Public Outreach Program for the Update of the 2020 Comprehensive Master Plan

About the Program

Category: Planning (Best in Category)

Year: 2010

In January 2007, Douglas County Staff began the process of updating the 2020 Comprehensive Master Plan to the 2030 horizon. The Public Outreach Program (POP) for the 2030 Comprehensive Master Plan (CMP) update was the means by which the planning Commission and staff engaged with the public to develop and validate the vision, goals, objectives and policies of the CMP. The POP provided the opportunity to inform the public about the importance of the CMP; the role of the county, public agencies and the public in implementing the CMP; and how to become involved in all aspects of the planning process. County staff held 27 public meeting during 2007 and a consultant assisted in a values survey of the residents in an area of the county under pressure from development. The meetings included public hearings, open houses, small-group meetings in residents’ homes and multiple public forums and work sessions with the Planning Commission. The county’s website and e-mail were also used to communicate with the public. The POP required an unprecedented level of public engagement that has become the standard for all Douglas County planning efforts.