PUBLIC INFORMATION AND PARTICIPATION PROGRAM

A. Public Participation Goals

1. Prior to any public hearing on General Plan adoption or major amendment, a Public Information and Participation Program (PPP) shall be conducted. The minimum public participation procedures to be utilized in the adoption or re-adoption of the General Plan, as well as any subsequent major amendment to the plan are outlined herein. The Town seeks to meet the following goals in its public participation efforts:

a. Be a professional resource and facilitator for all Town residents,

b. Create opportunities for meaningful citizen participation,

c. Ensure early and continuous citizen participation in the process of reviewing current and formulating new Town development goals and in the preparation and implementation of the General Plan,

d. Maximize collaborative efforts with representatives of appropriate agencies.

B. Core Group Contact List

1. The Town shall create and maintain a core group contact list who shall receive, either through the mail or electronically, all notices of public workshops or hearings, newsletters or other communications about the plan or the planning process. The core group contact list shall include, but not be limited to, the following entities:

a. Elected Town Officials,

b. Planning and Zoning Commission,

c. City of Safford,

d. Graham County,

e. Town of Pima,

f. Southeast Arizona Association of Governments (SEAGO),

g. Thatcher Unified School District,

h. Eastern Arizona College,

i. Key appointed public officials at Federal, State, regional and local levels (i.e. Arizona Department of Commerce, State Land Department, US Forest Service, Arizona Department of Transportation),

j. Local homeowner and developer interests,

k. Real estate and business interests,

l. Large scale property owners,

m. Military Reservations,

n. Service organizations and places of worship,

o. Individuals and groups who indicate an interest in the Town’s planning activities,

p. Any state or federal agencies that have property within the City limits,

q. Any person or entity that requests, in writing, a copy of the plan. (There will be a reproduction and/or shipping charge only for the actual costs of providing a print copy of the document.)

2. At any time during the planning process, any interested party can request to be added to or deleted from the list.

C. Public Workshops

1. The purpose of public workshops is to develop working relationships, establish meaningful lines of communication, spur education, fulfill the community’s will to design its own future, and to foster a means to implement the General Plan.

2. Public workshops shall be held during the planning process to disseminate information and gather public comment on the plan. One workshop will take place in the early phases of plan development to help identify and emphasize a range of community issues and goals. A second workshop shall serve to present and receive comment on a draft General Plan.

3. Public workshops shall be conducted in a manner that maximizes the opportunity for meaningful public comment and dialogue. Each one may be conducted differently depending on the type of information desired from the public. An opportunity will be made at each public workshop for citizens to provide written comment to the Town as well as verbal remarks. Written comments must include full name and mailing address.

4. A summary of the findings and comments from each public workshop shall be made available to the core contact list and will be available at the library for public review.

5. Notice of public workshops may be through a combination of press releases, public service announcements, inserts in utility mailings, the Town’s world-wide website, flyers posted and distributed in major gathering places, inserts provided to community groups for their newsletters and publications, and other means as may be appropriate. All notices shall be published as required by Arizona Revised Statutes. All public notices of workshops shall contain a provision in Spanish for whom to contact if there is need for an interpreter at a public workshop. Every effort shall be made to accommodate the requests of Spanish speaking citizens if notice is provided to the Town prior to the workshop.

6. All public workshops will be held in locations that meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

D. 60-Day Review Period

1. At least sixty days before the General Plan is noticed for public hearing, the Town staff shall transmit the proposed General Plan to the Town Council and:

a. Graham County Planning Department,

b. City of Safford,

c. Town of Pima,

d. Southeast Arizona Association of Governments (SEAGO),

e. Arizona Department of Commerce,

f. Arizona State Land Department,

g. Arizona Department of Transportation,

h. Eastern Arizona College,

i. Any State or Federal agencies that have property within the City limits,

j. Any person or entity that requests, in writing, a copy of the plan. (There will be a reproduction and/or shipping charge only for the actual costs of providing a print copy of the document.)

2. Any review comments received from the reviewing agencies shall be summarized for Commission consideration at the required public hearing.

E. Public Hearings

1. At least one public hearing, as required by ARS §9-461.06 and Town ordinance, will be held by the Planning & Zoning Commission prior to making a recommendation on the adoption or major amendment of the General Plan to the Town Council. The Town Council, prior to adoption or major amendment of the plan, shall also hold at least one public hearing meeting all State and Town requirements.

2. Public notice of each hearing shall include information about the location where the public can review all plan documents and how the public may acquire a copy of the draft plan. Notice of each hearing shall include time and place and be published at least 15 and not more than 30 calendar days prior to the hearing. Notice shall be published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation in the Town, mailed or electronically sent to the core group contact list, and posted in the same manner as other agendas of the Planning & Zoning Commission and Town Council.

3. After the hearing, the Commission shall render its decision in the form of a written recommendation to the Council. The recommendation shall include the reasons for the recommendation and be transmitted to the Council in a form and manner as may be specified by the Council.

4. Prior to rendering a recommendation or a decision respectively, the Planning & Zoning Commission and the Town Council will give due consideration to the testimony of all individuals at the public hearings, as well as the record of all public input received throughout the planning process.