Keeping the plan current also means continuing to give the public ways to be involved in the plan and how it is carried out. The plan must describe how you will continue to seek public participation after the plan has been approved.
There are many ways to keep the public involved. Public meetings are a great way to engage residents. Think about if there are any groups in your community that do not normally take part in the public process. If you find that they are not being engaged, you may need to think about how to best reach them. There may be other departments, nonprofits or agencies that already interact with them. These groups can help you reach out to sectors of the public you can’t normally reach. Social media can be another strong tool. Think about using occasional posts and polls to ask the public about risks.
Linking your planning efforts can help the public know what mitigation is and why it is vital. Look for existing meetings that the community often attends. This awareness will help the public and leaders use the mitigation plan in other community initiatives. Regular plan upkeep will keep planning efforts current.
Think about how your community members give feedback on public processes. Use these ways to talk about mitigation and get feedback on areas of concern. Examples of outreach methods include:
- Presentations on the plan’s progress.
- Annual questionnaires or surveys. Consider innovative ways of distributing these surveys, such as by:
- Setting up a booth at a large public event like a farmers market, holiday parade or festival.
- Sending out surveys with utility bills.
- Public meetings.
- Social media.
- Interactive websites.
Document any public involvement that does occur. This can be added to the next version of your plan.