IMPLEMENTATION:

The State of Wisconsin planning legislation requires that the Implementation Element describe how each of the required elements will be integrated and made consistent with the other elements of the plan.

 

Since the beginning of 2019, Village of Edgar began modernizing their Ordinances.  Although this process has not been finalized, the concept of these have been incorporated into this Comprehensive Plan (pending final approval and publishing). It is noted that some overlap naturally exists between the nine plan elements. Where deemed appropriate, goals, objectives, and actions have been repeated under all applicable elements to ensure they do not get “lost”.

This Comprehensive Plan also references previous and concurrent related planning efforts (e.g., LRTP, Groundwater Study) to ensure they are considered in planning decisions in conjunction with the recommendations of this Plan. Summary descriptions of recent and concurrent planning efforts are provided in the Conditions and Issues Report. Recommendations from other plans have been summarized and incorporated in this plan as deemed appropriate, to foster coordination and consistency between plans. Some related plans, such as the Marathon County Hazard Mitigation Plan, are incorporated by reference in this plan and are essentially considered appendices of this plan even though they are separate documents. Appendix E provides a bibliography of other plans and studies relevant to comprehensive planning.

Action Plan

The table below provides a detailed list of major actions to complete to implement this comprehensive plan. It compiles the major short, mid, and long-term priorities described in each of the nine plan elements. It also identifies the parties that will play key roles in implementing the actions.

Table 12-2 is intended to be used by local officials in setting priorities for capital budgeting and project assignment. It is expected that this table will be reviewed annually and revised, as necessary, to respond to changing priorities, financial limitations, and other unforeseen events. It should be noted that many of the actions require considerable cooperation with others, including the citizens of Edgar, committees, and other local/county/state agencies.

Priority ranking is defined as follows:

• Immediate = ASAP
• Short-term = one to four years
• Mid-term = five to nine years
• Long-term = ten plus years
• On-going = current activities that should continue indefinitely

Table 12-2: Implementation Plan Actions

Action	Who is responsible?	Priority
Natural Resources Actions
Work with surrounding towns to develop a wellhead protection plan	Plan Commission	Immediate
Work with surrounding towns to identify conservancy areas that flow between communities	Village Board	Immediate
Develop a long-range parks and open space plan	Edgar Park Commission	Finalized (see Appendix E)
Apply for WDNR grant funds for park enhancements	Village Board	Long-term
Land Use Actions
Meet with surrounding towns to develop a regional growth strategy	Plan Commission	Short-term
Discuss the development of a regional tax base sharing program with surrounding towns	Village Board	Short-term
Support the Marathon County incubator farm and mentoring program	Village Board	Ongoing
Develop joint land use plans with the surrounding towns	Plan Commission	Immediate
Transportation Actions
Continue to utilize the PASER evaluation to budget for road maintenance and upgrades	Village Board	Ongoing
Continue to research and study chip seal, bituminous, and sub-base alternatives to determine the most effective way to maintain village streets. Use traffic counts as part of this study	Village Board	Short-term
Develop a sidewalk policy to apply to developed areas	Village Board & Plan Commission	Immediate
Utilities Actions
Identify industries that the Village would like to attract that would use the Village utilities	Village Board	Short-term
Begin preliminary planning and budgeting for the installation of an air stripper to remove radon from the Village water supply	Village Board	Not Applicable
Housing Actions
Coordinate with Marathon County Housing Authority to develop affordable housing for low- and moderate- income residents	Village Board	Short-term
Coordinate with surrounding towns to preserve productive farmland and direct housing growth to the Village of Edgar	Village Board	Immediate
Cultural Resources Actions
Work with Marathon County and the State of Wisconsin to identify and preserve existing historic resources	Village Board	Ongoing
Community Facilities Actions
Increase cooperation and communication between members of local groups and the Village Board	Village Board	Immediate
Develop a plan to provide greater services to senior citizens, including affordable housing and assisted living	Village Board	Immediate
Parks and Recreation Actions
Direct the Edgar Park Commission to implement the Park Comprehensive Plan for the Village	Village Board	Short-term
Encourage local businesses to donate funds for the implementation of the Outdoor Park Comprehensive Plan	Village Board	Long-term
Utilize the Outdoor Park Comprehensive Plan to apply for WDNR funds to construct park facilities and acquire new park areas	Village Board	Long-term
Economic Development Actions
Outdoor Park Comprehensive Plan	Plan Commission	Immediate
Village Board to direct Plan Commission to develop an incentive policy to attract desired industries to the Village of Edgar	Village Board/Plan Commission	Short-term
Coordinate with existing businesses to ensure solvency, address needs	Village Board	Short-term
Develop an overall redevelopment plan to revitalize infrastructure in the CBD	Village Board	Immediate
Consider the creation of a Redevelopment Authority (RDA) or Community Development authority (CDA) to lead redevelopment and community development efforts	Village Board	Immediate
In cooperation with Marathon County, UW-Extension, and other neighboring communities, develop a regional plan to encourage enhancement and further development of the regional agricultural economy	Village Board	Short-term
Intergovernmental Cooperation Actions
Meet with surrounding towns to develop joint land use plans	Plan Commission	Immediate
Utilize the Village’s extraterritorial authority to review development that are proposed in the extra territorial area surrounding the Village	Plan Commission	Short-term
Meet with surrounding towns to develop intergovernmental agreements to direct growth to the Village of Edgar	Village Board	Short-term
Discuss a tax base sharing arrangement with surrounding towns	Village Board	Short-term
Meet with surrounding towns to develop a long-range corridor plan for the STH 29/CTH H corridor	Village Board / Plan Commission	Mid-term

 

 

 

 

Appendix A

State Comprehensive Planning Goals

Wisconsin Statutes 66.1001 requires that the goals, objectives, policies, and programs of local governmental units be consistent with the fourteen planning goals in the State planning legislation, which include:

1. Promote the redevelopment of lands with existing infrastructure and public services and the maintenance and rehabilitation of existing residential, commercial, and industrial structures.
2. Encourage neighborhood designs that support a range of transportation choices.
3. Protect natural areas, including wetlands, wildlife habitats, lakes and woodlands, open spaces, and groundwater resources.
4. Protect economically productive areas, including farmland and forests.
5. Encourage land uses, densities, and regulations that promote efficient development patterns and relatively low municipal, state government, and utility costs.
6. Preserve cultural, historic, and archaeological sites.
7. Encourage coordination and cooperation among nearby units of government.
8. Build community identity be revitalizing main streets and enforcing design standards.
9. Provide an adequate supply of affordable housing for all income levels throughout each community.
10. Provide adequate infrastructure and public services and a supply of developable land to meet existing and future market demand for residential, commercial, and industrial uses.
11. Promote the expansion or stabilization of the current economic base and the creation of a range of employment opportunities at the state, regional, and local levels.
12. Balance individual property rights with community interests and goals.
13. Plan and develop land use that creates or preserves varied and unique urban and rural communities.
14. Provide an integrated, efficient, and economical transportation system that provides mobility, convenience, and safety, which meets the needs of all citizens including transit-dependent and disabled.

 

Appendix B

Marathon County Guiding Principles

Participants in the Marathon County comprehensive planning process worked cooperatively, through several meetings with sub-area groups, to develop a set of guiding principles that describe broad characteristics of a desired future for their communities and Marathon County. The guiding principles consist of a series of statements that reflect shared values and priorities regarding future growth and development. These principles were used to provide a general frame of reference for developing local goals and objectives. The ten guiding principles include:

1. Respect Local Governance – Planning in Marathon County should build on local town, village, and city government as a system that is unique, has served residents well, and is a strong component of local identity.
2. Preserve Working Agriculture – Agriculture has been central to the culture and economy of Marathon County for over 100 years. Farming has been a way of life for generations of county residents and is fundamental to both community and individual identity. Efforts such as protecting prime farmland from development, exploring niche markets, and supporting cooperative practices can be implemented at the local level to help maintain and preserve working agriculture.
3. Maintain a Sense of Place – As Marathon County’s population grows and changes, communities will need to ensure that important physical features, buildings, and landscapes that exemplify their local identity are retained. These features provide a sense of heritage and continuity that contribute to a community’s identity and sense of place.
4. Preserve Rural Character – Shifts in the farm economy and urban expansion are altering the County’s rural landscape characterized by working farms, woodlands, rolling hills, marsh areas, and plentiful water bodies. As open spaces, farms, and woodlands are being lost or fragmented by development, Marathon County communities will need to make some important choices to preserve the qualities and character of the rural landscape.
5. Safeguard Natural Resources – Marathon County is graced with abundant natural resources including numerous rivers, wetlands, forests, and wildlife. Careful stewardship of natural resources is essential to protect against fragmentation and degradation and ensure these resources continue to contribute to the ecology, character, quality of life, and economy of Marathon County into the future.
6. Foster Managed Growth and Coordinated Development – Managing growth is important to ensure that no area is overwhelmed by development, land use conflicts are minimized, and development occurs in a quality manner that minimizes impacts on natural resources. Managing growth requires coordination of land uses and infrastructure, within and between communities, and recognizes that high quality growth in any one community will benefit surrounding communities as well.
7. Cost-effective and Efficient Provisions of Public Services – Marathon County residents are clear in their desire to keep local taxes reasonable. One of the most effective means to keep taxes under control is to ensure that public services are efficiently organized to provide the best service possible for the taxpayer dollar. Communities have a responsibility to provide the highest level of services possible given limited resources. To ensure cost-effective public services, local communities may want to consider options such as greater coordination, cost-sharing, and consolidation, if such efforts improve access to services and service delivery.
8. Build Social and Civic Capacity – Marathon County residents take pride in their long tradition of local government. Ideally, participation in community affairs embraces and builds upon the diversity of cultures and values present in the community. Providing opportunities to share ideas and participate in community decision-making is essential to building and maintaining a strong sense of local community.
9. Support Rural Service Centers – Rural centers are part of a web of services that support residents, give local identity, and are part of the rural way of life that residents want to preserve. Most villages in the County grew as centers to provide goods and services for nearby farmers but have evolved as rural activity centers including the local school, churches, and some goods and services. Just as city neighborhoods are stronger with nearby commercial services, rural areas are stronger with nearby villages that provide a central meeting place to connect with other rural residents. As more people more to rural areas, it makes sense to concentrate new development in areas that can efficiently provide utilities and other services.
10. Preserve and Enhance Local Tax Base – A strong tax base allows a community to deliver needed services to resident while helping to keep taxes low. Erosion of local tax base is a concern for many communities, often because of annexation, increases in public land ownership, and shifting economic markets. Efforts to attract additional revenue generators and coordinate with adjacent municipalities can help communities protect and preserve their local tax base.