Growth happens. She ensures it follows the plan

As Berea's codes and planning administrator, Amanda Haney is the one to consult if you want to build in town.

"My job is primarily oversight of development in Berea, from plan approval to building occupancy," Haney told The Edge in an interview. "[My team and] I are also responsible for long term planning of land use, considering important factors such as transportation and utility access. I also update zoning regulations based on legislative changes and emerging issues, such as housing."

Community engagement

On the job for fifteen years now, Haney said she has seen a steady growth rate in the City of about 2% over her tenure. Berea's population is 15,539, according to the latest census. In the past two years, Haney and her five-member team have authorized over a million dollars in new non-infrastructure development.

To accommodate this growth efficiently, Haney is currently overseeing her third Comprehensive Plan process for the City. Essentially a land use document to help guide development, the state requires every jurisdiction to update its Plan every five years. Berea began the process this year, and should wrap up by the Fall 2026.

Throughout, Haney has sought community engagement in the planning process. There was a kick off meeting last Spring at the newly renovated Berea Gallery. Citizens were given sticky dots in different colors to attach them next to the topics they were most concerned about. The topics ranged from developing more outdoor trails to preserving more farm land, to increasing public transit services.

On Haney's mind now are property owners who have future plans for their land, but who have questions about whether it is currently zoned for what they have in mind. Zoning can be changed to accommodate different priorities, provided the changes support the overall plan.

"Now is your opportunity to really look at how you're zoned and see how you would like to use your land. We want to hear from those people," Haney said.

Also for consideration during this planing process, according to Haney, is how the land should be developed along the new bypass in town: "Is that a good area for expansion? Is it good for residential, commercial, or industrial development?"

Through an online survey, Haney said her department has heard from many respondents that the land should remain undeveloped. "Agricultural land is also very important to us and to Bereans. That's what we're hearing through this planning process," she said. "We want to preserve natural features. What is not good for development? This is what we want to hear from people about."

The Edge asked if the bypass were built with development in mind, but Haney said it was simply a consequence of it. "The bypass was really meant to alleviate through-traffic on the Berea College campus," she said. "So it serves as a way to get people to the Interstate quicker. It was about a twenty-year process between talking about it and building it."

Aside from the public-at-large, Haney said multiple stakeholders have been asked to participate in the planning process, including Berea College, the state transportation cabinet, hiking and biking groups, small businesses, and others. There is also a steering committee with members of the various relevant boards and the Planning Commission, as well as builder and State Senator Jared Carpenter, representing local builders and contractors.

Stormwater, noise complaints, and more

In addition to helping to shape the City's contours, Haney is also tasked with reviewing site and civil plans for local zoning ordinances. These might be related to land use, parking, stormwater, and roads and infrastructure to ensure they all meet the City's requirements. There is more.

"My office is responsible for review and approval of building construction projects; issuance of permits for building, electrical, and mechanical systems; and inspections," Haney said. "We issue certificates of occupancy for new construction and work with contractors and owners for change of use of existing structures." 

Haney and her staff also maintain official maps of the City through GIS (Geographic Information Systems), which are used for emergency services, among other applications. Haney is also the one to call for nuisance complaints to do with trash, noise, or properties that are eyesores. Lastly, Haney's department serves as staff to the Planning Commission, the Board of Adjustments, and the Codes Enforcement Board.

Teamwork and customer service

At this month's regularly scheduled City Council meeting, Haney grew emotional after sharing her codes update and mentioned that this week marks her fifteenth anniversary working for Berea. She told Council how proud she is to help craft the City's success, and that she enjoys working with her staff.

"What I have found in this community is that it is full of hardworking, driven people who love their community, and I am proud to be a part of it," Haney told Council.

After she'd finished her presentation, Councilmember Cora Jane Wilson told Haney, "I feel lucky to have you, from the bottom of my heart. You do a great job."

Councilmember Teresa Scenters said she is glad Haney takes her job as seriously as she does. "I can feel your heart in it," Scenters said.

When asked in the interview what she believes is the most important part of her job, Haney replied, "Customer service and education.  It’s our job to help citizens, contractors, and property owners through permitting and construction phases, and educate them on codes and ordinances in place."

Her job overall is important to the City, she said because of her department's role in public safety. "This department ensures building construction, along with building systems such as electrical and HVAC, are safe for building occupants," she said. To execute her tasks, Haney works most often with the Berea Municipal Utilities, City Finance, and Public Works.

To make sure she is up to date on the latest in her field, Haney, who said her background is in construction, attends 12 hours of classes annually for building inspector certification, and takes eight hours of instruction annually for planning and zoning. To get her job, she said she had to be state certified as a building inspector at the highest level of credentials, and already have five years of experience working in planning and zoning.

What to improve

Haney said that aside from completing the Comprehensive Plan with as much public input as possible, her next priority is leveraging better technology than her staff currently has, to offer, "concise information to applicants, citizens, developers, and design professionals. Currently, we are using the city website and OpenGov, the city’s permitting portal, for information, but we're looking for ways to improve."

Haney said she wants information to be better organized so it is more useful to applicants.  "For instance, develop a 'start to finish' guide on our website for new construction of a house or commercial development, detailing the plans needed for approval and other permits required." 

What she'd like to see more of in Berea, Haney said, are more tradesmen and laborers. "Many contractors that come to our office state that they cannot find help," she said. "With the amount of construction and development in the region, there is a demand for construction workers of all skill levels."

In response, Haney said her office has undertaken a program to recruit and educate young people to be electricians and HVAC tradespeople. "Our electrical inspector, Jeff Harness, teaches electrical classes here," she said.

Haney's message to Bereans is to speak up! Take the survey, read up on what others have suggested and what is at stake, and attend the next Comprehensive Plan meeting when it is announced next spring.