Sauk County Comprehensive Plan: Public Participation and Education Plan

Adopted by Sauk County Comprehensive Planning Steering Committee June 25, 2008

Adapted from Hilliker, 2001
Sauk County Comprehensive Plan
Public Participation and Education Plan

Introduction

The concept of citizens participating in government decision-making is fundamental to our system of governance. While it is true that our government officials are elected to represent citizens, it is also true that elected officials need to inform, be informed by, and interact with the public on an ongoing basis if their representation is to be meaningful. Regular and continuing involvement in government decision-making is the very basis for the idea of citizenship. Citizen participation is likely to produce better decisions by utilizing the knowledge of the populous and by allocating part of the responsibility for formulating and implementing decisions to the citizens. Without citizen participation, governments become less “governments for the people and by the people,” and more “service providers” for “taxpayers” (Hinds, 2001). The Sauk County Comprehensive Planning process is committed to providing broad based and continuous opportunities for public participation throughout the planning process. The process is designed to be responsive to citizen participants, is committed to utilizing the knowledge and understanding of citizens to address important issues, and offers multiple opportunities for engagement – at varying levels of involvement. The purpose of this Public Participation Plan is to define how the public will be involved throughout the entire comprehensive planning effort. The public participation process will utilize a variety of methods to involve citizens at differing levels – from passive to active.

• Public awareness will be increased through the use of direct mail, news releases and mass media, as well as displays and exhibits, will be used to build awareness of the comprehensive planning process and opportunities to participate.
• Public education will provide citizens with balanced and objective information to assist them in understanding issues and alternatives for addressing them. Public meetings will be held as one approach to providing education.
• Public input is an important part of participatory efforts. Public feedback through surveys, focus groups, open houses, and public meetings will be critical in assessing needs and providing input on alternatives developed to address them.
• Public interaction provides a higher level of participation. Through community visioning processes, public concerns and issues are directly reflected in the alternatives developed to address them, and feedback is given on how the input affected decision-making.
• Public Partnership is the highest level of participation. Decision making authority is placed in the hands of planning committees, with the promise to work to implement their decisions.

Public Participation in the Comprehensive Planning

The planning process includes public participation at all eight stages or phases of the Sauk County Comprehensive Planning initiative. The following are the public participation and educational activities for each step in the planning processes:

Step 1: Project Coordination and Process Development

The comprehensive plan phases are outlined and the comprehensive planning steering committee and the Technical Advisory Review Team (TART) Committee are formed.

Public Awareness:

• Update on planning process sent to all local media, radio stations, county newsletters, email contacts, and posted on the planning website.
• Report given at the Sauk County Department Head meeting.
• Display at the 2008 Dairy Breakfast (June 7th).
• Presentations at community and business organizations as requested.

Public Education:

• Presentations given to the Sauk County Intergovernmental Committee, Towns Association, city and village administrators and clerks.
  Public Input:
• Accept questions and feedback from the public on the interactive website, via phone, and in person, etc. This feedback will be given to the Steering Committee.
• Town, village and city leaders determine their role in the planning process. o Survey community leaders, steering committee members to determine major issues the Sauk County Comprehensive Plan should address.

Public Participation:

• Form Steering Committee and Technical Advisory Review Team (TART)
• Develop and adopt a public participation plan.

Step 2: Background Information and Inventory – Sauk County Profile

This step includes a summary of current demographic statistics and plans that have been adopted in Sauk County.

Public Awareness:

• Summary of inventory and background sent to all local media, radio stations, county newsletters, email contacts, and posted on the planning website.
• Report given at the Sauk County Department Head meeting.
• Display at the 2008 Sauk County Fair (July 9th -13th)
• Presentations at community and business organizations as requested.

Public Education:

• Fact sheet related to background information is developed and distributed.
• Presentations to the September Sauk County Intergovernmental Committee, Towns Association, Sauk County Functional Groups, Executive and Legislative (E&L) Committee, TART and Steering committee.

Public Input:

• Accept questions and feedback from the public on the interactive website, via phone, and in person, etc. This feedback will be given to the Steering Committee.
• Incorporate information from current plans that have included public participation (Sauk County Land and Water Resource Management Plan and Development Corporation, other comprehensive plans etc).

Public Participation:

• TART identifies key plans and demographics that should be included. They also review background information and inventory.
• Steering Committee identifies key plans and demographics that should be included. They also review and adopt background information and inventory.
• E&L reviews and adopts background information and inventory.

Step 3: County and Regional Trends Analysis

This step will include a collection and analysis of data related to the growth and change in the community. It also includes projections into the future.

Public Awareness:

• Update on trends analysis sent to all local media, radio stations, county newsletters, email contacts, and posted on the planning website.
• Report given at the Sauk County Department Head meeting. o Presentations at community and business organizations as requested. Public Education:
• Presentations to Sauk County Towns Association, E&L Committee, TART and Steering Committee. o Fact sheet related to trends analysis is developed and distributed.

Public Input:

• Accept questions and feedback regarding trends analysis from the public on the interactive website, via phone, and in person, etc. This feedback will be given to the Steering Committee.
• Incorporate information from current plans that have included public participation (Sauk County Land and Water Resource Management Plan and Development Corporation, Thrive, other comprehensive plans etc).

Public Participation:

• TART Committee identifies key trends to measure. They also review trend analysis.
• Steering Committee identifies key trends to measure. They also review and adopt trend analysis.
• E&L Committee reviews and adopts trends analysis.

Step 4: Visioning Process and Issue Identification

The vision is a community's shared expression of its desired future condition. In this step the county residents develop a shared vision of what their community should be like in the future and they identify key community issues and opportunities.

Public Awareness:

• Update on visioning conference sent to all local media, radio stations, county newsletters, email contacts, and posted on the planning website.
• Report given at the Sauk County Department Head meeting.
• Presentations at community and business organizations as requested.

Public Education:

• Presentations to Sauk County Towns Association, E&L Committee, TART, Steering Committee, and other key county committees.
• Community visioning conference is held to develop a shared vision for Sauk County and identify key issues and opportunities that the plan should address.

Public Input:

• Accept questions and feedback regarding trends analysis from the public on the interactive website, via phone, and in person, etc. This feedback will be given to the Steering Committee.
• Community visioning conference is held to develop a shared vision for Sauk County and identify issues that the plan should address.
• A county wide survey is conducted to evaluate and gain consensus on the vision and issues statements identified at the visioning conference.

Public Interaction:

• o Community visioning conference is held to develop a shared vision for Sauk County and identify issues and opportunities that the plan should address.

Public Participation:

• TART Committee helps plan and develop the visioning conference. They also review vision and issue statements.
• Steering Committee helps develop the visioning conference. They also review and adopt vision and issue statements.
• E&L Committee reviews and adopts vision and issue statements.

Step 5: Strategy Development and Action Plan

Alternative strategies are developed to address the issues and opportunities identified and move toward the community's vision.

Public Awareness:

• Update on strategies and action plan sent to all local media, radio stations,
  county newsletters, email contacts, and posted on the planning website.
• Report given at the Sauk County Department Head meeting.
• Presentations at community and business organizations as requested.

Public Education:

• Presentations to Sauk County Towns Association, E&L Committee, TART and Steering Committee.

Public Input:

• Accept questions and feedback regarding strategies and action plan from the public on the interactive website, via phone, and in person, etc. This feedback will be given to the Steering Committee.
• Regional educational events are conducted to gather public input on potential strategies to address the issues identified and reach the community vision.

Public Participation:

• TART Committee helps develop strategies, criteria for evaluating strategies and action plans. They also review strategies and action plans.
• Steering Committee helps develop strategies, criteria for evaluating strategies, and action plans. They also review and adopt strategies and action plans.
• E&L Committee reviews and adopts strategies and action plans.

Step 6: Plan Review and Adoption

In this step the planning committees, local units of government and citizens review the comprehensive plan.

Public Awareness

• Update on nearly complete comprehensive plan sent to all local media, radio stations, county newsletters, email contacts, and posted on the planning website.
• Report given at the Sauk County Department Head meeting.
• Presentations at community and business organizations as requested.

Public Education:

• Presentations to Sauk County Towns Association, E&L Committee, TART and Steering Committee. Public Input: o Accept questions and feedback regarding comprehensive plan from the public on the interactive website, via phone, and in person, etc. This feedback will be given to the Steering Committee. o Public hearing on comprehensive plan.

Public Participation:

• TART Committee reviews the comprehensive plan.
• Steering Committee reviews and adopts the comprehensive plan.
• E&L Committee reviews and adopts the comprehensive plan.
• Sauk County Board of Supervisors reviews and adopts the comprehensive plan.

Step 7: Plan Implementation

The first step of the comprehensive planning process is complete following the adoption of the plan in step 6. Step 7 initiates the implementation of the plan.

Public Awareness

• Update on plan implementation process sent to all local media, radio stations, county newsletters, email contacts, and posted on the planning website.
• Report given at the Sauk County Department Head meeting.
• Presentations at community and business organizations as requested.

Public Education:

• Presentations to Sauk County Towns Association, E&L Committee, TART and Steering Committee.

Public Input:

• Accept questions and feedback regarding comprehensive plan implementation process from the public on the interactive website, via phone, and in person, etc. This feedback will be given to the Steering Committee.

Public Participation:

• TART Committee reviews the implementation process.
• Steering Committee creates, reviews, and adopts the implementation process (action steps, timelines, roles and responsibilities for implementation).
• E&L Committee reviews and adopts the implementation process.
• Begin revision/updating of all land related ordinances to make them consistent with the comprehensive plan.

Step 8: Plan Monitoring, Reassessment and Amendment Procedures

As the plan is implemented it is imperative to monitor and reassess the effectiveness of the strategies that have been put in place. Effective strategies need to be maintained while ineffective strategies need to be modified or terminated. An amendment process will be developed to address issues that develop with the plan, or changes that take place in the community that necessitate change in the documents.

Public Awareness

• Update on plan monitoring and amendment process sent to all local media, radio stations, county newsletters, email contacts, and posted on the planning website.
• Report given at the Sauk County Department Head meeting.
• Presentations at community and business organizations as requested.

Public Input:

• Accept questions and feedback regarding plan monitoring and amendment process from the public on the interactive website, via phone, and in person, etc. This feedback will be given to the Steering Committee.

Public Participation:

• TART Committee reviews the plan monitoring and amendment process.
• Steering Committee creates, reviews, and adopts plan monitoring and amendment process.
• E&L Committee reviews and adopts the plan monitoring and amendment process.

Prepared By:

Jenny Erickson, Community Resource Development Agent University of Wisconsin-Extension Sauk County, March 2008.

References:

Grabow, Steven H., Hilliker, Mark, Moskal, Joseph. Comprehensive Planning and Citizen Participation. University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension. Madison, Wisconsin, 2006.

Grabow, Steve. Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan Update Public Participation Plan. University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension. Jefferson, Wisconsin, 2007.

Hilliker, Mark. Portage County Comprehensive Plan: Public Participation Plan. University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension. Portage, Wisconsin, 2001.

Hinds, David G. Purposes and Typologies for Citizen Participation. University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension. In Citizen Participation Training (Teaching Manual). Madison, Wisconsin, 2001.

University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension. Citizen Participation Training (Teaching Manual). Madison, Wisconsin, 2001.