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Planning and 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)

C. Discussion of financial issues, trends, problems, solutions, etc.

• In 2006, RPC was asked to spend $150,000 of its cash reserves so that the general fund subsidy could be reduced.  The subsidy was further reduced by the cancellation of prior year encumbrances of approximately $162,000 related to non-recurring appropriations for consultant services approved prior to 2004.  It was understood at the time that this $312,000 cut would be a one-time reduction of the General Fund Subsidy.
• In 2007 the Budget Office and County Administrator recommended that our General Fund subsidy should remain flat regardless of the special circumstances that allowed RPC to artificially reduce the 2006 subsidy.  Although the County Commissioners added $81,000 after to the subsidy in our final 2007 budget, the remaining subsidy reduction of $231,000 will reduce the department's ability to continue projects and programs aimed at reducing population loss and increasing economic development in Hamilton County.
• If this policy and trend continues, RPC's cash reserve will be depleted by 2008.

V. Critical Issues and Key Initiatives Facing Department in 2008 & Beyond

A. Fragmentation of Political Interests amidst Community Decline in Population, Jobs, Tax Base and Quality of Life.

With 22 declining "at risk" communities, 49 political jurisdictions, over 600 local planning and zoning commissioners, and about 300 elected officals, the importance and challenge of building consensus on priorities and strategic implementation actions is obvious.  The consequences of our current dependence on incremental and fragmented decisions from a multitude of local and departmental planning agencies, contributes to: land use disputes; traffic congestion; sacrifice of community character; loss of farmland and open space; polluted water and air; deferred costs for building and maintaining highways, schools, and public utilities; increases in local property taxes; outflow of middle-class and small employers; racial and inome class segregation; fiscal disparity; declining schools; evaporating tax bases; growing crime; concentrated poverty and social needs; and escalating tax rates.  These consequences have economic, environmental, and social costs.

With budget cuts accompanied by increased Federal and Statemandates, not necessarily funded, communities are turning to RPC staff and initiated committees (e.g., Planning Partnership, First Suburbs Consortium, Local Alliance for nature and Development, and Hamilton County Caucus) for assistance to meet their needs for research and collaboration related to reversal of community decline has increased demand for property maintenance regulations and administration of local regulations by RPC/RZC contract services.

Year to Resolve: Requires annual progress
Estimated Cost: Annual labor and material per existing Budget
Stakeholders: Taxpayers, business, industry, elected and appointed government officials, local planning commissions, existing citizens and unborn generations

B. Implementation of Hamilton County's 2030 Plan (Community COMPASS)

Implementation of Community COMPASS recommendations will be a major focus of staff and the Planning Partnership over the next several years.  The campaigns are based on the Hamilton County 2030 Plan and Implementation Framework (November 2004) - a plan for implementing the vision for Hamilton County's future identified by citizens and approved by the Board of County Commissioners in November 2003.  Considerable alliance building among stakeholders is needed to assure successful implementation campaigns now being facilitated by RPC staff through the Planning Partnership, First Suburbs Consortium, Local Alliance for Nature an Development, Hamilton County Caucus, the Certified Planning Commissioners Program, the comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, Safe Routes to Schools, Biotech Cluster Analysis, Community Action Network Directory, and Project Impact.  Newly evolving initiatives will soon focus on voluntary consolidation of government services, land banking, property maintenance, housing, and will also present new opportunities for implementing Community COMPASS goals.

C. Balancing Development and Environment

Hamilton County's legislative zoning jurisdiction (Columbia, Green,  Harrison and Miami Townships) covers 35,000 acres - about 70% of the  size of Cincinnati.  HCRPC has advisory responsibility for development  review in all 12 townships.  Immediate challenges pertain to the  proposed growth areas on the west side of Hamilton County and the "eastern corridor" now being considered for substantial transportation  improvements.  The expansion of sewer and water to western  townships provides an opportunity and challenge to assure that  economic development can be maximized with sensitive consideration  of environmental constraints and natural resources.  Developed  properly, this area provides tremendous opportunity for economic  development, housing, transportation and conservation.  Staff and  commissioners will be challenged with increased demand to create and  administer Planned Unit Development regulations, Special Public  Interest Districts, and Greenspace Conservation Plans.  Greater  collaboration between economic development interests will also be  needed.  Updated standards will likely be needed to enable appropriate  development to proceed with local support and to promote green  infrastructure and green building practices for sustainable  communities.

Year to Resolve: Requires annual progress
Estimated Cost: Annual labor and materials per existing Budget
Stakeholders: 49 governments, elected officials, planning commissions,  investors, business and industry, tax payers, existing  citizens and unborn generations

Attached Documents

• Organization Concept_2008



• RPC Business Plan_2008