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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOMP PLAN: Ch 03 - Citizens CHAPTER III Planning Commission in Session - 1981 CITIZEN PARTICIPATION CHAPTER Ill CITIZEN PARTICIPATION AND INVOLVEMENT INITIAL PLAN. FORMULATION The City has made every attempt to involve as many people as possible in the planning process. During the initial drafting of this Plan document, four citizen advisory commit- tees were established, each with a different area of concern. 1) Environmental Resources Committee: Areas of interest include subjects related to the environment (air, water pollution ) and park, open space and recreation programs. 2) Economic and Manpower Resource Commitee: Areas of interest include economic develop- ment, commercial and industrial land, and manpower programs. 3) Public Facilities Committee: Areas of in- terest include water, sewer, police, fire and transportation. Housing and Social Services Committee: Areas of interest include housing, aging programs, health, and other social ser- vices. The committee memberships were established 'by selecting certain individuals with relevant skills, including SOSC faculty members, and by advertising in the newspaper for volun- teers. An attempt was made to give each committee a balanced membership with regard III-1 to income, age, sex and geographic area of residence. All meetings were advertised and open to the public and all attending were en- couraged to take part in the discussion and policy formulations. The committees met frequently, both separate- ly and jointly, with an average attendance of 9 and gO respectively. This represented approximately 1250 citizen hours of participa- tion as of December 15, 1975. There was also a neighborhood involvement element in the Ashland Plan procedure. The City was divided into eight neighborhoods ac- cording to areas with similar problems. There were two neighborhood meetings to re- view the planning process and the Land Use Map. Attendance averaged about 30 for each meeting. CITIZENS' PLANNING ADVISORY COMMITTEE After the initial Plan draft, a permanent com- mittee was formed to provide continuing citi- zen involvement. The Citizens' Planning Ad- visory Committee is appointed by the Mayor. It consists of 16 persons who meet monthly to review planning issues which involve LCDC and Comprehensive Plan Goal items. They al- so provide direction and expertise in develop- ment of new ordinances and policies. This committee will shoulder the bulk of the ongoing citizens' involvement in the planning process. All major changes in Plan direction or implementation will be reviewed by the committee, and the committee will be respon- sible to assist in increasing communication between the City and the government decision- makers. Ill-2 GOAL: TO MAINTAIN A CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM THAT ENSURES THE OPPORTUN- ITY FOR CITIZENS TO BE INVOLVED IN ALL PHASES OF THE PLANNING PROCESS. POLICIES: 1) Continue the existing Ashland Citizens' Planning Advisory Committee to assist the Ashland Planning Commission and Ashland City Council on significant planning issues, implementing ordinances, and all LCDC and Comprehensive Plan goals. 2) Ensure, as much as possible, that the 16- member Citizens' Planning Advisory Com- mittee represents a geographic, occupa- tional and ideological cross-section of the citizenship of Ashland. All future selec- tions to the Committee should be with the ideal of representing a cross-section of Ashland' s population. 3) Ensure in the future that all citizens are given the opportunity to contribute their views to planning issues through the pub- lic hearing process. The City shall sponsor informal workshops during the development of significant ele- ments of the Plan or implementing ordi- nances, so that complex issues may be bet- ter understood by the public. 5) The City should develop education mater- ials such as guidelines, handouts, etc. to increase understanding of the City codes by the general public. ~/hen neces- sary, the City should sponsor seminars and classes to better inform the public.