PLANNING ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES:
Our member cities and their departments have found it to be economically preferable to contract with SARPC for city planning contracts and local government requests for specific services for several reasons. First, because of the nature of a regional or metropolitan planning organization, SARPC staff members are well versed in a variety of planning functions and are able to perform a diverse number of tasks. Second, the cities are gaining a planning staff for less than the cost of a single employee. Services are by contract or at-cost, so there are no fees for printing, postage, mileage, telephone, or other overhead costs. And third, as a council of governments, SARPC members are not required to follow Federal or State procurement procedures in order to engage SARPC to perform such services, so SARPC can be immediately available when matters of urgency arise.
In providing planning administrative services, SARPC conducts all activities necessary for the operation of both the Pine Bluff Planning Commission and the White Hall Planning Commission, which include preparing monthly agendas, presenting recommendations on rezoning and use- permitted-on-review issues, preparing ordinances and resolutions, and preparing monthly planning commission reports for the City Council members. We also keep the Official Zoning Maps of both cities updated. Other planning administrative services include preparing ordinances to amend the Pine Bluff and White Hall Zoning Codes and fulfilling all zoning administration functions for the City of White Hall, which include issuing zoning permits, reviewing site plans, and sending notices of violations.