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Williamsport accepts free DCED planner to kick off city-focused comp plan pre-work
Summary
Council accepted a letter of understanding with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to receive free technical assistance—an assigned planner (Rachel Hobbs) providing roughly 320 hours—to help coordinate component plans, outreach and pre-planning for a city-specific comprehensive plan; staff said the broader comp plan work may take about three years.
Williamsport officials told the Committee of the Whole on March 3 that the city will partner with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) to receive free technical assistance as part of a new DCED program.
Mayor Slaughter introduced the item, saying the city was among a small number of communities selected for the program. Scott, who led the presentation, said DCED will provide a planner, Rachel Hobbs, to work alongside city staff on pre-planning for a city-specific comprehensive plan and to help align existing component plans on parks, road safety and housing needs into an implementable action plan. "They gave us dedicated staff time of 320 hours over the entire project," Scott said, describing most check-ins as virtual with in-person attendance for events such as town halls.
Scott and other speakers emphasized the assistance is pre-planning rather than a finished comprehensive plan: the immediate deliverables will include background work and public outreach to shape priorities; the city still expects the full comprehensive planning process to take approximately three years to complete. Scott said DCED's role will help "weave" component plans together so limited city resources can be prioritized for projects that yield the highest return on investment.
Council members asked about on-site presence and timing; Scott said the planner will attend key in-person events and begin work immediately, with the planner scheduled to be in town for the Thursday meeting to answer questions. Councilors signaled interest in regular committee updates; Scott suggested monthly committee updates rather than every council meeting.
The committee discussed pursuing grant-funded projects while planning continues and emphasized the importance of measurable, implementable steps rather than producing a plan that remains only on paper. No final vote on the letter of understanding is recorded in the committee transcript; the item was discussed and set to continue through the council's regular agenda process.
