Table Of Contents

Background

The time has come for action; the Putnam County Better Place Plan is the launch pad for that action. It is a catalyst for positive change through strategic planning. 

Strategic planning is a dynamic process that focuses on critical leadership issues and priorities above and beyond routine government operations and service delivery functions. Strategic planning will assist Putnam County Government think about the future and develop the necessary processes for achieving this future. It is the process, not a document that focuses attention on what really matters and what must be done to achieve and sustain an envisioned or desired future. Sound strategic planning recognizes the leadership and management imperatives for achieving success, which includes a clear sense of mission or purpose with open and continuous communications and collaborative decision-making.

There have been a few past visioning efforts in Putnam County. Some of the identified needs have been completed, some are now being implemented and many have not been implemented. In 1989, Putnam County 2001 "The Visions Process" was prepared. The Chamber of Commerce has held visioning session including the one in 1995. In 1997, more than 127 of Putnam County's concerned citizens, business leaders, government officials and community advocates gathered together in pursuit of a common goal; to improve the quality of life in Putnam County. This visioning session developed "Putnam Priorities: A Step Towards Community Consensus". The results of these visioning sessions have been reviewed and are incorporated into The Better Place Plan. 

On May 2, 2001, the Putnam County Board of County Commissioners joined together with the County Administrator for the first in a series of visioning workshops. The original purpose of this workshop was to review and address delineated missions. This visioning process led to the adoption of a Vision Statement and Mission Statement on January 22, 2002. During this same time period, the County began the formidable task of updating its Comprehensive Plan as well as continuing to update the land development regulations. 

On November 28, 2001, the County and Planning Commission held a public workshop at the Chamber of Commerce to discuss a vision. This workshop also led to the realization that there needed to be a significant visioning process implemented.

With the foresight, leadership and cooperation of the County Commission, in coordination with the elected officials of the County's municipalities, a countywide visioning workshop kicked off the most comprehensive and involved effort to obtain public input that has ever occurred in Putnam County. Between March and May 2002, over 550 people participated in seventeen (17) community visioning workshops throughout various communities in the County. In addition, a Community Needs Assessment Survey was developed with over 500 surveys being completed between March and May 2002. The Community Needs Assessment confirmed needs and desires established in the visioning workshops. 

The visioning workshops were intended to provide citizens an opportunity to express their views on various issues of interest. The participants expressed their views and opinions on four target issue areas of interest: (i) quality of life; (ii) natural resources and recreation; (iii) transportation and infrastructure; and (iv) economic development. The workshop began with a description of the community visioning process followed by a break out session where citizens were divided into small groups. Each group was led by a facilitator who initiated discussion by posing a question. The questions were designed to generate positive ideas for making their community and Putnam County a better place to live. Group members were asked to express ideas in a brief phrase or sentence without regard to cost, regulatory or perceived political constraints. Each group members' ideas or views in response to the question were then recorded on a flip chart. Following the break out discussion, the group came back together and then prioritized their ideas by ranking the three most important items for each of the target issue areas. 

Vision Statement

"To make Putnam County local government the most responsive and effective government in Florida, while making Putnam County the best place to live, work and raise a family."


Mission Statement

"Serving you, meeting today's challenges and focusing on the future."


The Community's Vision

Introduction

The citizens of Putnam County have made it clear that we must improve our County roads; protect our most important natural resources such as rivers and lakes; improve law and code enforcement; improve the appearance of our communities and along our roadways; improve fire and emergency services; improve recreational opportunities, facilities, programs and activities; improve other infrastructure such as drainage; and improve education and training to make our labor force more attractive to prospective businesses and employers. The Community Vision involves both capital improvement projects where significant expenditures are necessary to actually construct roads, building or other improvements. However, a majority of the citizens' needs and desires involve non-capital projects such as practicing good long-range planning and establishing development standards. The following is a summary of priorities identified in the community visioning processes. These priorities are listed by each of the four target issue areas.

Quality of Life Priorities

• Improve the County's roadway system.
    

• Work with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office to improve law enforcement coverage including traffic law enforcement and safety.
    

• Increase code enforcement and beautification efforts to improve community appearance and enhance our "public image" to residents and visitors.
    

• Improve fire protection and emergency management services by implementing an effective emergency communication system and allocating revenues to improve facilities and equipment.
    

• Improve and diversify recreational facilities and programs.
    

• Assist with the provision of public places such as community centers.
    

• Practice sound long range comprehensive planning and implement fair, reasonable and effective land development standards.
    

• Preserve the rural and small town atmosphere.
    

• Protect the County's environment, especially our rivers, lakes and creeks.
    

• Improve the economy and tax base.
  
  

Economic Development Priorities

• Work with the Putnam County School District and other education providers to improve education and training so that our labor force can obtain quality, high paying jobs.
    

• Practice good planning for economic development by implementing smart economic development strategies, identifying appropriate and adequate sites for business and industry, and protecting property values and enhancing overall community appearance and "public image" through the adoption and enforcement of land development standards.
    

• Work with the Chamber of Commerce and Tourist Development Council to develop and implement a Tourism Strategic Marketing Plan to encourage tourism related to our natural, historic and cultural resources.
    

• Work to attract clean business and industry, including quality shopping and entertainment opportunities.
    

• Improve the County's infrastructure systems including roads, drainage, community water and sewer and public transportation.
    

• Enhance recreational opportunities throughout the County.
  
  

Natural Resources and Recreation Priorities

• Implement fair, reasonable and effective land development standards to protect our surface waters.
    

• Improve the existing condition of recreational facilities and provide new and diverse recreational facilities.
    

• Improve recreational programs and activities, especially for our youth and senior citizens.
    

• Protect other environmentally sensitive lands such as wetlands, areas of high aquifer recharge, floodplains, valuable trees and vegetation, and wildlife and habitat.

Transportation and Infrastructure Priorities

• Improve the County road system by paving dirt roads and better maintenance of existing roads.
    

• Improve fire protection and emergency rescue services by, among other things, improving the emergency communication system, expanding fire protection and emergency management facilities, and improving fire and emergency rescue equipment.
    

• Work with the City of Palatka and other appropriate agencies to improve public transportation.
    

• Work to improve drainage conditions in the County by developing a Stormwater Management Master Plan that will identify and prioritize needed drainage improvements. 
  
  

Realizing the Vision


The Better Place Plan is a blueprint for Putnam County's' future that has been developed in response to a clearly demonstrated community desire to realize a collective vision with specific capital and operational improvements that will enhance the quality of life for the citizens of Putnam County.

The Better Place Plan is a comprehensive long-range and strategic planning initiative that will improve the appearance and safety of our neighborhoods, encourage smart economic development, improve roads and drainage, improve our recreation areas and build quality public facilities for our residents. 

The Better Place Plan incorporates all of these key elements in order to stimulate meaningful improvements. It will encourage and support responsible growth while protecting and improving the best assets of Putnam County.

The Better Place Plan Projects

Quality of Life

The Better Place Plan addresses the demonstrated need to improve the appearance of our community and neighborhoods, and improve the overall "public image" of Putnam County. Increased code enforcement and beautification efforts including County entryway enhancements will make our community more attractive to attract capital investment. Our neighborhoods will become safer places to live as a result of increased law enforcement including sheriff substations and increased fire and emergency rescue services. 

The Better Place Plan includes a substantial investment in improving County roads and drainage. These improvements include paving dirt roads, resurfacing paved roads, adding shoulders for safety, associated drainage improvements, adding sidewalks, street lighting, landscaping and better maintenance along the roadways including picking up trash and mowing right of ways. 

Quality of life projects include:

County Entryway Enhancements
Sheriff Substations
Senior Citizen/Community Centers
Roadway Paving
Road Resurfacing
Drainage 
Sidewalks/Bike Paths/Lighting/Landscaping
Fire Station Facility Expansion
Emergency Communication System

Parks, Entertainment and Recreation

Putnam County needs better access to its many natural resources. The Better Place Plan will include improvements in parking, picnic areas and boat launches to allow access and enjoyment of the St. Johns River and other public waters easier and better for all residents and visitors.

Regional sports complexes need lighting, bleachers and other improvements. The Better Place Plan will target these needs to increase enjoyment of the complexes by residents young and old as well as giving our community the opportunity to host state and national sporting events.

The Better Place Plan addresses the needs of individual neighborhoods and the community as a whole. For example, the plan calls for expansion of neighborhood parks and the regional recreation complexes in Putnam County. Recreation and entertainment projects include:

Natural Resource & River Access
Community Activity Building at the Fairgrounds
Improvements to Regional Sport Complexes 
Neighborhood Park Improvements


Roads, Drainage and Infrastructure

Putnam County's infrastructure deficits are enormous and have been a public and governmental concern for more than 25 years. The Better Place Plan provides a road map on how we can best plan for, fund and begin to address our transportation and infrastructure challenges. 

Transportation and infrastructure projects in the plan are a result of input from public workshops, neighborhood associations, town hall meetings, visitors and transportation professionals. The information then has been introduced and incorporated into The Countywide Road and Infrastructure Master Plan. Projects are: 

Roadway Paving
Road Resurfacing
Drainage 
Sidewalks/Bike Paths/Lighting/Landscaping
Road Shoulder Widening
Regional Water & Sewer Facilities
Drayton Island/Gates Ferry Improvements

Economic Development

Putnam County is a recognized leader in rural Florida for its planned and professional approach to economic development. The county has demonstrated success, but capital investment is needed to position our community for additional job creation and improved wage scales. Putnam County is committed to steering economic development to areas in the community that can provide infrastructure to support it. The Better Place Plan will help attract quality businesses and increase the county's tax base. Projects include:

Business Park Completion
Magnet Building 
County Entryway Enhancements
Regional Water & Sewer Facilities 

Public Facilities

Enhancing the quality of life for future generations requires an investment in individual neighborhoods. When citizens, families and neighbors can come together at local community centers it will inspire and drive our community to greatness. 

Improvements to libraries are needed to better accommodate computer technology and increase demand for these facilities and the wealth of information they contain. The construction and/or renovation of neighborhood Community/Senior Centers will bring neighborhoods together, providing a wonderful place for community meetings, after-school programs, recreation, and cultural classes.

Some construction is needed to make sure government services can meet the current and future needs of citizens. The Better Place Plan will address needs to expand volunteer fire departments, law enforcement services, the county jail and courthouse space. The county has a legal obligation to provide adequate courtrooms and jail facilities. Public facilities projects are:

Main Library & Branch Expansions
Fire Station Facility Expansion
Sheriff Substations 
Fire Protection Equipment 
Emergency Communication System
Judicial/Courthouse/Office Renovations
Jail Expansion


The Better Place Plan Implementation and Monitoring

The Better Place Plan is a contract between government and the citizens of Putnam County. Citizen committees will take charge of accountability and implementation components. The plan requires the creation of The Better Place Plan Oversight Committee to monitor timely completion of plan projects. 

The plan leverages federal, state and local dollars. It will provide road and drainage improvements in all parts of the county. The plan also includes improved access to our natural resources as well as improved neighborhood parks, community/senior centers, cultural facilities and regional recreation areas. The plan targets economic development that will encourage job growth and much needed capital investment and planned development opportunities throughout the county. Finally, the plan will help provide residents with quality public facilities to address current and future needs.

Strategic Plan

The Better Place Plan will also be implemented through the preparation, adoption and implementation of a Strategic Plan. The County's Comprehensive Plan is the other guiding policy document, however the Comprehensive Plan does not address some of the critical issue areas identified in the community vision. This plan will include guiding principles to implement the priorities of the community's vision. In addition, the plan will include strategies and actions for each of the guiding principles. For each of the actions, the Strategic Plan will list the time period for implementation and the responsible party. The plan will be updated a minimum of every five years. 

Comprehensive Plan 

Putnam County is in the process of updating the County Comprehensive Plan. All elements will be updated including the Future Land Use Map. The community vision will be further implemented through adoption of the update to the Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan also includes a 5-Year Schedule of Capital Improvements that must be reviewed and updated annually. 

Land Development Standards

The County is also in the process of updating the County's land development regulations and combining them into a single code. The community vision will be further implemented through the adoption and enforcement of detailed land development standards to ensure the priorities are addressed.

Funding Alternatives

Funding The Better Place Plan will utilize existing local revenues, federal and state appropriations and grants and require imposing and levying a one-cent discretionary sales surtax, subject to approval by the voters. The 60 million dollars raised through The Better Place Plan one-cent Sales Surtax will be further leveraged with public-private partnership opportunities to maximize implementation. Approximately 10 million dollars will be distributed according to the formula provided in Florida Statutes and other applicable provisions of law to any and all municipalities in Putnam County. Rough order of magnitude estimates indicate that approximately 350 million dollars will be required to complete the project objectives in the plan.