The City of Jasper formally launched a citywide Comprehensive Plan initiative in mid-September 2025, opening a public survey and a series of outreach activities designed to shape the city’s next multi-year land use and development strategy. The initial public input phase, which included in-person and online engagement, concluded with the survey’s close on October 31, 2025.

City announcements posted September 15-16 and subsequent local media coverage confirmed the start of the update to Jasper’s 2019 plan. Project materials and local reporting indicate the process is staffed by the City of Jasper’s Community Development and Planning office, with Future iQ serving as the consultant managing the update. Notable municipal figures associated with the effort include Mayor Dean Vonderheide and Josh Gunselman, Director of Community Development and Planning, while Andrew Crozier is identified in project materials as a likely consultant.

The outreach timeline included social media engagement and meeting notices designed to broaden participation. On September 25, an Instagram post highlighted residents sharing visions for Jasper’s future and referenced Director Gunselman. A September 27 Facebook group post shared an agenda for an October planning meeting that focused on alternative future scenarios for the city. Local reporting on October 18 in the Dubois County Herald emphasized the ongoing need for widespread community input to ensure the plan reflects resident priorities.

The update covers core planning areas that affect daily life for Jasper and greater Dubois County residents: land use and zoning, infrastructure such as roads and utilities, housing and affordability, transportation networks, parks and recreation, and protection of environmental assets. City materials characterize the effort as a foundation for decisions that could influence job creation through targeted economic development, the location and cost of housing, and investments in quality-of-life amenities. For a largely rural county where Jasper is the largest municipality, those decisions can have outsized effects on regional growth patterns and municipal service demands.

Officials and consultants framed the initiative as an opportunity to collect broad resident perspectives before drafting policy recommendations, though specific outcomes and schedules for subsequent meetings beyond the initial feedback window were not finalized in the material reviewed. The review noted that additional verification is needed for dates and results of any follow-up meetings after October 31, including possible November sessions or community workshops that would inform plan drafting in late 2025 and 2026.

Residents interested in the planning process should consult the City of Jasper’s official website, the event calendar, and Future iQ’s project updates for confirmed meeting dates and published materials. As the city moves from public input to policy formulation, the choices made in the updated Comprehensive Plan will shape development priorities in Jasper and influence broader economic and environmental outcomes for Dubois County.