City Plan Process
The City Plan process is divided into three phases.

PHASE 1: VISIONING (began fall 2003)

Phase I began in the fall of 2003 and involved the development of a 20 year vision for the future. In September of 2003, Mayor Luecke appointed a 50 member Civic Alliance, a group of citizens, to oversee the public process. Community Outreach, the first round of public meetings, engaged the community in visioning exercises. The results of these meetings were recorded by a professional facilitator in a report: Elements of a Vision for South Bend. These results were presented back to the community in another round of Report Back meetings in February 2004. City staff worked with the Civic Alliance and drafted the 20 year vision statement for South Bend: Envision South Bend in 2025… The Common Council approved the Vision, by resolution, on May 10, 2004 ending Phase I. Phase I also helped identify 12 topic areas that would be the focus of further research and discussion in the rest of the City Plan process.

PHASE 2: ANALYSIS; SETTING GOALS & POLICIES (began summer 2004)

In Phase II, Alliance members organized into seven Panels, dealing with the topic areas. During the Report Back meetings, participants identified current issues which could prevent the community’s vision from being realized. The Panels and City staff used this information to create a list of stakeholders to meet with or survey over the course of the next several months.

The first product of Phase II will be a report (Current Conditions Report) outlining the major issues that face South Bend from physical, design and social capital perspectives. In addition to current issues, this extensive document contains facts that support these issues, strengths that will help overcome them and the benefits of addressing these issues.

The Current Conditions Report, along with other research, will form the basis for the next round of community meetings. Input from these meetings will be used in the development of future goals and general policies for achieving them. The first draft of City Plan is expected to be complete by December 2005.

PHASE 3: PUBLIC REVIEW

Once the City Plan draft is completed, it will be taken to the public for review in the early part of 2006. Based on public feedback, a revised draft will be submitted to the Area Plan Commission and other legislative bodies for approval and adoption in the fall of 2006.