Grow Smart RI 2007 Work Plan Goals

 

            Policy:

 

1.      LandUse 2025

 

a.      Get 6 to 10 good measures in place for Land Use 2025 implementation and begin disseminating these, along with good models/best practices, to key stakeholders and general public.

 

b.      Persuade and work with state government to ID a number of state programs that can be targeted to urban, town and village centers. Suggest the best ways these programs can be targeted.

 

c.      Encourage adoption of more village zoning ordinances and locally designated growth centers.

 

d.      Through targeted meetings, training and communications obtain more buy in for mixed use development from grass roots activists, local officials, the development and financial community.

 

e.      Study Rhode Island’s overall capacity in the area of land-use mediation and conflict resolution and, if capacity is insufficient, develop recommendations to build capacity.

 

f.        Influence meaningful state and local implementation of Rhode Island’s new statewide plan for growth and development by serving on the Division of Planning’s Land Use 2025 Advisory Committee.

 

g.      Complete preliminary planning for a 2008 Power of Place Summit II

 

 

2.      Urban and Neighborhood Revitalization

 

a.      Retain a strong State Historic Tax Credit through continued leadership of the Coalition for Neighborhood and Economic Renewal.

 

a.      Ensure that there is sufficient staff and other resources at DEM and EDC focused on facilitating Brownfield redevelopment.

 

b.      Through watch dogging and consultation with developer and environmental allies, work for effective implementation of the new Brownfield permit streamlining law.

 

3.      Housing

 

a.      Coordinate development of municipal workshops needed to promote effective and timely implementation of the Housing Bond Issue.

 

b.      Support statewide housing advocacy efforts and help to build public acceptance of affordable housing through participation in HousingWorksRI.

 

c.      Resolve what to do and when regarding the Housing Conservation Trust Fund.

 

d.      If we resolve to advance activation of the Housing and Conservation Trust Fund, work with coalition partners to have an appropriate bill introduced and then advocate its adoption.

 

4.      Expanding Public Transit

 

a.      Contribute to a design for the new commuter rail line that will maximize the public’s access to and use of this new service.

 

b.      Influence the design and execution of the RIPTA Transit Study.

 

c.      Serve on RIPTA Board if invited to do so.

 

d.      Serve on any phase 2 of the Transit 2020 Working Group

 

 

 

5.      Improving Management of our Water Supply

 

a.      Ensure that water supply management proposals developed by the Coalition for Water Security and others address smart growth considerations.

 

b.      Promote the Coalition for Water Security’s anticipated legislative initiatives that are consistent with Grow Smart’s core values to develop a more effective statewide water supply management system.

 

c.      Promote development of a plan to meet QPD’s long term water needs in an environmentally friendly way.

 

6.      Property Tax Reform

 

a.      Increase substantially public awareness of the negative land use consequences of our current property tax system.

 

b.      Get significant local and state buy in for regional property tax sharing, at least on a pilot basis

 

7.      Explore the  feasibility of establishing a Smart Growth Caucus within the General Assembly

 

 

 

Training:

 

1.      Develop 5 new training topics and present 19 workshops in 2007 (approximately 30 nights of workshops).

 

2.      Register at least 475 workshop participants.

 

3.      Achieve balance of registration fees and funding necessary to ensure program sustainability.

 

4.      Establish www.communityconnectionri.org as the “go-to” source for information concerning workshops, conferences and other educational opportunities about land-use and water resources for Rhode Island officials, practitioners and interested citizens.

 

5.      Design an evaluation tool to assess long-term impacts of training for municipal      officials.

 

6.      Expand training page on Grow Smart web site.

 

 

Public Education/ Coalition Building:

 

1.      Increase e-brief subscriber list by about 500

 

2.      Revitalize Advisory Council

 

3.      Reissue Candidate Briefing Book (under a new title) to promote greater awareness of smart growth strategies for protecting and enhancing quality of place and expanded, sustainable economic opportunity.

 

4.      Thru project commentary, influence decisions on at least 3 major development proposals

 

5.      Ensure that smart growth interests are represented in the program content of at least six statewide conferences, e.g., the Land and Water Summit, the RI Historic Preservation Conference, the RI League of Cities and Towns Annual Conference, etc. by participating on planning advisory committees and/or developing sessions for conferences. 

 

 

 

Institutional Development:

 

1.      Complete first phase of Board Reorganization – 4-6 new members; creation of a Board of Trustees, initiate new Board member orientation session; revise By Laws as deemed necessary.

 

2.      Get approximately 60% of 2007 revenues from sources other than large foundations.

 

3.      Identify work plan items that can be “packaged” for funding support.

 

4.      Emerge from end of ’07 with at least a $ 30,000 surplus.

 

5.       Complete database reorganization and streamlining