03/02/1991 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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e e e The council discussed appropriate methods for public involvement. Ms. Ehrman expressed support for communicating information about the nature of the stra- tegic process in one large meeting rather than spending time at a number of smaller meetings. Mr. Robinette noted that the benefit of.a large open forum discussion is that it allows participants a chance to hear the wide variety of viewpoints that are being expressed on the same topic. Mr. Boles noted that the CIC has already devised an extensive public involve- ment process and urged the council to tailor that process to its own needs for this project. Mr. MacDonald commented that the surveys which have been conducted in the community previously can provide helpful, applicable information to this process. Mr. MacDonald commented that public hearings are often beneficial for commu- nity residents because they provide citizens with a chance to advocate for their cause. Mayor Miller suggested that the council might make use of less formal types of public hearings with an opportunity for dialogue. Ms. Ehrman suggested that the council make use of the public access channel to keep the community informed about this process. The council agreed on the need to have a broad citizen participa- tion/education process. The citizen involvement process could expand on those methods already outlined by the CIC, as well as include innovative methods such as less-formal public hearings. The council supported the con- cept of one large meeting to present information to identified community leadership groups to allow them an opportunity to evaluate and provide input into the strategic planning process. Ms. Thorne asked for input on this process from members of the Budget Commit- tee, CIC, and Planning Commission. Kappy Eaton, Budget Committee Chair, encouraged the council that when speak- ing to the League of Women Voters, to be very clear about what type of infor- mation is being requested regarding the design. She spoke about the impor- tance of public involvement throughout the entire process and spoke in sup- port of the suggestion for innovative approaches to conducting public hear- ings. She asked the council to be aware of opportunities in the near future for a local option for some new revenues and to maintain a time line that would be flexible enough to include a November election in order to take advantage of this opportunity. Anne Morrow, CIC Chair, remarked that the overall goal of this strategic process is to obtain broad public support for the plan's implementation. She said that the CIC would be willing to work with the council to determine the most effective types of public involvement, particularly some of the innova- tive methods which have been mentioned. When speaking to commissions, com- mittees, and neighborhood organizations, Ms. Morrow concurred on the need to MINUTES--Eugene City Council Strategic Planning Process March 2, 1991 Page 6