Application review
Identify missing information and organize the issues that need attention.
Municipal planning support
More capacity.
Stronger planning.
CivicSparq helps local governments move development applications forward with clear analysis, professional staff reports, and experienced planning support.
Start with one assignment. Build an ongoing partnership when you need it.
25+ years in local government
Planning director and city manager experience
Direct access to the founder and principal planner
Practical support. Completed work.
Keep planning work moving.
When applications arrive and staff time is limited, CivicSparq provides experienced help with the analysis and documentation behind the next decision.
Staff reports
Bring the request, applicable criteria, findings, and recommendation into a clear report.
Ongoing planning support
Add scheduled review capacity when assignments become a recurring need.
Each assignment is tailored to the community’s documents, process, and agreed scope.
The work is done remotely. Source materials and drafts move electronically, and the staff walkthrough happens by video or phone, so your team never needs to host a site visit.
A usable record
See the work behind the recommendation.
A useful staff report makes the request understandable, connects the analysis to the applicable criteria, and brings outstanding issues into view.
Criteria connected to sources
Open issues clearly identified
A recommendation staff can review
An extension of your staff. A clear process.
Tell us what is coming up.
Share the assignment and your deadline.
We agree on the work.
Receive a clear scope, fee, and delivery schedule.
Put the draft to work.
Review your report with Jim and finalize it through your local process.
Your community retains final review and decision-making authority.
Clear engagements
Start with one assignment.
A straightforward first engagement, with ongoing support available when you need it.
Single-case engagement
$1,500Fixed fee
One standard rezoning case for a U.S. municipality.
- Application gap review
- Planner-reviewed draft staff report
- Editable Word and PDF files
- Staff walkthrough and one revision round
No ongoing commitment. Scope confirmed before payment.
View scope and delivery detailsOngoing support
$2,500/ month
Scheduled support for up to two standard cases per month in the same jurisdiction.
- Continued support after an initial engagement
- The same defined report deliverables
- One consolidated revision round per case
Additional or complex assignments are quoted separately. Unused case capacity does not roll over.
View monthly service detailsPurchase orders accepted. Written scope and invoice provided.
Jim Atkinson, CivicSparq
Experience at the staff table
Planning experience you can work with.
Jim Atkinson brings more than 25 years in municipal planning and public administration, including service as a Planning Director and City Manager. Through CivicSparq, he helps communities nationwide turn planning requirements into practical analysis and useful working documents.
Jim prepares or reviews each deliverable and works directly with your staff.
Meet Jim AtkinsonCommon questions
Before we begin.
Make room for the work ahead.
Tell us about your next assignment. We will help you determine whether CivicSparq is a fit.