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CHAPTER I
ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION
CREATION OF THE COMMISSION
The Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission was created in May 1970
by executive order of the Governor of Wisconsin in response to petitions received from Grant,
Green, Iowa, Lafayette and Richland counties. Authority for the Commission is provided in
Wisconsin State Statutes, Section 66.945.
REPRESENTATION
Formal representation on the Commission consists of three commissioners from each of
the five counties within the region.  At the present time the membership includes six
commissioners from the private sector and nine commissioners from the public sector,
representing 40 percent and 60 percent of the total membership, respectively. A listing of current
Commission members is shown in the attached table, including place of residence, sex, race,
occupation or economic interest, and elected offices held.
ORGANIZATION
The Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission as a whole serves as the
district's Overall Economic Development (OEDP) Committee. In addition, the Commission has
advisory committees that deal with various functional areas of program development. Much of
the coordination and implementation of specific work activities dealing with economic
development is handled by a technical advisory committee on economic development. This
committee meets on a periodic basis and consists of representatives of all the economic
development-related agencies in southwestern Wisconsin.
COMMISSION GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission has had goals and objectives
to guide the development of southwestern Wisconsin since its beginning in the early 1970's.
General goals statements were developed with the intention of providing a simple description
toward which land use and economic development activities could be directed. These goal
statements were as follows:
LAND USE GOAL: A quality environment based on a balance of open spaces with
residential, commercial, industrial, recreational, and agricultural developments.
NATURAL RESOURCES GOAL: Conservation and management of the region's full
range of natural resources--air, water, and land resources--to maintain the ecological
balance and to enhance the health, safety, recreation, education and aesthetic enjoyment
for citizens of the region.
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