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Public Participation Plan

The purpose of SJCOG’s Public Participation Plan is to inform and involve citizens in SJCOG’s various programs, projects, and work activities. This includes, but is not limited to, lower income households, minorities, persons with disabilities, representatives from community and service organizations, tribal councils, and other public agencies. This element also assists in identifying and addressing environmental justice and social equity issues. Citizen participation objectives include involvement of interested citizens, stakeholders, and representatives of community organizations in agency work through timely workshops on topical issues, fully noticed public hearings, and ongoing broad citizen/organization involvement in the planning and decision processes.

In January 2007, a draft update of the Public Participation Plan last adopted by the SJCOG Board in February 2005, was circulated for resource agency and citizen input. It incorporates changes to public outreach efforts defined in the reauthorization of the federal transportation bill, SAFETEA-LU, signed into law on August 10, 2005, which include:

• MPOs must develop and utilize a “participation plan” that provides reasonable opportunities for interested parties to comment on the metropolitan transportation plan and metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program;
  
• The participation plan must be developed “in consultation with all interested parties,” and the public must have input on the participation plan;
  
• The participation plan must be in place prior to MPO adoption of transportation plans and TIPs;
  
• MPOs must employ visualization techniques to the maximum extent practicable; and
  
• MPOs must make long range transportation plans and TIPs available for public review in electronic formats such as the worldwide web.

On May 24, 2007, following an extensive outreach and public comment period, the Board held a public hearing to receive final comments on the plan. Following the hearing, they voted to adopt the 2007 Updated SJCOG Public Participation Plan.
 

Public Communication Office:
Dianne Barth, Public Communications Manager
Phone: (209) 468-3913

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