Strategic regional policy plans.

(1) A strategic regional policy plan shall contain regional goals and policies that shall address affordable housing, economic development, emergency preparedness, natural resources of regional significance, and regional transportation, and that may address any other subject which relates to the particular needs and circumstances of the comprehensive planning district as determined by the regional planning council. Regional plans shall identify and address significant regional resources and facilities. Regional plans shall be consistent with the state comprehensive plan.

(2) The Executive Office of the Governor may adopt by rule minimum criteria to be addressed in each strategic regional policy plan and a uniform format for each plan. Such criteria must emphasize the requirement that each regional planning council, when preparing and adopting a strategic regional policy plan, must focus on regional rather than local resources and facilities.

(3) In preparing the strategic regional policy plan, the regional planning council shall seek the full cooperation and assistance of local governments to identify key regional resources and facilities and shall document present conditions and trends with respect to the policy areas addressed; forecast future conditions and trends based on expected growth patterns of the region; and analyze the problems, needs, and opportunities associated with growth and development in the region, especially as those problems, needs, and opportunities relate to the subject areas addressed in the strategic regional policy plan.

(4) The regional goals and policies shall be used to develop a coordinated program of regional actions directed at resolving the identified problems and needs.

(5) The council shall give consideration to existing state, regional, and local plans in accomplishing the purposes of this section.

(6) The draft regional plan shall be circulated to all local governments in the region, and the local governments shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity to comment on the regional plan.

(7) The council shall provide for adequate input by citizens into the regional planning process.

(8) Upon adoption, a strategic regional policy plan shall provide, in addition to other criteria established by law, the basis for regional review of developments of regional impact, regional review of federally assisted projects, and other regional comment functions.

(9) Regional planning councils shall consider, and make accessible to the public, appropriate data and studies, including development-of-regional-impact applications and agency reports, in order to assist participants in the development-of-regional-impact review process. A major objective of the regional planning process shall be to coordinate with the state land planning agency in order to achieve uniformity and consistency in land use information and data collection efforts in this state and provide a usable and accessible database to local governments and the private sector.

(10) Each regional planning council shall enter into a memorandum of agreement with each local health council in its comprehensive planning district to ensure the coordination of health planning, if the regional planning council elects to address health issues in its strategic regional policy plan. The memorandum of agreement shall specify the manner in which each regional planning council and local health council will coordinate their activities.

(11) All natural resources of regional significance identified in the strategic regional policy plan shall be identified by a specific geographic location and not solely by generic type.

(12) In addressing regional transportation, the council may recommend minimum density guidelines for development along designated public transportation corridors and identify investment strategies for providing transportation infrastructure where growth is desired, rather than focusing primarily on relieving congestion in areas where growth is discouraged.

(13) Standards included in strategic regional policy plans may be used for planning purposes only and not for permitting or regulatory purposes. However, a regional planning council may not adopt a planning standard that differs materially from a planning standard adopted by rule by a state or regional agency, when such rule expressly states the planning standard is intended to preempt action by the regional planning council. The absence of a planning standard for a particular issue on the part of a state or other regional agency shall not be deemed to create a material difference from a planning standard adopted by a regional planning council. Planning standards may be used as a basis for comments on federal consistency and clearinghouse reviews. However, any inconsistency between a local plan or plan amendment and a strategic regional policy plan must not be the sole basis for a notice of intent to find a local plan or plan amendment not in compliance with this act.

(14) A regional planning council may not, in its strategic regional policy plan or by any other means, establish binding level-of-service standards for public facilities and services provided or regulated by local governments. This limitation shall not be construed to limit the authority of regional planning councils to propose objections, recommendations, or comments on local plans or plan amendments.

(15) A strategic regional policy plan or any amendment thereto shall be adopted by rule by a two-thirds vote of the membership of the governing body of a regional planning council present at a duly noticed meeting constituting a quorum; however, no strategic regional policy plan or amendment thereto shall be adopted by less than the majority of the members of the governing body.

(16) In formulating regional policies, the regional planning council shall consider existing requirements in other planning and regulatory programs.

(17) Each regional planning council, in its strategic regional policy plan, may recommend specific locations or activities in which a project, due to character or location, should be a development of regional impact within that comprehensive planning district.