The Town of Hunter's Public Participation Plan
(PPP) forms the basic framework for achieving an
interactive dialogue between local, state and
federal decision-makers and local citizens. This
plan outlines the public participation strategy
for the development, evaluation and adoption of
the comprehensive plan for the Town of Hunter.
The Town of Hunter will exercise due diligence
to ensure that the spirit and intent of this PPP
is upheld throughout the process; however, it
should be expected that slight deviations from
this plan may be warranted. Exceptions may
include additional meetings or activities not
outlined in this document or other activities
based on cost, availability of personnel/guest
speakers, changes to the planning process
timeline or other unforeseeable factors.
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS
GUIDELINES
General
The main goal of the PPP is to make the citizens
and landowners of Hunter aware of the progress of
the comprehensive planning process by offering
the public opportunities to actively participate
in plan development. To achieve this goal, the
Town of Hunter has formally adopted this PPP,
which identifies a range of prescribed activities
and actions to foster communication and active
participation. Taken individually, the activities
and actions described in this plan are not
expected to reach and inform each and every
resident and property owner in the Town of
Hunter. Collectively, however, the plan
activities and actions are designed to
effectively and efficiently provide a broad-based
dissemination of information and maximize the
opportunity for citizen involvement and comment.
The majority of public participation activities
will focus on public information, education, and
input. Public meetings, workshops, and open
houses will provide opportunities for the public
to openly discuss comprehensive planning issues
with planning committee/commission members,
county and local government staff. Formal public
hearings will also be conducted as part of the
plan adoption process to allow public testimony
to be made regarding the comprehensive plan and
ordinance. Every effort will be made to ensure
that all public meetings are held at locations
convenient and accessible. Other public
participation activities will be explored to
inform and receive input from residents that may
not be able to attend public meetings and
hearings.
Provisions for Open Discussion
The Town of Hunter will ensure that public
meetings allow for an open discussion of the
relevant issues at hand and public hearings allow
for appropriate public testimony. When public
meetings or hearings are held, every effort to
ensure those who choose to participate have the
opportunity to actually have their opinions
heard. To accomplish this, the following actions
will be implemented:
· An agenda will be established that
clearly defines the purpose of the public meeting
or hearing, the items to be discussed, and any
actions that may be taken.
· The scheduled date, time, and place
will be convenient to encourage maximum
participation of residents and property owners.
· A clearly identifiable facilitator or
chair will conduct the meeting or hearing in an
orderly fashion to ensure that all attendees have
an opportunity to offer
comments, discuss issues, or provide
testimony.
· As appropriate, an overview of
documents or proposals to be considered will be
discussed.
· All persons attending the meeting or
hearing that desire to participate shall be
allowed to do so. However, specific factors, such
as the meeting or hearing purpose,
number in attendance, time considerations, or
future opportunities to participate may require
that appropriate constraints be applied. These
constraints will be clearly outlined
by the facilitator or chair if the need arises.
· All attendees will be encouraged to
sign in using a provided sign in sheet.
· Meetings and hearings will be recorded.
· Meeting summaries will be transcribed
and made available as soon as possible following
the meeting or hearing.
· Special arrangements will be made under
the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) with sufficient advance notice.
Opportunity for Written Comments
Detailed comments can be expressed through
written format. To encourage citizens to express
written comment the following steps will be
taken:
· All meeting and hearing notices will
include the name, address, phone number, and e-
mail address (if applicable) of person(s) to whom
written comments should be sent along with any
deadlines for submitting comments, when
warranted.
· Persons speaking or testifying will be
encouraged to concisely express their comments
and provide specific details in written format.
Consideration of and Response to Public
Comments
The various methods for involving the public and
soliciting public opinions and comments are
defined herein. These methods represent the
initial steps for bringing public comment into
the decision-making process. The following steps
will be taken to ensure that public
recommendations and comments are taken into
consideration by decision-makers:
· Time will be reserved subsequent to the
close of a meeting, hearing, or comment deadline
and prior to the actual decision or
recommendation being made to ensure that decision
makers can adequately review all relevant
materials or comments.
· Decision-makers (Committee Members) may
reconvene a public hearing for the purpose of
addressing public comments.
· The record (written comments or
testimony, tape recordings, or transcripts) of
hearings and meeting summaries will be compiled
by appointed committee members and made available
to decision makers for their review and
consideration.
· Substantive comments pertaining to
studies, analysis, or reports, along with
appropriate responses, will be included in the
published documents itself.
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PLAN
General Provisions
Planning Committee Meetings &
Workshops
Regularly scheduled public meetings and
workshops to assimilate information collected
relevant to the nine elements of the
comprehensive plan will be held. Through local
public meetings, residents will be able to become
an instrumental part of their community's
planning process. By participating in meetings
and workshops, citizens can aid their elected
officials and planning committee in creating a
vision for the town. (See Attachment # 1 for
Schedule of Meetings.)
Meeting/Hearing Notices
Official meeting notices will be prepared for
any public meetings or hearings conducted. At a
minimum, the requirements of §19.31
pertaining to public meetings and notification
will be met. The Town Clerk or other town staff
will place meeting notices at the town's
designated posting location(s). It is recommended
that meeting notices be posted at least one week
prior to the meeting.
All public hearings will follow the same public
notice recommendations except all public hearings
will be published under the
Class II notice requirements. Final plan
adoption hearing will be posted under a Class I
notice.
Civic and Community Presentations
Representatives responsible for development of
the comprehensive plan may meet with local civic
and community organizations to discuss the
development of the comprehensive plan.
Information may be collected at the civic and
community functions as it pertains to the
development of the comprehensive plan.
Mailing Lists
As public participation proceeds, interested
citizens will have opportunities to place their
name on a mailing list to receive additional
information regarding the planning process via
direct mail or e-mail where applicable. The
planning committee/commission will compile and
maintain this mailing list. Names to be included
on the mailing list will originate from meeting
and hearing sign-in sheets, written
correspondence, recognized community
organizations, as well as through individual
requests. This list will also be used for
newsletter circulation, special mailings, and
notices as appropriate. Planning Document Dissemination
Documents that contain or describe the proposed
plan's policies, maps, or recommendations will be
made available for public review. Documents may
be disseminated as follows:
· Digital versions will be posted on the
Town and/or consultants website.
· A copy will be delivered to local
libraries. (Completed Sections Only)
· A copy will be delivered to each
elected official and/or key staff. (Completed
Sections Only)
· A copy will be distributed to the
county and each adjoining local unit of
government. (Final Draft)
Public Hearings
Once the final draft of the Town of Hunter
Comprehensive Plan or amendment is complete, a
minimum of one public hearing to receive public
comment on the proposed plan and ordinance will
be held.
Hearing Notices
The Town of Hunter will place legal notice of
hearing in its official newspaper(s). Hearing
notice will be published in compliance with state
requirements.
Prior to enacting an ordinance approving the
comprehensive plan, a hearing shall be conducted
preceded by a Class 1 public notice that is
published at least 30 days before the hearing is
held. The town may also provide notice of the
hearing by any other means it considers
appropriate. According to the comprehensive
planning legislation, the Class 1 notice shall
contain at least the following information:
1. The date, time, and place of hearing.
2. A summary of the proposed comprehensive plan
or amendment to such a plan.
3. The name of an individual employed by the
local governmental unit who may provide
additional information regarding the proposed
ordinance.
4. Information relating to where and when the
proposed comprehensive plan ordinance may be
inspected before the hearing and how a copy of
the plan may be obtained.
Town of Hunter Comprehensive Plan Adoption
Process
The Town of Hunter will follow the procedures
for adopting the comprehensive plan as listed in
§66.1001. The first step in the adoption
process is being met by the adoption of this
document that details written procedures that are
designed to foster public participation
throughout the planning process.
KEY PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ACTIVITES
Sawyer County Public Opinion Survey
Sawyer County will initiate a public opinion
survey leading off the original planning effort
to inform residents of the planning process and
solicit citizen input on a wide range of planning-
related issues and topics. Surveys will be
distributed to property owners, including
landowners in the Town of Hunter.
Survey results will be tabulated and a summary
report indicating the key findings will be
prepared. A digital copy of the survey results
will also be posted on the town, county, and
consultant's web site, where applicable.
Town of Hunter - Community Planning
Survey.
The Town of Hunter - Comprehensive Planning
Committee has completed the survey results.
This survey can be seen on the Town of
Hunter Web-page and also at the Town of Hunter
hall by special appointment.
Planning Committee/Commission Meetings
The public will be encouraged to attend
scheduled meetings of the Town of Hunter
Comprehensive Planning Committee/Commission. Time
will be allocated during each meeting for the
general public to address the committee or to ask
questions about the planning process. At a
minimum, the requirements of §19.31
pertaining to public meetings and notification
will be met. The Town Clerk or other Town staff
will place meeting notices at the Town's
designated posting location(s). It is recommended
that meeting notices be posted at least one week
prior to the meeting.
Town of Hunter / Towns Association
Meetings
Representatives of Town of Hunter may attend
meeting of the Sawyer County Towns
Unit/Association to gather updates on plan
progress, share and gather plan-related
information and to discuss key planning topics.
(See Attachment # 1 for Schedule of
Meetings.)
Draft Plan or Amendment Presentation
Once a draft version of the comprehensive plan
or amendment has been produced, the Town of
Hunter will host an "open house" type event to
allow the public to review the plan and comment
on plan materials. Notification will be placed in
local media and on the town web site.
Public Viewing of Plan-related Materials
Narrative, maps and other educational materials
and documents will be made available for public
viewing at the Town of Hunter Town Hall, during
regular business hours or by special appointment.
Where possible, these materials will also
be available for public viewing and download on
either the town or consultant web page, or both.
Meeting minutes or other project records will
also be made available to the public and
published on the town web page.
Approved by the Town of Hunter on:
_________________________________
________________________________________
Leonard Eckerly, Town Chairman