Agenda - Planning Commission - 12/04/2014

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Strategies to Improve Communities Enact One of the greatest strengths of local government is its ability to shape communities using policies and laws. Systems -level change is often easiest achieved through changes in local policy. The principal activities of local government legislation are to develop, introduce, reform, and implement policies, and ensure that policies that are implemented do strengthen communities and address areas of weakness or need. Policies enacted by local governments can: • Tax • Subsidize/grant/loan • Alter economic conditions • Regulate • Structure rights • Generate information, keep records, disseminate information • Fund government service • Provide jobs • Build and maintain infrastructure • Reform the government itself 11 Whether it is adoptions to design codes, the limitation of parking spaces, utility rebates provided to older adults, or business relocation incentives, local officials have significant power to address the deepest community needs. Fort Collins, Colorado is featured in the case study below for its work in sustainability and climate change. A Case Study in Surveys for Policy Fort Collins, Colorado Policies built on broad -based resident perspectives will receive stronger community support than policies created with only special interest input and the perspectives of residents with easiest access to council. Knowing that community values supported air quality programming, in 2011, the City contracted with National Research Center, Inc. to conduct a survey of its residents about climate attitudes and policies. The survey was designed to help local leaders create policies that best reflected resident preferences and the survey helped policy -makers create plans to address the concerns of different 11 People's Policy Institute: Participatory Policy Analysis: Achieving Systems Level Change Through CBPR http://depts.washi ngton. edu/ccph/pdf_fi les/CCPH_ca ll_sl ides_10-21- 09_bXw.pdf resident groups using a population segmentation approach with survey results. From the Fort Collins Climate Status Report, 2012: "Fort Collins has long been committed to reducing the community's carbon footprint." City staff identified the number one reason to have a community -wide air quality action plan as this: "First, city residents have high expectations for a clean environment. Residents have identified the Air Quality Program as being the single most important program for protecting their future quality of life, according to the City of Fort Collins 2003 Citizen Survey." (in Fort Collins Air Quality Plan, May 2011. p.i httn://www.fcgov.com/airaualitv/ndf/2oL1- AirOualitvPlan-Final-LowRes.Ddf 1. The 2011 survey demonstrated that residents were broadly committed to government's role in reducing greenhouse gases and, with the cluster analysis of survey results, the survey showed what drove supporters, skeptics and advocates. The survey also showed that skeptics amounted to only 1 in 6 Fort Collins adults while supporters and advocates comprised over 8o% of the population. For other examples of policies enacted by local governments in terms of climate change, see httn: / /www.en a. gov/statelo calclimate /local /local - examnles /case-studies.html Local Attitudes about Climate Change ,°1,1 aims .,..,n g gamin abkA,aSaa erenm dangeOeeuiln LOnoMn,LAw ism...° dmanem® ..arted azdwer m°Mane.Md� eldsrcMem On avenge. this gmq think tetralag card p m mamaaik had e�mnimm dm, r onbdm a,m+ a°emm w chic elre, ,MIne ewmYrprmeemrmmemnlmmo,es Supper nn:6n overage., MN pop • Somewhat a tn. earth sgm wama mee ai eiregreee WnJ.e me Pan • ro+a ad may niy ha, bag,.'own behwimi redus rd,.and oc SM[gdn: On average.this gaaup kt, "nl mr,n � grent- were a UN* mart supper.. te dea clIatni, should help aroma ao gait, remegasemissons © 2014, National Research Center, Inc. Page 20