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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/03/2007 Blue Sheet Public Participation Plan for General Plan Update TOWN COUNCIL MEETING INFORMATION MEETING DATE: TOWN OF MARANA April 3, 2007 AGENDA ITEM: J.4 TO: MAYOR AND COUNCIL FROM: Kevin Kish, AICP, Planning Director AGENDA TITLE: Resolution No. 2007-55: Relating to the Marana General Plan; approving and authorizing the Public Participation Plan for the 2007 Marana General Plan Update. DISCUSSION In support of the update to the current General Plan now being prepared, this resolution is for approval of an updated Public Participation Plan to outline all aspects of participation, outreach, and notification for the 2007 Major General Plan Amendment. Growing Smarter legislation adopted in 1998 and 2000 required adopting procedures and notifications for public involvement in the preparation of community General Plans. In order to guide the process of this update, the Town is updating written procedures for public involvement that will provide for effective, early and continuous public participation from all geographic, ethnic and economic areas of the community. Public participation has been and continues to be an integral part of the preparation of each Marana General Plan as well as any other planning activities undertaken by the Town. The Town has always made the greatest effort to ensure that its citizens are involved in the planning process and that their comments are incorporated into plans. The Town has enlisted the use of formal committees, technical and citizen advisory groups, focus groups, neighborhood organizations, open houses, public hearings and the various media to ensure public involvement in its planning activities. Originally prepared and adopted in 2002 for the current General Plan, the attached Public Participation Plan has been updated and is now being proposed for approval as the guide for public involvement in preparing the major update of the General Plan. The public involvement procedures include: · Broad dissemination of proposals and alternatives . Opportunities for written comments · Public hearings after effective notices . Open discussions, communications and information services . Consideration of the public comments ATTACHMENTS Public Participation Plan for the 2007 Marana General Plan Update. 040307 General Plan Update Public Participation Plan TC.doc RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends approval of Resolution No. 2007-55, approving and authorizing the Public Participation Plan for the 2007 Marana General Plan Update. SUGGESTED MOTION I move to approve Resolution 2007-55. 040307 General Plan Update Public Participation Plan TC.doc MARANA RESOLUTION NO. 2007-55 RELATING TO THE MARANA GENERAL PLAN; APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PLAN FOR THE 2007 MARANA GENERAL PLAN UPDATE. WHEREAS, the Town of Marana approved and adopted the current Marana General Plan on November 5, 2002 (Resolution No. 2002-123); and WHEREAS, in 1998 and 2000 the Arizona Legislature adopted the Growing Smarter Act and Growing Smarter Plus Act requiring Arizona cities and counties to prepare and adopt new General Plan requirements, including the adoption of enhanced public participation and notification procedures for the update and subsequent amendment of community General Plans; and WHEREAS, in order to evaluate and subsequently respond to changing growth issues, Marana will update its current General Plan in compliance with the Growing Smarter legislation by December 31, 2007; and WHEREAS, in order to guide the process of the General Plan update, the Town will follow written procedures for public involvement that will provide for effective, early and continuous public participation from all geographic, ethnic and economic areas of the community; and WHEREAS, written public involvement procedures have been updated that assure a process for maximum public involvement in local planning by providing for: 1) Broad dissemination of proposals and alternatives; 2) Opportunity for written comments; 3) Public hearings after effective notices; 4) Open discussions, communications and information services and; 5) Consideration of the public comments; and WHEREAS, the Mayor and Council of the Town of Marana have determined that approving the updated Public Participation Plan for the 2007 Marana General Plan Update is in the best interest of the residents of Marana. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Mayor and Council of the Town of Marana, Arizona, that the Public Participation Plan for the 2007 Marana General Plan Update be approved. Marana Resolution No. 2007-55 Page I of2 PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Mayor and Council of the Town of Marana, Arizona, this 3rd day of April 2007. ATTEST: Ed Honea, Mayor Jocelyn C. Bronson Town Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: Frank Cassidy, Town Attorney Marana Resolution No. 2007-55 Page 2 of2 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PLAN for the 2007 MARANA GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MARCH 2007 INTRODUCTION The State of Arizona's Growing Smarter legislation, passed in 1998 and 2000, established new requirements for towns, cities and counties to better evaluate and respond to community growth issues. The framework of this legislation included the addition of new growth related planning elements to the General Plan and greater public participation and notification procedures. The legislation also required a supermajority vote by the legislative body (Town of Marana Mayor and Council) to adopt or approve major amendments to the plan, and final community approval of the plan through voter ratification. The Town of Marana General Plan was originally written in 1997 and updated in 2003. The current plan was adopted by the Marana Town Council on November 5, 2002 and ratified by the voters on March 11, 2003. Although the 2003 plan is valid for ten years, the plan is being updated in 2007 with adoption by the Town Council planned to occur before the end of the year. Voter ratification is not required for this update. In order to guide the adoption of this updated plan and subsequent updates and major amendments, the Town of Marana must follow written procedures for public involvement. Legislation in the Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) 9-641.06 (B) calls for: · Broad dissemination of proposals and alternatives · Opportunity for written comments · Public hearings after effective notice · Open discussions, communications programs and information services · Consideration of public comments PURPOSE The purpose of the Public Participation Plan (PPP) as stated in the Growing Smarter legislation is "to provide effective, early and continuous public participation in the development and major amendment of general plans from all geographic, ethnic and economic areas of the municipality. " Throughout the public participation process, the Town will evaluate the effectiveness of participation outreach and input. Key ways to measure the PPP will focus on the following questions: · Is the general public willing to attend open houses and participate in focus groups and other activities that are part of the planning process? · Does this public represent the Town of Marana's demographic cross-section? · Do meeting techniques elicit input and recommendations in both written and verbal forms? · Do Town staff and elected officials incorporate public input into the review, adoption, and amendment process? PUBLIC INPUT Public input is critical to effective planning. The Town of Marana's Public Participation Plan identifies diverse opportunities for eliciting suggestions, recommendations, and official citizen input. Consistent with statutory requirements of Growing Smarter legislation, the Town's Public Participation Plan seeks broad-based input from public officials and agencies, affected jurisdictions, civic, educational, and professional organizations, property and business owners as well as the general public. The 2003 plan was based on broad outreach to the community and resulted in a clear definition of community values and vision. The public input process that will guide this update will again provide opportunities to take part in this community involvement process, as shown in Figure 1: Public Participation Plan (PPP) Process. Focus Groups Focus Groups that represent diverse stakeholders and constituencies within the Town of Marana will participate in the planning process. The Town staff and elected officials will have the primary responsibility of identifying interest groups, organizations, and citizen perspectives. Because the Town has an "open door policy" and encourages one-on-one dialogue with its citizens, Town elected officials and staff will provide regular opportunities for input and official comment on the General Plan from these groups. These opportunities can range from informal conversations with interested citizens to more structured work sessions or presentations to stakeholder groups. Another effective means for public information to established groups is a "speakers bureau." The "speakers bureau" could involve assigning one or more staff members to respond to information requests from individuals or groups and offer speakers at regularly scheduled meetings to provide information about the General Plan. C/J u~ ~ ~ Ei:1 ~ ! ~ ffi !:::l ~ - u t ~Z H< U......:J <0-, t C/) ~ j~ 0-'w.:1 Ei3 t (IDZ. C/) g~ ~8 iJ') iJ') Q) u o M ~ $:' ~ ~ .'-' ~ ..-I ~ :::: o . .-4 +-' ~ .9- u ..... ~ -~ Q) U M '.-4 5h:o ..... ~ ~~ The following list of stakeholder groups and constituencies is a beginning list that will be updated and improved by the Town during this process. Identified stakeholder groups include special interest groups, civic organizations, neighborhood groups, and advocacy groups: · Public agencies, such as ADOT, Arizona State Land Department, Pima Association of Governments (PAG), Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), Pima and Pinal County, and other local jurisdictions · Public or quasi-public groups, such as the Marana Unified School District, the Cortaro- Marana Irrigation District and the Northwest Fire District · Marana Advisory Committees, such as Business and Economic Development, Affordable Housing, Parks and Recreation · Marana Chamber of Commerce · Neighborhood and Homeowner Associations · Special interest groups, such as agriculture, mining, residential or commercial developers · Minority Advocacy Groups, such as the Pascua Yaqui Tribe · Human Services Providers · Special Needs Populations, such as organizations and groups that serve disabled or other special populations, and youth or senior citizen clubs · Environmental advocacy groups, such as the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) Stakeholder Working Group, Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, the Sierra Club, Arizona Native Plant Society, and Audubon Society · Recreational advocacy groups such as the Pima Trails Association, off road vehicle groups, and bicycling and hiking groups · Arts organizations, including the Marana Arts Commission · Service Groups, such as the Rotary Club and Lions Club · Southern Arizona Home Builders Association Community Open House (Workshop) The schedule for the update process includes a minimum of three opportunities for community- wide open houses or workshops located in different areas of the community. These events would complement the one-on-one or more informal small group outreach and input described above, and would be timed to coincide with major General Plan milestones/decision points in the planning process. Rather than a conventional public meeting format (with citizens in the audience and elected officials or "presenters" at a podium), the community open houses would encourage more dynamic and "hands on" interaction among participants. Public participation techniques to encourage interaction and meaningful input include: . Staffed display stations for particular plan elements Flexible formats and venues Multi-media materials (various graphic presentations) Comprehensive, informative, and readable handout materials Citizen comment forms that solicit substantive input and recommendations Timely meeting summary materials and follow-up to all open house attendees . . . . . Town of Marana Website Information about General Plan Update will be available on the web site, including draft versions of the plan, announcements for meetings, and the schedule for review and adoption. Viewers will also be able to forward comments and questions directly to the Planning Department. Public Hearings The Town of Marana will hold a minimum of two public hearings before recommending and adopting any updates or major amendments to the General Plan. One public hearing will be held before the Planning Commission, the other before Mayor and Council. The Town of Marana will notice the public of time and place a minimum of 15 and not more than 30 calendar days prior to the date of the public hearing. Public notice will be published in the Daily Territorial. The notice will include a summary or agenda of the General Plan update or major amendment and will give locations where information is available for public reference. Notification of public hearings will be listed on the Town of Marana website and posted in the Town of Marana public service buildings, including community libraries and especially in locations where Town development services are provided. Notice will be provided to all adjacent or involved local jurisdictions and agencies, including the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), Arizona Department of Commerce, Arizona State Land Department, Pima County, Pinal County, Pima Association of Governments (P AG), Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), the City of Tucson, and the Town ofOro Valley. All stakeholder groups, steering committees, homeowners associations and neighborhood groups that are registered with the Town of Marana will receive notice of the public hearings. Any citizens requesting information in writing will have public hearing notice information mailed, faxed, or emailed to them as well. Public comment may be submitted to the Town in writing, by the Town of Marana web site, by e- mail, phone recordings, or in-person at the public hearings. All comments will be distributed to Planning staff, Planning Commission members, and to Mayor and Council for their review and consideration. STAFF ROLE Town staff will have the primary role of information providers to focus groups and stakeholders, as well as moderators at open houses and public meetings. In addition, staff will assure that all citizen comments are forwarded in a timely manner to elected officials for their consideration. AGENCY COORDINATION The Town will work with other agencies to insure planning efforts are coordinated within the region. The Town's planning staff will transmit a draft copy of the General Plan or major amendment to outside agencies and both Town of Marana Planning Commission and Mayor and Council per A.R.S 9-461.06(C). Other jurisdictions and agencies will include Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), Arizona Department of Commerce, Arizona State Land Department, Pima County, Pinal County, Pima Association of Governments (P AG), Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), the City of Tucson, the Town of Oro Valley, and any municipality that is contiguous to the corporate limits of the municipality or its area of extraterritorial jurisdiction. The planning agency will also provide a copy to any person or entity that requests in writing to receive a review copy of the proposal. GENERAL PUBLIC OUTREACH, INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION AND PUBLIC NOTIFICATION Public Outreach Public outreach will include all of the activities for promoting public input as described earlier in this document. In addition, prior to the Planning Commission public hearing, an Executive Summary of the General Plan Update in a brochure format will be prepared and distributed. Information for media coverage will be prepared for newspapers. All notices and publicity for the variety of public meetings and hearing will published in newspapers of general circulation. General Public Notification Prior to public hearings, a minimum of three public meetings or open houses will be held to generate public input on the proposed general plan update or major amendment. Notification Notification for these public meetings will be published in the Daily Territorial, the Arizona Daily Star, and Homeowners Association newsletters. Public meetings will be listed on the Town of Marana website and posted in the Town of Marana public buildings, neighborhood and community centers, and other available locations. Notice will be provided to all adjacent or involved local jurisdictions and agencies, such as the City of Tucson, Town of Oro Valley, Pima County, Pinal County, Pima Association of Governments (P AG), Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), Arizona Department of Commerce and Arizona State Land Department. All stakeholder groups, steering committees, homeowners associations, and neighborhood groups that are registered with the Town of Marana will receive notice of the public meetings. Public citizens requesting information in writing will have public meeting information mailed, faxed, or emailed to them as well. ADOPTIONIREADOPTION OF THE GENERAL PLAN OR MAJOR AMENDMENT Adoption and Amendment Process The adoption and amendment process of the Town of Marana General Plan will comply with A.R.S 9-461.06. The Planning Commission and the Mayor and Council must each hold at least one public hearing prior to adoption/readoption or major amendment of the general plan. Legislation also requires a supermajority vote by the Mayor and Council for the document to be adopted/readopted or amended in a major way. A.R.S 9-461.06 (G) defines a major amendment as "substantial alteration of the municipality's land use mixture or balance as established in the municipality's existing general plan land use element." This subsection further states that the general plan will provide criteria to determine what is "substantial alteration" and what is not.