§11-85-40. Powers of Alabama Development Office and local, regional, and joint planning commissions as to comprehensive advisory planning and research; comprehensive advisory planning defined.

(a) To facilitate the solution of urban and regional planning problems and to provide for comprehensive advisory planning, including transportation planning, for the state and its cities, counties, urban areas, and regions, the Alabama Development Office, the various regional planning commissions presently authorized to be created, the various county planning commissions presently authorized to be created, the various joint planning commissions presently authorized to be created, municipalities, and the various municipal planning commissions presently authorized to be created are each and all hereby empowered and authorized, within the respective geographical areas as to which planning power has heretofore been delegated to such respective office, commissions, or other agencies to perform comprehensive advisory planning and research and other activities related thereto for urban areas and regions or areas where rapid urbanization has occurred or is expected to occur and to provide planning assistance, upon request duly evidenced by ordinance or resolution, to

(1) Any city, other municipality, or county;

(2) Any group of adjacent communities, incorporated or unincorporated, having common or related urban planning or development problems; or

(3) Any municipal, county, joint, joint county, multicounty, or regional planning agency.

(b) The Alabama Development Office, as well as each and all of the aforesaid other commissions and planning agencies, are hereby further authorized and empowered to perform comprehensive advisory planning and research and other activities related thereto for urban areas and regions or areas where rapid urbanization has occurred or is expected to occur, which said areas and regions extend into adjoining states, in instances and situations where such planning and other activities for such bistate or multistate areas is now or hereafter may be authorized by compact or otherwise.

(c) The Alabama Development Office, the various regional planning commissions presently authorized to be created, the various joint planning commissions presently authorized to be created, the various county planning commissions presently authorized to be created and the municipal planning commissions presently authorized to be created, as well as cities and other municipalities, counties, and groups of adjacent communities (incorporated or unincorporated) having common or related urban planning or development problems are authorized for the purpose of this section to perform comprehensive advisory planning, to contract with the federal government and with any public or private sources which now or hereafter legally may contract as to such planning, to receive advances or progress payments and to contract with other planning agencies, public agencies, and political subdivisions. Said office, planning commissions, and other planning agencies are also authorized and empowered to apply for and to accept and utilize grants and other assistance from the federal government or from any other public or private sources which now or hereafter legally may make such grants or afford such other assistance.

(d) The term "comprehensive advisory planning" as used in this section shall mean comprehensive studies of the present and future development of the land economics and land policies of a region, with due regard to neighboring regions and the state as a whole. Said term may include, but is not limited to:

(1) Preparation, as a guide for long-range development, of advisory general physical plans with respect to the pattern and intensity of land use and the provision of public facilities, including transportation facilities, together with long-range fiscal plans for such development;

(2) Advisory coordination of all related advisory plans and planned activities at both the intragovernmental and intergovernmental levels; and

(3) Preparation of suggested regulatory or administrative measures in support of the foregoing for submission to the governing bodies of constituent governmental units for review, adoption, rejection, or implementation in whole or part, as said units may elect.

(Acts 1963, No. 585, p. 1281, §1.)