The Core Value for Regional Collaboration is:
Increased collaboration among jurisdictions on issues that transcend boundaries, including growth management, transportation and environmental concerns, in a manner that recognizes both regional and local needs.
ACTION AGENDA
Priority Policy: Support regular regional issue-based discussion, collaboration and planning before topics become "problems".
Action Agenda: Develop and implement a regional governance structure and communications plan that ensures collaboration around CONNECT value areas and policy priorities and that provides the framework for future issue identification and action through consensus-building. The CONNECT governance outlined in the attached chart ensures engagement of all regional partners, promotes the engagement of citizens in shaping policy, extends linages to all local governments and other regional groups and reduces the risk of issues become "silo-ed" either by geography or discipline.
Vision:
The region and its communities communicate regularly and systematically on issues that transcend
boundaries. This includes communities and organizations whose participation and active engagement is important to reach consensus on how those issues should be addressed and those involved in implementation. The level of civic education and engagement of large segments of the public has been elevated.
New and current elected officials are oriented to the regional context of their decisions, as well as to local issues. Political and business leadership relate to an electorate/ consumer population who are aware of the issues and the ways other communities have dealt with them and who will support decisions that take the longer view. Reciprocity—that the region is only as strong as its least prosperous communities and that long-term sustainability depends on a balance of jobs and housing in each of the region’s counties—is an important and broadly-endorsed concept in this collaborative region.
Policies:
- Support regular regional issue-based discussion, collaboration and planning before the topics become “ISSUES.”
- Support the norm of notification of adjacent communities regarding matters which might impact them.
- Support the increased use of multi-jurisdictional land use policies, overlays, etc. to ensure that development matters are mutually-agreed upon among potentially affected parties.
- Ensure the orientation of new elected officials (as well as current officials) to the regional context of their decision-making and their role as regional as well as local leaders.
- Support and encourage civic education.
- Support the balanced growth of employment and housing in counties, cities and towns throughout the region, so that no county unintentionally becomes a “bedroom community.”
- Respect the value of land NOT undergoing development, so that those communities that provide significant portions of regional open space are not placed in financial strain because of it.
A Sampling of Practices:
- Create a Regional Roundtable to promote discussion of regional issues and solutions among elected officials
- Ensure that the frequency and topics of existing Regional Planners’ Meetings are sufficient to address regional needs in the entire CONNECT area
- Host an annual “How Do We Grow?” workshops dealing with a range of issues and open to all stakeholders in regional growth and sustainability
- When possible, adopt and promote a regional position on growth and sustainability matters at the local, state and federal levels
- Create and through a multijurisdictional interlocal agreement ensure the use of a regional “Development Notification” list serve
- Hold integrated planning roundtables such as Gaston County’s G-CAMP in each county
- Expand the number of corridor studies and planning to promote the adoption of corridor overlays across multiple jurisdictions
- Adopt Long-Range Transportation Plans at not only the MPO/RPO but also the jurisdictional level
- Work with current civic education organizations and the media to encourage civic dialogue about regional and local “good government” and sustainability
- In cooperation with regional partners and economic developers, work with communities to determine an appropriate employment/ housing and work toward it with business development and recruitment
- Promote with legislative bodies the ability to do TDRs
- Promote voluntary conservation through easements through collaboration with land trusts
- Investigate collaborative, multi-jurisdictional land purchases to ensure regional open space
- Promote sustainable and profitable agriculture
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