Fitchburg Equity Committee Meeting on Comprehensive Plan Engagement – August 26, 2026

The Equity Committee met on August 26, 2026, at 5:17 PM to discuss the community engagement plan for the city's comprehensive plan update. City planners Deanna Schmidt and Brad Simple presented the timeline, phases, and proposed outreach methods. Committee members provided extensive feedback on how to ensure equitable participation, particularly for marginalized communities. The meeting also included a current events update on Hispanic Heritage Month programming. No formal votes were taken; the committee offered guiding recommendations for staff to incorporate.

Discussion Items

• Comprehensive Plan Update Overview: Brad Simple explained that the comprehensive plan is updated every 10 years to comply with state statute and reflect changing community priorities. The current update began in phase one (project initiation and community engagement plan development) and is expected to take about two years. The plan covers housing, land use, development, community facilities, transportation, sustainability, and more. Five phases were outlined: initiating the project/community engagement (phase one), community visioning (phase two), growth framework/scenario modeling (phase three), implementation policies (phase four), and drafting/adoption (phase five). A consultant, Housey Levine, has been contracted; the city received nine proposals.
• Community Engagement Challenges: Committee members emphasized that traditional outreach (websites, surveys) often fails to reach those most impacted by policies. Barriers include language, transportation, childcare, work schedules, safety concerns (particularly for immigrant/refugee communities in the current climate), and survey fatigue. Members stressed the importance of going to where people already gather rather than expecting them to come to city hall.
• Strategies for Inclusive Outreach: Suggestions included: partnering with schools (e.g., Leopold Elementary), churches, cultural organizations, and trusted community health workers; holding pop-up events at existing community gatherings (e.g., school dinners, farmers markets, movie nights); using DIY workshop kits for community organizations; working with alders to engage constituents in their districts; providing multilingual materials and interpreters, especially Spanish; ensuring anonymity in surveys to protect vulnerable populations; and establishing a feedback loop so participants see how their input is used. Specific events mentioned: community dinner at Hothahochi, Redeemer City Church Festival, Southdale Movie in the Park, and the senior center lunch-and-learn programs.
• Phase Three Open House Planning: For the growth framework and scenario modeling open house, members suggested using engaging visuals like videos rather than static maps, offering food, and making the event family-friendly to attract broader attendance. They also recommended providing clear explanations of maps and using the video as a shareable social media tool.
• Current Events: Janice Hughes announced two speakers for Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15–October 15): Joe Maldonado speaking on "Growing Up Puerto Rican in Wisconsin" and Aureli Estrada on Hispanic history and culture, both as part of the senior center lunch-and-learn series.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes or motions were taken; the committee provided guidance for staff to incorporate into the community engagement plan.
• Next meeting is scheduled for September 23, 2026.
• Committee recommendations will be used to refine the engagement plan, which must be adopted by the city council. Staff will continue pop-up outreach and seek additional partners, including the healthy neighborhoods navigators and Allied Wellness Center community health workers.