Mission Statement

The primary mission of the Planning Department is to help implement the Town's vision for growth, development, and preservation by facilitating a process of community decision-making.

Brief Services Description

There are two divisions in the Planning Department. The Current Development division manages the review and approval process for development applications, including managing interdepartmental review/evaluation of applications, public information, discussions with developers and neighbors, support to advisory boards in review of applications, and support to the Town Council. If applications are approved, review of final plans is coordinated and permits are issued. The division also maintains the Development Ordinance, including processing of periodic amendments.

The Long Range Planning division manages work on the Comprehensive Plan, annexation, the Capital Improvements Program, housing initiatives, transportation planning, and administration of the Town’s Community Development Block Grant program.

The Planning Department provides staff support to 7 permanent Advisory Boards and 3 Council-appointed Task Forces.

Departmental Revenue Estimates

Planning Department revenues come almost exclusively from development application fees. The projected and budgeted revenues for 2000-01 were about triple what they were in the previous year, because the Council significantly raised fees beginning July 1, 2000. Actual fees collected so far this year are above the estimates. Summary highlights follow:

Revenue Source	Actual 1999-00 Revenues	Budgeted 2000-01 Revenues	Actual 2000-01 Revenues to date	Proposed Budget for 2001-02 Revenues
Application Fees	99,759	310,000	192,979	310,000
Sales of Documents	542	1,000	406	1,000
Total Revenues	100,301	311,000	193,385	311,000

Departmental Base Budget Cost Estimates

Nearly all of the Planning Department’s costs are personnel-related (91%). Of the non-personnel costs, the largest categories of expense are related to copying/printing/postage, and these costs are increasing significantly due to increased volumes of information being produced and distributed. Another increasing cost is advertising (legally required ads for public hearings, annexations, and rezonings). The 2000-01 budget of $986,388 includes a non-recurring expense of $115,000 for professional services: $100,000 for the Development Ordinance consultant and $15,000 for the Northeast Gateway competition. Another non-recurring expense in the 2000-01 Operations budget was in the category of Miscellaneous Contracted Services, related to completion of the Comprehensive Plan.

Budget Category	2000-01 Budget	Requested 2001-02 Budget
Personnel	786,524	802,937
Operations	84,864	77,201
Professional Services	115,000	0
Total	986,388	880,138

Key Programs or Services that are Going Well

Development review activities are going well. The interdepartmental and intergovernmental evaluation of development applications is resulting in high-quality information, and issuance of permits that accurately reflect the approvals and conditions of approvals that go along with successful applications. The Town’s website has become a vehicle for timely distribution of information: about development applications, the new Data Book, and special reports. There will be a new 15-year CIP this year, a major annexation, key progress on a new Development Ordinance, and follow-up on Council initiatives related to rental licensing, the Northside neighborhood, the Million Solar Roofs campaign, Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance, UNC Master Plans, and Comprehensive Plan implementation.

Key Programs or Services that Could be Improved

There are four areas of concern. First, manual and paper systems to maintain land records could be improved by technology. Second, demands for public information efforts are increasing in significant ways (packets, notifications, direct mailings, legal ads and display ads in newspapers, meetings and electronic communication); this is placing extra pressure on budgets and workloads. Third, the volume of development applications has once again increased to the point of difficulty in keeping up with the flow of new applications and the accompanying need for meetings and report-writing. Finally, we have found the need to execute numerous contracts for professional services to keep up with workloads. Part of this need is created by some existing vacancies.

Proposed Additions or Reductions

None proposed in this budget request.