Annual Report2015

Capital Area Regional Planning Commission

2015 CARPC Annual Report 3

The Environmental Resources Planning (ERP) Division is made up of the Division Director, an Environmental Planner, and Environmental Engineer. This division maintains the areawide water quality management plan and works for the protection of water quality. ERP’s activities are based on a two-pronged strategy of cost-effective pollution control and resource protection.

The Community and Regional Development Planning (CRDP) Division carries out CARPC regional land use planning work. The Division consists of a Division Director and three Community Planners. Regional planning work carries out “the function and duty of making and adopting a master plan for the physical development of the region,” as described in Wisconsin Statutes (§66.0309(10)). The CRDP also “makes plans for the physical, social, and economic development of the region, consistent with the elements specified in Wis. Stats. §66.1001.

CRDP work falls into the following general categories:

• Basic Studies and Analysis

• Regional Master Planning

• Information, Education, Outreach and Public Participation

• Planning Assistance

• Future Urban Development Area Planning

The Commission serves as the regional planning and areawide water quality management entity for the Dane County region, consistent with Wis. Stats. §66.0309 and state Administrative Code NR 121. The Commission is charged with the duties of preparing and adopting a master plan for the physical development of the region, and maintaining a continuing areawide water quality management planning process in order to manage, protect, and enhance the water resources of the region, including consideration of the relationship of water quality to land and water resources and uses.

Community and Regional DevelopmentStephen Steinhoff Director of Community and Regional Development Planning

Matt Covert Community Planner

Sean Higgins Community Planner

Malissa Dietsch Community Planner, Plan for Health (from June)

Legal CounselJohn St. Peter Edgarton, St. Peter, Petak & Rosenfeldt

Environmental ResourcesMike Rupiper Director of Environmental Resources Planning (from December)Michael Kakuska Senior Environmental Resources PlannerGreg Orum Environmental Engineer (through December)

Kamran Mesbah Deputy Director and Director of Environmental Resources PlanningSteven Wagner Information Specialist (through July)Aaron Krebs GIS Specialist Linda Firestone Administrative Services Manager

Staff

InternsMalissa Dietsch (through May)

Daniel Handel (through May)

Alexander Brown (from July)

Catherine Harris (from July)

Ramona Lowery (from September)

CommissionersCity of Madison MayorZach BrandonLauren CnareKen GoldenLarry Palm, CARPC Chair

Dane County ExecutivePeter McKeeverEd MinihanCaryl Terrell Dane County Towns AssociationDavid PfeifferMark GellerKris Hampton

Dane County Cities and Villages AssociationSteve ArnoldEric HoholEvan Touchett

Who Are We?

About the RPC

Resource protection recognizes that land

and natural resources perform critical environmental

and life-support functions as well

as important economic, social, and recreational benefits

to residents and visitors.

Controlling pollution at the source is almost

always more effective and

economical than trying to address the

problem after the fact.

Our Planning Divisions

Efforts in this two-pronged strategy protect, restore, and enhance the quality of the environment, as well as the quality of life in the region’s rural and urban areas. A significant part of this effort involves working with local, state, and federal units of government to promote inter-jurisdictional collaboration and cooperation, and to coordinate their decisions and activities to ensure effective resource protection and pollution control, and an integrated and comprehensive approach to resource planning and management.

23.3%*16.4%

10.0%

12.4% 19.5%

2.6%

1.0%

Agency-Wide Work Allocation

Staff Development

14.8%Regional Plan Amendments

Plan Consistency Review

Regional Planning

Data and Analysis

Education, Information, Outreach

Administration

Planning Services

*Reflects 6-month on-the-job training for new Deputy Director

2015 CARPC Annual Report2015 CARPC Annual Report4 5

Regional Master Planning CARPC took the initial steps toward updating the regional land use plan in 2015. The last master plan, the Dane County Land Use and Transportation Plan, was developed 20 years ago (adopted in 1997) with minor updates in 2008. The planning horizon of this plan was 2020, as evidenced by its other name, “Vision 2020.”

To initiate the next regional land use plan, CARPC drew on the experience of regions across the U.S. to learn what works and what pitfalls to avoid.

Agency-Wide Activities CARPC named the regional visioning and planning effort “A Greater Madison Vision” (AGMV). One of the necessary ingredients being broad and engaged leadership, CARPC Chair and the Deputy Director recruited a Steering Committee with more than 35 leaders from business, government and non-profits. The Committee met for the first time on September 28th. The first order of business of A Greater Madison Vision was to conduct a Values Survey. From the values-based planning model applied in other regions, CARPC learned that successful communications and community engagement hinges on an understanding of the values and priorities of the public.

Importance of Vision/Long Range Planning

CARPC partnered with the Madison Area Transportation Planning Board (the “MPO” for the region) to commission a values survey from Heart & Mind Strategies.

Key findings of the values survey were that people in the greater Madison region feel their quality of life was good and will probably improve for the next generation. At the same time, they were concerned about financial well-being and personal security, and wanted a regional vision and plan for the future that tackles these challenges.

Capital Region Sustainable Communities From 2011 through 2014, CARPC managed activities funded by a Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The grant supported a 36-member regional consortium called Capital Region Sustainable Communities (CRSC). CARPC continued to provide staff support to CRSC in 2015 by providing updates to the consortium, maintaining the CRSC website (www.capitalregionscrpg.org), publishing CRSC blog posts and newsletters, and by incorporating Framework for Change indicators into CARPC’s quarterly regional trends reports.

The CRSC consortium identified a regional vision and goals, as well as priority challenges and indicators to measure progress towards tackling the challenges. The May 2015 CRSC report, Framework for Change: Trial Indicators for a Healthy and Flourishing Place for All, presented these components and trend data for each of the 31 indicators, showing whether or not the region is headed in the desired direction.

Using N-Vision with Sketchup

Future Urban Development Area (FUDA) Planning Work began in the summer of 2015 between CARPC, City of Madison, Town of Blooming Grove, and Town of Cottage Grove to write an Environmental Conditions Report (ECR) for the southeastern area of Madison. (Study area boundaries were Cottage Grove Road, Interstate 90, Hwy 18, and CTH AB/Vilas Hope Road.) A draft of the ECR document was presented and reviewed by the City at the end of the calendar year.

CARPC staff also finished development of a digital warehouse of houses which will be used in future outreach events (community charrettes) to visualize neighborhood designs. Each model corresponds with an element in a physical modeling system comprised of wood blocks and paper templates. Workshop participants use these components to design a neighborhood. CARPC staff “test drove” the process in October and received feedback from members of the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Planning Association.

Catalytic Projects Supported by CRSC Funding:

• Regional transit• Transit-oriented development• Green infrastructure• Local foods• FUDA planning• Infill development

Capital Region Sustainable Communities– “A healthy and flourishing place for all.”

A healthy place enables every individual to meet his or her needs. In a flourishing place everyone can fulfill their potential and the natural environment can thrive.

“For all” means all people and all life, present and future.

Agency-Wide Activities

Based on this research, staff identified the following basic elements of a successful regional visioning and planning effort:

• A vision and strategy for growth that results in measurable improvements to what we value in the region.

• Clearly articulated values, vision, strategy, and implementation.

• Broad leadership engagement, large-scale and representative public participation, and technical excellence.

2015 CARPC Annual Report2015 CARPC Annual Report6 7

• Modeled and mapped 5-, 50-, and 100-year Zones of Contribution for existing and planned municipal wells in Dane County based on projected 2040 population and water use rates. Results were provided to WDNR Groundwater Section staff.

• Presented groundwater quantity information to the Dane County Environmental, Agriculture, and Natural Resources (EANR) Committee associated with its deliberations on County Resolution 391 regarding state groundwater legislation and current and future reviews of high-capacity well applications.

• Began work on an updated of Appendix C (Point Source Inventory and Analysis) of the Dane County Water Quality Management Plan.

Plan Consistency Review• Reviewed stormwater management plans

for consistency with the conditions of approval of Dane County Water Quality Management Plan amendments.

• Reviewed and commented on proposed Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits for consistency with the Dane County Water Quality Management Plan.

• Conducted urban, nonpoint source management outreach. Hosted Center for Watershed Protection webinars for area engineers and development professionals.

Urban Service Area Amendment Review• Reviewed 99 sewer extensions for

consistency with regional plans.

• Reviewed applications for four Urban Service Area amendments.

• The Dane County Water Quality Management Plan and Dane County Land Use & Transportation Plan were ammended three times during 2015.

Water Quality Mangement Planning The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) contracts with CARPC to review proposed Service Area amendments and other changes to the Dane County Water Quality Management Plan. More generally, CARPC carries out studies and works to improve the management, protection, and enhancement of groundwater and surface water quality.

Highlights in 2015 were:

• Reviewed and commented on the final products from the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey associated with the Regional Groundwater Model Update project. This is the culmination of a multi-year, multi-agency project coordinated and facilitated by CARPC staff.

• Continued compiling information and materials for a “Wetland Protection Plan” framework for the region. Subsequently, a draft Framework for Wetland Resources Management in the Capital Area report was prepared for internal review and comments.

• Drafted an update to Appendix G (Dane County Groundwater Protection Planning Framework) of the Dane County Water Quality Management Plan. Work entailed revising projected 2040 water use for municipalities in the region and subsequent modeling of water table depressions, reduction in stream baseflows and fish communities, groundwater budgeting indices, and zones of contribution. Additional work was directed to incorporating internal agency review and comments resulting in a completed draft ready for external peer review and comments.

• Provided assistance to WDNR and UW researchers characterizing the sources of elevated groundwater nitrates in Dane County, including review, comment, and other contributions included in the final report released in October.

Applicant USA NameTotal Acres

Envir.Corrridor

Net Dev.

Acres CARPC Action

CARC Res. No.

DNR Action

1 C. Fitchburg CUSA “Northeast Neighborhood” 511 155 304

Recommend Denial

11/13/2014–

Partially Approved 5/14/2015

Final Settlement 5/14/2016

2 C. Middleton CUSA “Grove Parcel” 0.4 0.0 0.4Recommend

Approval 6/11/2015

2015-09 Approved 7/2/2015 DC-0167

3 C. Madison CUSA “Pioneer/Midtown” 468 151 222Recommend

Approval 10/8/2015

2015-11 Approved 11/23/2015 DC-01681

§̈¦39§̈¦90

§̈¦94

§̈¦90

£¤18

£¤18£¤12

£¤14£¤12

£¤14

£¤12

£¤14

£¤51

£¤14

£¤51

£¤151

£¤151

OP73

OP69

OP19

OP30

OP19

OP78

OP92OP73

OP113

OP113

2015 Urban and Limited Service Area Amendments

January 2015 USA Boundary Amendment Area

City Village TownAmendment Reference Number

3

2

1

Water Quality Activities Water Quality Activities

2015 CARPC Annual Report2015 CARPC Annual Report8 9

Along with efforts to increase food access, the Plan4Health team worked to promote physical activity—walking and bicycling, or active transportation—through the Active Living Places Initiative. The ALP team conducted research, collaboration, outreach, and engagement to increase the capacity of communities to promote active transportation.

As an initial step, the ALP team designed an Active Living Index to measure how conducive places are to active transportation. The index measured walkability, bikability, and access to transit in relation to daily activities such as food, education, and shopping. It allows for an objective comprehensive analysis of a community’s strengths and weaknesses, with the ultimate goal of creating helpful conversation within a community engagement process.

Along with development of the index, three pilot communities began a process of collaboration and outreach around active transportation. These communities – Cross Plains, Fitchburg, and Madison’s Park Edge-Park Ridge neighborhood – were selected based on need and existing capacity. They developed work plans with the goal of connecting citizens and local agencies within the planning process around active living places and healthy communities.

4. Interactive Online Tools

Staff introduced a number of imbeded data tools on the CARPC website, including mapping capabilities, U.S. Census tools, and other data as resource to area communities.

Basic Studies and Analysis A number of communities in the region are experiencing a significant increase in multi-family development proposals. The jump in multi-family proposals stems from the strong demand for rental housing. In 2015 CARPC staff completed a literature review of the neighborhood effects and other potential impacts of multifamily housing and developed scenario-based projections of multifamily housing supply and demand to aid local decision makers.

Information, Education, Outreach, and Public Participation CARPC provides information, outreach, education and opportunities for public participation on an ongoing basis. Highlights in 2015 were:

1. Quarterly Regional Trends Report

CARPC staff prepared quarterly Regional Trends reports on the topics of: Housing and Population; Economic Development; Environmental Resources; and Agricultural Resources. These reports are available online as interactive, navigable PDFs and contain updates to the CRSC Framework for Change Indicators as new data become available.

2. Robert Grow Presentations

The President and CEO of Envision Utah, Robert Grow, has led successful regional visioning efforts in Utah over the last several decades. Through his leadership, the Envision Utah approach became a national model, replicated across the U.S., for regional visioning and planning that generates desired changes in the way regions grow and develop. As described above, CARPC worked with Mr. Grow and Envision Utah to apply their lessons and best practices to the greater Madison region.

Mr. Grow visited the Madison area on May 14 and 15 to give several presentations and hold a number of meetings with area leaders. He described the Envision Utah approach and discussed how it could be applied in this region. His presentations laid the groundwork for recruitment of members of the Greater Madison Vision Steering Committee.

3. Plan4Health

In April 2015, a regional coalition, led by the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission, received a Plan4Health grant from the American Planning Association. The grant funded activities to promote access to nutritious food and physical activity.

To increase access to nutritious local food, a portion of the grant funds was awarded to two local organizations located in “food deserts.” The South Madison Farmers Market used grant funds to increase marketing that boosted sales and customers, as well as recruiting formerly incarcerated people to train as new urban farmers. Allied Community Cooperative applied funds to training and community engagement to form and grow a neighborhood-based food cooperative.

Staff Retirement Kamran Mesbah retired as Deputy Director and Division Director of the Environmental Resources Planning Division after serving CARPC and previous incarnations of the Regional Planning Commission for 27 years.

Staff PromotionUpon the retirement of Kamran Mesbah, Stephen Steinhoff assumed the role of Deputy Director of the agency in addition to his duties as Director of the Community and Regional Development Planning Division. Steve acted as “Co-Deputy Director” for six months prior to Kamran’s retirement. Steve joined the CARPC staff as a Senior Planner in 2010.

New Staff Joining the staff in 2015 were Linda Firestone and Mike Rupiper. Linda started in January as Administrative Services Manager. With this position filled, CARPC once again had a full-time person devoted to keeping the office running smoothly! Mike started as Director of the Environmental Resources Planning Division in December, returning to CARPC after an absence of almost two years. He filled one of the roles vacated by Kamran’s retirement. Mike will lead CARPC’s work to improve environmental systems in the region, with a focus on water quality.

New Payroll & Accounting Systems In 2015 CARPC contracted with the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board for accounting and payroll services to increase efficiencies, accuracy, and accountability. As with any significant change, there were bumps along the way but by the end of the year the new systems were generating anticipated benefits.

Other Agency Highlights Studies and Other Outreach Activities Other Agency Highlights

South Madison Farmers Market

2015 CARPC Annual Report2015 CARPC Annual Report10 11

Revenue Source ValueDane Co. Property Tax $808,200

Pass-Thru Funds

Federal and State Grants $23,164

Water Resource Monitoring $104,074

Intergovernmental Charge for Services

Federal and State Grants $134,762

Other Local Governments $91,500

Public Charges for Services

Sewer Extension Fees $28,594

Sale of Aerial Photographs $20

Sewer Service Amendment Fees $33,409

Other Income Sources $1,617

Interest Income $1,269

Gross Total Revenue $1,226,609

NET TOTAL REVENUE (Gross Less Pass-Thru)

$1,099,371

Financial Report Financial Report

2015 Revenues

2015 Expenses

66.0%

18.5%

5.2%

10.4%

15.0%

0.5% Insurance

2.7 %

Inter-governmental Charges for Services

Public Charges for Services

Pass-Thru Funds (Grants)

Dane Co. Property Tax

28.3%48.4%

Salaries, Wages, Leave Time

Employee Benefits

Utilities and Other Contractual Services

Financial Administration

Supplies and Expenses

Rent and Leases2.6 %

2.5 %

Expenditure Source ValueSalaries, Wages, and Leave Time $582,102

Employee Benefits $180,952

Utilities and Other Contractual Services $340,242

Financial Administration $30,500

Supplies and Expenses $30,672

Insurance $6,356

Rent and Leases $33,036

OPERATING EXPENDITURES

(Includes Pass-Thru)$1,203,860

In general, the regular ongoing work of the Commission is funded mostly through an annual charge to Dane County, pursuant to Wis. Stats. § 66.0309(14)(b), and an annual water quality planning grant from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) and the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In 2015, these two sources provided over 85% of regular operating revenue, and 74% of total revenue. Other sources of operating revenue included fees collected by issuing Section 208 letters of plan conformance (“sewer extension letters”), grants from the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Planning Association for the Plan4Health Initiative and the Wisconsin DOT, interest, and sales of publications and maps. The Commission also collected funds which were passed through to other agencies for water resources monitoring and transportation planning.

The majority of operating expenses were generated from personnel costs, which include salaries and wages, group insurance, participation in the Wisconsin Retirement System, and FICA taxes. The Commission employed a total of 8.125 Full-Time Equivalent regular and contracted staff, including hourly interns.

The Capital Area Regional Planning Commission

2015 Annual Report

City-County Building Room 362 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

Madison, WI 53703

Phone: 608-266-4137 Fax: 608-266-9117

info@CapitalAreaRPC.org www.CapitalAreaRPC.org