DEPARTMENT: Government and Public Affairs
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Jeff Coyle, Director
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT: A briefing providing updates on public engagement
SUMMARY:
The Government and Public Affairs (GPA) will provide a briefing with updates on efforts to enhance public participation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced most traditional grassroots outreach efforts to adapt to protect the health and safety of both participants and staff. As a result, the City has expedited technology solutions to provide more ways for residents to get involved.
The City's outreach efforts are guided by the ten public participation guiding principles that Council adopted in 2019. The principles are as follows:
1. MEANINGFUL - Ensure that public input is appropriately considered in the decision-making process; use public participation to improve City programs, policies and ordinances.
2. TRANSPARENT ? Be open and clear by communicating the decision-making process to the public, including the role of public in the process, what type of input is sought and how the input will be used; provide a public record of the input received and the range of views and ideas expressed.
3. RESPECTFUL - Consider all input received, including differing viewpoints, while balancing the interests of all stakeholders.
4. INCLUSIVE - Engage a broad range of stakeholders, with particular emphasis on those who do not normally take part in City public participation processes; make every effort to ensure that stakeholder groups do not feel left out of the process.
5. ACCESSIBLE - Ensure that anyone who wants to participate in the process can provide input; overcome barriers to participation, whether they are geographical, physical, socioeconomic or language barriers.
6. INFORMATIVE - Educate through public participation; use the opportunity to help people understand how the City organization works and to enhance both the public's a...
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