Kokomo OKs new comprehensive plan, establishes updated goals, objectives

The plan, approved in the only reading needed for a resolution, updates in many ways the city’s previous comprehensive plan, passed in 2001. It also highlights Kokomo’s changing demographics and outlines a new set of goals and objectives moving forward.

Common Council President Bob Hayes spoke highly of the plan, spotlighting the influential role he expects it to play during local decision-making processes.

“It gives a template, a guide, and I hope the plan commission and the administration and the county, every time you should be grabbing that book and looking through it and saying, Does this coincide, jive with what we are trying to do? Does it take us in the direction of this plan?” said Hayes.

In an interview after the unanimous vote, Hayes specifically referenced the plan’s SWAT charts – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats – as an efficient guide for ways the city could improve itself.

Noting that the city needs to “leverage” its strengths and opportunities to overcome its weaknesses and threats, Hayes spoke mostly in generalities about the plan, saying it will put city officials on a course to further improving Kokomo.

“I think it’s a good plan,” he said. “And it dovetails into what we’ve done thus far. That’s the big thing. I’m looking at the word it says on there, comprehensive. I’m looking at the entire plan, and I’m just so pleased with the work we’re doing and the direction that plan will take us.”

Speaking to the council during its informational session was Rachel Uthe of American Structurepoint, the city’s consultant during the development of its comprehensive plan.

Asked about the plan, Uthe underlined its purpose, which establishes a vision for what city officials would like to see accomplished in the next 10 to 15 years in various areas.

“I think it’s right-sized for Kokomo,” she said.  “We were really particular with working with [Kokomo Plan Commission Executive Director Greg Sheline] and the committee on how far to take certain ideas,” she said. “The plan is intended to be a guide, but not a step-by-step roadmap that binds anyone or obligates certain projects.”

While copies of the new plan are not yet available to local media, it was discussed thoroughly at a recent Kokomo Plan Commission meeting, in large part by another American Structurepoint representative.

As noted, specific categories focused on in this year’s comprehensive plan include growth and development; community services; community identity; downtown; economic and workforce development; land use; and environmental and natural resources.

Also included are transportation and circulation; neighborhoods; parks and recreation; plan implementation; tourism and events; and utility infrastructure.

In comparison, issues generated in 2001 included the need for expansion of recycling, maintenance of vacant buildings and lots, regulation of signs and billboards and a focus on small business development.

Over the last 15 years, many of those concerns shaped public policy, including the lowering of signage, the curbside recycling program and the blight elimination program.

In effect, a comprehensive plan is a “strategic guide containing policy statements for effective decision-making in both private development projects and community expenditures for the public good,” according to the city’s project overview.

And while developing the plan, American Structurepoint and city officials received input from numerous community stakeholders, each of whom provide differing strategies and goals for municipal development.

Those opinions and ideas came from people in the areas of education, workforce development, parks and recreation, housing and real estate, transportation, government and numerous other sectors, along with the general public.

One issue discussed throughout the plan’s development and in multiple public meetings was the abundance of auto industry employees who commute to Kokomo from Hamilton County or Indianapolis.

It is estimated that Kokomo receives roughly 9,000 commuters each day, a point Sheline said was addressed with local auto manufacturing officials.

“That’s a big part of the plan,” said Sheline during a plan commission meeting when addressing concerns by member Lisa Rink. “As you said, we have a lot of people who live outside the community and drive here to work.

“And part of the plan and the hope of not only the plan but the [city] administration is to provide the housing and the amenities to get those folks to come here and live in Kokomo.”

It’s important to understand, however, that simply because a consensus has been reached on an issue doesn’t mean a solution is guaranteed, said Sheline in a previous interview.

In addition, a comprehensive plan – which must follow Indiana code requirements on land use, public ways and more – is “not the only piece of the decision-making process,” and “is not the solution for all of the community’s challenges,” as noted in the project overview.

Instead, it is a guide for how the community should move forward in the best of circumstances.

“Keep in mind, all the comprehensive plan basically is, simply put, it’s a wish list,” said Sheline. “It’s a list of things that obviously if we have the time, if we have the money - it’s all about money - this is the plan, this is how we want to move the city forward.

“If you look back, a lot of the objectives that were in the original plan in 2001, a lot of those have been met.”