With the adoption of the Revised Comprehensive Plan, county departments and agencies must develop service plans and establish capital facility standards.
The Finance and Government Services Committee discussed some of the proposed facility standards at its May 5 committee meeting. The standards are included within the agencies' service plans for capital resource needs. These plans provide a 20-year projection, outlining the number and type of facilities for the county to build to meet growth projections, and include the capital and operating cost impacts.
"Now we have the costs that go with those standards," said James Burton (I-Mercer), committee chairman, adding that the county can determine if the standards are affordable.
The standards can be used to develop proffers and "other proposals for densities above the specified base density for each planning policy area," as stated in Chapter 10 of the Revised General Plan, one of the documents in the Comprehensive Plan. The standards outline the capital facility contributions that qualify as in-kind, cash and land proffer contributions.
"We can use these standards when we ask for developer contributions," said Ben Mays, budget officer.
The committee agreed to continue the discussion at the May 19 meeting before forwarding the standards to the Board of Supervisors for adoption.
IN OTHER BUSINESS, the committee forwarded to the full board a proposal to donate $50,000 to the George C. Marshall International Center to continue restoring Dodona Manor. The contribution will assist the foundation with finishing the restoration project, which began in 2001, for a November 2005 reopening.
<1b>— Shelley Widhalm