The Nampa 2035 Comprehensive Plan and Financial Analysis will include all the traditional elements and methods of comprehensive planning, but it will also include financial modeling and identify key projects to fulfill the community's vision. Nampa wants to increase the usability of the Comprehensive Plan and is doing so by enriching the traditional process.

This section includes:

• Comprehensive Planning Defined
• The Comprehensive Planning Process
• Elements of the Comprehensive Plan
• Comprehensive Planning and the Law - General Basis
• Comprehensive Planning and the Law - Idaho
• Comprehensive Plan Goals, Objectives and Policies Defined
• Example Goals, Objectives and Policies for "a Sewer Facility"
• References

Comprehensive planning is a term used in the United States by land use planners to describe a process that determines community goals and aspirations in terms of community development. The outcome of comprehensive planning is the Comprehensive Plan which dictates public policy in terms of transportation, utilities, land use, recreation, and housing. Comprehensive plans typically encompass large geographical areas, a broad range of topics, and cover a long-term time horizon.¹

Planning is a continuous process. As conditions change and new information becomes available, objectives of the city may change and goals and policies may be modified. This plan is intended to be the public growth policy of City of Nampa and as such, must be responsive to change, forward-looking and publicly supported. It should be regularly reviewed and revised, if necessary, to reflect the community's changing attitudes and desires.

Comprehensive Planning for a 25 year horizon is an involved process, which at best reflects the needs and desires of the community it is to benefit. A plan should give the public, business and government agencies a clear understanding of the City's intentions and desires regarding its future development, which will lead to greater cooperation and minimize potential conflicts. The plan is intended to be a set of positive, rather than restrictive statements concerning what the City wishes to become and accomplish. The plan will also introduce long-range considerations into the determination of short-range actions.

At its most basic, the planning process includes steps to organize, review, prepare and communicate.
The following is an overview of the Nampa Comprehensive Planning process.
STAKEHOLDERS MEETINGS
Requested various agencies attend a roundtable meeting at the Nampa Fire Training Center. Those invited included representatives from the following:

• Schools [Public; Private; Charter]
• Transportation [City of Nampa and their consultant for the transportation plan update; Highway Districts, COMPASS, ITD
• Surrounding Cities (Caldwell, Meridian, Star, Kuna, and Middleton) and Ada and Canyon Counties
• Fire Districts /EMS
• Water Quality
• Public Utilities
• Parks/Recreation Districts/Deer Flat Reserve
• Housing
• Social services, non-profit
• Hispanic Community

PRELIMINARY REVIEW - CPS (COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SUBCOMMITTEE)
INTRODUCTION:

• Review two to three Comprehensive Plan Chapters per meeting
• Review the existing Comprehensive Plan Chapters. Provide background materials to assist in the review process.
• What is a Comprehensive Plan?
• Local Land Use Planning Act
• Planning Questionnaire
• What goes into a Comprehensive Plan?
• Comprehensive Plan Matrix
• What are Goals, Objectives and Policies?
• Developing a Glossary
• What are Keys to Community?

COMMUNITY MEETINGS WILL BE CONDUCTED

• Locations and times to be determined
• Community issues and goals input will be acquired.

TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE (TAC)

• TAC begins there meeting with City of Nampa Department Heads

The TAC will provide direction for the City to explore sustainable financial policy for future growth as part of the Comprehensive Plan.
CONTENT DEVELOPMENT - CPS (COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SUBCOMMITTEE)
FACTS:

• THE STUDY AND ANALYSIS OF PAST AND PRESENT CONDITIONS, AS WELL AS EMERGING TRENDS.
• Provide detail support info
• Provide summary of whitepaper
• Provide studies, reports and other findings
• Review at comprehensive plan map

POTENTIAL:

• IDENTIFY PREDICTIONS OF FUTURE CONDITIONS. 
• What makes Nampa unique

• AN ANALYSIS OF POTENTIAL OPPORTUNTIES AND POTENTIAL PROBLEMS.
• Identify these issues within each element

•  A FUTURE ORIENTATION.
• Where are we going as a city

PRECEPTIONS:

• AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CITY’S ASPIRATIONS AND ATTITUDES.
• Review findings from Stakeholders, Community and Neighborhood meetings
• Receive input from City Departments
• Receive input from the Comprehensive  Plan Subcommittee members
• During this process additional comments may come from other parties

• REVIEW PROPOSED CONTENT FOR EACH CHAPTER OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN BY THE COMPREHENSIVE  PLAN SUBCOMMITTEE AND CITY DEPARTMENTS
• Narrative
• Tables, figures, diagrams and maps
• Goals
• Objectives
• Policies
• Graphics

TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE (TAC):

• ADD COMMENTARY FROM THE TAC

NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING WILL BE CONDUCTED

• Locations and times to be determined community issues and goals input will be acquired.

FINAL DEVELOPMENT - CPS (COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SUBCOMMITTEE)
DRAFT DOCUMENT:

• Chapters are brought to the CPS for review.
• Receive additional input from City Departments.

CONCEPTS:

• Review each chapter of the proposed Comprehensive Plan - which include the narrative, goals, objectives and policies.

Statements regarding to the narrative, goals, objectives and policies and/or plans, methods and tools should bring the plan to life and will be discuss at this time by CPS and City Departments.

FEEDBACK:

• Review each chapter of the proposed comprehensive plan - analyze plan accomplishments, deficiencies and make necessary adjustments.

IMPLEMENTATION:

• The plan shall recommend methods of implementation

• Conduct public hearings before the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council.
• City Council adopts the  NAMPA 2035 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN and FINANCIAL ANALYSIS.

Public Outreach covers a broad range of methodologies. Comprehensive Plan Subcommittee and Technical Advisory Committee focus groups are selected and scheduled to meet regularly over the duration of the project timeline. A variety of public meeting types are held and information is disseminated through traditional and new media channels. Additional key stakeholders are met with during roundtable discussions.

The Comprehensive Plan Subcommittee (CPS) focus group shall be residents of the City of Nampa and the subcommittee should have no less than seven members.  The membership will need to commit to the following schedule:
1st and 2nd Tuesday – November 17, 2009 – February 2, 2010 – History (Preliminary Workshops)

1st and 2nd Tuesday – February 16, 2010 – May 4, 2010 – Vision (Content Workshops)

1st and 2nd Tuesday – June 1, 2010 – August 17, 2010 – Implementation (Final Workshops)

The CPS will have reading assignments before each session and the scheduled subject topic will be discussed during each meeting.  The CPS will review the various final draft documents in order to provide input.  In addition, the CPS is encouraged to attend the various community and neighborhoods meetings

The CPS members should:

• BE COMMITMENT – ATTEND REGULAR SCHEDULE MEETINGS

• BE FOCUS – ON THE TASK

• BE CREATIVE – CREATING POSITVE SOULTIONS

• HAVE COMMUNITY VISION – WHERE ARE WE GOING OR WANT TO GO

• BUILD CONSENSUS – WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE COMMON GOODDEMONSTRATE RESPECT FOR ALL INVOLVED –AGREE TO DISAGREE        

The broad scope of a Comprehensive Plan is reflected in the wide variety of elements combined in one planning document. The Comprehensive Plan includes the elements as required by law and listed in the Idaho Statutes under Planning Duties. However, the plan is not limited to these.
Each element usually comprises a chapter of the Comprehensive Plan with goal, policy and implementation statements and a graphic element of plan maps and tables depicting land use and vehicular circulation. This is intended to facilitate the land use decision making process by covering the major categories of physical development in relation to the needs of the citizens.

The basis for comprehensive planning comes from the government's ability to protect the health and welfare of its citizens. Because the Federal government has no constitutionally provided right to engage in comprehensive planning, state governments have taken the lead in this area. The power for local governments to plan generally comes from state planning enabling legislation; however, local governments in most states are not required by law to engage in comprehensive planning. State statutes usually provide the legal framework necessary for those communities choosing to participate while allowing others to disengage themselves with the process. The legal provision for comprehensive planning comes from what is called the Standard State Zoning Enabling Act which was written by the United States Department of Commerce in the 1920's. This act was never passed by the United States Congress but was rather a law written for state legislatures to willingly adopt. Many states did choose to adopt the act which provided local governments with the framework to engage in land use planning. Because the act never gave a clear definition for comprehensive planning, the Department of Commerce wrote another act, the Standard City Planning Enabling Act of 1928, which defined more precisely what a comprehensive plan is and how it should be used.²
In states that do not require local governments to plan comprehensively, state governments usually provide many incentives to encourage the process at the local level. In Georgia, for example, the state government gives many incentives to local governments to establish comprehensive plans to guide development. Today, almost every county in Georgia has established a plan voluntarily.³
It must be noted, however, that a comprehensive plan is not usually legally binding. A community's ordinances must be amended in order to legally implement the provisions required to execute the comprehensive plan.⁴

Idaho Statutes Title 67, State Government and State Affairs, Chapter 65, Local Land Use Planning, or the Local Land Use Planning Act, provides direction and guidance for local jurisdictions in the organization, planning and creation of Comprehensive Plans and Land Use Planning. It also provides the mechanism for local jurisdictions to legally implement planning provisions.
The Local Land Use Planning Act (Title 67) is available in its entirety here

Idaho Statutes 67-6502.Purpose.

The purpose of this act shall be to promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the people of the state of Idaho as follows:
(a)  To protect property rights while making accommodations for other necessary types of development such as low-cost housing and mobile home parks.
(b)  To ensure that adequate public facilities and services are provided to the people at reasonable cost.
(c)  To ensure that the economy of the state and localities is protected.
(d)  To ensure that the important environmental features of the state and localities are protected.
(e)  To encourage the protection of prime agricultural, forestry, and mining lands for production of food, fibre, and minerals.
(f)  To encourage urban and urban-type development within incorporated cities.
(g)  To avoid undue concentration of population and overcrowding of land.
(h)  To ensure that the development on land is commensurate with the physical characteristics of the land.
(i)  To protect life and property in areas subject to natural hazards and disasters.
(j)  To protect fish, wildlife, and recreation resources.
(k)  To avoid undue water and air pollution.
(l)  To allow local school districts to participate in the community planning and development process so as to address public school needs and impacts on an ongoing basis.⁵

Idaho Statutes 67-6508. Planning Duties.

It shall be the duty of the planning or planning and zoning commission to conduct a comprehensive planning process designed to prepare, implement, and review and update a comprehensive plan, hereafter referred to as the plan. The plan shall include all land within the jurisdiction of the governing board. The plan shall consider previous and existing conditions, trends, desirable goals and objectives, or desirable future situations for each planning component. The plan with maps, charts, and reports shall be based on the following components as they may apply to land use regulations and actions unless the plan specifies reasons why a particular component is unneeded.
(a)  Property Rights -- An analysis of provisions which may be necessary to ensure that land use policies, restrictions, conditions and fees do not violate private property rights, adversely impact property values or create unnecessary technical limitations on the use of property and analysis as prescribed under the declarations of purpose in chapter 80, title 67, Idaho Code.
(b)  Population -- A population analysis of past, present, and future trends in population including such characteristics as total population, age, sex, and income.
(c)  School Facilities and Transportation -- An analysis of public school capacity and transportation considerations associated with future development.
(d)  Economic Development -- An analysis of the economic base of the area including employment, industries, economies, jobs, and income levels.
(e)  Land Use -- An analysis of natural land types, existing land covers and uses, and the intrinsic suitability of lands for uses such as agriculture, forestry, mineral exploration and extraction, preservation, recreation, housing, commerce, industry, and public facilities. A map shall be prepared indicating suitable projected land uses for the jurisdiction.
(f)  Natural Resources -- An analysis of the uses of rivers and other waters, forests, range, soils, harbors, fisheries, wildlife, minerals, thermal waters, beaches, watersheds, and shorelines.
(g)  Hazardous Areas -- An analysis of known hazards as may result from susceptibility to surface ruptures from faulting, ground shaking, ground failure, landslides or mudslides; avalanche hazards resulting from development in the known or probable path of snowslides and avalanches, and floodplain hazards.
(h)  Public Services, Facilities, and Utilities -- An analysis showing general plans for sewage, drainage, power plant sites, utility transmission corridors, water supply, fire stations and fire fighting equipment, health and welfare facilities, libraries, solid waste disposal sites, schools, public safety facilities and related services. The plan may also show locations of civic centers and public buildings.
(i)  Transportation -- An analysis, prepared in coordination with the local jurisdiction(s) having authority over the public highways and streets, showing the general locations and widths of a system of major traffic thoroughfares and other traffic ways, and of streets and the recommended treatment thereof. This component may also make recommendations on building line setbacks, control of access, street naming and numbering, and a proposed system of public or other transit lines and related facilities including rights-of-way, terminals, future corridors, viaducts and grade separations. The component may also include port, harbor, aviation, and other related transportation facilities.
(j)  Recreation -- An analysis showing a system of recreation areas, including parks, parkways, trailways, river bank greenbelts, beaches, playgrounds, and other recreation areas and programs.
(k)  Special Areas or Sites -- An analysis of areas, sites, or structures of historical, archeological, architectural, ecological, wildlife, or scenic significance.
(l)  Housing -- An analysis of housing conditions and needs; plans for improvement of housing standards; and plans for the provision of safe, sanitary, and adequate housing, including the provision for low-cost conventional housing, the siting of manufactured housing and mobile homes in subdivisions and parks and on individual lots which are sufficient to maintain a competitive market for each of those housing types and to address the needs of the community.
(m)  Community Design -- An analysis of needs for governing landscaping, building design, tree planting, signs, and suggested patterns and standards for communitydesign, development, and beautification.
(n)  Implementation -- An analysis to determineactions, programs, budgets, ordinances, or other methods including scheduling of public expenditures to provide for the timely execution of the various components of the plan.
(o)  National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors -- After notification by the public utilities commission concerning the likelihood of a federally designated national interest electric transmission corridor, prepare an analysis showing the existing location and possible routing of high voltage transmission lines, including national interest electric transmission orridors based upon the United States department of energy's most recent national electric transmission congestion study pursuant to sections 368and 1221 of the energy policy act of 2005. "High-voltage transmission lines" means lines with a capacity of one hundred fifteen thousand (115,000) volts or more supported by structures of forty (40) feet or more in height.
Nothing herein shall preclude the consideration of additional planning components or subject matter.⁶

Comprehensive Plans contain Goal Statements, Objective Statements and Policy Statements. Policy Statements and Implementation Statements are interchangeable terms when used in Comprehensive Plans.
Goal Statements

• Describes an idea or sought after an end
• Major statement leading to City policy
• Frames a question, speaks to the general issue(s)
• Non-specific/general statement

Objective Statements
An objective statement advances a specific purpose, aim, ambition or element of a goal. It can be describing the end state of the goal, its purpose, or a course of action necessary to achieve it. An objective statement is usually worded.

• More Specific than goals
• Generally non-quantifiable
• Suggests a course of action or "should, where as, will"
• May indicate general criteria to be followed in developing policy

Policy and/or Implementation Statements

• Describe how an objective will be carried out
• Describes method or provides guidelines
• Is usually measurable and/or time sensitive?
• Must be enforceable
• May have a cost associated with it
• Identify the responsible party (The city shall...)

Goal Statement

Provide efficient, cost effective and environmentally sound central sewer collection and treatment facilities for all existing and future land uses within the city's area of impact.

Objective Statement One

Meet or exceed National Environmental Protection Agency standards for sewage collection, treatment and discharge in the Blackfoot area.

Policy or Implementation Statements

• Construct new sewage collection and treatment improvements, as needed and as funding is available.
• Issue building permits only when sewer capacity is available.
• Monitor businesses to ensure protection of infrastructure, the river and land.

Objective Statement Two

Ensure that a central sewage collection and treatment facilities are upgraded and installed as needed to meet usage requirements and maximize cost efficiency.

Objective Statement Three

Ensure that the cost of wastewater treatment and infrastructure improvements is borne by those who benefit.

This example illustrates the following:

• The goal is the ultimate purpose of an effort stated in a way that is general in nature and immeasurable.
• The objective statement defines the meaning of the goal. It describes how to accomplish the goal, and suggests a method of accomplishing it. Objectives can be very difficult to develop. The project team will assist with developing and selecting objectives that are broadly agreed upon by looking at the goal from several different perspectives. We will also develop as many objective statements for each goal as possible. Then narrow down to objectives that appear to best support the aim of the goal.
• When developing objectives participants will be asked to reflect on whether the objective statement defines the purpose of the goal, or describes an end state of the goal. If the objective does not support either, then the statement should be removed from consideration, or reworded to meet the tests.

¹ Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. Retrieved September 30, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comprehensive_planning
²Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. Retrieved September 30, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comprehensive_planning
³Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. Retrieved September 30, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comprehensive_planning
⁴Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. Retrieved September 30, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comprehensive_planning
⁵Idaho Statutes, Retrieved September 30, 2009 from http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title67/T67CH65SECT67-6502.htm
⁶Idaho Statutes, Retrieved September 30, 2009 from http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title67/T67CH65SECT67-6508.htm
⁷goal. (2009). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved September 30, 2009, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goal
⁸objective. (2009). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved September 30, 2009, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/objective
⁹aim. (2009). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved September 30, 2009, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aim
¹⁰policy. (2009). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved September 30, 2009, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/policy
¹¹implementation. (2009). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved September 30, 2009, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/implementation