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Planning, Zoning & Community Development

Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission Business Plan

I. Department Overview

A. Regional Planning Commission

   Mission

• To build planning partnerships for creating and implementing community plans in the context of the region
• To provide data management and analysis for effective planning and decision-making in Hamilton County governments
• To promote an equitable balance of local, county and regional perspectives and interest in community planning forums

   Vision

• To assist Hamilton County and its communities, agencies and citizens in planning and achieving sustainable development and related community and regional goals.

B. Planning Partnership

   Mission

• To bring together public, private, and civic sector organizations engaged in community planning in Hamilton County so that mutual goals related to physical, economic and social issues can be planned for comprehensively and achieved collaboratively.

C. First Suburbs Consotium

   Mission

• To implement Hamilton County's goals related to sustaining and revitalizing mature built-out communities
• To initiate and promote public policies that maintain the vitality of our communities by advocating:
  • Public Policies that do not create disposable communities
  • Balanced investments in new and existing infrastructure
  • Maintenance and enhancement of the tax base
  • Creation of redevelopment opportunities

D. Local Alliance for Nature and Development (LAND)

   Mission

• To implement recommendations in Hamilton County's Comprehensive Plan (Community COMPASS) related to green infrastructure and green design issues, balancing development and environment, and implementation of the Greenspace Concept Plan

E. Hamilton County Caucus of OKI Representatives

   Mission

• To implement Hamilton County's goals related to transportation and mobility in the context of the region
• To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of local government involvement in regional planning and decision-making affecting Hamilton County communities and the region
• To identify and communicate the interests of Hamilton County communities to state and federal decision-makers

F. Project Impact

   Mission

• To reverse population and job loss, and sustain unique traditional, historic, and authentic qualities of older communities through asset-based community development initiatives and place-based partnerships that accelerate the impact of isolated and incremental efforts

G. Certified Planning Commissioners' Program

   Mission

• To build capacity for successful planning, zoning, and community building through 49 local planning commissions

H. The Government Cooperation and Efficiency Project

   Mission

• To help local governments improve service delivery and control costs through cross-jurisdictional cooperation, and service delivery sharing and consolidation

I. Local Government Contractual Services

   Mission

• To help ensure that community trends are anticipated, challenges are addressed, priorities are focused, and plans are achieved strategically

J. Census Challenge

   Mission

• To assist communities in submitting challenges to census population estimates and to assure accurate estimates without undercounts

K. Hamilton County Data Portraits

   Mission

• To fully utilize data and graphic technology in assisting Board of County Commissioners and others to set priorities for community investments

L. Who we are / What we do

The Regional Planning Commission (RPC) provides advisory planning and development review services to the unicorporated areas (12 townships) of the County.  It also provides similar services upon request to 37 county municipalities that are members of the Commission and pay annual fees.  The Commission's various planning activities include programs for subdivision compliance, community planning, develoment review and census/data and information systems.  The Commission's services are tied to annual work programs that monitor development trends, evaluate current policies, and update the Hamilton County Master Plan and related regulations for zoning, subdivision of land and traffic circulation.  The Commission is responsibile for determining consistency of development proposals with adopted plans for township areas.  Land use control responsibilities also include development review for consistency with zoning regulations, subdivision rules, and throughfare plans.  Advisory zoning recommendations are made to the Hamilton County Rural Zoning Commission and to township and municipal commissions.  The RPC administers and takes final action on land subdivision for the entire unincorporated area.  It coordinates the multi-agency review of subdivision plans and ensures conformity with the County's regulations.

RPC prepares and disseminates information and maps on a variety of subjects related to planning, and this information is available for public and agency use.  It maintains Census and other data on population, housing, zoning, building activity, socio-economic development, school trends, and many physical and land use features.  The staff coordinates and assigns street address numbers for the unincorporated areas and several municipalities.  The Commission's staff also supports the various functions of the Rural Zoning Commission, the Community Development Department, the First Suburbs Consortium, the Planning Partnership, Local Alliance for Nature and Development, the Hamilton County Caucus of OKI Representative and other boards, committees, and task forces.

Organizational Chart (See Attached Document Section at the bottom of page)

Core Functions / Lines of Work

   A. Development Services / Zoning Revisions - The zoning revisions function includes the related services of processing all submissions for new or revised development plans and keeping the zoning regulations current by preparing new or revised sections that respond to either detected inadequacies in the current regulations or new development practices that have been detected or expected to be seen in future developments.

   B. Development Services / Subdivision Review - The subdivision review function includes the related services of processing all subdivisions plans, and responding to citizen and developer questions related to subdivision development.  This section also coordinates and assigns street address numbers for 12 townships and several municipalities.  Keeping the subdivision regulations current by preparing new or revised sections that respond to either detected inadequacies in the current regulations or new development practices that have been detected or expected to be seen in future developments.

   C. Community Planning Services - The community planning function includes the related services of research and analysis for preparing long range plans for countywide, multi-jurisdictional, township, and municipal areas, and related short range strategies to facilitate implementation of plans.  Community planning staf also provides support to the Planning Partnership to achieve its mission of bringing together public, private, and civic sector organizations engaged in community planning in Hamilton County so that mutual goals related to physical, economic and social issues can be comprehensively planned and collaboratively achieved.

   D. Data Products and Systems - The data products and systems function includes the related services of  designing, installing, maintaining the computers, peripherals, and local area network and connections to the countywide area network.  This section is also responsible for the development and maintenance of the  county-wide web site as well as production of all web related County  Report Card charts and graphs.  Additional related services include  training the staff in the use of the various software programs and  providing geographic information system (GIS) services, activity tracking  services, the provision of census data and analysis, and other  information systems related services provided within the department, for  other departments, boards and commissions, other public sector  entities, and the private sector.

   E. Administrative Support - The administrative support function includes the related services of payroll administration, personnel administration, budget administration, coordinating employee training efforts, and assisting in information systems administration.  Duties also include production assistance for the County Report Card booklet.

II. Performance Measures

III. Organizational Staffing Levels

In 2008 the Regional Planning Commission employs 15 full time staf and one full-time intern (co-op).  One staff person retired in 2006, two resigned in 2007 and will not be replaced until budget levels will support the position.

IV. Financial Plan

A. The Regional Planning Commission is a restricted fund department that receives a subsidy from the General Fund in order to meet operating expenses.

B. Budget and Expenditure Trend (see table below)