Here’s another hopeful example of regional cooperation…
“I wanted to note that Gratiot County, Michigan has over 20 local units of government working together on a joint countywide master plan,” writes Chelsey Foster, in response to our post last week about the Grand Traverse region’s long-range community planning process. “This is the first master plan of its kind in Michigan, with the county, cities, villages, and townships all sitting at the same table to develop one master plan that will address the individual aspirations and concerns of each unit, but in the overall context of the County. The group recently was awarded the Partnerships for Change: Sustainable Communities Large-Scale Grant from Traverse City-based Land Information Access Association.”
Gratiot County sits right in the middle of the state, on the road between Lansing and Mt. Pleasant. Click for more about what they call the “GREAT” plan…
“Gratiot County leaders realize that the future of the community is in their hands and that multi-jurisdictional cooperation is essential. For instance, traffic doesn’t stop at political boundaries and shoppers and commuters cross township, city and village lines without blinking. Air, water and wildlife also flow continuously past these dividing lines. From farmlands to downtown districts, shared cultural and natural resources need to be addressed from the perspective of the larger community. For this reason, the townships, cities, and villages of Gratiot County have teamed with each other and with Partnerships for Change – Sustainable Communities to develop the Gratiot Regional Excellence and Transformation (GREAT) Plan, a county-wide master plan that is written and adopted by all of the participating local jurisdictions. This level of inter-jurisdictional cooperation is groundbreaking in Michigan – we believe this document will be the first of its kind!
“Partnerships for Change – Sustainable Communities is a program that provides grants of professional planning support and technical assistance to townships, cities and villages for cooperative efforts that contribute to the preservation of cultural and natural resources. The Partnerships for Change – Sustainable Communities program is managed by LIAA and sponsored by the Michigan Townships Association, Michigan Municipal League, Michigan Association of Planning, and Michigan State University Extension.”
