[Adopted 10-15-1974 by L.L. No. 3-1974; amended in its entirety 8-17-1993 by L.L. No. 2-1993]
There shall be in the Town of Cortlandt a Department
known as the "Department of Planning and Community Improvement."
The functions, duties and powers of the Department
of Planning and Community Improvement shall be as follows:
A.
General. The Department shall provide professional
direction in all areas of planning, zoning and environmental concerns
to the Cortlandt Town Board, Zoning Board and Planning Board, under
the supervision of the Town Supervisor, maintaining the same channels
of responsibility to the Town Board as other departments of Town government.
B.
Specific. The Department shall have the following
powers and duties:
(1)
To act as the professional arm of the Planning Board,
specifically in the areas of technical review and recommendations
to the Planning Board on subdivisions and site plans.
(2)
To advise the Town Board and Planning Board on all
matters related to zoning.
(3)
To provide advice and technical assistance to the
Zoning Board of Appeals.
(4)
To advise and give technical assistance, upon request,
to conservation advisory groups.
(5)
To advise the Town Board in reviewing and revising
the Master Plan, Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Regulations[1] and other pertinent developmental ordinances and plans,
with final approval subject to the action of the Town Board.
(6)
To provide staff assistance for ongoing review of
approved site and subdivision plans for new construction to determine
that the project is being carried out as approved.
(7)
To establish a clear, efficient, smoothly functioning
development review process to ensure that Town Board and Planning
Board members always have adequate information submitted to them and
that developers are required to adhere to clear and comprehensive
submittal requirements.
(8)
To advise and provide technical assistance to other
official Town departments upon request.
(9)
To advise the Town Board on capital expenditures,
provide professional assistance in the preparation of a capital improvement
program and prepare and maintain a proposed capital improvements budget.
(10)
To evaluate sources of financial assistance from state
and federal governments and prepare applications for available aid
following authorization by the Town Board.
There shall be appointed by a majority of the
Town Board of the Town of Cortlandt a Director of Planning and Community
Improvement, who shall be the head of the Department of Planning and
Community Development.
The Director of Planning and Community Improvement
shall be appointed by a majority of the Town Board for a term of two
years as a non-civil-service employee.
The Director of Planning and Community Improvements
shall at least meet the following minimum qualifications:
A.
He shall hold a graduate degree in planning with a
minimum of five years of professional experience in the field.
B.
He must have at least three years of experience in
municipal planning in a responsible administrative capacity.
C.
He shall be a full member of the American Institute
of Planners or in the process of applying for full membership.
D.
This position must be his only employment in the Town.
E.
He must have proven ability and experience in managing
technical, professional and clerical personnel and coordinating the
functions of a planning department or agency.
F.
He must be familiar with federal, state, county and
local legislation and regulations and personnel who are administering
community development programs.
G.
He must be thoroughly familiar with grantsmanship
techniques, procedures and regulations and have proven ability to
obtain funding.
There shall be appointed by a majority of the
Town Board of the Town of Cortlandt an Assistant Planner of the Planning
and Community Improvement Department, on the recommendation of the
Director of Planning and Community Improvement, for a term of one
year, as a non-civil-service employee.
The Assistant Planner of the Planning and Community
Improvement Department shall at least meet the following minimum standards
of training, experience and skills:
A.
Training and experience. The Assistant Planner must
have as qualifications either:
(1)
Graduation from a recognized college or university
with a bachelor's degree, preferably in city or regional planning,
architecture, landscape architecture, civil engineering or economics,
and four years of experience in the field of state, county, municipal
or other governmental planning activities or work related thereto
in either a governmental or nongovernmental agency;
(2)
Completion of a two-year master's degree program in
city planning, architecture, landscape architecture or civil engineering
and two years of the experience listed above; or
(3)
Any reasonable combination of the above.
B.
Knowledge, skills and abilities. The Assistant Planner
must have a thorough knowledge of the general principles and techniques
used in county, municipal and regional physical planning; good knowledge
of zoning and subdivision principles and practices; ability to conceive,
organize or conduct physical planning studies; ability to analyze
and interpret physical planning data; ability to prepare sketches,
designs and maps from field studies or office materials; and ability
to express oneself effectively, both orally and in writing.
The Department of Planning and Community Improvement
shall be organized as follows:
A.
Director. The Director of Planning and Community Improvement
shall have the following duties and responsibilities:
(2)
To coordinate his Department's activities with the
Town Engineer, the Planning Board and other applicable governmental
departments and citizens' groups and lay boards and keep the above
informed of all code enforcement activities.
(3)
To utilize his technical and professional expertise
to integrate code enforcement activities with the Town's overall capital
budget program.
B.
Assistant Planner. The Assistant Planner will assist
the Director in all areas of Town planning, including master planning
for highways, traffic flow, parks, housing and public buildings. He
will also initiate and carry out technical site plan and subdivision
reviews, field work and physical, social and economic studies and
provide drafting and graphic work when necessary.
Insofar as the provisions of this article are
inconsistent with the provisions of any other local law, law or act,
the provisions of this article shall be controlling.
