City of Jasper invites residents to join online discussion for comprehensive plan

The City of Jasper is inviting its residents to participate in an online discussion forum designed to gather community input for the city’s long-range Comprehensive Plan.

The discussion boards allow residents to share ideas, respond to other community members, and help shape the priorities that will guide Jasper’s growth and development over the next decade. Topics include community growth, housing, connectivity, quality of life, and other key issues identified during the planning process.

The Comprehensive Plan update is a community-driven effort to establish a shared vision for Jasper’s future. Feedback gathered through the online discussions will help city leaders and planners better understand residents’ perspectives as the plan is developed.

The site, built and managed by Future iQ, a Minneapolis-based planning consultancy, serves as a central resource for residents, business owners, and other stakeholders to learn about the process, track its progress, and weigh in on key issues facing the community. Partner firms include WGI, Inc., an urban planning firm, and local consultant Stover & Associates.

At the heart of the platform are five “Strategic Pillars” that frame the planning effort: Community Fabric, City Growth, Connectivity and Collaboration, Workforce and Economic Development, and Quality of Life Amenities. Each pillar has its own dedicated discussion board where community members can post comments, ask questions, and share ideas — with the city committing to keep the conversation open to all viewpoints, including those critical of city policies.

“Community input is essential to creating a plan that reflects the goals and values of the people who live and work in Jasper,” says Josh Gunselman, Director of Community Development and Planning. “These discussion boards provide another convenient way for residents to engage with the process and with each other.”

Residents can review information about the planning process and join the conversation by visiting the project website and participating in the discussion boards. To participate, visit:
https://lab2.future-iq.com/jasper-comp-plan/discussion-boards/.

The site also serves as a living archive of the planning process. It also hosts results from a community survey — including interactive data visualizations — along with reports from a community Think-Tank and Future Summit, steering committee presentations, and a library of prior Jasper and Dubois County planning documents dating back to 2010. A regular newsletter is also available to keep subscribers updated on the process.

The overarching goal is to build a shared community vision for Jasper’s future by gathering broad public input before drafting the formal plan — ensuring that when decisions are made about growth, infrastructure, economic development, and quality of life, they reflect what residents actually want for their city.

The online discussion boards will remain open through March 31, 2026. Public input collected through the website will be combined with feedback from surveys, workshops, and other engagement activities as the City works toward completing the updated Comprehensive Plan.