An opinion by the Board of Directors of 1000 Friends of Wisconsin

As one of the lead organizations that worked to enact Wisconsin’s pioneering comprehensive planning law (“Smart Growth), we were shocked and dismayed by the recent action of the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee to eliminate the program and terminate local planning assistance funding. This politically short-sighted action works against the future health of our state’s communities and the desires of our citizens.

Former Secretary of Administration Mark Bugher recently defended Smart Growth, noting, “This was a classic example of Republicans and Democrats, environmentalists and business people working together on a problem facing this state. It was one of the most important pieces of legislation passed by the Thompson administration, real landmark land use legislation.”

We urge the Legislature and citizens across the Badger State to fight efforts to repeal the comprehensive planning law and to insure continued funding.

Planning is a process to improve community decision-making in managing change. Planning doesn’t predict the future or eliminate the inevitable surprises of tomorrow and beyond, but through gathering data, analysis, and citizen participation, planning provides a better understanding of where we’ve been and what future courses of action communities can choose to pursue. We’re dismayed that the Joint Finance Committee would undermine the ability of communities across the state to look ahead and plan for their future development. After all, most of us plan individually and as families. And if any major corporation didn’t have a corporate vision and plan for the future, they’d be taken to task by shareholders!

Planning opens up the arena where development decisions are made – bringing more citizens into the process and allowing the decision-making process to be more democratic and transparent. Meaningful planning allows the public to fully participate in issues that may generate significant controversy. No one should be surprised that addressing issues like affordable housing, gridlocked transportation systems, sprawl development, and protection of our natural heritage is contentious. But the end result of good planning is better decisions, healthier communities, and civic engagement in decisions affecting the future well-being of the entire community.

Without sound public land use planning, the name of the game is “developers’ choice”! Interestingly, many leading voices in the development community supported the 1999 comprehensive planning legislation because it leads to stronger communities, healthier economies, and more certainty and guidance regarding their investment decisions.

Planning is all about addressing changes, and our communities and landscape have been changing dramatically as we grow. Woodrow Wilson once said “If you want to make enemies, try to change something!” – so we should expect planning for future changes in our communities to be controversial. The resultant public dialog is essential if we want to learn from past actions and bring forethought and public engagement to the many complex decisions that will over time affect our own lives, and the vitality of our communities and state.

The 1999 planning legislation required citizen participation throughout the process. It provided a comprehensive framework for local plans, but left great flexibility to communities regarding how to address their most important issues. By requiring that local units of government formally adopt the plan and make local land-use decisions consistent with the plan, it gave meaning to the planning efforts of the community to chart its future. And the law fostered much-needed improved intergovernmental communication and coordination to address the many significant land use and development issues that spill over local jurisdictional boundaries.

To date, over 40% of Wisconsin communities have been writing plans to guide their future development. Many of the state’s grants to assist the process have gone to local units planning jointly and working together to address their shared future. This locally-led program, encouraged by the state funding, has helped rural and urban units from across the state tackle tough future development issues. This relatively modestly-funded program is not only good for Wisconsin, it’s essential.

It’s time for citizens and local officials to act like the future of our state depends on it...because it does! Contact your legislator and tell them to restore all provisions of the Comprehensive Planning Law and the local assistance funding that helps it work. 1000 Friends of Wisconsin believes that while we can “learn from doing” and make improvements to the law, the actions of a few extremist legislators to subvert our state’s abilities to address the challenges of the future must be reversed. Please act now!

1000 Friends of Wisconsin Action Fund                1000 Friends of Wisconsin

Steve Born, President                                                                        Meagan Yost, President

Gaurie Rodman, Treasurer                                                              Jay Tappen, Vice President

Walter John Chilsen, Secretary                                                     Kine Torinus, Secretary

Arlen Christenson, Immediate Past President                             Juli Aulik, Immediate Past President

David Cieslewicz                                                                                 Jim Arts

Emily Earley                                                                                         Dan Masterpole

Kristine Euclide                                                                                  Elizabeth Meyer

Karl Hakanson                                                                                    Brian Ohm

Steve Hiniker                                                                                      Glenn C. Reynolds

Harold “Bud” Jordahl                                                                       Jeanie Sieling

Bill Lindsay                                                                                         Kim Verhein

Gerd Zoller