(PEORIA)…..From Chicago’s “exurbs” to the rural
towns and farm communities paving the
road
to
Springfield, from the suburbs
of
Peoria
to East St.
Louis, county
board members, elected officials and regional planners are working at every
level to address the issues that will define their communities in coming
decades. At the Third Annual Partners in Planning Conference in Peoria, Ill.,
taking place Thursday, Nov. 3 and Friday, Nov. 4, 2005, decision-makers and
experts will learn how current events are shaping statewide development and
share best practices, “Fueling the Future” for sensible growth in Illinois.
“The Partners in
Planning Conference is the most intensive learning opportunity in the state dedicated
to county land use, planning, and economic development issues,” said Frank
X. Heiligenstein, president of the Illinois Association of County Board Members,
an event co-sponsor.
“Peoria
will be a wonderful place to regroup and
generate ideas for our future.”
Sessions will focus on a range
of factors affecting community development, from recent legal and legislative
decisions (including Congress’ reauthorization of the federal surface
transportation bill and the Supreme Court’s eminent domain ruling) to natural
resources, such as wind power and water supplies. Local leaders and county board
members will learn what it takes to start a sustainable parks and recreation
program, how to use statistical data to inform their planning decisions, and why
some communities have begun studies of their groundwater supplies.
“Local and regional planning
and development officials alike should find the annual conference to be one of
the more informative and productive trips they invest in this year,” said Fred
Walker, executive director of a five-county regional planning and development
agency serving the South Central Illinois area and president of the Illinois
Association of Regional Councils, an event co-sponsor. “I strongly encourage
county leaders and community planners to participate.”
Most of the more than 200
expected attendees will come from regions throughout the state, primarily
outside of northeastern
Illinois
, indicating that pressure to manage
growth is spreading as rapidly as development. Several
Illinois
state agencies
will attend the conference, reinforcing the important role of planning in
guiding new growth and investments to support a healthy statewide economy.
“Communities
across
Illinois share many
of the same needs, among them good schools, a range of housing and
transportation options, and access to natural areas,”
said
MarySue
Barrett, president of the Metropolitan Planning Council and
co-chair of the Campaign for Sensible Growth, an event co-sponsor. “Both state
and local leaders can ensure we make the most of our limited resources and keep
Illinois
competitive by sharing innovative best practices in land use
planning.”
The conference is co-sponsored by the Campaign for
Sensible Growth, Illinois Association of County Board Members and Commissioners,
Illinois Association of County Zoning Officials, and the Illinois Association of
Regional Councils in conjunction with the Illinois Association of Resource
Conservation and Development Areas. It will be held at the Holiday Inn City
Centre, 500 Hamilton Blvd., Peoria, Ill. The conference kicks off with a
reception on the evening of Thursday, Nov. 3, followed by a full day
of speakers and seminars
on Friday, Nov. 4, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“County regional planning and
zoning is a complex and ever-changing field,” said Mike Reibel, Ogle County
Zoning Administrator and president of the Illinois Association of County Zoning
Officials, an event co-sponsor. “This conference will help county leaders and
staff stay informed and on the leading edge of information that is vital to
serving their jurisdictions.”
Confirmed to speak are leaders concerned about growth and
investment. They include Fred Abousleman, transportation director for the
National Association of Regional Councils, presenting on provisions of
SAFETEA-LU, the new federal transportation bill. Scott Goldstein, vice president
of policy and planning from the Metropolitan Planning Council and James Meuller,
associate at Holland and Knight, will discuss the implications of the Supreme
Court’s eminent domain case Kelo v. New London
. A moderated panel of
Opportunity Returns region managers and representatives including Todd Lee, East
Central Region, Steven Bois, Northern Stateline Region, John Whalen, North
Central Region, and John Gulley, Southern Region, will discuss accomplishments
of the region economies and plans for the future.
Other sessions
include:
- “The Tax Value of Windfarms” Windfarms are sprouting up
across Illinois as a source of clean, reliable energy, and a source of revenue
for the farmers on whose land the windmills are locating. More than ten
counties are now home to such windfarms. How do taxing bodies assess and tax
such facilities in their environs? This program will provide information on
the present “climate” of windfarms in Illinois and the tax value of these
structures.
- “Looking Ahead: Do You Have Enough Groundwater?” In light
of the recent drought, water issues have come to the forefront for
communities. Growth, in addition to traditional agricultural uses, has
increased demand for adequate supplies of clean water for drinking and other
purposes. Some counties have begun studies of their groundwater supplies,
others are asking if they should. A moderated panel will discuss water issues
throughout the state.
- “Improving Rural Public Transportation in Illinois ” For
years, access to transportation has created some serious obstacles for
residents of rural Illinois . Currently, 30 Illinois counties do not have
public transportation, and 12 counties only offer it in urban areas. With the
recent passage of the Rural Public Transportation Initiative, areas that
formally did not receive public transportation assistance from the state now
will be eligible to do so. Learn about operating assistance and how to create
a transportation delivery system in your area.
The Campaign for Sensible
Growth is an action-oriented coalition of 200 organizations working to promote
economic competitiveness in the northeastern
Illinois
region while protecting natural
resources. The statewide associations of county board members, zoning officials
and regional planning councils are the professional organizations for elected
and publicly appointed officials who are faced with planning decision making on
a regular basis. The Illinois Association of Resource Conservation and
Development Areas, under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
work for conservation within the state.
For more information about the
conference, contact
Ellen Shubart
,
Campaign for Sensible Growth, at eshubart@metroplanning.org or 312-863-6009, or
Kelly Murray, Illinois Association of County Board Members, at
iacbm@msn.com
or 217-528-5331. The conference is free
for working media.