From: Isle au Haut Comprehensive Plan Review and Implementation Committee (CPRIC)
To: Isle au Haut Community Members
Subject: September 2015 Update
Date: September 7, 2015
In 2012, the citizens of Isle au Haut and the State of Maine approved the Isle au Haut Comprehensive Plan. The plan addresses 13 critical areas, documenting town policies for each area and suggesting specific strategies for the town to focus on for its future health. Since the plan’s approval in 2012, few strategies have been implemented. Therefore, in June 2015, the selectmen approved the formation of the Isle au Haut Comprehensive Plan Review and Implementation Committee (CPRIC). The task of this committee is to review the existing plan and to work with the town in prioritizing which strategies to implement.
It has been just over 2 months since the Comprehensive Plan Review and Implementation Committee was formed. This will be the first of many updates to inform the community of our progress. Additional information can be found on the new Isle au Haut town website in the comprehensive planning section.
Our first meeting was on June 23, 2015, and we have met 5 additional times since then. These are the highlights of our progress:
- CPRIC members have reviewed the plan and determined that the plan approved by the town in 2012 is a good plan. We do not intend to rewrite the plan.
- The 2012 plan contains 89 actionable strategies, a few of which are duplicates. A summary of the policies and strategies for each of the 13 chapters can be found on the home page and CPRIC section of the town website. Hard copies are available to browse at the Island Store, Revere Memorial Library, and town hall reading room. Please take a few minutes to review this plan summary at your convenience.
- The committee’s primary focus is on implementing the 2012 plan’s strategies. 89 strategies represents a lot for a small community like ours, so the committee has begun to prioritize the strategies.
- To assist in prioritizing the strategies, the committee has created and launched a short survey to gauge the opinions and priorities of the community. Every one of the questions asked on this survey relates to at least one of the strategies in the 2012 comprehensive plan. The survey will be open to Isle au Haut community members through the end of September 2015. You can complete an online version of the survey here: http://goo.gl/forms/wErjYrYMXB Links to this survey are available on the home page of the town website and on the town Facebook group. For those without Internet access, hard copies of the survey are available at the Island Store. Please return completed hard copy surveys to the box at the store or to Meghan Cooper.
- The committee has launched a process to engage community members as we review each chapter of the plan. With your help, we hope to evaluate the thoroughness of each section and the respective implementation strategies. We hope that you will be open to participating in conversations about these chapters. We welcome your input at any of our meetings.
- By the end of September or early October, we plan to have a short list of 5-10 top priority strategies to share with the community.
Our next meeting is scheduled for Friday, September 18 at 5:30 PM at the Town Hall. All community members are welcome to attend any and all of our meetings. Together we can work toward a strong future for our island.