An advisory study committee may be established under this chapter to provide local citizens and leaders with the means for fully and adequately studying options available for positioning their local governments for effective, creative, and efficient service in the future, in a manner suited to the economic, social, geographic, demographic, and other circumstances influencing the needs and resources of local communities. An advisory study committee is encouraged to prepare a comprehensive program for the performance of local government functions and the furnishing of local government services within the jurisdiction of the governing body or cooperating governing bodies that established the committee. In its study, the committee may consider:

1. The need for maintaining citizen access to, control of, and participation in local government; 2.    The existing land use within the area, including the location of highways and natural geographic barriers to, and routes for, transportation; 3.    The need for organized local government functions, services, and controls; the present cost and adequacy of local government functions, services, and controls; probable future needs for those functions, services, and controls; and the probable effect of alternative courses of action on the cost and adequacy of local government functions, services, and controls; 4.    The trends in population density and distribution, and the potential or likelihood for significant growth or decline; 5.    The tax base and other factors bearing on the capacity for local government to provide essential functions and services necessary to the general welfare of local citizens; 6.    The boundaries of existing units of local government; 7.    Data necessary for analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and opportunities that are unique to the community; and

8.    Other factors that may affect the provision of local government functions, services, and controls.