HOUSE BILL NO. 2490 Offered January 10, 2007 Prefiled January 9, 2007 A BILL to amend and reenact § 15.2-4209 of the Code of Virginia, relating to regional strategic plan. ----------
Patrons-- Bulova, Albo, Amundson, Brink, Caputo, Ebbin, Eisenberg, Englin, Marsden, Plum, Scott, E.T., Sickles and Watts; Senators: Devolites Davis, Herring, Howell, Saslaw, Ticer and Whipple
---------- Committee Referral Pending ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 15.2-4209 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 15.2-4209. Preparation and adoption of regional strategic plan.

A. Except in planning districts in which regional planning is conducted by multi-state councils of government, eachEach planning district commission shall prepare a regional strategic plan for the guidance of the district. The plan shall concern those elements which are of importance in more than one of the localities within the district, as distinguished from matters of only local importance. The plan shall include regional goals and objectives, strategies to meet those goals and objectives and mechanisms for measuring progress toward the goals and objectives. The strategic plan shall include those subjects necessary to promote the orderly and efficient development of the physical, social and economic elements of the district such as transportation, housing, economic development and environmental management. The plan may be divided into parts or sections as the planning district commission deems desirable. In developing the regional strategic plan, the planning district commission shall seek input from a wide range of organizations in the region, including local governing bodies, the business community and citizen organizations.

B. Before the strategic plan is adopted, it shall be submitted to the Department of Housing and Community Development and to the governing body of each locality within the district for a period of not less than thirty days prior to a hearing to be held by the planning district commission thereon, after notice as provided in § 15.2-2204. Each such local governing body shall make recommendations to the planning district commission on or before the date of the hearing with respect to the effect of the plan within its locality. The Department of Housing and Community Development shall notify the planning district commission prior to the hearing as to whether the proposed strategic plan conflicts with plans of adjacent planning districts.

C. Upon approval of the strategic plan by a planning district commission after a public hearing, it shall be submitted to the governing body of each locality (excluding towns of less than 3,500 population unless members of the commission) within the district for review and possible adoption. The plan shall become effective with respect to all action of a planning district commission upon approval by the planning district commission. The plan shall not become effective with respect to the action of the governing body of any locality within the district until adopted by the governing body of such locality.

D. The adopted strategic plan shall be submitted within thirty days of adoption to the Department of Housing and Community Development for information and coordination purposes.