City of Ottumwa 2040 Comprehensive Plan

Comprehensive plans are guiding documents for growth. They are designed to assist communities in decision-making on activities and subject areas that affect local government. They cover a wide set of topics ranging from land use, to parks, to natural sources, or infrastructure. The Our Ottumwa Comprehensive Plan describes a vision for the future in Ottumwa and identifies an implementation strategy for the community to reach a desired community vision. The Our Ottumwa Comprehensive Plan addresses the needs of Ottumwa through the year 2040 and beyond. Goals and action items have been identified that will help the city navigate decision-making for the next twenty years.

Comprehensive Plans are built on an extensive existing conditions analysis to determine what is working well and what improvements are needed. Additionally, future demand estimates for personnel, facility space and land needs are calculated to set level of service goals. The existing conditions assessment is then followed by a robust public engagement strategy designed to receive feedback from a diverse set of community stakeholders. The engagement exercises provide an opportunity for a community to hear directly from its residents on issues regarding quality of life and desires for the future. The results of the existing conditions analysis can be found throughout the plan while the public participation efforts are described in detail in Chapter 3.

The Our Ottumwa Comprehensive Plan includes goals, policies and action items meant to guide the city through the year 2040. This roughly twenty-year plan, however, should not remain stagnate over the next 5, 10 or 15 years. Annually, the city should review the implementation plan to evaluate progress on the various action items and to determine if changes are needed. Every five years, the city should review the entire plan to see if there any amendments that should be made to the report, including the Future Land Use Plan.

The City of Ottumwa should use this plan as a reference for decisionmaking, a marketing tool for development, a detailed source of existing conditions and a summary of the community's feedback on key issues. When a development proposal, re-zoning or ordinance is proposed, leadership should refer to the recommendations in this plan to help guide them. If components of the plan no longer represent the community or its vision, then that part of the plan should be amended.

Ottumwa’s last Comprehensive Plan was completed in 2001 with revisions made in 2014. Since then, the demographics and economy of Ottumwa have experienced a significant amount of change. The Our Ottumwa Comprehensive Plan addresses the changing demographics and economic conditions in the community and has created a strategy for Ottumwa to retain its identity as a regional hub with quality manufacturing jobs and plenty of access to nature.

Download Complete Comprehensive Plan Here!