Ironwood aims to start work on new 20-year plan

IRONWOOD — The city of Ironwood Planning Commission approved a request for proposals from planning consultants to initiate a new 20-year plan for the city, and will next get the request approved by the city commission, said community development director Michael Brown.

Ironwood’s last 20-year plan was written in 1982, with updates in 2000, said Brown. The landscape and economy have changed since then, Brown said.

The goal in a 20-year plan is to get the public’s input as much as possible. For example, a community visioning session with local residents may be a component of developing the plan, said Brown. Other tools often used by planning consultants include online surveys, mailed surveys, or the development of a specific website for the public to provide input and get updates on the project.

Brown said that by late September or early October, a consultant should be in place to begin the process.

Another endeavor Brown, along with the city’s economic development corporation, with the assistance of Bob Jacquart, CEO of Jacquart Fabric Products, is a mentoring program for local business owners and entrepreneurs. “It’s an opportunity to learn from others’ mistakes,” said Brown.

The program will match experts with newer business owners in a wider area, not just the city of Ironwood, said Brown. “The EDC wants to include everybody, in a more holistic approach,” said Brown. “Whether it’s Wakefield, Bessemer, Hurley or Ironwood, it affects all of us in the area.”

For more information, contact Brown at 906-932-5050, ext. 126.