MANSFIELD — The Richland County Regional Planning Commission focuses much of its work on improving all modes of transportation.
The organization’s executive committee on Wednesday discussed restructuring membership dues to allow the organization to do more land-use planning.
Executive Director Jotika Shetty told committee members the agency has not focused sharply on land-use topics in a decade, focusing its efforts on transportation issues since the national economic recession.
The commission was formed in 1959 when Richland County commissioners and City of Mansfield leaders agreed to work together on development issues.
“We kind of really scaled back a lot of our planning and land-use functions in an effort to just make sure we could survive and we could, at least, continue to serve (the community),” Shetty said.
RCRPC uses the dues paid by local governmental entities largely as matching dollars for federal and state transportation grants.
“Our federal funds we can spend on transportation and that’s great,” Shetty said. “But when it comes to pure land-use planning, aggressively like we have been trying to do with (the housing study), broadband, larger quality of life issues, we really do not have any staff time that we are dedicating to those.”
Committee member Jodie Perry, chief operating officer of the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development, asked what municipalities in the county would think of the change.
“It does seem like we’re having a lot of those big-picture conversations. But there’s not someone that’s really in charge. It’s not anyone’s job to lead those things. And so we’re all kind of piecemealing it, but it’s not always probably as effective as it could be,” Perry said.
Shetty said it could be as simple as someone “doing the legwork” associated with land-use planning and other non-transportation efforts, such as reading and understanding zoning issues and putting model zoning together.
“That’s not something that me or Jodie or (City of Mansfield engineer) Bob (Bianchi), in leadership roles, are able to spend time to do. It needs someone who understands the nuances and is able to get those kinds of daily work activities taken care of,” Shetty said.
“I feel we are short-changing ourselves on the planning side, because that’s where I feel the capacity is lacking.”
The City of Mansfield and Richland County government, as sustaining members and the largest entities, pay the largest shares of the RCRPC dues.
Bianchi asked if there could be a basic dues structure and then additional fees assessed as work is done on behalf of communities.
“I have had some concern, as well as some others, that the city is paying a certain amount. But when there are so many services that are going to maybe a smaller township that is paying $800 per year when (Mansfield) is paying $42,000,” Bianchi said.
“The city needs an overhaul of our zoning ordinance. We could potentially take this employee and use their 2,080 hours a year just for the city. So I don’t know how that would get spread around,” Bianchi said.
Perry, a candidate for Mansfield mayor this year, said communities around the county agreed to participate financially in the countywide housing study nearing completion.
“If you can make the case compelling enough, you probably could get buy-in. But I would assume municipalities are going to want to know if they’re kicking in money, ‘What are we gonna get and how will this added capacity really assist us?’ ” Perry said.
“I think the need is there. There’s a shortage there. So how do you solve it? Maybe it’s conversation about these big picture conversations that are happening in multiple places that maybe one central person could at least help guide.”
Joe Gies, the commission president and project coordinator for the City of Shelby, said his community has council members anxious to see the housing study final report.
“Even developers are wanting to get their hands on it. It’s a tool for them to use to (determine) when is it time to start building more and. (The land-use planning) could be very beneficial,” he said.
Commission member Deanna West-Torrence, executive director of the North End Community Improvement Collaborative, said the land-use planning concept is a good idea.
“It seems to me like a logical next step, to have someone here that can work with all (communities) because it does seem like everyone has big projects and things going on,” said West-Torrence, who will take over as the commission president in February.
Shetty said she would contact commission members individually to discuss the idea.
“Thanks for that conversation. I appreciate it. I know we have been kind of tinkering around with it for awhile now. I think this is the right time to address it — either put it to bed or really attack it,” Shetty said.
The entire planning commission meets Feb. 22 in its annual organizational session.
