HomeMy WebLinkAboutCitizenPPCDevelopment PROCEDURES TO IMPLEMENT
CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PROCESS FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
City of Lansing
March 1975
Prepared by : The Citizens Participation
Work Group for the Techn-LCal
Planning Committee
Introduction
HUD programs have consistently required and/or encouraged a
citizen involment process in the planning implementation of
their programs . A basic component for the Housing and Community.
Development Act of 1974 is Citizen Involment. The procedures
outlined below are based on policy statements of the City of
Lansing City Council . These procedures provide the general
framework for citizens to participate in the planning and im-
plementation of the Community Development (CD) Program. For
each annual grant application the City must certify that this
involvement has occurred.
CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IS DESIGNED TO ACCOMPLISH THREE BASIC TASKS :
1 . THAT CITIZENS HAVE INPUT INTO THE ANNUAL, CD PLAN
AND ITS AMENDMENTS OR REVISIONS ;
2 . THAT CITIZENS ARE PROVIDED INFORMATION REGARDING
THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS AVAILABLE , THE RANGE OF ELIGIBLE
ACTIVITIES , THE PROGRESS OF IMPLEMENTINGOACTIVITIES ,
AND OTHER IMPORTANT PROGRAM INFORMATION;
3. THAT CITIZENS DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY CD ACTIVITIES
HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ARTICULATE NEEDS , EXPRESS
PREFERENCES ABOUT PROJECT ACTIVITIES , ASSIST IN
THE SELECTION OF PRIORITIES AND ASSIST IN THE
DEVELOPMENT OF A DETAILED PLAN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
DEVELOPMENT AREAS .
The structure and process developed allows for maximum citizen
participation . It is designed to encompass all phases of planning
and implementation . With the two (2) Boards of Housing and .
Redevelopment and Human Resources totaling sixteen (16) members ,
as well as the Citizen District Councils totaling sixty (60) citi-
zens , seventy-six (76) citizens are officially incorporated into
the structure . This number. does not include the existing Citizen
District Council of Urban Renewal , or the Ad Hoc Committees to be
established.
Phase I - Plan Preparation-
Prior to the preparation of the annual plan, city-wide public
hearing (s) will be held to review the on-going program,. to solicit
comments from citizens as to the effectiveness of projects , and
the need to design projects to meet other community needs . Adver-
tisements will be placed in local newspapers which include the
time , place , date and subject matter of the hearing.
The annual application will be subjected to an additional hearing
prior to its adoption by the City Council .
Page 2
Phase II - Implementation
Boards
In determining a structure for implementing Community Development
the City Council resolved to reconstitute the Redevelopment
Department and the City Demonstration Agency . These two new depart-
ments , namely Housing and Redevelopment , and the Department of
Human Resources shall have eight (8) member Advisory Boards . These
Boards shall be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City
Council . The present Ordinances of the Redevelopment and City
Demonstration Agency departments shall be revised as indicated by
the Council Resolution. The first directors o.f these departments
shall be the current Redevelopment Department and City Demonstration
Agency directors .
Board members. will include four (4) persons serving at-large. and
one person from each ward. Appointments should be effective
July 1 , 1975 . These boards are advisory in nature and not admini-
strative .
These boards will make program recommendations to the Planning
Board prior to the preparation of the annual plan, in accordance
with Chapter 2A, Code of Ordinances , Citv of Lansing .
Citizen District Councils (CDC)
After much research and data analysis , the Technical Planning
Committee (constituted to develop the plan) recommended proposed
target areas for which Community Development funds should be
allocated and programming directed. The City Council has adopted
these target areas as the service areas for Community Development
activity .
Subsequent. to this action, Neighborhood Development Areas were
designated. Four areas were chosen to have three-year program
activities in housing and neighborhood improvements , concentrating
the dollars and resources for greatest impact.
To ensure the areas the greatest degree of citizen participation
and because the surrounding neighborhoods would be affected by
activity, it is necessary to expand their geographic area for
forming the District Councils . These .expanded areas would be
drawn to correspond with the surrounding Censu Tracts . Council I
from Tracts 15 , 16 , and 18 ; Council II from Tracts 11 , 12 , and 21 ;
Council III from Tracts 20 and 23 ; and Council IV will be drawn
from Tracts 2 and 8 .
Page 3
(The. numerical order for forming the Councils has no correlation
with areas to be considered for activity , first , or second in
order ; such a decision can only be made after additional detailed
planning. )
If funds are provided for a six-year program--the additional target
areas , identified as service areas , will have District Councils
formed according to a schedule to be determined by the City Council .
Prior to forming the District Councils ,. a Public Hearing shall be
held before the final adoption of the boundaries . Notice of the
hearing shall be distributed in the proposed areas 20 days before
the hearing. This hearing will .consider the boundaries of the
neighborhood development areas and the structure. of the Citizen
District Council.
Structure
The District Councils shall be formed in conformance with Act No . 344
of the Public Acts of 1945 as amended. Each District Council shall
total fifteen (15) in number. The space below will contain the
number_ of people elected or appointed for each Citizen District
Council . Appointments shall be made by the Mayor and confirmed by
the .City Council .
Elected, from the Neighborhood Development Area `
Appointed from the Neighborhood Development Area
Elected from the Target Area
Appointed from the Target Area
Process
The Coordinating Council shall develop bylaws by which they shall
be governed. They may form subcommittees as appropriate to carry
out their responsibilities . The District and Coordinating Councils
shall be advisory to each department responsible for planning and
implementing Community Development programs . They shall be given
the opportunity to review and comment on all plans and proposals .
They shall make recommendations to the Board of each department
directly responsible for Community Development activities . Every
consideration should be given to having the Citizens District Councils
accurately reflect the composition of the Neighborhood Development
Areas without discrimination . The current Citizen District Councils
of Urban Renewal should serve until Urban Renewal II is closed out .
Page 4
Terms of Office (CDC)
Members of the District- Councils shall serve terms of three (3)
years . Upon expiration of the terms of office of the initial
members serving, 1/3, shall be elected and/or appointed for three ( 3)
years , 1/3 for two (2) years , and 1/3 for one (1) year. This
section meets the requirements of State law.
Election Procedures
Voting-Voters must be 18 years of age and either reside , or own
a bus.iness or property , in the I3.eighborhood Development Area/
District Council Area.
Eligibility for Election : to be eligible for election , the candi-
dates must:
1 . Be 18 years of age .
2 . Reside , or own property in the area.
3 . Acquire 15 signatures. on a petition and .file it with the City
Clerk .
.4 . All other procedures as developed by the City Council for Model
Cities elections shall be applicable unless modified as a
result of the Public Hearings .
5 . The individuals receiving the most votes shall be declared the
winner and all ballot certifications , as well as notifications
of the election, shall be provided by the City Clerk .
6 . All vacancies occurring for elected members shall be filled, if
possible , with the unsuccessful candidates in line of succession
of the most votes . If such successors are unavailable; a meeting
shall be called and additional candidates sought to have the
body , convened from the respective districts , elect an individual
. for the position for the duration of the unexpired term of .office .
7 . ' Any person filling a vacancy by appointment or election may be
reappointed and/or reelected.
.Ad Hoc Committees
Where a department is clearly responsible for a Supportive Service ,
that department should be responsible for developing Ad Hoc Com-
mittees which reflect the consumers and/or citizens impacted by
the, Community Development activity .
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City of LANSING
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-� I N T E R 0 F F I C E C 0 M M U N I C A T I O N
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
FROM: Technical Planning Committee DATE: 3/13/75
SUBJECT: Citizen Participation
The Technical Planning Committee at their meeting on March 12, 1975
approved the attached document PROCEDURES TO IMPLEMENT -- CITIZEN PARTICI-
PATION PROCESS FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT and recommends the concurrence of
the Mayor and City Council on the document and accompanying resolution.
This document was presented to you several weeks ago and has now been
revised per the policy directives of the City Council.
I wish to draw your attention to that portion entitled "structure"
for the purpose of soliciting a policy decision on your part.
The previous communication to you outlined the Technical Planning
Committee's recommendation for the number of appointed and elected posi-
tions on each Citizen District Council. One member of the Council suggested
an alternative structure and both suggestions are outlined below.
The resolution to adopt these procedures does not specify the number of
elected and appointed positions and the Council will have to make these
numerical assignments. Please be advised that the boundaries of the Neigh-
borhood Development Areas, as well as the structure of the district council,
are a matter to be decided upon at a future public hearing, as required by
State statue. Your decision in this matter then is only to adopt a posi-
tion to present at that hearing.
Structure of each Citizen District Council
TPC Recommendation Alternative
Elected from the Neighborhood Development Area 5 6
Appointed from the Neighborhood Development Area 3 2
Elected from the Target Area 3 4
Appointed from the Target Area 4 . 3
15 15
Both alternatives provide the opportunity to seventy-six (76) individuals
to advise the City on the Community Development program. The .Technical Planning
Committee recommendations represent forty-four (44) appointed positions and
thirty-two (32) elected positions. The alternative suggestion represents
thirty-six (36) appointed positions and forty (40) elected positions.
Respectively submitted.
Alan E. Tubbs, Chairman
Technical Planning Committee
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