Citizen Participation Committee Meeting Notes

February 11, 2004 - Final Approved

Present:

Kevin Biglin, Kim Colville, Christine Forde, Jane Marvin, Polly McMurtry, Diane Meyerhoff, Tiffany Ward, Lynn Whalen (Chair), Marti Woodman (Vice-Chair).

1. Housekeeping items

• The committee reviewed the January meeting notes. Polly asked that they be amended to reflect that VTrans works “in conjunction” with the CCMPO and CCRPC. Diane will amend.

  •  Diane and Christine are really working on a list of often-used terms for posting. Polly suggested http://www.vpic.info/resources/acronyms.htm for additional acronyms.

  •  Kim announced an ARC Public Transportation Forum to be held Feb. 19 th , 1PM , ARC, 346 Shelburne Road . The focus will be on the aging and disability community. ARC also participated in a rally at the Statehouse to protest cuts in the mental health/DD budget.

  •  Lynn briefly discussed the CCMPO-sponsored Public Transportation Task Force.

2. Public Involvement Principles (from the Plan of September 2003)

The committee reviewed the principles that are a framework that needs further expansion. At our next meeting, we will tackle principles 2 and 6 together, and 4 and 5 separately. The principles will remain on our agenda in order to make recommendations for changes at the end of the summer.

 

3. Public Outreach Process & CCMPO Outreach Process

Christine reviewed a handout of the CCMPO process for undertaking planning studies. She recognizes that people need to be involved early, but it is difficult with ten-year planning horizons. Kim offered that ARC would like to find a way to be more involved.

 

The group discussed a variety of outreach strategies utilizing the CCMPO website:

•  Offer an email notice to receive the status of certain projects or town-related activities.

•  Write a citizen E-newsletter that is geared towards the public, not professionals (perhaps short paragraphs followed by links to get additional information).

•  Create a link to successful projects of other MPOs that we might learn from.

•  Create a link to current information about CCMPO activities by town.

•  Move older material to an archives section so it can be used by (student) researchers.

 

4. Case Studies

The committee discussed the value of using case studies to talk about public involvement. Christine suggested her upcoming projects might be good to brainstorm at our next meeting:

a) Improving pedestrian access on Shelburne Rd. in S. Burlington , between the Burlington and S. Burlington bike paths at Queen City Park Rd. This is a regional project, with many ancillary projects affecting it – like the Shelburne Rd. widening (and its new bike paths), a new bike path near the Ben Franklin Store, etc. One challenge is how to get the word out to residents, businesses, bike riders, bus riders, and pedestrians. Christine will prepare materials for the next meeting to help us better understand the issues.

b) Improvements at I-89 Exit 17 in Colchester , at Routes 7 and 2. There are safety issues which are being partly addressed through new traffic signals.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 3 PM.

 

The next meeting will be March 10th from 1-3PM in the "North" Conference Room.

 

Revised by Diane Meyerhoff, March 12, 2004