Agenda - Council - 01/22/1985 - Laserfiche WebLink

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USE OF NEW CITIZEN PARTICIPATION TECHNIQUES The Council needs to develop additional citizen .participation techniques to interact ~ith new and different constituencies, ll~e more traditional techniques (e.g., public meetings, public hearings and citizen advisory comittees) tend to reach the same people and result in the same types of input. The Council needs to recognize that different types of issues require different citizen participation strategies. Outside groups need to assist the Council in devising and using new techniqule$I for citizen input. The increase in co-s~onsorship suggests a real potential for outside groups to take an active part in new types of Council citizen participation activities. GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES FOR CITIZEN P/LRTICIPATION The goal, objectives and strategies for citizen participation presented below are intended to give sharper focus to the Metropolitan Council's citizen participation effort and to provide a basis for its evaluation. They are based on the Council's current policies on citizen partici- pation, and on the issues identified in the previous section. GOAL: Increase participation of local governments, individual citizens, ~ special connunities and organized groups in the planning and policy- making processes of the Metropolitan Council. This goal speaks to improving the Council's efforts to increase partici- pation of its individual constituencies in Council activities. Each of the following objectives addresses a particlar constituency and presents strategies the Council will use to increase its participation. In addition, the Council will work to foster close cooperation between and among all constituencies in solving regional problems. OBJECTIVE ~1: Strengthen the working relationship between the Metro- politan Council and local governments to give them more opportunities to participate in setting regional policies and solving regional problems. STRATEGIES: Provide more opportunities for input to regional problems and issues early in the decision-making process via informal discussions with policymakers and staffs. Notify local governments directly of Council actions that have an impact on them by official written notice to a designated 'key contact person.' Provide timely written notice of Council meetings and public hearings to local governments by mailing a weekly list of coming meetings with agenda items to a designated key contact person. 4. Hold more of the Council's public hearings and public meetings in appropriate conmunities around the region.