Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Master Plan Amendment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning staff seek $50,000 for master plan amendment after county-conducted survey; fee fund shift noted
Summary
Planning staff told the budget board they sent 1,000 surveys to unincorporated Oklahoma County and received about 250 responses, reducing expected master-plan costs; staff requested $50,000 for a master plan amendment and explained a $100,000 year-over-year shift between the planning fee fund and the general fund.
Planning staff updated the board on two planning-related budgets and a proposed master-plan amendment.
Eric, identified in the transcript as the planning presenter, told the board that the department is asking for $50,000 for a master plan amendment and that the office conducted its own public survey to reduce vendor costs. "We sent out a thousand surveys, and we've gotten back about 250," Eric said. He estimated the in-house survey likely saved between $50,000 and $100,000 of consultant expense.
Eric described two separate budgets: the general-fund budget (which covers a small number of staff paid through the general fund) and the Planning Commission fee fund (primarily permit and application fees for building, zoning and inspections). He explained that the planning fee fund previously included $90,000 for the master plan; this year that funding appears in the general fund as a $50,000 placeholder and contributes to a roughly $100,000 change in the fee-fund totals.
On staffing and operating costs, Eric said only two employees are paid from the general fund for this budget item and that the fee fund supports two inspectors and a planning assistant; increases reflected higher mileage, postage and training costs tied to inspection and notification obligations.
Board members requested a clearer year-over-year comparison for postage and mileage line items; Eric said he would return with printed comparisons to support the recommendation.
Action: A board member moved and another seconded a motion to recommend the planning budgets as presented. The transcript records the board voting "Aye. Aye." The motion was recorded as recommended for approval.
Why it matters: The master-plan amendment is a multi-year planning tool that shapes land-use, economic development and environmental priorities in unincorporated Oklahoma County. The decision to conduct a county-led public survey affected consultant costs and timing for contracting.
What’s next: Staff said they hope to have a contract in place in the current fiscal year and will return with financial comparisons requested by commissioners.
