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PUBLIC
PARTICIPATION
Why
is it important?
Public participation in the comprehensive planning process is extremely important
for several reasons:
• Opens up the decision-making process
• Produces better decisions
• Supports and adds credibility to the decision-making process
• Provides opportunities to enhance communication between all involved
• Strengthens relations between local governments and the public
Requirements
Citizen participation in the planning process is not only
important to the success of the plan, but it is required by law. In the past,
the public usually only
had an opportunity to comment on a plan at a public hearing after local officials
created the plan. Now, for the first time in Wisconsin’s history, the Smart
Growth law provides specific minimum public participation standards that all
local planning efforts must follow. Chapter 66.0295(4)(a) of the Wisconsin State
Statutes states specifically that:
The governing body of the local governmental unit shall adopt
written procedures that are designed to foster public participation,
including open discussion, communication programs, information
services and public meetings for which advance notice has been
provided, in every stage of the preparation of the comprehensive
plan.
The written procedures shall provide for wide distribution of proposed, alternative
or amended elements of a comprehensive plan and shall provide an opportunity
for written comments on the plan to be submitted by members of the public to
the governing body and for the governing body to respond to such written comments.
Additionally, in order to ensure that these public participation outcomes are
achieved, each community must develop a Public
Participation Plan at the outset of their planning process.
HOLMEN PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PLAN
HOLMEN COMMUNITY FORUM #1 - September 17, 2003