ADM-4.05 - Guidelines for Public Involvement in Bureaus' Budget Advisory Committee Process

GUIDELINES FOR PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IN BUREAUS' BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE PROCESS

Binding City Policy

BCP-ADM-4.05

PURPOSE

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, City Council adopted Public Involvement Principles (Resolution No 36807) which states that 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 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, each bureau is required to convene a budget advisory committee (BAC) on an annual basis, and yet no previous direction has been given to bureaus on how to involve the public in their BAC process;

WHEREAS, the attached guidelines were designed to yield more consistent and higher quality public involvement processes across City bureaus’ BACs (see Exhibit A for BAC public involvement guidelines);

POLICY

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council establishes the attached seven guidelines as requirements for bureau’s budget advisory committees and directs the Office of Management and Finance (OMF) to include these seven guidelines as part of its directions to city bureaus for their annual budget process;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council directs all City bureaus to implement these seven guidelines in their bureau BAC process, beginning with the development of the 2013-2014 fiscal year budget;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council directs PIAC to develop a best practices checklist to assist BAC staff coordinators with improving public involvement efforts and implementing the new guidelines;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council directs PIAC to work with OMF, the Office of Neighborhood Involvement (ONI) and bureau BAC staff coordinators to convene community stakeholders, representing diverse perspectives, to meet once after the completion of the budget cycle to debrief the City’s public involvement in the budget process;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council directs PIAC to work with ONI to advocate in future budget cycles to fund diverse community organizations to deliver culturally specific engagement of the City’s historically underrepresented populations in the City’s budget process;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, this resolution is binding city policy.

HISTORY

Resolution No. 36960, adopted by City Council September 26, 2012.