Applications for the Growth Policy Steering Committee are now open until April 12th at 5pm. The committee will be made up of members of the community to provide feedback and input to the city throughout each step of the creation of their Growth Policy Plan.
The Growth Policy Plan is the city’s plan for the next 20 years. This plan is typically created once every five to ten years, however the city of Great Falls has not done it since 2013. The city will be embarking on this massive planning effort this year and will also be bringing on a consultant to help.
Of the Policy Steering Committee, the city’s Planning and Community Development Director Brock Cherry explains, ”What this body of residents is intended to do is to represent a broad spectrum of what makes Great Falls, Great Falls, and also provide expertise in certain areas - from housing to the environment to business, to just your general citizen concerns. We hope that many people apply and seek to take part in it."
The city works on a new growth policy plan about every five to ten years, however this is the first since 2013. The effort will take approximately 24 months, with committee members expected to dedicate one to two hours per month to the process.
If you are not selected for the steering committee, but still want to be involved in the Growth Policy Plan, Cherry explains there will be other opportunities, “We're going to have multiple events where we come out to engage the public. There's going to be surveys. We're going to reach out to specific groups. So even if you're not involved in this, there are ways to make sure your fingerprints are left on that growth policy."
For information on how to apply to become part of the committee, click here.
