Why public meetings?

Public meetings help ensure the City of Elwood’s growth and development reflect residents’ shared vision for the city’s future. There will be five public meetings for the Elevate Elwood planning process during the next few months, which will culminate in the final public hearing for the draft plan before the planning team submits it to the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) for review. Remember: OCRA provided grant funding for the Elevate Elwood 2035 Plan. For a refresher on how the plan is being funded, visit the How is the plan being funded? blog post.

Generally, traditional public meetings entail the planning team giving presentations and facilitating discussions about a community’s options for future growth and development. These meetings typically occur in a town hall setting on a weeknight, but we will strive to break out of the mold. Traditional public meetings will always be part of the planning process; however, we have found that these meetings attract select population groups. Everyone’s input is valuable, and we try to reach all population groups to better represent the city’s diverse opinions. Furthermore, the Elevate Elwood public meetings will be unique compared to traditional ones, because there will be fun activities that people of all ages can participate in. Citizens will be able to offer their input in more creative, abstract ways than a presentation or discussion format.

Details for the upcoming Elevate Elwood public meetings are still in the works, but you can expect the first one to occur in mid-July. Stay tuned into the Events page and the City of Elwood Facebook page for more details!