Municipal Planner of Matteson
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course
Professor’s Name
Date
Municipal Planner of Matteson
Introduction
A planner is a person who assists in the making of plans of development and evaluates the ideas. A planner acts as the doorkeeper as he is the one mainly in charge of determining the outcome of the development. Examples of planners include the municipal planners who are in charge of making short and long term goals for the use of land in cities. The village of Matteson is an example of a municipal planner, a development that is located in Illinois. Andre Ashmore was one of the village presidents who served in this position from 2009 to 2017. According to Andre, the role of a planner is critical in every development since he is in charge of crucial duties such as setting goals, tracking expenses, and making sure that the development is within its time frame. For one to become a successful planner, one can undertake courses such as urban planning degree courses and also be certified by the American Planning Association. Some of the skills and values that are important in a planner include being organized, have problem-solving skills, open-mindedness and should be visually oriented. There are several challenges that planners experience, which include being the conveyor of bad news most times, issues of cost, issues when dividing land, and other natural problems such as flooding.
Body
A planner has to be organized for a project to be successful since there will be an achievement of goals in less time when the planners are organized. Another skill considered is that the planner has to have skills in problem-solving. In development, various disagreements may arise between the stakeholders and the project developers and, therefore, the need for the planners to have skills that will help solve the issues to avoid the delay of the development. They must also be open-minded in that they are willing to take and consider new ideas that will promote the success of a project. To be visually oriented is an essential characteristic that a planner should have since the success of the development depends on achieving its vision.
The village of Matteson is known for a strong market for commercial, office and hotel development. Just like most developments, the concentration of Matteson is on enticing high-end value retailers to their village. As a result, more than 300 companies have invested in the development and call Matteson home (“Welcome to Matteson, IL,” 2020). Matteson also offers a tremendous suburban living as there are many shops, restaurants, apartments, business opportunities, and hotels all in one area. To become a resident of the village, one has to sign a sewer agreement, after which one is given a package for new residents, one that states the vendors of Matteson and also the services that will be offered. The village is comprised of many essential services that are provided but the police department, village hall, fire station, and parks garage. The municipal planners promote the place to be a great place to work, shop, live, and play.
The pandemic of Covid-19 has impacted much business, and the municipal planner was not left out. According to Andre, municipalities have been affected in that the workers have to work remotely and off the sites. Projects have come to a standstill since normal businesses have changed after restrictions, such as placement of lockdowns . Due to the pandemic meetings are not being held regularly as compared to the case before the pandemic. Being a planner can be challenging in that most of the planners are the bearer of bad news. For instance, if the funds are insufficient, it is the responsibility of the planner to have foreseen this and reported it to the relevant authorities. Planners are also forced to take sides in that they may be caught in between what the board wants and what the public wants, and since they are the primary decision-makers of the projects, they have to pick one side. Also, zoning issues, according to Andre, are some of the challenges that planners experience. Zoning issues are the issues related to partition land. They may include problems such as environmental pollution, racial and social-economic problems, which may hinder the planners form performing their duties well. Andre recalls several instances when he was forced to deny the resident’s and developers’ wishes, which include cases when their demands did not meet the required building ordinances and codes. Also, if the requests did not follow the comprehensive plan of the villages, he denied them.
Conclusion
Matteson village is an example of a municipal planner that is located in Illinois. The village is comprised of an environment that offers office, commercial and hotel development environment. Some of the facilities that are available within reach of the residents include a village hall, police department, and public works and parks garage. The facilities make the municipal planner be very efficient since the residents can access many facilities easily as they are located in one area. Some of the factors that can be considered when determining the success of a planner include being organized, have problem-solving skills, open-mindedness, and should be visually oriented. Challenges that the municipal planer can experience include being the conveyor of bad news most times, issues of cost, issues when dividing land, and other natural problems such as flooding. Matteson municipal planner, a village in Illinois, can be a conducive place to live in since it offers many facilities such as churches, schools, and police departments all in one area.
References
Welcome to Matteson, IL. Villageofmatteson.org. (2020). Retrieved 8 May 2020, from https://www.villageofmatteson.org/.