COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND PUBLIC SERVICES Depending on its size and community context, local governments provide a range of community facilities and public services that are vital to public health, safety, and welfare. It is important for planners to consider these facilities and services when developing the plan’s policies and recommended actions. For example, if the population projections for permanent or seasonal populations show growth, it may be time to consider expanding public services, such as police or fire departments, or community facilities, such as schools and libraries. If the plan indicates that new community facilities will be needed, the process of developing the future land use map is the ideal time to identify possible sites. If projections show population decline, the plan may have to consider how to best consolidate existing facilities to reduce costs while continuing to provide the services its residents have come to expect.
The City of Raleigh’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan for the City of Raleigh includes an element devoted to community services and facilities.
The planning jurisdiction’s governing arrangement will consist of a wide range of departments that deliver a mix of services to its residents. Some communities also rely on other agencies to provide its services. For example, a community may require volunteer fire and private emergency ambulance services to aid both municipal and county governments. It is common for many plans to include a discussion of how the planning jurisdiction is organized administratively with a description of the roles, responsibilities, facilities, and resources maintained by different departments as well as the allocation of decision-making functions in a community. The development of this section of the plan also provides an opportunity to involve staff from across the local government in the planning process to ensure that the plan reflects their needs and priorities. This can help foster support for the plan’s implementation among various community decision makers. For example, the Burgaw 2030: Town of Burgaw Comprehensive Land Use Plan (2013, p. 39-40) discusses at length its current administrative structure, including its elected officials and town management staff along with all services offered by the town government. It also includes information about where it offers services, and describes each of Burgaw’s currently owned properties. The Onslow County Comprehensive Plan (2009, p. 94-95) describes its local government administration, how it operates under a Board of CommissionersManager form of government, its total number of employees, and the amount of employees in each department.
Police departments The planning jurisdiction’s current population demographics, seasonal population fluctuations, and population growth (or decline) creates unique public safety challenges that should be considered during the plan’s development. Criminal activity will vary across geographies so it is useful to understand crime
Comprehensive Land Use Planning in Coastal North Carolina
Section 3.4
Police Officers, Wilmington, NC
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