A Time for Municipal Action
 
 

Pennsylvania’s unique system of government establishes a framework that delegates land use regulatory power to the local level – the boroughs and townships. Unlike other parts of the country, where the county develops the local land use policy (top down approach), in the Commonwealth the development of land use policy is at the discretion of the smallest unit of government – the municipality (bottom up approach). Recognizing this distinction, the Vision 2020 Land Use and Sustainability Plan does not presume to dictate municipal population thresholds, the exact location of local growth areas and future land use, or local priorities for open lands. Instead, the Plan’s Vision 2020 Strategies Handbook provides tools to assist local officials in developing policies, which are set in the framework of the Mid-Bald Eagle Watershed objectives and vision.
 
 

A Diagnostic Checklist

Amunicipal checklist (click here) was created to provide the governing officials of the 23 municipalities with a diagnostic tool to uncover their next actions or steps to move toward the sustainable vision. The seventeen questions focus on the vision’s main ingredients:

• working together,
• retaining distinct communities,
• maintaining a diverse economy,
• building an efficient transportation system, and
• sustaining a healthy environment.

Using the Checklist for Municipal Officials
 
 

1. Read each question carefully and circle the answer, which describes the current level of municipal activity.
2. If "yes" is circled, read the description of what work has been completed. If there are elements of work that have not been completed, read the strategic actions for the "no" response and the Vision 2020 Strategies Handbook references.
3. If "no" is circled, continue to read the strategic actions and the Vision 2020 Strategies Handbook references and integrate these elements as part of a municipal action plan.

Two levels of effort are available to municipalities, the municipal and the multi-municipal. Advantages exist for each; however, the sustainable future will be reached more quickly by pursuing the multi-municipal effort. The advantage for single-municipal ventures is that projects may start quickly; multi-municipal efforts may require the development of cooperative agreements. While the multi-municipal projects may take longer, they yield broader results. The plan recommends that all municipalities in the region pursue multi-municipal efforts within the next five years.
 

Strategies recommended for multi-municipal activities are:

• Growth Area and Resource Area Delineation
• Future Land Use Scenario
• Interchange Area Planning Process
• Multi-Municipal Planning and Zoning
• Agricultural Preservation Models
• Functional Roadway (Transportation) Classification System
• Highway Corridor Access Management Program
• Traffic Calming Measures
• Open Lands Prioritization and Management
• Sustainable Water Supply Protection Program
• Infrastructure Investments in Designated Growth Areas
• Reuse and Redevelopment Program

Strategies recommended for comprehensive plan activitiesare:

• Growth Area and Resource Area Delineation
• Future Land Use Scenario
• Functional Roadway (Transportation) Classification System
• Highway Corridor Access Management Program
• Traffic Calming Measures
• Open Lands Prioritization and Management
• Sustainable Water Supply Protection Program
• Reuse and Redevelopment Program

Creating a Municipal Action Plan

The primary key to success for the Vision 2020 Land Use and Sustainability Plan is mobilizing municipalities to action. (Other keys to success belong to regional efforts completed by the county and non-governmental entities.)

The municipal action plan is the vehicle for listing pertinent strategic actions, linking these actions together into projects, prioritizing projects, targeting strategic partners, and seeking regional or county assistance. The municipal checklist is the building block for the action plan.

Click here for a template for creating the municipal action plan.

1. List Strategic Actions. Transfer the list of strategic actions from the municipal checklist (the "no" response actions) to the strategic actions column. This list represents future municipal actions.
2. Link Strategic Actions to Municipal Projects. Review the list of actions and corresponding strategies from the Strategies Handbook. Group the actions into specific projects or programs that may be pursued by your municipalityover the next decade.

For example, many of the actions may be completed at once as part of a multi-municipal plan or may be completed individually outside of the planning process. The municipal officials must determine the best approach for their municipality; that is, what will be publicly acceptable, realistic, and achievable.
3. Prioritize Projects. Place the projects in priority order: high, medium, and low. Determine a time-frame for each priority or an initiation date.
4. Target Strategic Partners. Determine who needs to be involved in the completion of the project. Identify neighboring municipalities, organizations, and agencies that share a common interest, issue, and viewpoint. Begin a dialogue with the strategic partners to determine their level of interest in a cooperative effort.
5. Seek County or Regional Assistance. Review the Region-wide Action Plan and the Strategies Handbook to determine activities of the county and region that may support the municipal projects. Solicit support and assistance based on these actions.