How does your city structure its planning functions. Do you have a council or strong mayor, is there a planning commission or a BZA, is there long-range and current range and are they in different departments, same department but function independently. How large of city and number on staff. I'm curious to know the organization of various planning department, I have a feeling there is a wide range of setups.
In my situation:
Town of about 26,000
Town Council/Town Manager Form of Government
Planning & Economic Development Department
3 professional Staff (Director, Town Planner, GIS Manager), 1 secretary, summer intern
Departmental Roles:
Community Planning:
- Advisor to the Planning Board
- Investigate, study, report and recommend on all matters relating to:
- land use,zoning, traffic, parking, highway, public facilities, population, community development, subdivisions, parks, playgrounds and other phases of town planning
- Research, review and update the Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Regulation, Site Plan Regulations and Zoning Map
- Perform all research work which might be assigned by the Manager, Town Council, or Planning Board
- Develop and implement the various elements of the Master Plan and Capital Improvements Plan
- Investigate, study and report on all matters relating to the construction of municipal structures
Economic Development
- Serve as advisor to the Economic Development Committee
- Coordinate with the Londonderry Housing and Redevelopment Authority and regional economic development organizations
- Work to broaden Londonderry’s economic base and achieve economic stability
- Provide assistance to new and/or relocating companies
- Assist existing businesses in their expansion efforts
Who we work with:
- Boards, Commissions, Committees, Public
- Planning Board
- Zoning Board of Adjustments
- Conservation Commission
- Heritage Commission
- Town Council
- Londonderry Housing and Redevelopment Authority (LHRA)
- Southern NH Planning Commission
- Londonderry Trailways
- NH Dept. of Transportation (NHDOT)
- Administrative Review Committee (ARC) and Design Review Committee (DRC)
- Developers
- Property Owners
- Regional Organizations
"Growth is inevitable and desirable, but destruction of community character is not. The question is not whether your part of the world is going to change. The question is how." -- Edward T. McMahon, The Conservation Fund
An Illinois "village" of 76,000 residents.
Have the Village Manager/Board of Trustees format
I am in the Planning & Community Development Department
We staff:
- Plan Commission
- Zoning Board of Appeals
- Housing Comission
- Design Commission
- economic development board
- Arts Commission
Our tasks involve:
- project management for PC & ZBA projects
- project management for Design Commission projects
- management of various TIF districts
- zoning administration (thankfully, no inspections)
I'm sorry. Is my bias showing?
Originally posted by mendelman
How many do you have on staff? Is it split between long and current? How does economic development fit into the department, do they have their own specialized staff. Is there any further splitting of responsibilities within current and long?
My question to be more specific is how planning departments handle their day to day processes. Why kind of structures are developed to handle different types of job functions. The two responses to date are quite different, I believe NHPLANNER is expected to do both long and current planning (pop. 28,000) and mendelman is a current planner and not a long-range planner (76,000). Specialization occurs as populations are larger, to those working for larger municipalities, what organizational strategies have you used to cope with job responsibilities?
my town
about 4,500 year-round residents
about 30,000 summer population
about 2 million visitors a year
my job as planning director is both short and long range planning and permitting -
i staff all permitting boards, planning committees, assist the Council as the chief elected officials on planning issues - i also am the manager of the comprehensive plan, grants writer, pre-construction planning for public works projects, traffic planning manager with the Police department - it's basically all here, anything remotely to do with planning is mine
i have one receptionist who also staffs code inspections and an administrative assistant who administrates the permitting boards - i get an intern in the summer and the town is generous about giving me consultant help so i can't complain but i do work hard at preventing burn-out...
forgot to add: i work for a town manager, a professional - appointed by the Council - i have a 3 year contract - regulatory boards are all appointed by the Coucnil who is elected - good strong charter, wouldn't want it any other way...
Last edited by luckless pedestrian; 08 Nov 2005 at 9:50 AM.
You are correct. I am expected (with the Director) to do both. We do budget annually for consultant services to assist as well.
"Growth is inevitable and desirable, but destruction of community character is not. The question is not whether your part of the world is going to change. The question is how." -- Edward T. McMahon, The Conservation Fund
Town of +25,000
Town Council with elected CEO (Town Supervisor)
appointed Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals
Planning and Zoning are divisions with our Community Development Department
Planning Staff:1998 Comprehensive Plan is currently being revised
- (1) Exec. Director of department
- (1) long range planner
- (1) current use planner
- (2) code enforcement officials
- (1) GIS planner
- (3) support staff
Suburban town of 8,000+. Daytime population exceeds 12,000 due to employees and shoppers.
Four planners, who do our own clerical support. We interact daily with Director of Public Works and Town Manager (who is my boss - he is the only employee who is actually hired/fired by the Selectboard, our elected officials) and on a regular, but less frequent basis with the Parks & Recreation and Fire Departments. Also, once in a while with the Police. We also interact on a very regular basis with state and regional agencies.
We staff a Development Review Board (7), a Planning Commission (7), a Design Advisory Committee (5), a Historic Preservation Committee (7) and a Conservation Comission (7) as well as various ad hoc citizen task forces. The DAC and HPC are advisory only - they report to the DRB. The Conservaton Commission also advises the DRB on development proposals, but has its own nonregulatory land conservation and management functions.
Every place is a little different, and while the formal structure can facilitate (or not), it is the network of informal relations that makes local government work.
Well, within my dept. there are three Development Planners (I am one) who do the daily heavy lifting for current planning (development review, PC projects, general code questions), then there is the Design Planner that staffs the Design Commission and is the design professional for the dept., then the Housing Planner who administers the first-time homebuyer program and affordable housing program, then the Economic Planner who does business retention/attraction and economic programs, then the Deputy Director who reviews the underling's reports,
TIF districts management, and is the lead on most long range planning, then finally the Director who oversees the dept. and always has something to do, although I'm not exactly sure what.
I'm sorry. Is my bias showing?
City Size: almost 6,000
Incorporated and final consolidation in 2000
Planning & Development Services Department formally established in 2004
I am the first director of that department
Staff
Me, the pimp daddy of the department
Building Official
Code Compliance Officer
PDS Technician (basically a permit clerk with some enhanced abilities)
If it has anything to do with land, our department pretty much covers it with the exception of public works issues. In a small town you have to wear a lot of hats.
Commission responsibilities:
City Council (never leave them unsupervised)
Planning and ZOning Commission
Park Advisory Board
Flood Mitigation Committee
"Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."
- Herman Göring at the Nuremburg trials (thoughts on democracy)
Me: Lord and King Buffu (I report to the Assistant County Manager)
2 Principal Planners
1 Transportation Planner (guess who?)
3 Planners
1 Resources Planner
1 Development Services Engineer
1 Staff Assistant
We perform both current and comprehensive planning.
Board of County Commissioners (5)
Planning Commission (5) appointed by the Board
A nuisance may be merely a right thing in the wrong place — like a pig in the parlor instead of the barnyard.
We are organized by area. The City is divided into 3 geogrpahical areas and one person is responsible for all of the planning activity in that area. We are relatively small in area (10 square miles, but rather dense for UT: 5300 people per square mile).
what does PDS stand for? How does this position work for you?
i love the city council comment - ya think?...
Suburban beltway Township - 40,000
Four elected officials, three trustees and one clerk
appointed Township Administrator
Me - I am the Community Development Director ( I am the first Director) I report to the Township Administrator
Staff:Provide staff support to:
- Zoning Administrator
- Code Enforcement Officer
- Secretary
Functions include:
- Zoning Commission
- Board of Zoning Appeals
- Board of Trustees (on zoning and development issues)
Working in a small office for a growing community allows you to wear many hats.
- Zoning Permit Processing ( Zoning Administrator)
- Site Plan Review (Director)
- Long Range Planning (Director, usually with consultant)
- Code Enforcement ( Zoning and property Maintenance) (Code Enforcement Officer)
- Economic Development (Director)
However in Ohio, Townships are the lowest form of government with limited powers. Can make the job challenging. ie:
The County Planning Commission, not the Township, has the final authority on approving all subdivision plats. We do review and provide comments on subdivisions, which sometimes are considered and sometimes not. The County Planning Commission must also review and provide recommendations on all Township Zone change requests. I have found it to be very important to maintain a good, solid working relationship with both the County Planning Department and the County Engineer.
Rural City of 10,000
City Council/City Manager
Planning/Zoning/Grants Dept
1.5 employees total. I am the City Planner and then I also have a part time grant assistant.
Provide staff support to:
City Council
Planning Commission
Zoning Board of Appeals
County Housing Rehab Commission
Countless other boards and committees, but not city entities
Functions include:
Basically everything everyone has already mentioned.
Administer CDBG grants for the City and for the County, and other misc. grants
Long range planning - we have money in our budget for consultants
Economic Development - I basically cover that as well for the City (there is a county position, but it is vacant right now)
The previous organization I worked for:
Appointed Committee that made decisons on some items (variances) and recomendations on other items to elected council(OP, Zoning, some land divison).
Current
Appointed Committee for some items (land divisions, variances) and to council for other items (OP, Zoning)
Not really sure which works better, they both have issues.
Too lazy to beat myself up for being to lazy to beat myself up for being too lazy to... well you get the point....
Area Plan Commission
County -172,000 including city - 121,000
Executive Director - for both the Plan Commission and MPO (that is a seperate staff)
Assistant Director
Senior Planner
Staff Field Report writer - .5 person
Zoning Enforcement/Permitting - 3.5 people
CAD/GIS/Drafting/Addressing - 3 people
Office Manager/Bookkeeper/Secretary - 2 people
Zoning, Subdivision, Comp Plan, BZA, zoning enforcement, special projects
Housing, Redevelopment, Brownfields, Grants - another seperate dept.
Oddball
Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves?
Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here?
Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?
From Kelly's Heroes (1970)
Are you sure you're not hurt ?
No. Just some parts wake up faster than others.
Broke parts take a little longer, though.
From Electric Horseman (1979)
Our 400,000 population county is unique...
Our planning department is an independent body that reports to city council directly, but in some issues reports to the county administrator... the only county "department" to do so.
The planning department has...
1 planning director
4 current planners
3 transportation planners
6 future planners
5 support staffmembers
The future planners also work for the cities as well, acting as the planners for each of the six municipalities.
The unusual chain-of-command presents a challenge... there are times when the demands of the city council, county administrator, and the municipalities come into conflict. Throw in the prevelant anti-planning attitude and good-old-boy-network... it can get kind of hairy.
But it's also good... as we got to work on a wide array of projects... regional planning, local planning, and everywhere in between. My personal favorite was doing work with the municipalities, as we got to really do some proactive things.
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