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 Regional visioning is not a matter of jurisdictional boundaries but one of problem solving and using new or revised tools, techniques, and collaborative communication strategies to address an issue and its geographical impact or significance. Regionalism is a means to move beyond political and geographical boundaries that are becoming increasingly blurred by physical development and government oversight.
Elected officials from throughout Southwest Florida gathered in the City of Sarasota on October 6th and 7th for a Mayors? Caucus designed to unite municipal and county leaders from across the region for the purposes of enhancing collaborative communication, sharing the advantages of cooperative action, and exchanging ideas and experiences.
The program at the meeting focused on three key elements of collaborative governance that are foremost on the minds of Florida's community leaders:
- measurement of organizational performance and progress toward shared goals,
- affordable housing, and
- interlocal agreements.
Performance measurement is a complex undertaking in the public sector. It can be difficult to measure a single community?s performance and progress, and assessing progress on a regional scale can be even more complicated. Representatives of the , an association of professionals in the business of performance excellence with local governments across Florida, talked with our leaders about the ways they can work together to identify common services and their measures in order to compare levels of service, increase effectiveness and efficiency, and ultimately improve organizational performance.
The need for attainable workforce housing has never been greater, and the problem of providing affordably priced housing for working families in Southwest Florida continues to grow. Teachers, nurses, firefighters, police officers, and others employed in the public and service sectors are often unable to live in the communities they serve. Expert panelists were brought together to share information about grants, financing techniques, public/private partnerships, and planning policies to help our local leaders learn more about the important regional approaches that can be utilized to make home ownership a reality for the thousands of Southwest Floridians for whom it is now just a dream. The leaders of Southwest Florida?s local governments met with top professionals who have worked extensively on the design and implementation of inter-local service and planning agreements. They explored the new concurrency requirements and options available to local governments.
The $1.5 billion Infrastructure and Planning and Funding Bill passed by the Florida legislature earlier this year is the most significant planning-oriented legislation since the historic 1985 Growth Management Act. The bill strengthens concurrency, requires greater financial feasibility, and strengthens the link between land use and water supply. It also demonstrates that inter-party and inter-local agreements will be a cornerstone of all successful growth management strategies. Integrated planning that includes collaborative communication with citizens and with surrounding jurisdictions, and also addresses attainable housing, shops, workplaces, schools, and parks, is essential to our quality of life.
For more information on the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council, visit their website at www.swfrpc.org.
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