MOUNT VERNON — A public hearing held Tuesday morning about updates to the Knox County Comprehensive Plan garnered no attention from county residents. No one showed up at the 10 a.m. session, held at the Board of Commissioners, to provide input or voice their opinion.
“The people that I thought would care the most are not here,” said Darrell Severns, secretary to the Regional Planning Commission, the body responsible for updating the plan. “It’s a shame. Once we try and start implementing some of this stuff, I’m sure we’ll get a reaction.”
One addition to the 2018 update under the quality of life section is the recommendation to study the possible implementation of residential building codes. The plan notes that the subject elicits a wide range of “very strong” opinions from a variety of stakeholders.
“Doing a study of the pros and cons, obviously that would be a big step to take,” said Commissioner Teresa Bemiller. “It doesn’t mean that we’re going to have [a building code], it just means we’re exploring the pros and cons.”
“We need to have a conversation about it,” said Severns. “If we just shut it down every time it comes up, we’re going to have to fight that fight thousands of times, and we won’t solve it.”
Severns said that most of the proponents for a building code are coming from the southwest area of the county. He has had conversations with people in the Centerburg area and told them there is nothing wrong with the Village of Centerburg creating a code for its jurisdiction.
The update also expands the sections relating to economics and workforce development, adding more goals, strategies, and statistics.
“There weren’t as many changes in the plan regarding the agriculture as there probably should be in the next one,” said Severns.
The cost of the update, $20,000, was underwritten by the Regional Planning Commission and the Area Development Foundation, $2,250 each; the Community Foundation of Mount Vernon and Knox County, $5,000; American Electric Power, $10,000; and grants, $500.
The last plan update was in 2012.
A second public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, June 26, at 5 p.m. in the commissioners’ conference room, 117 E. High St. A copy of the draft is online at regional planning and the county website.
