These planning products provide an overview of existing conditions in your community and identify community development goals and products.  It is a quicker process than completing a Comprehensive Plan, provides a more focused plan of action, and can be a useful tool in cases where a full comprehensive plan is not needed or watned.  Some of the ways this can benefit your community include:

• Having an updated assessment of your community
• Focusing in on specific community development needs- usually not included in Comprehensive Plans
• Prioritizing your investments and create consensus on what those priorities are
• Becoming more competitive in securing grant funding, meet municipal grant requirements related to plans
• Receiving valuable public input and be able to demonstrate public participation to grant funding agencies (Assessment & Plan)

There are three tiers for Needs Assessments as shown below.  More information can be found by clicking on the appropriate product below.