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TRANSCRIPT
PLANNERS WITHIN
BORDERS
Presented at the Texas Chapter APA Conference
by San Antonio Planning Advisors, LLP
Wendell Davis, AICP, Coordinator Roger Blevins, FAICP
Thomas F. Brereton, PhD, AICP
Tel 210-804-1919; Fax 210-804-1904 Email: [email protected]
Session Objectives
1. Present a model for developing a “Plan for Planning” in small towns and rural counties with limited resources and little/no experience with planning.
2. Present an outline to organize a pro bono planning group to assist these communities.
The Need
Smaller Communities or Counties with:
Severely limited resources
Little/No experience with planning
Major challenges on their doorstep.
The San Antonio Region
The Resources
Retired, semi-retired and active senior planners with
Diverse backgrounds and skills
Desire to contribute to unmet community needs.
What is a “Plan for Planning?”
Recommended steps for a local government to take in order to establish or reinvigorate a planning process and enhance the community’s planning capacity.
Includes both recommendations for immediate action and priorities for longer term planning.
Also includes recommended funding sources.
Why Plan? Often, officials in the potential client community are not sure of going through this process, so we provide some rationale:
Plan to accomplish something, some goal–or avoid something.
Planning includes identifying problems and finding solutions – taking a thorough look at the current situation and thinking about implications for the future.
Planning allows you to develop policies that address rapid growth or slow decline.
Planning educates and involves citizens and public officials about the needs and the efforts necessary to meet them.
Planning helps to maintain a positive “quality of life.”
Planning offers the opportunity to coordinate development projects with each other.
What Does SAPA Do?
Assistance is in the form of advice, encouragement and direction, rather than the preparation of an actual plan.
Collects available planning-related studies and material for review and evaluation.
Meets with Council, planning and economic development officials and/or staff to discuss needs, issues and priorities for the development of a long-range planning program or strategy.
Conducts reconnaissance survey of the community, discuss feasible options and alternatives.
What Does SAPA Do?
Prepare draft report (“Plan for Planning”) that includes findings and recommended priorities for a long-term planning program for the community.
Meet a second time jointly with local officials to present the draft “Plan for Planning” for discussion, questions and feedback.
Fine tune recommendations; recommend low cost implementation strategies/resources.
Prepare adopting resolution & timeline for the next steps.
SAPA Standard Pro Bono Services
Agreement
SAPA designates one partner as Principal in Charge, coordinator of others’ contributions.
Consultants provide services on a pro bono basis, for no professional fee; city reimburses consultants for mileage and other out-of-pocket expenses.
City acknowledges consultants’ volunteer services are for no professional consideration and thus indemnifies and holds consultants harmless.
City provides consultants with copies of all available previous planning-related studies and materials.
SAPA Standard Agreement
Consultant undertakes tasks as listed above.
City and consultants mutually acknowledge this agreement is limited to consultants’ study of the city’s existing conditions and recommendations of general priorities for long-range planning.
Individual consultants are free to compete for follow-up professional contracts.
Plan for Planning Case Studies
City of Somerset
City of Pleasanton
Atascosa County
Plan for Planning Case Studies
City of Somerset
City of Pleasanton
Atascosa County
SAPA HQ
City of Somerset, Texas
Background Setting
New Challenges
Recommendations: – Appoint Planning and Zoning Commission. (Done)
– Adjust ETJ with San Antonio. (In process)
– Conduct Comprehensive Plan Charrette – SA Section APA Volunteer Support. (Hired consultant instead)
– Adopt Zoning Ordinance. (Pending outcome of comprehensive plan)
– Develop Five-Year Capital Improvements Program.
– Adopt Sign Control Ordinance.
– Coordinate Economic Development Efforts with Somerset ISD. (Largest employer and user of city land.)
City of Pleasanton, Texas
Why?
– Give something back via Pro-Bono service.
– SAPA, a group of retired or semi-retired senior planners
– City has need and desire
Need? – Small TX towns have need (maybe not recognized) but no planning budget
Process? - Strategic planning exercise
– Review previous key documents
– Brainstorm w/city officials
City of Pleasanton, Texas Initial Challenges and Opportunities:
– No adopted plan, no P&Z commission and no zoning
– Airport, film industry, retirement community, vacant industrial park, CBD redevelopment
– Edge city to oil shale development
Situation:
– Pleasanton home of the American Cowboy
– Strong desire to maintain small town atmosphere
Plan Recommendations/Actions:
– Appoint Planning & Zoning Commission (done)
– Conduct Visioning sessions w/local APA (done)
– Advertise RFP for planning consultant (done)
– Contract planning consultant to prepare Master Plan (done)
– Contract with planning consultant to prepare Zoning
Ordinance for adoption (pending)
Atascosa County, Texas
Purpose: provide outline for deliberate County action
regarding the future of Atascosa County.
Meetings w/Judge, Commissioners and others
Current problems (road repair, bridges at risk, fire code, EMS,
pipeline road crossings, traffic, urban crimes (SOBs, animal control, water, facilities, solid waste, plat processing, etc. (Many problems are associated w/Eagle Ford shale oil & gas activity)
Information and records for decision-making (lack of:
continuity, consistency, accessibility and efficiency, limited to personal knowledge)
Records and maps (County Road map, subdivisions,
floodplain, well locations, soils.)
Recommendations related to: (water, health & safety,
administrative, platting, facilities plan, infrastructure plans, capital improvements plan/program and priorities )
Organizing a Team
Begin w/core group of 2 or 3 motivated planners.
Recruit members – Retired/semi-retired planners you know.
– Seek list from APA or state chapter of planners w/retired or Life Member status in your area.
Schedule an organizational meeting.
Appoint or elect a convener/coordinator.
Set Group Goal/Objectives.
Establish parameters for pro bono services.
Establish bylaws (at least some rules.)
Determine form of legal entity (LLP?)
Prepare an Agreement
1. Company agreement
2. Definitions (Capital and capital contributions, Initial capital
contributions and membership interests, Subsequent contributions and Limited liability)
3. Allocations and distribution
4. Management
5. Accounts and accounting
6. Membership – meetings, voting
8. Withdrawals, transfers of membership interests
9. Dissolution and winding up
9. Indemnification
Form of Legal Entity
Choose a Business Structure
General Partnership
Corporation
Limited Liability Company (LLC)
Limited Partnership
Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)
Not-for Profit Corporation (501 c(3))
– Legal Zoom?
Parameters for Suitable Projects
Limit your geographic area (say within a one-hour
drive, 60-80 miles of home base)
Unplanned or under-planned communities
Communities with limited resources
Distressed area
Facing new challenges
Finding Suitable Projects
Seek leads/recommendations from:
Personal knowledge of team members
Local APA Section
State Chapter
Area Council of Governments
National APA
Other Community Needs (or Branching Out)
Consider more comprehensive approach to assisting communities:
– Recruit retired public administrators to assist in local government administration
– Economic development directors/coordinators to assist small communities.
Consider assistance to rural counties
Train public officials and staff in new roles working with local APA or Council of Governments
Work with area colleges and universities
Staying Motivated
. . . a necessity for pro bono work!
Have an agenda for every meeting.
Each member sets personal objectives.
Spread out the fun - break into project teams
(2 or more persons interested in the same project.)
Schedule occasional social activity.
Assign projects or individuals self-generate projects.
Regular or TBA meeting time & place?
San Antonio Planning Advisors, LLP
442 Breesport Street
San Antonio, TX 78216 Tel 210-804-1919; Fax 210-804-1904
Email: [email protected]