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The planning organization and the program that follows from it must be able to provide our policymakers, i.e. the board of commissioners, with useful research, studies and ultimately advice to assist them in developing and implementing reasoned and rational policy.
The planning program must be able to utilize the expertise and resources of every department within county government in furthering its mission - it serves no purpose to develop a plan or pass an ordinance if we are unable to administer it.
It must be able to identify and anticipate issues that can impact the county and provide research and information to the commissioners that will allow for informed decision-making.
It must be able to develop methods and means to monitor the effectiveness of our implementation procedures.
It must assist in establishing an ongoing public dialogue by providing an outlet for public comment and participation, by identifying, developing and utilizing resources in the community, and by providing a source of public education on issues.
It can act as a liaison to other governmental organizations and institutions that impact the planning and development process.
It can assist in directing public attention towards and developing information that can highlight those issues that the commissioners may have little or no legislative influence upon.
As Jackson County commissioners, a part of your mandate is to establish policy and hopefully to articulate a vision. Establishing a strong planning program with a clearly defined mission can be a first step towards articulating that vision.
Such a program would, of course, provide you with the information and research needed to create informed policy, but it would also send a message that we are going to take a considered and rational approach in defining a vision and in developing plans and methods to implement that vision. It also presents an understanding that this is an ongoing process that requires continuing review and adjustment.
Our biggest problem to date has been that our approach has been far too fragmented. We see different parts of the puzzle as a whole unto themselves. What we have lacked is a reasoned and defined process. Too often we confuse the problem, the solution and the tools we use to effect a solution.
We have lacked a clearly defined vision, not only of where we are going, but also of who we are and what problems and issues confront us. Perhaps it's something of an oxymoron, but in some areas our focus is much too broad and in others much too narrow.
The Smart Growth process was ostensibly designed to help us define the questions of who we are and where we would like to go. The process was a good first step, but it was also highly flawed. The manner in which the process was conducted and the manner in which the data was compiled left much to be desired.
The 1,300 responses (less if you account for duplicate attendees) may or may not reflect a broad cross-section of the county. We don't know because we don't have the demographics on who participated. And while the opinions that were expressed were certainly valid, the conclusions that were drawn were far too limited and narrow as to be represented as a vision for the county.
Before we can make plans, we need to learn how to plan, and to do that we need to develop a solid planning program. Creating a series of ad hoc committees undermines that process. While it is true that we are faced with some immediate issues, such as enforcement of the soil and sedimentation ordinance and perhaps the validity of the polluting industries ordinance, our biggest problem is creating a planning structure and organization and developing the patience and mindset to engage in a planning process.
I would propose the following:
Form a five-member committee under the aegis of the Smart Growth process. The committee would be assigned the following tasks:
Develop an organizational structure for planning within Jackson County government.
Determine what role a planner or consultants would play within county government.
Decide the reporting relationships - who would be accountable to whom?
Establish how various county departments participate in the planning process - how would those departments participate in crafting solutions and implementing plans?
Determine how the planning program would interface with intergovernmental agencies, such as the N.C. Department of Transportation, the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority, municipalities, etc.
Answer these questions - What structure would the planning board have? What role would other boards and committees under county jurisdiction play? How would they interface and coordinate their activities to provide the greatest assistance to the board of commissioners in policy making?
Define a mission statement and goals for the planning organization.
What areas would the planning organization be responsible for? There are obvious areas, here but what about developing forums for citizen input; assisting with the development of long range capital development and planning; identifying and developing resources in the county to assist the planning program.
Address areas of immediate concern, such as soil and sedimentation fee schedules or other items that may arise before a planning structure is put in place.
The committee should be composed of members who have the ability and willingness to devote a significant amount of time over a period of three to six months. The committee should have a specific duration and the board of commissioners should establish a specific set of deliverables and a time frame when these are due. The existing planning staff should serve as staff to the committee and oversight and reporting relationships should be clearly established by the commissioners.
The committee, where appropriate, should be able to call on the county manager or other county staff for assistance in specific areas, or where necessary and with the approval of the commissioners form ad hoc committees within county government for the purpose of accomplishing parts of its mandate.
Under its mandate to address areas of immediate concern, the committee would serve as a temporary planning organization. Its goal in these instances should be to make recommendations to the commissioners on resolving immediate conflicts in the most timely manner possible with the understanding that when a planning organization has been put in place one of its tasks would be to take a more thorough and long range review. For example, the problem with the soil and sedimentation ordinance appears to be the implementation of a fee and penalty schedule. The committee's actions should be limited to resolving that issue.
A planning organization is not simply having a planner.
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Jamison