The Comprehensive Development Plan
According to the Georgia Planning Act, plan implementation strategy means "the narrative description counties and municipalities must submit describing how they intend to implement their comprehensive plan, including a listing of public actions to be undertaken by the community toward implementation of the comprehensive plan and the related costs of such actions." Therefore, the City's Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) is implemented through its policies, programs and projects. The plan implementation strategy is reviewed and approved annually by the Mayor and City Council to insure that it is meeting the needs of the residents of the City. The CDP contains one-, five- and fifteen-year plan components and identifies the major policy issues in economic development, housing, human services, transportation, environment, natural resources, historic resources, parks and recreation, arts and cultural affairs, libraries, education, public safety, general government, urban design and land use.
The Consolidated Plan is a means of implementing the CDP and is required by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for receipt of grant funds. Every fall, during the third quarter CDP amendment process, the Consolidated Plan is adopted as an amendment, or addendum, to the CDP. By November 15 of each year, during the third quarter CDP amendment process, the Consolidated Plan is submitted to HUD for receipt of grant funds by January 1. The Plan merges the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Emergency Shelter Grant ESG), HOME, Housing Opportunities for Persons with Aids (HOPWA), and the City's Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) with the City's CDP. The City's CDP is the overall guide, while the Consolidated Plan provides more detailed and specific policies for the HUD grant programs, which it encompasses. The Consolidated Plan identifies needs, priorities, and geographic targeting policies for funding that the City receives through grant programs of HUD is hereby incorporated into the CDP.
The plan is also implemented by the City's zoning ordinance, the subdivision regulations; and by economic development incentives. This involves an ongoing process of updating and developing policies; programming capital, social and economic improvements; and developing an annual budget to carry out the adopted plan.