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<br /> are available for things like the development of areas by July 2000.Like Wisconsin,Tennes-
<br /> affordable housing.Once the dividend isfiinded, see provided incentives to spur communities
<br /> . communities will be able to rum in their credits into action.But no new agency was created to
<br /> for money,"he says. oversee the process and no funds were appro-
<br /> ` Now for the stick a consistency requirement priated to help make it happen.
<br /> that comes into play in 2010. "By then,"says . The major incentive was a point system.
<br /> Ciesliewiez,"every community has to meet the Local governments that met the July 2000
<br /> comprehensive plan requirement or be subject deadline received extra points that could be
<br /> to being hauled into court for any decision not applied to various state grant proposals.Those
<br /> backed by a valid comprehensive plan." that missed the deadline had an additional
<br /> Planning grants are awarded in a competi- year to complete their plan with no penalty,
<br /> tive process. In the first round, 71 of 103 but got no extra points.
<br /> applicants received awards. Applications are Any community failing to meet the second
<br /> reviewed by a panel and scored according to deadline would lose its eligibility for some
<br /> how well they meet six weighted criteria.This state grants and be vulnerable to legal chal-
<br /> year.the highest score (89) went to Portage lenges, says Sam Edwards, AICP, deputy ex-
<br /> County in central Wisconsin. It received- ecutive director of the Greater Nashville Re-
<br /> $504,000 in state money. gional Council. Edwards, who is also the
<br /> Planning and zoning director Charles Kell agency's legal counsel, coauthored the new
<br /> attributes his county's success to.its coordi- planning legislation with Bill Terry,AP,the
<br /> nated approach."The grant program is strut- planning.director of Goodletwille,just north
<br /> tured heavily toward intergovernmental plan- of Nashville.
<br /> ning, and we have a strong history of that According to Edwards, the lack of a state
<br /> here," he says.All of the county's local gov- oversight mechanism was intentional. Not
<br /> ernments (one metropolitan area, three vil- creating a new agency or providing new fund-
<br /> lages, and several rural townships) were in- ing-was the only way to get political support .
<br /> volved, and all contributed funds according for the bill,he says.
<br /> to their population to match the state dollars. The new law,--Public Chapter 1101, re-
<br /> quires 92 of the state's 95 counties to com-
<br /> plete a.20-year comprehensive growth policy
<br /> plan and get the plan approved by every com=
<br /> munity in their county--a monumental task'.
<br /> Stevens Point in Portage County, (Three counties are exempt because they are
<br /> Wisconsin,(above)is one of the ° :part of metropolitan areas.)Intergovernmen-
<br /> many areas that will benefit from tal cooperation is key,Edwards says,because
<br /> a$504,000 state pla n n i ng gran t of the plan's consistency requirements.Amend-
<br /> that Portage County recently ments are possible after three years,but they
<br /> received.Rochester,New York,at must be agreed to by all the locafgovemments
<br /> right,uses a slide show on its included in the plan.
<br /> website to help illustrate'what Only three counties failed to meet the dead-
<br /> happens when people move from line,and one of those had received an wen-
<br /> Rochester neighborhoods into ones sion,Edwards says,adding that the quality of
<br /> farther from the central city. the plans varies.,Some counties really did
<br /> complete comprehensive plans,he says,while
<br /> others just met the minimum requirements.
<br /> first-ever planning grants.In January,the first The total of the combined funds:$1 million. Now that they are better acquainted with
<br /> round($3.5 million) of matching grants was Kell also believes that Portage Countyscored the advantages of planning,some of the coun-
<br /> awarded. The next biennial budget includes well because its application, which was pre- ties have already begun to work on amend-
<br /> another$6.2 million in marching grants.Higher pared in-house, demonstrated a detailed un- ments to upgrade their initial efforts."If there
<br /> levels of grants are available for plans that derstanding of the communities served by is a weakness in the planning requirement,it
<br /> embrace regionalism and intergovernmental county planners. "We were able to hit the is that there was no state oversight,but then
<br /> coordination. mark because we are so very familiar with the again the strength of the plan is that it is
<br /> The second carrot,the"Smart Growth Divi- local issues,"he says. locally driven,"he says.
<br /> dend,"is unique to Wisconsin,Ciesliewiez says. All of the planning was done using existing
<br /> "It rewards communities for having a compre- Unfunded mandate budgets; services, and personnel. "Agencies
<br /> hensive plan that meets the minimum standards Communities in Tennessee faced an enor- did not get additional funds,"says Edwards,
<br /> and further rewards them for addressing specific mous challenge in 1998 when•the state re- "but they prioritized and they dropped every-
<br /> goals. For example, for every house on a lot of quired municipalities and counties to create thing to get this done.They recognized that
<br /> four acres or less,you get a credit.Further credits urban growth boundaries and designate growth this was a great opportunity.Some communi-
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