Bluffs Considers MAPPING Program, Board Weighs Community Planning Vote
Village leaders in Bluffs heard a presentation on a long running rural planning program and are expected to vote next month on whether to enroll, a decision that could shape local priorities for housing, education and childcare. The board also set plans for holiday events and swore in a new member, matters that affect community life and civic participation.
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Bluffs village officials on Saturday considered whether to join a decades old rural planning initiative that offers structured community visioning and goal setting, a move officials say could direct future local development efforts. Gisele Hamm, program director at the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University in Macomb, presented the institute's Management and Planning Programs Involving Nonmetropolitan Groups, known as MAPPING, to the village board as members weigh participation at an estimated cost of $3,186.
MAPPING began in 1991 as a way to help rural communities generate ideas and make decisions that support economic and community development. The program now works with more than 160 communities in 65 counties, typically in places with smaller populations, and is built around a volunteer driven community steering committee. That committee asks where the community is now, where residents want it to be and how to move forward. Committee members then identify high priority goals based on local focus areas such as housing, education and child care, and they develop action plans to reach those goals.
For Bluffs, the program represents an opportunity to marshal volunteer energy and local knowledge into concrete steps that address immediate needs and longer term sustainability. Participation would require modest financial commitment from the village and a willingness among residents to serve on the steering committee and help implement the plan. The board is scheduled to vote on whether to proceed at its next regular meeting.
Beyond planning, the board addressed a suite of seasonal activities intended to boost community engagement and bring families together. Santa in the Park is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 29 at Lewis Park. The event will feature Santa arriving by fire truck, wagon rides, food and local vendors. The board also approved a village Christmas party for Dec. 3 and a community Christmas lights contest decided by popular vote, with prizes of one hundred dollars for first place, fifty dollars for second place and twenty five dollars for third place. Ballots for the lights contest will be included with water bills to encourage wide participation.
The board concluded its meeting by swearing in Molly Brockhouse, who replaces Tim Welch after his resignation due to illness. The change in membership comes as the village considers both the future direction of local development and the stewardship of community traditions.
If the board approves enrollment in MAPPING next month, Bluffs would join a network of rural communities using structured planning to set priorities and coordinate volunteer efforts. For residents, the decision will influence how local needs are identified and addressed, and how community members can participate in shaping the village's next chapter.
