Implementing a Local Comprehensive Plan is the cornerstone of all the data accumulated in the sections which precede the final portion of the plan. AND, it is the most critical public participation portion of the plan – most of the preceding sections being mostly cold facts about the town.
However, as Local Comprehensive Plans need to be updated regularly, it is important as part of discussing policies for the future, to review what was promised, and accomplished during the years between plans.
I had started this undertaking and found that it is more complicated than envisioned. As the local plans on Cape Cod need to be connected to the Regional Policy Plan, and the Regional Policy Plan changes dramatically with every update, not every policy position taken by the town in 2002 matches a policy position we need to address in 2012. This has made my initial attempt to craft a section for public reaction very confusing. I had hoped the section would be able to take the 2009 Regional Policy Plan Goals, Town Actions and Minimum Performance Standards, match them to our 2002 Plan Goals, Actions and Performance Standards, address what we had accomplished, and make recommendations for the future. Unfortunately, this was easier said, than done.
So, I am taking a new approach. The Implementation Section will look at our 2002 Plan Goals, Actions, Performance Standards and Accomplishments separately from establishing recommendations for the future. I think it will result in a cleaner document. If you want to see what we set out to do 10 years ago, that will be easily accessible. If you want to look at our agenda for the next 10 years, that too will have its own neat and accessible section.
