pelican Rapids not only outlines the city ' s vision for the future, but is founded on reaching a diverse group of stakeholders in its development to ensure that the goals of Pelican Rapids are met. This matters because comprehensive planning can be invaluable when it comes to justifying the use of time and resources towards a certain project.

The process to update the existing plan in Pelican Rapids began in November of 2021. The city contracted with Sourcewell, a private consulting firm, to facilitate this plan. Outreach included a steering committee to provide feedback and guidance on how to reach community members, a community survey, several open house and community engagement activities, a stakeholder-only review on the initial matrix of goals, strategies, and actions, and a drop-in workshop to the public to focus on prioritization.

Ellie Litzinger and Judy Tabbut examine and review one board with comprehensive plan goals..

Success Stories: Comprehensive Plan (Continued)

Members of the steering committee reviewed the survey results and discovered several community desires related to local foods. For example, question 2, which asked, “What are some of the things that need the most improvement in Pelican Rapids? (choose top 3), ” 54.93% voted “A wide range of restaurant services ” . This ties into Goal 2 of the Community Action Plan.

Accomplishments & Impact:

Engaged in the Comp Plan ’ s public survey Hosted a representative from Sourcewell to learn more about the comprehensive plan process Provided feedback on goal/strategy/action matrix Participated in drop-in workshop Local Food Planning is designated as an entire section in the comprehensive plan, with all four goals of the Action Plan included, as well as several other strategies included under the Parks, Trails, and Recreation and Transportation sections.

Flyer advertising the public workshop in order for the public to focus on the activities to prioritize for the upcoming year.