The Local Government Issue: Land Use Planning

Our November newsletter is dedicated to local governments and the tireless work they do to help our region thrive. In this Insight, we’re highlighting one of the services we provide to local governments so that they can reach their organizational goals.

Since 2019, state legislation has required that municipalities hoping to enforce zoning regulations have and maintain a land use plan. Land use plans capture the vision, values and goals of a community in order to create a strategic direction that guides planning decisions. Lately, we’ve worked with Dallas, Stanley, Wingate, Albemarle and Locust to set their teams up for success.

Land use planning provides communities with an opportunity to integrate land use practice with other local priorities such as transportation connectivity, parks and recreation, infrastructure investment and economic development. Coordinated planning helps communities create vibrant places that meet the needs of current and future residents.

Centralina has the experience necessary to support local governments with land use planning efforts and can assist with the creation or updates of land use, small area and corridor plans. Our experts provide technical assistance to your community on diverse aspects of the planning process that lead to a winning plan.

Your future starts today. Get in touch with Centralina to kick things off.

Federal funds are commonly passed through state agencies in North Carolina before being awarded to local governments, which can make the original funding source less obvious. Before proceeding with a procurement, local governments should verify whether an award originates from a federal source. This determination affects compliance obligations, including procurement standards, reporting, and audit requirements.

When a construction or repair contract over $300,000 involves a building, the procurement and contract are subject to additional requirements under N.C.G.S. 143-128. Therefore, this question must be answered to determine whether the additional statutory requirements apply to this procurement scenario.

The micro-purchase threshold is a federal procurement threshold under which competitive procurement is not required. The default micro-purchase threshold is $15,000, but local governments may increase the micro-purchase threshold up to $50,000. An explanation of increasing the micro-purchase threshold and a template for the required annual self-certification is available here.