Western Students Work With Municipality on Certified Cities Recertification

Macomb, IL — Four Western Illinois University graduate students are gaining a new perspective on municipal government as they assist the city of Macomb in preparing its reapplication as an Illinois Certified City.

Macomb met the Certified City criteria in 1986 and has already started the documentation for 1989 recertification under the direction of Dr. Donald "Bill" Griffin, director of the Institute for Regional and Community Studies at Western. He and WIU graduate students are also involved in the original proposal.

"Using the talents of university students interested in government has been very beneficial for the city's programs," said Macomb Mayor Robert Anstine. "They are willing to do numerous interviews, research documents and previous plans and then draft recommendation for our review."

Communities seeking the Certified Cities status must document their efforts in seven specific economic development areas: business climate and service; community development; human development; community facilities; employment and training; business financial assistance; and marketing.

The Certified Cities designation from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs (DCCA) serves as an indicator to prospective business and industry that the community has demonstrated excellence in ways which have a direct effect on job creation.

"We would like to see more involvement of this type between universities and the Certified Cities Program," said Bob Glatz, administrator of the Certified Cities Program for DCCA. "Universities are assisting communities in marketing, business, economic development and the attraction and retention of business and industry. These are all essential parts of the Certified Cities Program."

"Our students work directly with local officials to offer assistance on major projects," Griffin explained. "In Macomb the students were instrumental in compiling the original Certified Cities application. In other communities our graduate students have worked on zoning issues, long range planning, economic development projects and federal and state grant applications."

As director of the Institute for Regional and Rural Studies at WIU, Griffin has worked with graduate students in geography seeking academic background for careers in government and community planning. Projects such as Certified Cities, Comprehensive Plans for communities and zoning studies are excellent ways students can assist communities and apply the efforts to their education, Griffin said.

"Learning to work with people, adapt to situations and getting practical experience are all advantages to working on the Certified Cities Program," said Ellen Woodbury, a graduate student in the program from Bozeman, MT. "Planning is not just zoning and subdivision regulations, and this effort is an ongoing exercise for us and the community about what we are doing toward economic development and in other areas."

Woodbury is a graduate of Montana State University. As a project assistant on Macomb's Certified Cities reapplication she is also working on a community profile and capital improvement plan for the city. She hopes the city planning experience will help her work with state and federal planners after graduation.

"The Certified Cities process is a glorified comprehensive plan for the community," said graduate student Diane Mulville-Friel of Marquette, MI. "Sometimes a comprehensive plan for a community gets put on the shelf, but the Certified Cities program goes a step beyond because after one set of requirements is completed, the community must continue to evaluate as part of an ongoing process."

An undergraduate of Northern Michigan University, Mulville said the Certified Cities program brings other agencies in a community together. Through the collection of project data, the park district, YMCA, and other agencies have access to information that is available in regard to recreation.

The data can be used as a tool to promote the community, a second project the WIU students are working on from the data collected through the Certified Cities program.

"We have asked the students to develop a brochure on the city which can be used to promote us to potential residents," said Bill Jacobs, a former city alderman now serving as executive director of the Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce. "We had materials for economic development, industrial firms wishing to locate, but not a helpful printed document that lets a potential resident know about our excellent facilities and services."

The students working on Certified Cities are in a position to gather that information and present it to us in a format that we can make available to others, Jacobs said.

Working with Mulville and Woodbury on the Certified Cities project are James Johnston, a graduate of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a native of New Richmond, WI; and David Mingo, a graduate of South Dakota State University and a native of Armour, SD.

Each of the four students has specific responsibilities in developing the Certified Cities reapplication,

"The city has shown great trust in us and our ability to do the job," Mulville explained. "That is part of the invaluable experience we are receiving as students that can't be obtained from the textbook."

"Graduates of the WIU master's program in geography have an excellent record of success in city, regional, state, and federal planning agencies," Griffin said.

"We try to match our graduate students with internship opportunities for cities and other planning agencies," he said. "With these experiences we have been able to help agencies and give our students excellent practical situations which enhance their education."

Griffin said that planning groups interested in working with the WIU graduate program in geography on projects such as Certified Cities, comprehensive plans and zoning, can contact him at the Institute for Regional and Community Studies, Tillman Hall 413B, Western Illinois University, Macomb, Illinois 61455; telephone 309-298-1566. •

Page 22 / Illinois Municipal Review / February 1988