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Home My WebLink AboutAgenda - 04-17-2001-8kORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: April 17, 2001 Action Agenda Item No. SUBJECT: Proposed New Planning Projects Coordinator Position DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): 1 - BOCC Planning Related Goals 2 -Planning Projects Coordinator Major Functions 3 -Planning Directors Activity List INFORMATION CONTACT: Craig N. Benedict, Planning Director Extension 2592 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 9fi8-4501 Durham fi88-7331 Mebane (336)227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider establishing one new permanent, full-time Planning Projects Coordinator (Planner II) position in the Planning and Inspections Department to address: • Planning related project and agenda coordination to respond to the Board of County Commissioners' progressive set of goals and projects, including work on subdivision and zoning codes. • Organization and development of visual and written presentations for various meetings, including research and technical analysis related to planning goals and projects. BACKGROUND: Each year the Board of Commissioners establishes or re-establishes countywide goals. As noted in Attachment 1, the Planning Department is responsible for 12 primary and nine secondary components of particular Board goals. These initiatives and planning projects are necessary to manage the increasing growth pressures currently being experienced in Orange County. As a result, the Planning Director is required to be extensively involved with various task forces, the community, other local governments, consultants and interdepartmental coordination. For the most part, these initiatives are not short-term projects but require a considerable revamping of the regulatory and technical environment. These activities require significant amounts of research to be conducted in conjunction with regular development activity such as land use amendments, rezonings, and a large number of subdivisions. The Planning Department has tried reassigning existing staff to cany the additional workload. However, this alternative has proven ineffective, because it simply shifts workload to other areas that already are maximized. The proposed Planning Projects Coordinator would be assigned project duties such as outlined in Attachment 2 of this abstract. The position would result in the following outcomes: 1. Increase the arganization of staff proposals implementing Board of Commissioners' goals. 2. Creation of visual aids that would provide improved understandability of staff praposals (PowerPoint, GIS, graphics, scenario spreadsheet analysis, and the like.). 3. Decrease the amount of time between proposals, amendments, and adoption. 4. Assist in the organization of special and regular agendas in terms of consistency and garnering multiple resources to create a thorough and understandable final product. 5. Permit the Planning Director to redirect professional energies on comprehensive, collaborative, communicative and progressive efforts. Hiring Urgency The position is requested at this time so recruitment may begin immediately and hiring may occur as soon as possible, possibly allowing training to begin in late spring. This will allow project activity to begin during the upcoming summer months. This timeframe allows for job orientation to take place during a slower Board of Commissioners' agenda period and permits the evolution of work products for August to October Board review. The position may not be an easy position to fill because of the strong multi-tasking, deadline oriented environment with job related traits to include excellent organizational, administrative and technical skill. A person with strong planning knowledge is required in order to develop understandable frnal products that accomplish the planning task. FINANCIAL IMPACT: Estimated costs for the position total approximately $9;000 (including one- time start up costs) for the remainder of the current fiscal year. Funding for the current year can be absorbed in the department's current year budget. The estimated cost of the position (salary, benefits and operating costs) for the upcoming fiscal year totals approximately $46,200. There are no offsetting revenues related to this position since it does not have a "user fee" component where development activity application fees defray the cost. RECOMMENDATION (S): The Manager recommends that the. Board approve the proposed new permanent full time Planning Projects Coordinator position effective April 17, 2001. Attachment Board of County Commissioners' Planning Related Goals Primary Responsibility Secondary Responsibility 1. Adequate Public Facilities (APF) and Phased Growth 1. Affordable Housing 2. Comprehensive Plan 2. Joint Recreation and Parks Plan 3. Cooperative Agreements 3. Lands Legacy Program 4. Drainage and Stormwater Management 4. Natural Resources 5. Economic Development Districts 5. Shaping Orange County's Future 6. Efland/Buckhom EDD Planning Area Study fi. Sustainability 7. Growth and Development Impacts Analysis 7. Wastewater Treatment Management Program $. Public School Impact Tax/Fee $. Water Resource Quantity and Quality 9. Regional Transportation Planning 9. Watershed Protection 10. Rural Character Preservation Regulations 11. Telecommunications Towers 12. Transfers of Development Rights (TDR) 4 Attachment ~ Proposed Planning Projects Coordinator Position -Major Functions General: Assist the Planning Director a) in Agenda, Board of Commissioners' goal and project management through organization, coordination and implementation work and b) by developing presentations to communicate planning information/analyses to Boards, Task Forces, and the public. 1. Board of Commissioners' Goals • Develops and maintains an organization and tracking system for the Planning Director in conjunction with the Planning staff that identifies all goals and projects, major milestones, responsibility, timelines and status. • Tracks progress on Commissioners' goals, including needed follow up activities. • Provides staff support for various Task Forces in which the Planning Director participates. 2. Planning Projects • Researches, compiles and analyzes data related to various studies and projects such as for sustainability indicators, fiscal impact model and others. • Drafts reports, agenda items and correspondence for the Planning Director. • Monitors implementation of the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance including liaison with schools and Towns, training, data collection and coordinating responses to questions. 3. Agenda DevelopmentlCoordina#ion/Follow Up • Assists in the organization of regular and special agendas to assure appropriate scheduling, coordination and follow through on agenda items. • Administers the agenda development and production process for planning items for the Planning Board and Board of County Commissioners to assure items are timely, consistent, thorough and understandable. • With the Planning Director, identifies follow up items from meetings and timelines. 4. Presentations Organizes and develops visual presentations for Board of Commissioners, Planning Board and other meetings that clearly convey information for the Board's consideration including research, analysis, background and the like. In this, uses technology (Power Point presentation graphics, GIS, spreadsheets and others as needed) to provide clear, concise, viewer friendly presentations. • Works with appropriate staff to develop maps for use in presentations that clearly illustrate the needed and relevant planning information and are designed in a way that they can be clearly seen and understood by viewers, including television viewers. Planning Director's Activity List Intergovernmental Coordination • Mebane Land Development Plan Participation • Durham Urban Growth Boundary Participation • Orange County/Hillsborough EDD Transportation Advisory Workgroup • Orange County/Hillsborough Courtesy Review • Durham/Chapel Hill /Orange County Workgroup Land Use/Zoning Studies • Economic Development District Analysis in Buckhom and Durham Areas • Upper Eno Sustainable Planning Area • Cluster Regulations Amendment • Rural Industrial Node Amendments New Program Initiatives Attachment • Stormwater/Neuse River Program Implementation • Forestry/Erosion Control Coordination Enhancement • Sustainability Indicator Implementation • Countywide Traffic Analysis Utility Services • Orange Alamance Water System (OAWS) • Efland/Buckhorn Area EDD and Sewer System Research Task Force/WorkgroupRctivity and Impl®mentation • Affordable Housing Regulations Review and Amendment as product of Affordable Housing Task Force • Chapel Hill/Carrboro School District Capital Improvement Planning and School Projections • Open Space Task Force New Regulations • Telecommunication Rules and Ordinance Changes including Tower Management Consultant • Transfer of Development Rights Research School/Park Research • Orange County School District School Projections • School/Park Acquisition Research and Analysis • Payment-in-Lieu Parks and Recreation Amendment • Schools and Land Use Council Federal/State/Regional Coordination • Triangle J Council of Governments / Smart Growth Committee / Smart Pattern Team Triangle Transit Authority Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Floodplain Remapping Innovation and Efficiency • Comparative Analysis of Building Code Changes • Geo-based Land Management Software Implementation for Multiple Departments • Unified Land Development Code as part of a rewrite codification, and combina#ion of existing zoning and subdivision rules. • Fee Structure Monitoring • Census/Demographic Analysis • Air and Orkho-photo GIS applicators Major Programs • School Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance Implementation and Monitoring • Comprehensive Plan (Multiple Elements) Agenda Preparation • Pre-planning Agenda (CMAP) Meetings • Oversight of Numerous Subdivisions BOCC Goals • As noted on Attachment 1