The Yellowstone County Board of Planning desires to stay engaged with activities and issues on the community. It plans to be informed of issues that overlap its mission while continuing to fulfill its core responsibilities of reviewing development and redevelopment through the subdivision process, overseeing the annual work plans of the Billings Metropolitan Planning Organization for transportation planning, and participating in larger long-range planning work like Project Re: Code and growth policy updates and actions. The Board had an initial discussion at its July 23 meeting and this agenda item is to further follow up on the process.

The Board at its July 23 meeting discussed how it might approach future topics that might inform the Board of activities in the community that effect long range planing, development and growth. It also considered breaking the topics into two areas - those that are more informational and help the Board to stay current on major issues that effect the community, and those that are attached to the Boards land use review role and may have policy implications the Board might consider recommendations on to the City Council and Board of County Commissioners. The attached draft document further groups and identifies the areas of potential focus for the Board in the future.

There is no immediate financial impact to the Planning Division in supporting the Board's future topics discussions. As the Board decides where it might focus future policy recommendations, staff will be able to asses staff time and resources that might be needed to carry a recommended policy change through the process to the City Council or Board of County Commissioners.

Staff recommends the Planning Board review and refine its informational and policy topic list at this meeting so that topics for future meetings may begin to be programed into future agendas.