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Regional Growth Committee
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Meeting
Schedule for 2006 February
(no meeting) April
(no meeting) July
(no meeting) August
17 September
21 October
(no meeting) November
16 December
(no meeting) Regional Growth Committee Appointments Sample County Resolution to approve
Growth Principles Sample City Resolution to approve
Growth Principles Staff Contact: George Ramjoue Purpose The Regional Growth Committee (RGC)
serves as the policy advisory body to the Regional Council on long-range
transportation planning and related land use and other growth issues. The RGC is responsible for the Regional Long-Range
Transportation Plan and developing regional growth planning strategies in
cooperation and coordination with local governments, the Utah Department of
Transportation (UDOT), the Utah Transit Authority (UTA), and other
organizations and stakeholders.
Further, the Regional Growth Committee’s role is to provide overall
direction and guidance to the Regional Council staff and Subcommittees in
carrying out the programs and activities associated with the objectives
listed below. The membership (both voting and
non-voting) of the Regional Growth Committee is comprised of representatives
from the Regional Council, County Councils of Governments, Utah
Transportation Commission, UDOT staff, UTA Board, UTA staff, Utah Air Quality
Board, Utah Air Quality Board staff, Federal Highway Administration, Envision
Utah, Quality Growth Commission, Utah League of Cities and Towns, Utah
Association of Counties, Mountainland Association of Governments, GOPB, Salt
Lake Chamber of Commerce, and other private entities. Background The Regional Growth Committee’s three
primary objectives are itemized and explained below to provide more detailed
information on the responsibilities of the Committee. Also, details are provided on the three
primary areas of responsibility. There
are two existing committees that report to the RGC: the Transit 2030
Committee, and the Corridor Preservation Committee. (1) To provide guidance and oversight
to the Long Range Transportation Plan and the process. It was suggested by the Committee that
there be a greater emphasis in the future on coordinating with local
governments on long-range planning issues, linking transportation with land
use, integrating environmental principles into the long range planning
process, regional growth strategies
and principles, and economic and community development issues. Also, this would require providing
assistance to local governments and public outreach in implementing the goals
and objectives of the region’s plans. (2) To provide guidance and oversight
to the corridor preservation process.
Corridor preservation is a long-range planning issue and requires a
great deal of coordination with, and cooperation by local governments. Corridors that should be preserved would be
identified and corridor preservation strategies implemented. Also, the Committee is responsible for
making recommendations to UDOT’s Corridor Advisory Council, which in turn
makes recommendations to the Transportation Commission on pre-emptive and
hardship acquisitions that require the use of the Corridor Preservation
Revolving Loan Fund. Also, this would
require providing technical planning assistance and dissemination of
information to local planners and other officials for implementing the goals
and objectives of the corridor preservation program. (3) To facilitate the coordination of
planning in the region. This includes
the planning coordination of developments that are critical to the public and
of regional significance, such as open space and trails, affordable housing,
water resources, hazard mitigation; and for the resolution of land use and
other growth-related conflicts. This
also includes facilitating communication between local, state and federal
planning officials on various planning issues, and educational opportunities
for improving technical planning skills and learning about new developments
in planning. (1) Regional Transportation Plan
(formerly the Long-Range Transportation Plan)/Linking Land Use and
Transportation: This involves the preparation of the RTP. The RGC will insure that alternative growth
strategies, quality growth principles/guidelines, the region’s vision for
future growth, the land use/transportation connection, and appropriate
multi-modal transportation facilities are considered and incorporated into
the RTP. (2) Integrating NEPA/Determining RTP
Impacts: This involves reinforcing and strengthening of the region’s
transportation planning process by integrating National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) principles into the transportation planning process. This will insure that in the early stages
of the planning process that proposed transportation facilities of the RTP
will be evaluated with regard to the purpose and need, transportation
infrastructure balance, alternatives, environmental protection and
community/neighborhood preservation, NEPA fatal flaws and other factors. (3) Regional Planning
Strategies/Quality Growth Principles: This involves developing regional
growth principles, a regional vision, and growth strategies that consider
transportation and land use together, along with the needed implementation
strategies. Growth scenarios should be
developed and evaluated so that the fiscal, social, and environmental impacts
become apparent and are used in decision-making. The Long Range Plan should guide growth
related decisions, and serve as a tool for implementing regional goals. The growth/land use component of the Plan would
be implemented on a local level. (4) Community/Public Outreach: This involves
developing and implementing a comprehensive education/public
relations/outreach program designed to help the public and local governments
understand the Regional Council’s transportation planning process, how they
can best contribute to and benefit from this process. The education process should begin as early
as possible, as this is essential for the “buy-in” needed for implementation
of the region’s plans. CORRIDOR
PRESERVATION (1) Coordination: This involves
coordination with local governments, UDOT and private property
owners/developers, the general sharing of information and obtaining specific
information from the local governments on
planning and development activities that have the potential of conflicting
with corridor preservation objectives. (2) Corridor Preservation Advisory
Council: This involves providing input
to UDOT’s Corridor Preservation Advisory Council’s process and making
recommendations on land acquisition actions that involve the use of the Corridor
Preservation Revolving Loan Fund. (3) Education/Information
Dissemination: This involves providing educational opportunities for local
governments on the corridor preservation process and corridor preservation
planning methods, tools and strategies that are available to, and could be
implemented by local governments. (4) Corridor Preservation Plans: This
involves the preparation of detailed plans for specific corridors that spell
out in detail the corridor preservation strategies that will be implemented,
the collection of property information, and identification of
responsibilities between the local governments, UDOT and WFRC. (5) Resource To The County Councils of
Governments: Senate Bill 8, which
passed the 2005 Utah State Legislature, designates the County Councils of
Governments as the responsible party to prioritize funds for corridor
preservation derived from an optional fee that may be imposed on vehicle
registrations within the respective counties.
The Regional Council and the Corridor Preservation Committee will act
a resource to the respective County Councils of Governments in providing
staff support and recommendations on possible corridor preservation
opportunities. PLANNING
COORDINATION (1) Regional Planning
Coordination/Growth Conflict Resolution: This involves offering opportunities
for local, state, and federal planners, and others to meet on a regular basis
to exchange information on planning and development activities, changes in
planning law, new or innovative planning tools, and the like. Also, this involves the fostering of
planning coordination between local governments, and assisting them in
resolving inter-jurisdictional land use/development issues and disputes. (2) Open Space/Trails: This involves
planning coordination with state and local governments on open space issues,
providing information to local governments on the regions’s Open Space Plan,
open space areas that are recommended for preservation, and the tools
available for implementing the region’s open space strategies. This also involves coordination of trails
planning in the region, providing of information on the region’s Bicycle and
Pedestrian Plan to local governments, assisting local governments with trails
implementation, and providing information on trails development funding (3) Affordable Housing: This involves
coordinating with local governments and the state on issues of affordable
housing, identifying and eliminating regulatory barriers to affordable
housing, working with the Legislature in an effort to streamline and clarify
the existing statute on affordable housing plans, and identifying actions and
programs that will make housing more affordable. (4)
Natural Hazard Mitigation: This involves planning coordination with
local and state governments with regard to natural hazards and their
mitigation, providing information to local governments on the region’s Hazard
Mitigation Plan, and facilitating a continuing dialogue on natural hazard
issues. (5) Water Resources: This involves coordinating with federal,
state, local governments, and water agencies on the region’s future growth,
water infrastructure plans, resources required to meet future demand, water
conservation, water shed and aquifer protection, and other water
resources-related issues. (6) Developments of Critical
Importance/Regional Significance: This involves coordination with state,
federal, local governments, major private utility companies, water districts,
and others, on facilities of critical importance to the public and
developments of regional significance.
This coordination should lead to the collection of information about
future plans for regional infrastructure expansion, siting requirements, and
implementation schedule. Early
coordination and information dissemination about future plans and siting
requirements, as well as site and/or corridor preservation should be
facilitated. (7) Community/Economic Development:
This involves the administration of the Community Development Block Grant
program (CDBG) for the region’s small cities, coordination with the region’s
economic development organizations, and recommending provisions in the LRP
that are conducive to the development of the regional economy. (8) Collaboration: This involves
coordinating, cooperating, collaborating and partnering with other
organizations, such as Envision (9) Technical Assistance: This program includes providing technical
planning assistance to local governments, when needed, in order to help them
understand the details of the regional plans and the implementation tools
available. |
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Updated August 17, 2006 |
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Wasatch
Front Regional Council Salt
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