Planning

With growth and economic development goals, elected officials and county staff are challenged to meet infrastructure needs, implement land use controls and manage community resources wisely and cost-effectively. Office staff addresses zoning and subdivision regulation, land use planning, and implementation.

Planning is a profession dedicated to improving communities and the environment as well as enhancing the quality of life for all members of society. Planners assist in understanding and solving society's problems by addressing diverse public issues that affect where people live, work and play; where they shop and go to school; how they get from place to place; what our communities look like and how we use resources. Staff's goal is to enhance the welfare of people and our community by creating a convenient, equitable, healthful, efficient and attractive environment for present and future generations.

Planners must be knowledgeable about government structure and decision-making, the structure and function of cities, data collection and analysis, problem formulation and research design, and plan-making and policy implementation. Planners formulate plans and policies to meet the social, economic and physical needs of people and communities, then develop the strategies to make these plans work. Planners work with the public to develop a vision of the future and to make that vision a reality through project implementation. Planners analyze problems, forecast future conditions, compare alternatives, and describe implications so that public officials and citizens can make knowledgeable choices.