If you are developing a multi-jurisdictional plan, the outreach strategy will help you manage coordination and accountability among all plan participants. For each jurisdiction seeking plan approval, the plan must document how they were involved in the planning process. This must include how they gave stakeholders and the public a chance to be involved.
Each participating jurisdiction will have its own specific stakeholders. Public involvement activities need to reach residents throughout the planning area. Consider where the outreach strategy applies to all participants equally and where you may need to tailor the approach and materials. You may develop one set of outreach materials that each jurisdiction shares with its stakeholders and residents. Another good approach is to develop one presentation or a series of presentations on the plan’s progress that anyone can use. Planning team members can give these presentations at a regularly scheduled open meeting of their city council or other governing body. This will help keep elected officials informed about the planning project. It also gives the public a chance to learn more and share comments.
Outreach is key when forming a multi-jurisdictional plan. In addition to planning team meetings, you can get input through municipal workshops and open houses held throughout the planning area. Open house-style meetings can give the public a way to comment on the plan during the drafting stage. Throughout the planning process, participating jurisdictions should attend workshops, share data and/or maps, and be available to answer questions from the public.