Planning Department

Planning Department Overview

The Planning Department undertakes a variety of duties throughout the year that can generally be put in two categories: Long Range Planning and Current Planning.

Long Range Planning is a continual process of developing goals and objectives for a better future situation. In general, it involves the inventory of resources, be they land, natural and cultural, economic, human, governmental and others. Then, after a careful analysis of the current state of these resources, a vision is created for the future. This vision is implemented by setting goals and objectives to improve each of the resources that needs help and protecting those that do not. However, a plan is not finished when the document is complete. This is when the work begins of implementation, which is the most critical step of all, and largely becomes the responsibility of the local government.

Current Planning includes the development and review of zoning and subdivision regulations. The RC assists many of its member governments with regular review of these types of requests. In addition, activities that act to implement Long Range Planning are also considered Current Planning. These include grant writing and educational activities to help the communities better serve their constituencies.

By necessity, most of the planning staff are generalists: that is, they know something about all of the components that make up the larger realm of planning. In addition, most also have a special knowledge in specific areas such as housing, land use, environmental issues and historic preservation.