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Development of the 1990 Plan was recommended in 1984 by the Planning Commission's Future Directions Committee which saw that the existing plan was severely outdated. Development of the Plan for Warren County and the City of Bowling Green was funded by those member governments over a two year period beginning in July, 1988.
The methodology used in developing the Comprehensive Plan has been both simple and logical, namely:
First Step - Citizens were asked what they thought about the County, what they liked or disliked, what they would like to see happen, and what they would not like to see happen. They were also asked what they were willing to pay for and what they would not fund. This was done throughout the process in the following ways:
 Community meetings were held during each phase of the plan preparation. The first set of meetings were held from the Fall of 1988 through the Spring of 1989 and were attended by 140 citizens. The second set of meetings were held in January and February of 1990 and were attended by 88 citizens. The third set of meetings were held in June of 1990 and were attended by 103 citizens. The final set of meetings were held in November of 1990 and were attended by 270 citizens. The first of these meetings was held with a diversity of interest groups involving not only county residents, but also one meeting with leaders from surrounding counties. The last three meetings were conducted on a neighborhood basis to insure as much citizen participation as possible.
Community surveys were conducted in March of 1989 with responses by 675 persons.
Second Step - Base line information was developed of past and current conditions, current and future trends, as well as strengths and weaknesses or problem areas. This work was documented in the numerous technical reports prepared by seventeen experts in various fields.
Existing trends and projections of possible future happenings were examined. Again this was documented by the technical reports.
Third Step - In order to insure citizen involvement in the Comprehensive Plan, a Citizens Task Force of 22 persons was appointed. The Task Force was charged with ensuring that the Plan reflected the goals and objectives of the community and that it represented a realistic means to reach those goals and objectives. The Task Force began its work in May, 1989. Since then, the Task Force membership has contributed more than 1,000 hours to the planning process. As an initial step in the process, the task force developed a vision statement. This vision statement represented a statement of where the County wants to be in the future.
Fourth Step - What was needed to realize the Warren County envisioned in the vision statement was determined. This was presented in the Policy Plan, the preparation of which was overseen by the Task force and reviewed by numerous citizens throughout the County.
Fifth Step - How to achieve the vision statement for Warren County was outlined. This report represents that effort and has been reviewed by citizens, elected officials, and administrators of the various departments and special districts who would be responsible for implementation. |
