Title
7:30 p.m. - Overview of Public Input on the Draft Action Plan
Recommended Action
City Manager Recommendation:
Provide guidance for next steps.
Report
Issue:
The initial public involvement process to seek community input on a Draft Action Plan is complete. Staff will present an overview of the feedback received for Council review and discussion.
Staff Contact:
Stacey Ray, Senior Planner, Community Planning and Development, 360.753.8046
Presenter(s):
Stacey Ray, Senior Planner
Background and Analysis:
Olympia has a new Comprehensive Plan with a clear vision for our community’s future, including a goal that “The City, individual citizens, other agencies and organizations all have a role in helping accomplish the vision and goals of the Comprehensive Plan.”
The first policy listed to achieve this goal is to “develop a strategy to implement the Comprehensive Plan goals and policies.” The Action Plan is that strategy. It will lay out specifically what we, as a community, will do to accomplish our Comprehensive Plan vision and how we will track and share our progress.
Public Involvement and Communication Strategy
In November 2014, the Land Use and Environment Committee (LUEC) reviewed and provided staff with direction on a Public Involvement and Communication Strategy (Attachment 1). The strategy was developed to achieve:
• Authentic collaboration with community partners and community members;
• Broad-ranging community member involvement; and
• The use of successful tools and techniques from other communities.
The initial public involvement process is now complete. A wide variety of different tools and methods were used to encourage community member and partner organization involvement in the Action Plan. Attachment 2 highlights how the strategy included methods spanning the International Association for Public Participation’s Spectrum.
Over 575 community members participated in the Action Plan public involvement process. Attachment 3 outlines when specific events and meetings were held and the number of people who participated. The total is not inclusive of other ways in which staff received input, such as emails, phone calls, and individual meetings with community members.
Participating community members provided staff with excellent, constructive input and expressed enthusiasm for staying engaged in implementing the final Plan once adopted. In particular, participants in the Action Plan Partner Work Group and the Focus Meetings were interested in future opportunities to engage in development of the Plan and encouraging others to get involved in future implementation efforts. Attachment 4 highlights community members involved in the Action Plan Partner Work Group and the Focus Meetings.
Next Steps
A City staff team made up of representatives from every department is currently reviewing all of the public comments and beginning work on revising the Draft Action Plan. All of the public comments received are available on the Action Plan website (Attachment 5). The Draft Action Plan will also continue to be available on the website.
Attachment 6 is an updated project timeline for the remainder of the year. This schedule allows staff adequate time to:
• consider all of the public input received to date;
• draft revisions;
• seek one additional round of input from the Action Plan Partner Work Group;
• seek out potential partnerships for future implementation; and
• deliver the draft for Planning Commission to review and provide recommendations.
Staff will continue to keep LUEC, Council, key stakeholders, and community members informed on the revision process until a revised Plan is delivered to Council for consideration in January 2016.
The purpose of this meeting is for staff to provide an overview of the public involvement process and the feedback received. Staff will also ask Council members for any additional input or guidance in drafting the revised Plan.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
The Action Plan is a city-wide initiative with potential to impact a wide variety of neighborhoods and community interests.
Options:
1. Receive a presentation on public input received to date for the Action Plan.
2. Council could provide guidance to staff beginning work on revising the Draft Action Plan.
Financial Impact:
Completion of the City’s first Action Plan is a budgeted initiative for 2015 and 2016.