HomeMy WebLinkAboutComp Plan CH 03Chapter 3
Citizen Participation and Involvement
Sections:
3.01 Initial Plan Formulation
3.02 Citizen's Planning Advisory Committee
3.03 Goal
3.04 Policies
Section 3.01 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 committees 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 Committee: Areas of interest include economic development, commercial and industrial land, and manpower programs.
3. Public Facilities Committee: Areas of interest include water, sewer, police, fire and transportation.
4. Housing and Social Services Committee: Areas of interest include housing, aging programs, health, and other social services.
The committee memberships were established by selecting certain individuals with relevant skills, including SOU faculty members, and by advertising in the newspaper for volunteers.
An attempt was made to give each committee a balanced membership with regard to income, age, sex and geographic area of residence. All meetings were advertised and open to the public
and all attending were encouraged to take part in the discussion and policy formulations.
The committees met frequently, both separately and jointly, with an average attendance of 9 and 4O respectively. This represented approximately 1250 citizen hours of participation as
of December 15, 1975.
There was also a neighborhood involvement element in the Ashland Plan procedure. The City was divided into eight neighborhoods according to areas with similar problems. There were two
neighborhood meetings to review the planning process and the Land Use Map. Attendance averaged about 30 for each meeting.
Section 3.02 Citizen's Planning Advisory Committee
After the initial Plan draft, a permanent committee was formed to provide continuing citizen involvement. The Citizens' Planning Advisory 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 also provide direction and expertise in development 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 responsible to assist in increasing communication between the City and the government decision-makers.
Section 3.03 Goal
To Maintain A Citizen Involvement Program That Ensures the Opportunity for Citizens to be Involved in All Phases of the Planning Process.
Section 3.04 Policies
1. Continue 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 Committee represents a geographic, occupational and ideological cross-section of the citizenship of Ashland.
All future selections 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 public hearing process.
4. The City shall sponsor informal workshops during the development of significant elements of the Plan implementing ordinances so that complex issues may be better understood by the
public.
5. The City should develop education materials such as guidelines, handouts, etc. to increase understanding of the City codes by the general public. When necessary, the City should
sponsor seminars and classes to better inform the public.
ASHLAND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
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