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1. What is the difference between current planning and long range planning?

At the MSD, current and long range planning are two separate teams that work closely together. Long range planners work with the community to establish a broad vision for the community's future. They do this through the general plan process, community engagement events, and data collection and analysis. Current planners help implement the established vision by reviewing and processing land use applications. For example, when a property owner requests a re-zone of their property in order to introduce a new land use, current planning reviews the applicable general plan and makes a recommendation as to whether the re-zone supports community goals. In this way, current and long range planning reinforce one another to help communities thrive.

Long Range Planning:

• General Plans
• Small Area Plans
• Grant Writing
• Community Engagement
• Data Collection and Analysis; Population Estimates and Forecasts
• Plan Implementation
• Ordinance Writing

Current Planning:

• Permitted and Conditional Use Applications
• Subdivisions
• Re-Zone Applications
• FCOZ
• Ordinance Writing

2. What is the role of MSD Long Range Planners in the General Plan Process?

The MSD provides planning services for its members. Long Range Planning staff are responsible for organizing, facilitating, and linking the different elements of the general planning process, and helping build consensus with the many different parties involved.

1. At General Plan Steering Committee meetings, planning staff present information, facilitate discussion, and gather input regarding the needs and vision of the community from the General Plan Steering Committee members.
2. Planning staff also conduct research, develop surveys, analyze data, request and coordinate input from various stakeholders, planning events for broad public engagement, and write draft elements of the general plan.
3. The General Plan Steering Committee, Planning Commission, and Council will review and comment on the General Plan at various stages; planning staff will make the requested changes. this process may happen in several iterations.

3. How is a General Plan created and adopted?

1. The Council directs the Planning Commission to update or draft the General Plan.
2.  The Planning Commission notifies the public of its intent to draft or amend the General Plan. 
3. After a hearing with the public, the Plan Preparers (for example, a Steering Committee working in collaboration with a Long Range Planner) begin to draft the document. County, regional, or state government can support the process with data and information. The General Public may provide input at various points in the process.
4. The Plan Preparers pass their draft to the Planning Commission.
5. The Planning Commission consults with the public in a public hearing before recommending the General Plan to the Council.
6. The Council makes final revisions and adopts the revised/new General Plan in a public meeting.

Following adoption, the General Plan is used as a vision and guide for planning and decision-making. The Council may task different bodies with implementing all or part of the General Plan, including updating ordinances, applying for grants, or launching projects and programs.

4. Who can serve on a Metro Township Council, a Planning Commission, and a General Plan Steering Committee?

1. The public votes for Councilors on the Metro Township Council (they are elected officials).
2. The Metro Township Council appoints residents to serve on the Planning Commission (they are appointed positions).
3. The Metro Township Council decides who can be on the General Plan Steering Committee (they may be a mix of appointed positions and applicants who fit certain criteria).
4. Sometimes, the Metro Township Council will request that the entire Planning Commission becomes the General Plan Steering Committee. Other times, one or more members of the Planning Commission will apply and be selected to serve on the General Plan Steering Committee with other members of the public.
5. Generally, members of the public can apply to be on the General Plan Steering Committee. The Metro Township Council then approves or denies each application.
6. Generally, the General Plan Steering Committee is made up of 7 to 15 residents of the particular Metro Township, and/or stakeholders who represent important interests in the area. The General Plan Steering Committee is thus a volunteer group of Metro Township residents. Their local knowledge provides much of the content that goes into the General Plan.