REORGANIZATION PLAN NO. 5 OF 1966
Eff. Sept. 8, 1966, 31 F.R. 11857, 80 Stat. 1611
Prepared by the President and transmitted to the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress assembled, June 29, 1966, pursuant to the provisions of the Reorganization Act of 1949, 63 Stat. 203, as amended [see 5 U.S.C. 901 et seq.].
NATIONAL CAPITAL REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL
Section 1. Abolition
The National Capital Regional Planning Council (66 Stat. 783), together with all of its functions, is hereby abolished.
Sec. 2. Liquidation
The National Capital Planning Commission shall make such provisions as it shall deem necessary respecting the winding up of the outstanding affairs of the National Capital Regional Planning Council.
Message of the President
To the Congress of the United States:
I am transmitting Reorganization Plan No. 5 of 1966, prepared in accordance with the Reorganization Act of 1949, as amended.
The time has come to recognize the readiness of local governments in the Washington area to undertake a role which is properly and rightfully theirs. To that end, I am submitting a reorganization plan to abolish the National Capital Regional Planning Council.
Comprehensive regional planning is vital to the orderly development of our metropolitan areas. Nowhere is it more important than in the National Capital region.
To be most effective, regional planning must be a responsibility of the area's State and local governments acting together to solve mutual problems of growth and change. It should not be a Federal function, although the Federal Government should support and advance it.
The need for cooperative planning was recognized years ago in the National Capital region. The establishment of the National Capital Regional Planning Council in 1952 to prepare a comprehensive development plan was a major step in meeting that need.
However, the Council was designed for conditions which no longer exist. It was established by Federal law as a Federal agency financed by Federal funds because the various local jurisdictions then felt they were not in a position to provide the financing necessary for areawide comprehensive planning.
The situation that existed in 1952 has been changed by two major developments-
The founding of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments; and
The inauguration of a nationwide urban planning assistance program, commonly referred to as the "701 Program."
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, established in 1957, is a voluntary association of elected officials of local governments in the area. It has a competent professional staff and has done constructive work on areawide development matters. It had a budget of nearly a quarter of a million dollars for fiscal year 1965, mostly derived from local government contributions, and has developed to the point where it can fully carry out the State and local aspects of regional planning.
The urban planning assistance program provides for Federal financing of two-thirds of the cost of metropolitan planning. The National Capital Regional Planning Council, as a Federal agency, is not eligible for assistance under this program. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, however, became eligible for that assistance under the terms of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965. Accordingly, the elected local governments of the National Capital region have declared their intention of undertaking the responsibility for area-wide comprehensive planning through the Council of Governments.
The reorganization plan will not alter the basic responsibilities of the National Capital Planning Commission. That Commission will continue to represent the Federal interest in the planning and development of the region. Indeed, its work should increase as comprehensive regional planning by the Council of Governments is accelerated. In accord with the reorganization plan, the Commission will work closely with the Council of Governments in regional planning. The Commission will also deal directly with the suburban jurisdictions and assume the liaison functions now exercised by the National Capital Regional Planning Council.
The reorganization plan will improve existing organizational arrangements of and promote more effective and efficient planning for the National Capital region.
It will also result in long-range savings to the Federal Government. The regional planning effort of the Council of Governments is supported in part by local contributions. The same work done by the National Capital Regional Planning Council has been supported totally with Federal funds. The plan will eliminate this overlapping effort.
Annual savings of at least $25,000 should result from the reorganization plan.
The functions to be abolished by the reorganization plan are provided for in sections 2(e), 3, 4, 5(d), and 6(b) of the act approved June 6, 1924, entitled "An Act providing for a comprehensive development of the park and playground system of the National Capital" (43 Stat. 463), as amended (66 Stat. 783, [former] 40 U.S.C. 71a(e), 71b, 71c, 71d(d), and 71e(b) ) [now, in part, 40 U.S.C. 8711(e), 8721(a), (e), 8722(c) ].
I have found, after investigation, that each reorganization included in the accompanying reorganization plan is necessary to accomplish one or more of the purposes set forth in section 2(a) of the Reorganization Act of 1949, as amended.
I recommend that the Congress allow the reorganization plan to become effective.
Lyndon B. Johnson.
THE WHITE HOUSE, June 29, 1966.