Growth Management Department
Planning, Zoning, and Land Development
Overview | Outline | Model Plan | Strategic Planning | Example | Areas Map | Advisory Committees
Community Planning Outline
General Outline for the Community planning process
• Community organizes and requests that the County provide funding and staff support for the creation of a “Community Plan”
• The Board of County Commissioner’s supports the community’s request and directs the Growth Management Department accordingly
• A project manager and support staff are assigned to work with the community
• Staff meets with the community to answer questions and begin the process of gathering all of the information needed to draft an RLI (Request for letters of interest)
• The background information is gathered and utilized in the creation of a “scope of services”. The scope of services document outlines the responsibilities and action items for which the hired consultant, staff, and the community will be responsible.
• The project manager drafts an RLI, management and the organized community group (if one is already established) review the document. Once complete, the document is turned over to the County’s finance department who will send it out to our list of “Community Planning” consultants.
• Interested consultants send in their information, experience, and ability to meet the “scope of services”. The current limit on community plan funding is $49,000. The chosen consultant will HAVE to meet the “scope of services” within this funding amount!
• A consultant team is chosen.
• The consultant meets with staff (and an organized community group) to begin the discussion of the community’s goals in going through this process.
• A series of public workshops are held to gather the ENTIRE community’s input on community direction, goals, and priorities.
• Throughout the information gathering process, the public is notified (in multiple formats, i.e. mailings, advertisements in the paper) of the planning efforts and is asked to participate (whether in person or by another form, i.e. email, postal mail, or telephone)
***All property owners within the planning area have an EQUAL opportunity to participate in the process. Minority views and concerns are heard and ultimately documented in the final plan. This important, as a Community Plan is a flexible document and throughout the cause of “goal implementation” priorities and concerns may shift!**
• Throughout the process all related department management and staff are notified and asked to provide input on the community’s planning effort. For example, the Public Works department will be asked to address issues with regard to roads and other infrastructure and the Natural Resources department will be asked to provide information and analysis on environmental concerns.
• Staff and the consultants will draft information for review as determined by the individual community’s original “scope of services/RLI”
• Ultimately, a draft plan is created.
• The draft plan is reviewed by all department heads, per their department’s responsibilities and expertise.
• Once the draft is acceptable to the consultants, staff, and management, it is placed on the hearing agenda.
• The Planning and Zoning board will review and discuss the document. The will recommend that the Board of County Commissioners “accept or not accept the document”
• The Board of County Commissioners hears the request and makes a decision.
(during the draft stages, staff and the consultant will likely meet with each of the Commissioners one-on-one to discuss the draft document and the community’s input.
Once the “Community Plan” is accepted by the Board of County Commissioners an ADVISORY Committee is formed. It is the Advisory Committee’s responsibility to work with staff and the ENTIRE community, to determine IMPLEMENTATION techniques and any related funding or additional direction needed to bring each “action item, priority, or goal (short, mid, or long-term) to the BOARD of COUNTY COMMISSIONERS for approval and implementation!
**The previous paragraph highlights the flexibility needed in drafting the final document. Minority views must be addressed and documented, as the individuals who hold them will be able to “protest” any implementation (of the final Plan’s action items) as the Advisory Committee brings them individually to the Board of County Commissioners for implementation.
