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Structure & Policy Making

The basic representation on the Commission’s policy body consists of three commissioners from each county as follows:

  1. The chairman of the county board serves on the Commission because of his or her elective office.
  2. A second member is appointed by the county board. This individual must hold executive or legislative elective office within town, village, city or county governmental bodies within the appointing county. This member is automatically the county executive, if the county has one.
  3. A third member is appointed by the Governor from a list of two persons nominated by the county board. At least four of these nominees must be private citizens.
  4. Additional representatives are provided to counties with a population of 50,000 or greater, one for each attained increment of 50,000. The first additional representative is the mayor or council president of the largest city in the county, while subsequent additional members are appointed in a manner similar to the second member appointment procedures noted above.

Appointments to standing committees are made by the Chairman annually and are confirmed by the Commission as follows:

  • Steering Committee – The Steering Committee is comprised of seven members, one representative of each of the member counties. The function of the Steering Committee includes ensuring proper coordination and cooperation amongst the planning committees of the Commission and their respective citizens’ or technical advisory committees. The Committee also has the power to act in emergency situations with the full power and authority of the Commission, keep the Commission advised of pending legislation affecting the Commission as well as its policies and programs, prepare annual work programs and budgets, approve local assistance contracts, conduct audit reviews, oversee the payment of bills and determine compensation rates, along with employment and salary determinations.
  • Regional Comprehensive Plan Committee – This committee’s primary role is to oversee the implementation and monitoring of the regional comprehensive plan. Other roles include intergovernmental cooperation and coordination matters, review functions to consider compliance with the regional plan, and other matters associated with land use.
  • Transportation Committee – This committee directs and monitors the transportation program element and serves as a liaison with the Transportation Policy Advisory Committees and the Transportation Technical Advisory Committee. This committee is responsible for overseeing the transportation element of the regional plan.
  • Community Facilities Committee – This committee reviews and recommends approval or denial of sewer service area plans and amendments, and oversees the community facilities element of the regional plan.
  • Economic Development Committee – This committee directs and monitors the economic development program element and serves as a liaison with the broader Economic Development Strategy Committee (see below). This standing committee has oversight of the economic and housing related elements of the regional plan.
  • Open Space and Environmental Management Committee – This committee directs and monitors the open space, agriculture and environmental management program. It also has oversight of the related elements of the regional plan.

Rather than maintain Technical Advisory Committees (TACs) for each functional area, the Commission has TACs for the two principal areas of work activity: transportation and economic development. As studies are carried out in other areas, special project-based TACs are formed for the duration of the study. The Transportation Policy Advisory Committees for the Fox Cities (Appleton) Urbanized Area and the Oshkosh Urbanized Area exist to provide the monitoring and review necessary in the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and long range planning activities in the respective urbanized areas. After adoption of a plan or policy recommendation by the Commission, ratification is sought from appropriate local units of government. To the maximum extent possible, Commission adoption and local ratification are coordinated.

The second TAC, known as the Economic Development Strategy Committee, is comprised of diverse representatives from both the public and private sectors of the region. Its main purpose is to advise and guide the EDA funded Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, or CEDS, planning process. By seeking input and perspective from these diverse entities, the CEDS becomes a current and meaningful document for guiding the economic development activities for the betterment of the region as a whole.

ECWRPC website