2000-11-06-2000 Special Called Workshop Meeting

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• lmplementation Plan ........................................................................................................ Chapter-13 Change is certain to occur, therefore, both the Comprehensive Plan and the City's implementation tools must be adaptable to new and innovative practices and emerging development trends. Legally, the zoning ordinance must reflect the land use plan. Revision of the zoning ordinance is thus, advisable to protect the public interest and ensure consistent and compatible future development. Ongoing review and periodic revision of the zoning ordinance and all other applicable development ordinances and regulations is necessary to meet changing needs and rectify problems as they occur. Perhaps the most important method of implementing La Porte's Comprehensive Plan comes from a day-today commitment by elected and appointed officials, City staff members, and citizens of La Porte. The Comprehensive Plan Update must be perceived as a useful and capable tool in directing the City's future. The La Porte 2020 Land Use Plan; L•a Porte Thoroughfare Plan; General Parks and Recreation System Plan; and previous Water, Wastewater, and Storm Drainage Plans should be displayed and available for ready reference by public officials, City staff, and citizens. The Comprehensive Plan should continually be referenced in planning studies and zoning case reports as well as informal discussion situations. It is this high visibility that will make the plan successful, dynamic, and a powerful tool for guiding La Porte's future growth and development. A series of proposed actions were developed to implement the goals, objectives, and policies described in the plan elements. The plan's action statements are contained within each respective element of the plan. The actions build upon the stated desires of the community, which are expressed through the statements of goals and objectives and the policies established to guide implementation of the plan. The action statements are the specific steps that are recommended to implement the Comprehensive Plan, which were synthesized through detailed technical analyses of the goals and objectives. Some proposals may call for the formation of a new committee, or identify the need for a specific study. In addition to such "new" initiatives, the continuation of ongoing City policies and programs is recommended in many instances. The first step to be taken following adoption of the comprehensive plan is to mobilize an implementation advisory committee. The membership of the committee may include key members of City staff; liaisons of the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council; select members of the development and business communities; individuals from other public agencies and institutions such as Harris County and the La Porte Independent School District; leaders from organized neighborhoods and civic groups; and members of the general citizenry. The charge of this advisory group is to provide input into the implementation process to ensure the actions taken reflect the desires and priorities of the community and provide a balanced consideration of interests. The actual implementation of the plan lies with the City management and City Council with recommendations provided by the Planning and Zoning Commission. The responsibility of the City management and its boards and commissions is to the form the implementation strategy with respect to the action priorities; time frames for implementation; the agencies and/or departments responsible for implementation; and identification of the expected measurable results. The following recommended actions are those considered most significant toward achieving the vision and goals of the community. These are the initiatives that arc recommended for implementation Page 13-~ La Porte Comprehensive Plan Update ......................................................................................