By Sara StrongThe Luverne City Council agreed with the Planning Commission that the city needs a new Comprehensive Plan.The Council set a spending cap at just less than $50,000 and directed Interim City Administrator Jeff Haubrich to negotiate the contract for writing the Comprehensive Plan.The city will be working with the Minneapolis-based Hoisington Koegler Group to create a new plan.Mayor Glen Gust said, "Ten years ago, it was half this price."He hoped the firm would negotiate a decreased price from its first estimate. The city is paying for the plan this year because in the next couple years, state aid to cities is expected to decline even more, and there might not be room in the budgets.The Comprehensive Plan could deal with everything from a lack of space for new business growth to city sprawl around the new hospital and clinic.Cities with good planning generally have consistent appearances, with a natural flow among business, industrial and residential areas. The city of Luverne has granted variances and changed zones and given conditional use permits that don’t fit in with the plan that was written 10 years ago. The Planning Commission has previously said that it’s important for the city to better follow through with intentions this time around.Councilman David Hauge said, "Hopefully, if we spend this money, people will read this, not give so many variances just to be nice."Councilman Pat Baustian is also on the Planning Commission. He said, "It’s a community document and the citizens have input for the direction this will take. The Comprehensive Plan better be the first thing we look at when anything comes up — from elected official to elected official."Part of creating the plan involves public input so the community’s wishes will be included.
