CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Confirm that the current scope of the RFP should continue to be utilized to complete the proposed update to the City's Comprehensive Plan.
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Allison Laff, AICP, Deputy Director
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
Not required.
BACKGROUND:
City Council approved $125,000 in funding in the 2019 budget to facilitate completion of an update to the City's Comprehensive Plan; details on the proposed update were included in a report to the City Council dated January 31, 2019 (see attached).
To date, the City has issued an RFP to hire a consultant to create a custom-designed land-use planning document that offers clear, concise and focused recommendations to guide planning and zoning requests over the next two decades. Upon closing of the RFP on February 28, 2019, the City received responses from two firms; staff anticipates that City Council would review the recommended award of the RFP in May 2019.
DISCUSSION:
During public forum at the March 5, 2019 City Council meeting, four speakers indicated their preference that the scope of the proposed comprehensive plan update be expanded to include topics such as sustainability, livability, and other health and environmental issues. In response, staff noted that the expanded topics are not traditionally included in a land-use based comprehensive plan and could likely not be accommodated within the current budget or timeline allocated to this project.
What is a Comprehensive Plan?
Statutorily, municipalities have been granted planning authority by Illinois Municipal Code ??11-12-4 through 11-12-13. 65 ILCS 5/11-12-4 through 5/11-12-13 to adopt a comprehensive plan that includes areas within its municipal borders, as well as the area located within one and one-half miles of its corporate limits subject to the provisions of 65 ILCS 5/11-12-5 and 5/11-12-6. The purpose of a comprehensive plan is to establish...
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