Background
The Community Development Department was originally established in 1988 to enhance Harrisonville’s business climate by bringing jobs and capital investment into the city. In 2001 the department's focus was broadened to include planning as well as economic development. By combining the department's functions, the Community Development Department now takes a more comprehensive approach to coordinating the growth and development of Harrisonville.


Duties

• To prepare and implement plans and policies
• To assist the Board of Aldermen with the periodic update and revision of the Comprehensive Plan, zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations and other ordinances pertaining to land use
• To help coordinate planning-related activities

Responsibilities
Departmental responsibilities have expanded since the department’s establishment to include:

• Current planning
• Long range planning
• The development of a city GIS (Geographic Information System)
• Economic development
• Historic preservation

Services / Programs
The Community Development Department maintains demographic and socioeconomic information on Harrisonville and Cass County. It also houses marketing materials, which highlights available land and building sites in the area. City staff work with a variety of local and regional agencies in promoting Harrisonville's coordinated development.

Research & Publications
In addition to these items, the Community Development Department periodically performs research and publishes reports on specific demographic and/or socioeconomic topics. These are used to augment other published materials in an effort to better market the community.

Project Proposals & Projects
The department provides detailed project proposals to potential business prospects and performs impact analysis on proposed incentive packages to evaluate net benefits to the city. The Community Development director also serves as liaison to the Planning and Zoning Commission, Board of Zoning Adjustment, and Historic Preservation Commission.