The typical patterns used by Christiansburg's Planning Commission and
Town Council provide a severe obstacle to the rights of citizens to be
active participants in decisions affecting their lives.
The
current, accepted standard is to have issues pertaining Planning/Land
Use presented to the Planning Commission on Monday at either 3 or 4 pm
(depending upon how much work they have to do). If there are no issues
before them, they just do not meet (time which could be used to review
zoning ordinaces, subdivision ordinances, comprehensive plan, and other
documents for potential problems, or to have speakers come in to
educate them on new and upcoming issues).
Approximately 30 hours
later, on Tuesday at 7:30 pm, a joint public hearing is held on the
issue. This is the time when concerned citizens can come forth to
present their concerns about the issue. How can anyone imagine that 30
hours is sufficient for citizens to look at the issue, do any research
they may want to do, come up with a list of questions/concerns to
present?
Then to further muddy the waters (and restrict
citizens that want to be involved), the Town Council adjourns and the
Planning Commission has another meeting to develop their recommendation
to the Town Council. This recommendation is then taken back to Town
Council, which is again called to order, and the issue is discussed and
voted upon by Town Council.
There is absolutely nothing illegal
about doing business this way. But, is it the best way to do business?
I do not think so. I think that government has a responsibility to the
citizens to allow them to have the time to take a close look at the
issue, to assess the pros and cons of how the issue will affect them
and their families today and in the future.
Not only should
government provide citizens with adequate notice of the meetings, they
should allow a sufficient amount of time for the citizens to process
what the Planning Commission has discussed, as well as do their own
research, before the Public Hearing is held.
Since the hearing
and the meetings are held back-to-back, there is no opportunity for
citizens to contact their elected officials about the issues that have
been raised.
I am not sure that you could find a better way to
tell citizens that what they think or feel does not matter than the way
this pattern unfolds. At no point are citizens encouraged to discuss
issues with each other, to take the time to identify potential benefits
and problems or to communicate their concerns to their elected
officials after they have a chance to hear all of the salient facts of
the issue.
Ideally, it would be good to see the Planning
Commission discuss the issue, thus providing citizens with information
pertaining to zoning standards, by-right use, and compliance with the
Comprehensive Plan. Then, at the next meeting to hold a Joint Public
Hearing on the matter. Finally, two weeks later, after citizens have
had another opportunity to do additional research and to speak with
Council members, to have the Town Council discuss and vote on the
issue.
Along with providing citizens an opportunity to more
effectively interact with government, this approach would also give
Town Council members some additional time to think about possible
problems and make a more deliberate, thoughtful assessment. The actual
work performed would not change, it would simply be a shift in the
timing of each step.
Not only do I think this is 'doable', I think it is the right thing to do for the citizens of the Town of Christiansburg.