CLINTON - Clinton residents will have a say in a new long-range strategic planning study intended to map out the city's future and economic development, Mayor Ed Wollet said.

The City Council has agreed to partner with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to develop a plan for the city under the Competitive Communities Initiative. There will be no cost to the city, but the program requires community involvement, he said.

"This is a program that will help define the long-range goals of the city," Wollet said. "It's very important that we receive input from all segments of our population so we can move forward in the proper direction."

The CCI program takes about three months to complete.

The city also considered using MAPPING (Management and Planning Programs Involving Nonmetropolitan Groups), a program through Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University, but it would carry an administrative fee of $5,900.

"Both programs were very similar in nature and I made calls to communities who had used each of the programs, and didn't receive any negative information about either one," Wollet said.

As city leaders form a strategic plan for Clinton's future, residents will have the opportunity to meet in formalized, public settings to discuss the city's direction and offer opinions.

"Strategic planning isn't just about local government," city Commissioner Tom Edmunds said. "It should be something the citizens and business leaders get involved in and then it is the job of the City Council to go in that direction."

An application to enter the program is being finalized. Once it is accepted, a committee will be formed to begin the process of gathering public input.

"The key for this to work is to get our local residents and business owners involved in this," Wollet said.

"Having a solid strategic plan in place is vital," he said. "It generates ideas and defines goals that we as a City Council can work toward. Once this is in place, it will be a big help for our economic development projects."

Last month, DeWitt County Development Council Director Ruth Stauffer asked the cities of Clinton and Farmer City to formalize and update their current strategic plans. Once those are finalized, she will approach the DeWitt County Board to update its current strategic plan.

"Once we have those in place, it can give us a better picture of what the future might hold for our cities and our county," she said.

A definitive timeline on when the city can begin the process has not yet been determined, Wollet said. Once the city receives approval, it expects to quickly move forward to schedule the public meetings.