Public Bodies •
Governmental Staff and Advisors •
Development-oriented Groups and Associations •
Conservation Issue-oriented Groups and Organizatoins
Public Bodies
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A hierarchy of boards, commissions and inspectors is involved in implementing
zoning and other codes related to land use. Ultimately, the jurisdiction's
elected board has the final say. Typically, any change in an ordinance or
code will take months, passing through several channels.
Inspectors and Inspection Boards: Housing inspectors, building inspectors,
zoning code inspectors, electrical inspectors and others are charged with
insuring that codes and ordinances are adhered to. In some jurisdictions,
inspection boards exist that determine the particulars of the codes and ordinances
for specific properties. For example, in a historic district, wooden frame
windows are often a requirement; the Historic District Commission would work
with a particular land owner to determine what brand of windows or what window
construction would meet this code requirement.
Appointed Boards and Commissions: These volunteer boards and commissions
have members appointed by the jurisdiction's elected body and have responsibilities
spelled out in ordinances or rules adopted by the board or commission and
approved by the elected body. These boards and commissions include:
- The Planning Commission - advises the jurisdiction's elected body on
zoning amendments, creates and formally adopts comprehensive plans, and
determines special use permits. As dictated by state legislation, planning
are charged with doing master planning. Funding for this process, however,
comes from the elected body.
- Zoning Board of Appeals - approves zoning variances.
- Other advisory boards, such as the Environmental Concern Committee or
the Historic Preservation Commission or Parks and Recreation, often discuss
and recommend land use policies to the Planning Commission and/or the elected
body. In the City of Kalamazoo, neighborhood associations discuss and take
positions on land use issues. A few have developed their own neighborhood
plans.
Elected Boards, Commissions or Councils: Village or City Councils,
City Commissions, and Township Boards enact zoning amendments. Some, particularly
in the smaller jurisdictions, act as the Zoning Board of Appeals or even the
Planning Commission, such as in Parchment.
County-level Commissions: Because all of the local jurisdictions have
adopted their own zoning, county government does not have a direct role in
land use decision-making. Yet, with the passage of the Coordinated Planning
Act in 2000 the county is charged with insuring that neighboring jurisdictions'
master plans are coordinated. For example, there should be no conflicting
uses on boundary edges.
- County Commission - controls the purse-strings. For example, if the county
were to update its master plan or implement county-wide GIS, the Commission
would have to budget for these activities.
- Kalamazoo Metropolitan County Planning Commission - has a purely advisory
role to local jurisdictions. It may advise on conflicts between jurisdictions,
or help a jurisdiction determine alternatives if the local government is
unsure of what to do, or may review a decision if a local jurisdiction wants
it to be confirmed.
- Drain Commissioner - has responsibility for creating and maintaining drains,
creating flood protection measures, widening and dredging rivers and streams,
and other forms of water management. The drain commissioner has authority
within any jurisdiction in the county.
- Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study (KATS) - is the area's official metropolitan
planning organization, almost solely focused on transportation planning
issues. It is the body through which federal transportation dollars flow.
- Kalamazoo County Branch of the Michigan Township Association - is the
countywide organization of township boards. It meets regularly to discuss
policies and issues of concern to townships, including land use policies.
- Kalamazoo Regional Water and Wastewater Commission - addresses wastewater
capacity extensions in the county, and is charged with conducted a yearly
conference on urban issues related to growth in Kalamazoo County.
Governmental Staff and Advisors
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Professional Planners: Some jurisdictions have professional planners
on staff; others use consultants for this function. These are people with
professional planning degrees who help jurisdictions devise land use plans,
policies and ordinances.
- County planner - oversees the Kalamazoo Metropolitan County Planning Commission,
and acts as a liaison with groups in the county such as the Conservation
District and the Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study (KATS).
- City planner - works with the city's planning commission and with applicants
for zoning changes. This should be the first person contacted with any questions
about zoning ordinances or implications of the master plan.
- Township planners - have essentially the same function as city planners
in the larger townships. In smaller townships, long-term relationships are
typically developed with planners who work at area consulting firms. These
planners are hired to technical work, such as re-writing ordinances.
Development-oriented Groups and Associations
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There are many powerful pro-development organizations that have their own
land use agendas in the county. They lobby local governments about zoning
changes, master plans, transportation improvements, and other land use changes.
These organizations include:
Conservation Issue-oriented Groups and Organizations
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