[Virtual Panel] Infrastructure Week: Comprehensive Plan Panel

Description

What impact does the comprehensive planning process have on our community?  Why is public involvement important?  Why are comprehensive plans important for economic development? 

A comprehensive plan is a long-range plan for an area which captures the vision of where the community wants to be at some point in the future.  Comprehensive planning is usually updated every 10 years.  County Commissioner Sean Sikora hosts a facilitated conversation with entities engaged in comprehensive planning this year. The session will be followed by Q&A.

Panelists:

• Bill Austin, Executive Director, Morgantown Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization
• Andrew Gast-Bray, Director of Planning, Monongalia County Commission
• Russ Rogerson, President & CEO, Morgantown Area Partnership
• Rickie Yeager, Director of Development Services, City of Morgantown 
• Mike Rutkowski, Matt Nookester, and Ron Sessoms, Consultants to MMMPO Transportation Plan

Moderated by Sean Sikora, Monongalia County Commissioner.

Participants will:

1. Learn about the comprehensive planning process, including prioritization, transportation, land use, and local government regulations and incentives.
2. Learn about public involvement, its impact, and how the public can participate.
3. Learn how comprehensive plans impact economic development.

Infrastructure Week is a national week of events; media coverage; and education and advocacy efforts to elevate infrastructure as a critical issue impacting all Americans. 

View all Infrastructure Week Events.

About Infrastructure Week Committee

Locally, Infrastructure Week is organized by the Morgantown Area Partnership’s Infrastructure Committee—a subcommittee of its Governmental Affairs Committee.  The Infrastructure Committee is comprised of an eclectic mix of Monongalia County professionals involved in government, law, utilities, private development, long-term planning, and more.  The Vision of the committee is to create both community awareness and action in support of our natural and man-made infrastructure so that it continues to serve as the foundation upon which our shared community can flourish for generations to come.  In 2021, the Chair of the Infrastructure Committee is Tony Faini—Attorney, Steptoe & Johnson PLLC.
 
As the Morgantown Area Partnership's primary focus regarding the infrastructure that serves as the building blocks for our local economy, the Infrastructure Committee works alongside business and government to echo the message of the national organization (United for Infrastructure) to educate the local public and policymakers about the importance of infrastructure to the local economy, workers, and the community.  To that end, throughout the week of May 10th through May 14th, 2021, there will be several virtual events to take part in under the overall theme of "Infrastructure Planning for the Future."