PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PRINCIPLES
Binding City Policy
BCP-ADM-4.02
PURPOSE
WHEREAS, the Council created the Public Involvement Advisory Council (PIAC) in 2008 in response to urging from community members and City bureaus to help the City involve the public more consistently and in more meaningful ways in the work of the City;
WHEREAS, the Council charged PIAC with proposing and presenting public involvement guidelines for the City to the Mayor and Council for consideration and approval;
WHEREAS, Portland City government works best when community members and government work together as partners, and effective public involvement is essential to achieving and sustaining this partnership and the civic health of our city;
WHEREAS, effective public involvement:
• Ensures better City decisions that more effectively respond to the needs and priorities of the community;
• Engages community members and community resources as part of the solution;
• Engages the broader diversity of the community, especially people who have not been engaged in the past;
• Increases public understanding of and support for public policies and programs; and
• Increases the legitimacy and accountability of government actions.
WHEREAS, the attached principles represent a road map to guide government officials and staff in establishing consistent, effective and high quality public involvement across City government (see Exhibit A for public involvement principles);
WHEREAS, these principles are intended to set out what the public can expect from city government, while retaining flexibility in the way individual city bureaus carry out their work;
WHEREAS, the previously adopted public involvement principles have run their course and need to be updated to reflect current public involvement practices and goals;
POLICY
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council establishes the attached principles, indicators and outcomes as the formal values to guide the City's involvement of the public in the development of City policies, programs, and projects.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that these principles, indicators, and outcomes replace the City's public involvement principles adopted by the Council in 1996 (Resolution No. 35494).
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council directs PIAC to develop a "public involvement impact statement" modeled on the "financial impact statement" that accompanies proposed ordinances and resolutions and directs city bureaus to complete and include this "public involvement impact statement" with ordinances and resolutions proposed for Council action. (See Exhibit B for draft version of public involvement impact statement.)
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council directs PIAC to develop a "public involvement baseline assessment" questionnaire modeled on the Customer Service Advisory Committee questionnaire, and directs bureaus to complete the questionnaire and submit it to PIAC at the end of each fiscal year, and directs PIAC to review this information and report to the Council. (See Exhibit C for draft version of public involvement baseline assessment.)
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, this resolution is binding city policy.
HISTORY
Resolution No. 35494, adopted by City Council February 7, 1996.
Replaced by Resolution No. 36807, adopted by City Council August 4, 2010.