A-NPDC has a long history of assisting the towns with compliance with state requirements. From the earliest days of the Planning District Commission, staff have assisted towns with obtaining grants to improve their housing stock, and downtowns. In the 1990s, the Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Board supported an A-NPDC staff person to write town plans and zoning ordinances in compliance with the Bay Act.
A-NPDC continues to assist the towns, most recently with compliance with federal law that requires each town to have a Hazard Mitigation Plan to obtain mitigation funding after a natural disaster.
POLICIES
Planning District Commission Membership
The Commission’s policy is a town must grow to 3,500 in population to become a member of the Commission.
Background. In 1982, the General Assembly passed House Bill 97 allowing towns of 3,500 or less population petition a Planning District Commission for representation and that approval of this petition would be at the discretion of the Commission.
In the Planning District Commission’s June 1982 meeting, the Commission determined that adding up to 19 new representatives would create a “unwieldy and less efficient commission” and voted unanimously to deny membership to any petitioning town. In 1992, the Town of Chincoteague having grown to a population over 3,500 and desiring to join became a member.
Town Assistance Request
The Commission’s policy is a town requesting assistance in writing a grant will submit a request and should expect to pay at least half of the Commission’s cost to develop the application.