FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Monday, January 14, 2013
Time: 6-9pm
Place: Cornucopia Coffee, 210 E. Lincolnway, Valparaiso, Indiana
Cost: Recommended donation of $5 ($2 for students)
Make Your “Green” Voice Heard: Public Participation Plan Open to Public Comment
We are pleased to host Steve Strains, Deputy Director/Director of Planning at NIRPC, as well as Hubert Morgan, Public Participation Project Leader to discuss ways to make the public planning process more accessible to the general public, including
to people with disabilities or who rely on public transportation or non-motorized transportation.
There is a draft of the revised plan open for public comment through February 15th. You can review a copy of the Public Participation Plan Preliminary Draft here to better prepare for the meeting on the 14th.
The Public Participation Plan from 2007 is being updated to align with the 2040 Comprehensive Regional Plan. Some sections have been revised and the updated Plan will now includes information about the 2040 CRP and Environmental Justice; goals & objectives; techniques that are organized based on whether they inform, involve, consult or collaborate with the public; and evaluation of the public participation process.
The transportation planning process and strategies need to be transparent and not only engage the region but also involve the public in the planning process. Federal regulations stipulate how the public should be engaged, but NIRPC would like to raise the bar higher than what is regulated.
This is your chance to help NIRPC understand what you and other stakeholders need to engage with them. The desire is to have the public involved in the process from the beginning and not just at meetings. New techniques that will be used are Facebook, Twitter, webinars. What are your ideas?
