Tuesday, July 22, 2014

It’s Done!...Or is it just the beginning?

It’s done!  After four years of hard work, countless meetings, and input from hundreds of Treasure Valley residents, Communities in Motion 2040 (CIM 2040) was adopted by the COMPASS Board of Directors on Monday, July 21, 2014.

I’d like to thank everyone who dedicated their valuable time to help make CIM 2040 a reality. Staff from COMPASS member agencies spent numerous hours sharing professional expertise, reviewing data and technical information, and providing input on plan drafts.

I’d also like to extend a special “thank you” to those members of the CIM 2040 Planning Team and CIM Leadership Team who were not COMPASS member agency staff. These team members represented elements we had not addressed in CIM before – housing, economic development, farmland, and more – and brought valuable new expertise to help COMPASS develop a plan that takes a broader look at the future of the valley.

Now what?

Our staff will take a big, deep breath, then continue to the next phase of planning. Initially, three things will happen in tandem:

1. The CIM 2040 document will be finalized and a companion summary document will be prepared. Both of these will be printed, distributed, and posted to the COMPASS website. Please let COMPASS know (info@compassidaho.org) if you would like a hard copy of the full plan or the summary and we’ll make sure you get one when they are available.

2. We will continue the planning process by beginning to work on the update to CIM 2040: CIM 2045. In fact, some of the behind-the-scenes work on this has already begun. CIM 2045 is anticipated to keep the same goals and vision for growth as CIM 2040, but will update the financial forecast, growth allocations, and transportation needs based on changes that have occurred since they were developed for CIM 2040.
 
3. Most importantly, we will be implementing the plan. This plan was developed to be used as a guide and a decision-making tool, not simply to fulfill a requirement and then gather dust.
Implementation will take several forms. First, COMPASS and others will begin work on specific tasks that have been identified to help meet plan goals. I’ll discuss some of these specific projects in upcoming blog posts.

Second, COMPASS will be monitoring performance and providing feedback to COMPASS member agencies and other stakeholders through our performance monitoring report, development review checklist, and online dashboard. This will help us track progress to see if our collective actions are in line with the plan and moving the proverbial “needle” in the right direction. This performance information will also feed into CIM 2045. 

Finally, we will continue to work with our member agencies as they implement projects funded through the CIM implementation grants. The cities of Kuna, Melba, and Middleton received grants in FY2014; learn about their projects here and see what great things are already happening to implement CIM 2040.


Implementation of any long-range plan will never be complete; it is a process. There will always be new opportunities and new challenges as we forge our way ahead. I hope you’ll stay engaged as we move forward and our local communities continue to be “Communities in Motion.”

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Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho

COMPASS is the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization responsible for transportation planning in Ada and Canyon Counties. The COMPASS Board comprises 39 members representing the cities, counties, highway districts, educational institutions, state agencies, and other entities within the two counties. COMPASS plays an important role in making decisions about future long-range transportation needs in the Treasure Valley, taking into consideration environmental and economic factors that affect the quality of life.