This document discusses public finance considerations for planners. It notes that planners should understand how municipal revenues and budgets work because they will be asked to explain fiscal impacts of projects and policy changes. Revenues come from sources like property taxes, fees, and state aid, which are vulnerable to economic fluctuations. Planners' decisions around development can affect budgets by impacting areas like schools, public works, and public safety. Tools like fiscal impact analyses help evaluate these costs and benefits, though they have limitations and require credible application. Overall, the document stresses the importance for planners to thoughtfully consider financial implications of their work.
Panel organized for the RECAST conference in Santa Fe, marking the 20th anniversary of the public process that created the Santa Fe Railyard Redevelopment. Panelists included: Joel Mills, Cheryl Morgan, Erin Simmons, and Thea Crum. The panel explored issues facing cities today and multiple democratic methodologies (participatory budgeting, democratic urbanism) for city building.
How can social design help create a more human-centered city? How can we engage the community to help redesign itself? We believe design thinking principles can be applied to advance a Participatory Community Revitalization process. This toolkit puts together successful examples of frameworks, methods, templates to inspire you to coordinate a collaborative design process.It is meant to help you get real. We will help hone in on your intent and guide you through the steps of Participatory Community Design process. You'll learn to collect insights from the community and translate their voices into actionable ideas to revitalize and increase resilience.
Work done during DMBA at CCA, in collaboration with Kelly Spain and Annu Yadav.
Panel organized for the RECAST conference in Santa Fe, marking the 20th anniversary of the public process that created the Santa Fe Railyard Redevelopment. Panelists included: Joel Mills, Cheryl Morgan, Erin Simmons, and Thea Crum. The panel explored issues facing cities today and multiple democratic methodologies (participatory budgeting, democratic urbanism) for city building.
How can social design help create a more human-centered city? How can we engage the community to help redesign itself? We believe design thinking principles can be applied to advance a Participatory Community Revitalization process. This toolkit puts together successful examples of frameworks, methods, templates to inspire you to coordinate a collaborative design process.It is meant to help you get real. We will help hone in on your intent and guide you through the steps of Participatory Community Design process. You'll learn to collect insights from the community and translate their voices into actionable ideas to revitalize and increase resilience.
Work done during DMBA at CCA, in collaboration with Kelly Spain and Annu Yadav.
Restart+ Module 6 Sustaining Success and Future Planningcaniceconsulting
Our final module helps you assess what does community regeneration success look like? And how do you evaluate it?
You will also learn that celebrating success is one of the most important things you can do. You will learn about the importance of reassurance marketing, vital as we emerge from the pandemic of 2020.
We provide our last set of practical templates and exercises which you can use to measure the success and impact of your projects and plan for the future for your community regeneration projects.
URBiNAT principles of user engagement. 6 recommendations from SLA Architects URBiNAT
Copenhagen-based SLA Architects are members of the H2020-funded URBiNAT Consortium which is committed to the promotion of NBS and the creation of Healthy Corridors in 7 cities across Europe (2018 - 2023)
A pretty comprehensive summary of the nexus of concepts that my current project .commUNITY is working on. We have rebranded the concept as an Ekosystem.
VIP Tour Madrid está formado por un equipo de profesionales que han desarrollado su experiencia profesional en los sectores de turismo y en la organización de eventos.
Somos una agencia de turismo receptivo, nos dirigimos tanto a empresas como a particulares ofreciendo un servicio integral para la planificación de su estancia en Madrid y ciudades de alrededor, en colaboración con los mejores colaboradores.
Nuestro objetivo es ofrecer un servicio exclusivo y totalmente personalizado a aquellas personas que van a visitar Madrid, lo que le permitirá disfrutar de una experiencia vital optimizando a su vez su tiempo, presupuesto y preferencias. Trabajamos sobre petición por lo que nos adaptamos a las necesidades que puedan tener nuestros clientes, siendo VIP Tour Madrid un punto de referencia durante toda su estancia.
Ofrecemos soluciones desde el transfer hacia / desde el hotel a experiencias únicas, tours guiados, gastronomía, compras, relax, fiestas, selección de los mejores establecimientos de la capital, actividades culturales, deportivas y de ocio, etc. Nuestros exclusivos servicios VIP ofrecerán la posibilidad a nuestros clientes de disfrutar al máximo de su estancia en Madrid.
Restart+ Module 6 Sustaining Success and Future Planningcaniceconsulting
Our final module helps you assess what does community regeneration success look like? And how do you evaluate it?
You will also learn that celebrating success is one of the most important things you can do. You will learn about the importance of reassurance marketing, vital as we emerge from the pandemic of 2020.
We provide our last set of practical templates and exercises which you can use to measure the success and impact of your projects and plan for the future for your community regeneration projects.
URBiNAT principles of user engagement. 6 recommendations from SLA Architects URBiNAT
Copenhagen-based SLA Architects are members of the H2020-funded URBiNAT Consortium which is committed to the promotion of NBS and the creation of Healthy Corridors in 7 cities across Europe (2018 - 2023)
A pretty comprehensive summary of the nexus of concepts that my current project .commUNITY is working on. We have rebranded the concept as an Ekosystem.
VIP Tour Madrid está formado por un equipo de profesionales que han desarrollado su experiencia profesional en los sectores de turismo y en la organización de eventos.
Somos una agencia de turismo receptivo, nos dirigimos tanto a empresas como a particulares ofreciendo un servicio integral para la planificación de su estancia en Madrid y ciudades de alrededor, en colaboración con los mejores colaboradores.
Nuestro objetivo es ofrecer un servicio exclusivo y totalmente personalizado a aquellas personas que van a visitar Madrid, lo que le permitirá disfrutar de una experiencia vital optimizando a su vez su tiempo, presupuesto y preferencias. Trabajamos sobre petición por lo que nos adaptamos a las necesidades que puedan tener nuestros clientes, siendo VIP Tour Madrid un punto de referencia durante toda su estancia.
Ofrecemos soluciones desde el transfer hacia / desde el hotel a experiencias únicas, tours guiados, gastronomía, compras, relax, fiestas, selección de los mejores establecimientos de la capital, actividades culturales, deportivas y de ocio, etc. Nuestros exclusivos servicios VIP ofrecerán la posibilidad a nuestros clientes de disfrutar al máximo de su estancia en Madrid.
A game developed at @TUDelft to introduce "types" of planners and their values. In this short exercise, based on an article by Karina Sehested (University of Copenhagen), different types of planners are described and students must agree on roles they can play in roleplaying exercise.
10 What does a golfer, tennis player or cricketer (or any othe.docxchristiandean12115
10 What does a golfer, tennis player or cricketer (or any other professional sportsperson) focus on to achieve high performance? They nearly always give the same answer: “Repeat my process (that is the process they have practised a million times) – replicate it under real pressure and trust in my ability” That’s why Matthew Lloyd throws the grass up under the roof at Etihad Stadium. It is why Ricky Ponting taps the bat, looks down,
looks up and mouths “watch the ball”. It’s
unnecessary for Matthew Lloyd to toss the
grass. There’s no wind under the roof – it’s
simply a routine that enables him to replicate
his process under pressure.
Ricky Pointing knows you have to watch the
ball. Ponting wants the auto pilot light in his
brain to fl ick on as he mutters “watch the ball”.
High performance in sport is achieved through focusing on your
processes, not the scores.
It is absolutely no different in local government. Our business
is governance and we need to be focusing very hard on our
governance processes. We need to learn these processes, modify
them when necessary, understand them deeply, repeat them
under pressure and trust in our capabilities to deliver. If we do
that, the scores will look after themselves.
I want to share with you my ten most important elements in
the governance process. Let me fi rst say that good governance is
the set of processes, protocols, rules, relationships and behaviours
which lead to consistently good decisions. In the end good
governance is good decisions. You could make lots of good
decisions without good governance. But you will eventually
run out of luck – eventually, bad governance process will lead
to bad decisions. Consistently good decisions come from good
governance processes and practices.
Good governance is not only a prerequisite for consistently
good decisions, it is almost the sole determinant of your
reputation. The way you govern, the ‘vibe’ in the community
and in the local paper about the way you govern is almost the
sole determinant of your reputation. Believe me, if reputation
matters to you, then drive improvements through good
governance.
So here are the ten core elements:
1. THE COUNCIL PLAN
An articulate council plan is a fundamental fi rst step to achieving
your goals. It is your set of promises to your community for a
four-year term.
Unfortunately, there are too many wrong plans:
• Claytons Plans – say too little and are too bland. Delete the
name of the council from these plans and you can’t tell whose
it is! There’s no ‘vibe’ at all.
• Agreeable Plans – where everyone gets their bit in the plan.
There’s no sense of priorities, everyone agrees with everything
in the plan and we save all the real fi ghts and confl icts to be
fought out one by one over the four-year term.
• Opposition-creating Plans – we don’t do this so often but we
sometimes ‘use the numbers’ to enable the dominant group of
councillors to achieve their goals and fail to a.
10 What does a golfer, tennis player or cricketer (or any othe.docxpaynetawnya
10 What does a golfer, tennis player or cricketer (or any other professional sportsperson) focus on to achieve high performance? They nearly always give the same answer: “Repeat my process (that is the process they have practised a million times) – replicate it under real pressure and trust in my ability” That’s why Matthew Lloyd throws the grass up under the roof at Etihad Stadium. It is why Ricky Ponting taps the bat, looks down,
looks up and mouths “watch the ball”. It’s
unnecessary for Matthew Lloyd to toss the
grass. There’s no wind under the roof – it’s
simply a routine that enables him to replicate
his process under pressure.
Ricky Pointing knows you have to watch the
ball. Ponting wants the auto pilot light in his
brain to fl ick on as he mutters “watch the ball”.
High performance in sport is achieved through focusing on your
processes, not the scores.
It is absolutely no different in local government. Our business
is governance and we need to be focusing very hard on our
governance processes. We need to learn these processes, modify
them when necessary, understand them deeply, repeat them
under pressure and trust in our capabilities to deliver. If we do
that, the scores will look after themselves.
I want to share with you my ten most important elements in
the governance process. Let me fi rst say that good governance is
the set of processes, protocols, rules, relationships and behaviours
which lead to consistently good decisions. In the end good
governance is good decisions. You could make lots of good
decisions without good governance. But you will eventually
run out of luck – eventually, bad governance process will lead
to bad decisions. Consistently good decisions come from good
governance processes and practices.
Good governance is not only a prerequisite for consistently
good decisions, it is almost the sole determinant of your
reputation. The way you govern, the ‘vibe’ in the community
and in the local paper about the way you govern is almost the
sole determinant of your reputation. Believe me, if reputation
matters to you, then drive improvements through good
governance.
So here are the ten core elements:
1. THE COUNCIL PLAN
An articulate council plan is a fundamental fi rst step to achieving
your goals. It is your set of promises to your community for a
four-year term.
Unfortunately, there are too many wrong plans:
• Claytons Plans – say too little and are too bland. Delete the
name of the council from these plans and you can’t tell whose
it is! There’s no ‘vibe’ at all.
• Agreeable Plans – where everyone gets their bit in the plan.
There’s no sense of priorities, everyone agrees with everything
in the plan and we save all the real fi ghts and confl icts to be
fought out one by one over the four-year term.
• Opposition-creating Plans – we don’t do this so often but we
sometimes ‘use the numbers’ to enable the dominant group of
councillors to achieve their goals and fail to a ...
Quality strategic planning and strategy delivery is increasing in importance as a process and set of tools that guide the development of a municipality. In times when resources are tight, effective and efficient resource allocation is gaining even more importance. This publication will therefore suggest a practical four-stage process to strategic planning at the municipal level, including the setting up of effective structures for managing the strategy process (1), preparing a good strategic analysis of the municipality (2), strategy formulation (3) and strategy implementation (4). A key concept throughout this process is partnership: partnerships within the municipality, as well as with others outside the municipal building, with whom these four steps are undertaken together. Partnerships help make the municipal development process more transparent and accountable, thereby increasing the likelihood of the municipal development strategy to deliver the expected results and contribute to the improved quality of life of citizens.
In this Co-Learning Plan, a research booklet funded by MSU REI, we learn the effect of the pop up business model on the economy. https://reicenter.org/
For some time now, I have been working on teaching materials for planning students. I am really happy about this GAME, which aims to make students aware of different roles they can play as planners in network governance.
This is an exercise for planning students. It is based on a 'typology' of planners operating in network governance and project planning proposed by Karina Sehested (2010) of the University of Copenhagen. The objective is to make students aware of different roles they can play as planners in network governance, and which core values are attached to each role. There is also a discussion about tools and ways to manage networks.
This was a paper I wrote during my internship with Detroit Future City. It centers on Community Benefit Agreements, best practices for CBAs, and how these best practices can be implemented in the City of Detroit to increase resident empowerment.
Case Study Project Part I Declared JurisdictionTemplate Sta.docxdrennanmicah
Case Study Project Part I: Declared Jurisdiction
Template Statement of Action Research Intent
The (Memphis Shelby County, Tennessee United States) will be examined to determine the current status of economic development. The resources for this study initially will come from public administrator generated information. The data will be assessed using S.W.O. T. Analysis. “Smart” Action Research will then be conducted to determine what specific economic development strategies may be employed to address areas of concern required for enhancing economic development prospects in the above jurisdiction. Using published scholarly resources and pertinent analytics, the action research efforts will turn to identifying options available to decision makers. This action research will result in a final report that provides both the criteria by which economic developments strategies may be weighed and a discussion of recommended actions, each uniquely assembled to improve the economic prospects for (Memphis Shelby County, Tennessee United States).
PADM 530
Case Study Project Part 2: Economic Development Analysis and Proposal Instructions
You will submit an Economic Development Analysis and Proposal Plan, consisting of 15-20 pages, not including the title page, abstract, or reference page. In order to complete this assignment, you must choose a specific locale that you want to use for your case study. You may wish to select the community in which you currently live or a hometown as the focus of this report. A case must be a “bounded system” with definable parameters (Stake, 1995). Thus, you must choose a locale that you can define and limit. For example, you should not use New York City. Its size is far beyond what you will be able to accomplish in this course. Likewise, you would not want to choose Huston, Idaho, as it is far too small to have a need for a cohesive economic development plan. In this assignment, you will target the specific situations found in an American city, town, or county. This assignment will require that you address the following six specific areas:
Locale
When choosing your locale, make sure that you will be able to find demographic and economic information. You will want to choose an area with which you are familiar or an area where there is obvious need. Attempt to pick a city or a town that is not extremely large (i.e., New York City, however, Staten Island could be a viable project). Choosing wisely will make your research more focused so that you can complete the research by the time the course has finished.
Economic Situation
You must detail the specific economic situation facing this location. For example, if you were to choose Flint, MI, you would have to discuss the impact of the auto industry moving away from the city and the subsequent economic and social conditions of the city. How has the economic shift impacted the city and how has the city responded in the last 30 years? Additionally, what initiatives.
DevOps and Testing slides at DASA ConnectKari Kakkonen
My and Rik Marselis slides at 30.5.2024 DASA Connect conference. We discuss about what is testing, then what is agile testing and finally what is Testing in DevOps. Finally we had lovely workshop with the participants trying to find out different ways to think about quality and testing in different parts of the DevOps infinity loop.
Climate Impact of Software Testing at Nordic Testing DaysKari Kakkonen
My slides at Nordic Testing Days 6.6.2024
Climate impact / sustainability of software testing discussed on the talk. ICT and testing must carry their part of global responsibility to help with the climat warming. We can minimize the carbon footprint but we can also have a carbon handprint, a positive impact on the climate. Quality characteristics can be added with sustainability, and then measured continuously. Test environments can be used less, and in smaller scale and on demand. Test techniques can be used in optimizing or minimizing number of tests. Test automation can be used to speed up testing.
Building RAG with self-deployed Milvus vector database and Snowpark Container...Zilliz
This talk will give hands-on advice on building RAG applications with an open-source Milvus database deployed as a docker container. We will also introduce the integration of Milvus with Snowpark Container Services.
Essentials of Automations: The Art of Triggers and Actions in FMESafe Software
In this second installment of our Essentials of Automations webinar series, we’ll explore the landscape of triggers and actions, guiding you through the nuances of authoring and adapting workspaces for seamless automations. Gain an understanding of the full spectrum of triggers and actions available in FME, empowering you to enhance your workspaces for efficient automation.
We’ll kick things off by showcasing the most commonly used event-based triggers, introducing you to various automation workflows like manual triggers, schedules, directory watchers, and more. Plus, see how these elements play out in real scenarios.
Whether you’re tweaking your current setup or building from the ground up, this session will arm you with the tools and insights needed to transform your FME usage into a powerhouse of productivity. Join us to discover effective strategies that simplify complex processes, enhancing your productivity and transforming your data management practices with FME. Let’s turn complexity into clarity and make your workspaces work wonders!
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 6DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 6. In this session, we will cover Test Automation with generative AI and Open AI.
UiPath Test Automation with generative AI and Open AI webinar offers an in-depth exploration of leveraging cutting-edge technologies for test automation within the UiPath platform. Attendees will delve into the integration of generative AI, a test automation solution, with Open AI advanced natural language processing capabilities.
Throughout the session, participants will discover how this synergy empowers testers to automate repetitive tasks, enhance testing accuracy, and expedite the software testing life cycle. Topics covered include the seamless integration process, practical use cases, and the benefits of harnessing AI-driven automation for UiPath testing initiatives. By attending this webinar, testers, and automation professionals can gain valuable insights into harnessing the power of AI to optimize their test automation workflows within the UiPath ecosystem, ultimately driving efficiency and quality in software development processes.
What will you get from this session?
1. Insights into integrating generative AI.
2. Understanding how this integration enhances test automation within the UiPath platform
3. Practical demonstrations
4. Exploration of real-world use cases illustrating the benefits of AI-driven test automation for UiPath
Topics covered:
What is generative AI
Test Automation with generative AI and Open AI.
UiPath integration with generative AI
Speaker:
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
GraphSummit Singapore | The Art of the Possible with Graph - Q2 2024Neo4j
Neha Bajwa, Vice President of Product Marketing, Neo4j
Join us as we explore breakthrough innovations enabled by interconnected data and AI. Discover firsthand how organizations use relationships in data to uncover contextual insights and solve our most pressing challenges – from optimizing supply chains, detecting fraud, and improving customer experiences to accelerating drug discoveries.
Pushing the limits of ePRTC: 100ns holdover for 100 daysAdtran
At WSTS 2024, Alon Stern explored the topic of parametric holdover and explained how recent research findings can be implemented in real-world PNT networks to achieve 100 nanoseconds of accuracy for up to 100 days.
Generative AI Deep Dive: Advancing from Proof of Concept to ProductionAggregage
Join Maher Hanafi, VP of Engineering at Betterworks, in this new session where he'll share a practical framework to transform Gen AI prototypes into impactful products! He'll delve into the complexities of data collection and management, model selection and optimization, and ensuring security, scalability, and responsible use.
Observability Concepts EVERY Developer Should Know -- DeveloperWeek Europe.pdfPaige Cruz
Monitoring and observability aren’t traditionally found in software curriculums and many of us cobble this knowledge together from whatever vendor or ecosystem we were first introduced to and whatever is a part of your current company’s observability stack.
While the dev and ops silo continues to crumble….many organizations still relegate monitoring & observability as the purview of ops, infra and SRE teams. This is a mistake - achieving a highly observable system requires collaboration up and down the stack.
I, a former op, would like to extend an invitation to all application developers to join the observability party will share these foundational concepts to build on:
Threats to mobile devices are more prevalent and increasing in scope and complexity. Users of mobile devices desire to take full advantage of the features
available on those devices, but many of the features provide convenience and capability but sacrifice security. This best practices guide outlines steps the users can take to better protect personal devices and information.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 5DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 5. In this session, we will cover CI/CD with devops.
Topics covered:
CI/CD with in UiPath
End-to-end overview of CI/CD pipeline with Azure devops
Speaker:
Lyndsey Byblow, Test Suite Sales Engineer @ UiPath, Inc.
GraphSummit Singapore | The Future of Agility: Supercharging Digital Transfor...Neo4j
Leonard Jayamohan, Partner & Generative AI Lead, Deloitte
This keynote will reveal how Deloitte leverages Neo4j’s graph power for groundbreaking digital twin solutions, achieving a staggering 100x performance boost. Discover the essential role knowledge graphs play in successful generative AI implementations. Plus, get an exclusive look at an innovative Neo4j + Generative AI solution Deloitte is developing in-house.
GridMate - End to end testing is a critical piece to ensure quality and avoid...ThomasParaiso2
End to end testing is a critical piece to ensure quality and avoid regressions. In this session, we share our journey building an E2E testing pipeline for GridMate components (LWC and Aura) using Cypress, JSForce, FakerJS…
1. Public Finance for Planners
Massachusetts Association of Planning Directors
2012 Annual Meeting
Springfield, MA
Presenters:
Jeff Levine, AICP
Director of Planning & Community Development, Town of Brookline, MA
Adam Gaudette, AICP
Town Administrator, Town of Spencer, MA
2. Why Should Planners Care?
Adam’s Top 10 reasons:
1)Finance Committees will seek budget line item explanations as part of Budget Process
2)Revenues dictate the Town’s ability to fund your existing budget
3)Revenues dictate the Town’s ability to increase your budget to fund new technology (GIS, etc.)
4)Revenues dictate the Town’s ability to increase your budget to add staff to handle work
overloads
5)Town’s borrowing position (ability to pay, reserves, etc.) will dictate cost of borrowing and
willingness to fund capital improvements – for that downtown revitalization project, for that sewer
line to the industrial park, etc.
6)Town’s financial position will dictate the need/desire to apply for grant assistance
7)Town’s financial position determines ability to self fund or to rely on Regionalization efforts
8)You will be asked about impact of possible new revenue streams (leasing land for Solar, Wind,
Cellular; Recycling; etc.)
9)You will be asked “What does Fiscal Impact Really Mean?”
10)One day the Chairman of the BOS may ask you to fill in as TA because the TA just got fired!
3. The Role of the Planner
So how does the planner affect all of this?
Land use=money
Most common model is that
new development =new property or sales tax
but reality is more complicated.
4. The Role of the Planner (2)
A recent debate on the MassPlanners listserv:
“The ethical dilemma that I'd love planners-at-large to consider is whether there's a "vested interest" in seeking "new
growth revenues". With the huge pressure to encourage growth in tax revenue, there is huge pressure on the planner to
help developers stuff as much building onto a property as possible, despite the impact to the community.
Obviously, any humanistic planner would consider the cost to the overall community of "the growth" when "assisting the
client". But my observation is/was that planners spend a lot of time defending growth and convincing neighbors that there
will be little or no impact, and not much time helping reduce the number or size of the buildings. That may just be my
observation limited to what experience I may have.
For example, I have noticed the MAPC's announcements focused on "accommodating" growth, "facilitating" and
encouraging. And I ask myself...who exactly is going to pay for this growth. Certainly not the developers. And certainly not
the new tax payers.
With so much pressure on the planners to create "new growth revenues" by managers who are trying to balance budgets,
how can the planner really and truly consider the impact on the neighbors in terms of traffic and other negative value
factors? In other words, with such vested interest is in growth, and shouldn't the question be whether planners should be
subject to that pressure, when their "duty" is to serve all citizens, not just the developers and the town manager?
Shouldn't that be the ethical question of the decade?
With our cities crumbling after decades of the promise that growth will eventually pay, when are we going to stop the
charade? There's obviously some kind of incentive tied to growth that goes beyond whether cash is trading hands in a
shady bribe”.
5. The Role of the Planner (3)
“Not only do elected officials concern themselves with the impact of growth on a community, but this is a definite concern of
Planners.
I think part of the dilemma is that who is it exactly that gets to decide whether growth is good or bad? I think that question is
answered based on the potential or experienced negative impacts of growth, which is not to say that growth is always a
negative for a community. Also the question would be to what extent is a community willing to put up with the byproducts of
growth? Shouldn't the answer to this question be found in the Master Plan? Isn't that what Master Plans are for?
I don't think it's unethical for a Planner or a community to help a developer maximize the value of a property, or for that
matter encourage growth, especially if the tradeoff is that other natural or historic resources get to be preserved. There is
nothing wrong with the strategy to broaden the tax base, as long as the negative impacts of growth can be managed and/or
mitigated.
Not all decisions will be cost/benefit, the people in the community have the final say on plans and planning, and property
rights always trump.”
6. The Role of the Planner (4)
“” I would echo Ray's comments, but add that what Master Plans do is identify the need for balancing public and private
interests as the community proceeds toward its future, and how to achieve that balance. Professional developers and
property owners (including neighbors) will always seek to maximize their own benefit and minimize their own costs (real or
conceptual). They will always represent their own tribe's interests first. Very few citizens are capable of keeping the wider
public interest--the moving balance of community needs--in view. It is that moving balance that represent who "all citizens"
consist of, not just the aggrieved neighbors who find intolerable the prospect of a different view out their kitchen window.
There is as much danger to legitimate local democratic process from giving self-identified victims too much power as there is
from letting development interests bulldoze the community. Neither represents the community's true interest.
For my part, maintaining that precarious balance between all of the legitimate interests is the real ethical question of the
decade, and in fact the challenge of this century. Without that balance, genuine local self-governance is frustrated. There is
no functional difference between giving development interests too much latitude, and giving the minority of professional or
avocational victims too much of a veto over the needs of the wider community. If there is no real balance, then none of it is
working and we are wasting our time.
When we use balance as the template, then the choices are no longer unfettered slash-and-burn growth vs. perpetually
stymied growth. Self-determined smart (or even wise) growth becomes possible. While perfection will always be denied us,
the key is maintaining that balance.”
7. The Role of the Planner (5)
"There can always be a good debate about what a Planner's role is or might be in the community development process and
about the ethics questions that revolve around that role. Obviously, bylaws and ordinances, rules, best practices, master
plans, and - yes - basic well established and publicized ethics rules are among the many things that guide a planner's actions
and recommendations. In my work, I do not see special biases influencing outcomes such as pressures or desires to
maximize growth for revenues, or forces to thwart growth so as to avoid impacts. Sure, the voices are out there just like all
the many other sound bites for or against anything imaginable and debatable in our society - or like commercials just vying
for attention. They do not influence me much individually. But, in the aggregate they probably do. After all, we humans act
from within and in reaction to the times that we live in.”
“Good responses so far to the value of master planning to help pre-determine priority areas for development and priority
areas for preservation. However, it is always site specific development that can spur controversy and I wanted to take
exception to the notion that planners help to maximize the density of development on a parcel. Yes the planner's role is to
guide applicants through the application process, but also to ensure that there is a public input component to that process,
and to assist any abutters or other interested parties with questions about the proposal. However the size of the proposal is
usually predetermined long before the planner sees it (speaking from 15 years in the private sector before jumping over the
fence to the municipal sector in 1990). The developer hires an engineer/surveyor with a directive to design the biggest
building that can be built. The engineer reviews the various local requirements for setbacks, buffers, heights, FAR, parking,
landscaping, etc and designs a concept for local approval. I see planners being pressured in the other direction, to downsize
the proposal or even make it go away (even in business friendly communities), but if allowed by the local zoning, then the
best you can do is condition it to minimize the impacts. The issues raised about community impacts are considered in the
review processes I have seen, and some communities are more successful than others in the extent of mitigation obtained
from developers. Planners do not defend growth so much as the bylaws that regulate land use and any master plans under
which such bylaws were created. If there is general concern that submitted projects are too large, then you need to review
and revise your zoning bylaw and other local regulations to better control the destiny of your build-out. Just because it has
been a tight economy for municipal budgets, the added suggestion that planners are involved in shady dealings is totally
uncalled for. Land use planning and decisions made thereunder are not a popularity contest, but a process based on
specific state and local rules and procedures, on top of which are a code of ethics that planners need to follow, which are
sometimes at odds with what the public might want to be done. Planners and the boards we serve usually cannot say "no",
so we have to focus on "how“. I think your observations on the role of a planner and the process of "how" decisions are
made are misinformed.”
8. The Role of the Planner (6)
What is the role of planning in public finance?
Is it our job to make sure it doesn’t all become
about money?
What about long term vs. short term?
What about net vs. gross?
What’s so bad about revenue anyway?
9. Municipalities as Choices
Municipalities can be seen as a “package
deal” you can “purchase”
For $x a year, you can get a certain set of
goods and services. Some will pay more to get
more, some will pay less to get less.
You can change a package from within (by
voting for change) or by choosing a different
package (by moving.)
10. Tiebout Hypothesis
Also known as the Tiebout Model, Tiebout
sorting, etc.
Coined by economist Charles Tiebout in 1956
Basically views communities as baskets of
goods and that people choose their basket
based on their preferences.
Assumes a lot- perfect mobility and perfect
information.
11. Mobility by Voting
You can change the community you live in
without moving- by electing officials you agree
with
Solves issue of having perfect mobility but still
need perfect information- how will that person
actually change things (or not.)
12. Mobility by Mobility
If you don’t like the place, move!
People do this all the time for one particular
public service, often without perfect
information
Who moves?
Those with money
Those who feel comfortable in a variety of
communities
Those who aren’t tied to a specific place
13. Municipalities as Clubs
Similar to the Tiebout Hypothesis
People like to be with people they are like
Explains “peoples’ republic” communities like
Cambridge, Madison, Austin
Not just a fiscal issue – but has fiscal impacts
(tend to affect expenditures and also how local
regulations affect the market.)
14. INPUTS OUTPUTS
Property Tax Public Works
Excise Tax Education
Rooms Tax Public Services
Meals Tax Public Safety
Sales Tax Building Inspections
Fees Planning
Fines
Intergovernmental Transfers
Borrowing
Inputs and Outputs
15. Types of Inputs
●
Annual receipts – estimated in prior year
●
Long Range Financial Forecasts –
estimated several years in advance
●
Grants (usually received annually)
●
“Leftover” money – such as Free Cash
●
Bonds and other borrowing – need to be
credit worthy
18. Types of Revenue:
Property and Sales Tax
1) A town’s only guaranteed revenue is tax levy (state aid
and local receipts not guaranteed). Collection success rate is
key!
2) Economic market dictates the ability of taxpayers to pay
their taxes.
3) Economic market dictates the ability of taxpayers to fund
debt exclusion requests (major capital expenditures)
19. Property Tax Limits
●
California did it first with Proposition 13 in
1976.
●
Massachusetts passed Proposition 2 ½ in
1980 (went into effect in 1982)
●
Many more followed and continue to follow
●
Limit levy, rate (mills) increase, and/or
expenditures
20. Proposition 2 1/2
●
Limits total levy increase to 2.5% a year
●
Also limits increase in rate to +2.5 mills/year
●
Exceptions: voter override; “new growth”
●
In practice, background growth in
government spending goes up more than
2.5% a year
●
What are the planning implications of this?
24. Types of Revenue:
Fees, Excise Taxes, Bonding
1) Economic market dictates the ability of
taxpayers to pay user fees – sewer & water . Again,
collection success rate is key!
2) Economic market dictates excise tax income,
building permits, etc.
3) Bond rates and Investment Income – cost of
borrowing is low, but trade-off is return on
investments is low, or even non existent.
25. Fees- Brookline Example
FY Sign/Façade Subdivision/ANR Preservation ZBA Fees Plan Review TOTAL
2007 NA NA $ 4,812 $ 15,300 $ 45,315 $ 65,427
2008 NA NA $ 4,605 $ 10,125 $ 54,445 $ 69,175
2009 NA $ 1,200 $ 5,565 $ 15,095 $ 81,355 $ 103,215
2010 $ 19,695 $ 1,235 $ 4,268 $ 20,650 $ 28,232 $ 74,080
2011 $ 18,514 $ 2,235 $ 5,675 $ 27,600 $ 41,947 $ 95,971
2012 (to date) $ 7,175
$
600 $ 2,607 NA NA $ 10,382
28. Types of Revenue:
Special Assessments, DIF’s, Capital Planning
1) Special Assessments and DIF's
2) Capital Planning – reliance of Free Cash to
fund capital programs when turnbacks and fees are
low
32. Looking at Fiscal Impacts of
Development
1) Lack of user fees in Massachusetts
2) Student population – changes in Ch. 70
3) Impact on municipal services, ability to
handle (sewer capacity, etc.)
33. Mullin’s Strengths
•Removes emotion from discussion- that
project won’t bankrupt the schools or public
safety
•Also can dispel notion that all growth is good,
esp. under property tax caps where growth
allows an exception
34. Mullin’s Weaknesses
•Need to know what you are doing
•Need to have credibility
•Useful on larger projects where margin is less
ambiguous – not for a single-family home
•Need for political, social and environmental
factors that can’t be easily quantified
•Also- though he doesn’t mention it – the
inherent need to point out uncertainty.
35. Mullin’s Methods
•Average Costing Methods vs. Marginal
Costing Methods
•Average costing methods- per capita; service
standard; proportional valuation (for
nonresidential)
•Marginal Costing Methods- Case study;
comparable city (good when no precedent);
Employee anticipation technique
36. Local Costs
•Schools, schools, schools – Both marginal
costs of new students and fixed costs of new
students. Books and paper are marginal;
buildings are fixed; teachers are somewhere in
between. Can use an average cost per student
as a combination
•Public safety costs- how many fire and police
calls will take place? Will ne building type need
new equipment?
•Fixed costs can be financed
37. Local Benefits
• Property tax revenue
• Excise tax revenue
• Sales tax revenue
• Consumer power
• Value of human capital
• Usually just the tax revenues…
38. Exacations
• Pay to play
• If your project is going to cost my city money,
I want you to pay for it
• Some see as an end-run around taxes, but
its as much an attempt to assign costs directly
to those requiring that the city incur those
costs.
• Also sometimes used as a growth
management tool.
39. Brief History
• As old as Euclid vs. Ambler Realty Co.
• Only began being used for costs external to a
project (roads, schools, parks) in the 1950’s
• Picked up steam in reductions in federal aid
and as taxes became less of an option
• Linkage fees (such as inclusionary housing)
are the newest trend in exactions
40. Types of Exactions
1. Dedications (donate for public uses)
2. “Tap fees” (to hook up to utilities)
3. Fee-in-lieu (if you need a park but can’t
provide it)
4. Linkage fees (such as inclusionary)
5. Impact fees (pay for an appropriate fraction
of a need)
41. Federal Basis for Exactions
• Nollan and Dolan
• Nollan- 1987 case Nollan vs. California
Coastal Commission ruled that some
excations could be takings if no “reasonable
relationship”
•Dolan- 1994 case Dolan vs. City of Tigard
ruled that there needed to be a “rational
nexus” between what was exacted and the
project, and the amount given had to be in
“rough proportionality” to the impact
42. In other words…
•Don’t just shake them down, have a plan for
exactions
•Study what your costs really will be and ask
for a proportional cost with a nexus to the
impacts.
•Thus the need for good fiscal impact studies.
44. SUCCESSFUL PUBLIC-PRIVATE
PARTNERSHIPS
• An oft-abused term that can often be a
euphemism for public subsidies of private
development
•Key is negotiating a good deal, with good
meaning more than just good to the bottom
line
•Good may mean accomplishing public
purposes, having positive externalities, or
contributing to quality of life.
45. Six Tips for PPP’s
1. POLITICAL LEADERSHIP
2. ACTIVE PUBLIC SECTOR INVOLVEMENT
3. A ROBUST PLAN
4. DEDICATED INCOME
5. GOOD PUBLIC PROCESS
6. A GOOD PARTNER
46. Examples
CASE STUDY- WIFI IN BROOKLINE
Town offered lease for public poles for
Town-wide wireless. Company sets it up
for free, offers public safety and parking
meter access. Subscribers pay for monthly
subscription except in certain free spots.
Only works if demographics are right.
Town becomes dependent of private
infrastructure.
47. Federal Grants Over Time
2007
Enacted
2008
Enacted
2009
Enacted
2010
Enacted
2011
Enacted
2012
Enacted
Entitlement $2,592,790 $2,510,501 $2,544,477 $ 2,758,902 $2,307,224 $2,058,763
Non-
Entitlement
$1,111,196 $1,075,929 $1,090,490 $ 1,182,386 $988,810 $882,327
Insular $6,930 $7,000 $7,000 $6,930 $6,916 $7,000
Total CDBG $3,771,900 $3,865,800 $3,899,999 $4,450,000 $3,302,950 $2,948,090
(in thousands of $$$)
48. Examples
Fisher Hill Reservoir – Brookline
Town offered surplus Town reservoir site as a
site for mixed-income housing at a set price
(below market) with Town subsidies for
affordable units
Sale price paid for design and development of
park on adjacent property
Who held the risk? Who gained?
50. Tax Exempt Institutions
1) The big scary monster in the room
2) Solutions- depend on how much leverage
you have
• Land leasebacks
• Binding agreements
• PILOT’s
• Strategic planning and zoning
51. Capital Improvement Programs
•What is a Capital Project? Long lived
infrastructure, durable goods like vehicles,
housing developments, land acquisition.
•Can be anything over a certain cost, or
anything designed to last for more than 1 year.
•Can a study be a Capital Project? Yes, if
expensive enough, in some municipalities
52. How do you Determine One?
•What are your Capital Needs?
•How much money do you have to pay for
them?
•How do you put them together?
•Generally they are fiscally constrained
documents for a 5 year period. Year 1 is “real”
and the other years are enlightened guesses.
53. Who Runs the CIP Process?
•Usually Public Works and Finance
departments.
•In Massachusetts the Planning Board is
technically responsible for the CIP, but in
practice it is usually delegated to a City
Manager’s office
54. How Common Are They?
More common in a City Manager form than
strong Mayor. Any idea why that might be?
When they do exist, often loose connection to
land use planning.
When they do exist they may not always be
fiscally constrained.
55. Recommendations for Planners in
CIP process (Elmer)
1. Establish policies linking CIP to land use
plan
2. Develop support for land use plans through
capital investments
3. Influence others’ capital facilities
(externally)
4. Use conservation and other strategies for
environmental benefit
5. Increase public participation in process
56. Public Finance for Planners
Massachusetts Association of Planning Directors
2012 Annual Meeting
Springfield, MA
Presenters:
Jeff Levine, AICP
Director of Planning & Community Development, Town of Brookline, MA
Adam Gaudette, AICP
Town Administrator, Town of Spencer, MA