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Public Participation Plan

Delaware-Muncie Metropolitan Plan Commission
Public Involvement Process

General

The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21) requires that all Metropolitan Planning Organizations provide reasonable opportunities to comment on the proposed transportation plans and transportation improvement programs and have input during the development of such documents. This includes providing adequate notice, providing timely information to various organizations, providing reasonable public access to technical and policy information, and seeking and considering the needs of those traditionally underserved by the existing transportation systems. The process will involve citizens, freight shippers, airport authorities, transportation related agencies (traffic/safety/enforcement), and the appropriate city and town officials.

The Delaware-Muncie Metropolitan Plan Commission (DMMPC) has developed a proactive public involvement process in order to meet the need for better community involvement in the transportation planning process. The process will include: preliminary public notice of document's process, presentations of a preliminary draft plan at various meetings with the public, public hearing on document at Plan Commission meeting, committee public meetings to further develop the draft plan, public notice of approval meetings, committee public meetings to approve a final plan document, a Plan Commission public meeting to approve the plan, and submittal of the plan to the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). The preliminary draft plan will be shown at meetings of various local groups and at a Public Hearing at a Plan Commission meeting. The remaining process for the local approval of the plan will be outlined during the draft plan presentation specifying meeting dates for each step. The existing public comments will be presented along with the plan when it is considered at transportation subcommittee meetings and at the Plan Commission meeting for document approval.

The public involvement process for the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) will follow the process with traditional months for each step. A draft TIP is developed in February using the information from on-going projects in the previous TIP and information available on proposed projects. The draft TIP is then presented at the DMMPC's transportation subcommittees and at neighborhood organization and other public meetings in March. New project requests, specifying the work phases and funding, are submitted in March. The new information, including state highway projects within the Muncie Metropolitan Planning Area, is incorporated into the draft TIP and is presented at public hearing during the April Plan Commission Meeting. The TIP, along with recorded public comment, goes to the transportation subcommittees in public meetings in April for further refinement and the prioritization of projects by federal fund and fiscal year. The draft TIP is then be submitted to INDOT for preliminary information. A final TIP is created from the draft version by adding any remaining required documentation such as a signed certification statement and public comments. The final TIP goes to the transportation subcommittees in public meetings in May for local endorsements. The Plan Commission considers the final TIP for approval at its public monthly meeting in June. The final TIP is then submitted to INDOT to be incorporated into the Indiana State Transportation Improvement Program (INSTIP). The public comments concerning the TIP are submitted with the TIP. Unforeseen circumstances may delay steps of the TIP process, but the process continues through each step before it is final. The final list of state highway projects within the Muncie Metropolitan Planning Area is included in the TIP before local final approvals.



Public Involvement Process Notification Top

The following methods will be used to inform the public concerning transportation plans and transportation improvement programs:

1. PLAN NEWS: A quarterly newsletter is produced by the MPO staff and distributed by mail to over 200 individuals and agencies throughout Muncie and Delaware County, Indiana, and made available to the general public at the MPO office which is located in the Delaware County Building. The newsletter has articles with summary information from transportation planning documents and lists a schedule of meetings for the planning process.

2. Newspapers: There is 1 newspaper of general circulation (as defined by law) for the Muncie, Delaware County, and east central Indiana communities - the Muncie Star Press. It publishes upcoming meetings as a regular feature and will list meetings from the transportation planning process. A regional minority newspaper, The Muncie Times, based in Muncie will be used to further inform the public of upcoming meetings in the planning process.

3. Public Posting: The Plan Commission/MPO Office is located in the Delaware County Building which contains all of the local governmental offices for Delaware County, Indiana. Notices and information dealing with transportation will be posted on the public bulletin board at the Plan Commission and transportation meeting notices will be posted on the public bulletin board in the main lobby of the County Building.

4. Legal Notices: A legal notice on the meeting dates and times for committee and Plan Commission meetings concerning transportation plans or TIPs will be published in the Muncie Star Press, being a newspaper of general circulation and authorized to publish legal notices for the Muncie/Delaware County area.

5. Individual Mailings: Mailings of notices specifying the transportation plan or TIP and the meeting dates and times for committee and Plan Commission meetings considering the document



Minority, Low-Income, and Traditionally Underserved Involvement Effort Top

An extra effort will be made to identify the minority, low-income, and traditionally underserved portions of Delaware County citizens and design strategies to involve them in the transportation planning process. That effort will include providing meeting information in familiar media options, presentation of draft TIP and transportation plan documents within neighborhood or public committee meetings in such geographic areas, and recruitment efforts for wider representation on TAPIC, the citizen advisory transportation subcommittee.



Evaluation of Public Involvement Process Top

The Public Involvement Process will be evaluated at the end of each year to determine its effectiveness in assuring that the process provides full and open access to all. The strategies to encourage participation from citizens from minority, low-income and traditionally underserved portions of the population will be adjusted as needed to best assure their access to the process. If a lack of input is deemed the result of flaws within the Public Involvement Process, an amendment will be prepared and processed to upgrade the Public Involvement Process so it will provide public comment and involvement.



Annual Notification Activities. Top

Lists of neighborhood organizations, transportation-related public agencies, transportation-related interest groups, private and public transit operations, appropriate elected officials, and organizations or persons expressing interest in the transportation planning process will be maintained and will be updated in January or February. An annual notice of the public involvement process for the TIP will be sent to these entities in February. A notice of the public involvement process for transportation plan(s) will be sent when a draft plan is ready.

B. Transportation Public: The listing is updated on an annual basis in December/January of each year through contact with other governmental agencies and by research of various inven-tories and resources (phone book, city directory, Hill-Donnelly Cross Reference Directory, etc.).

C. Membership Drive for TAPIC: A membership drive is conducted in January/February of each year by contact with Community Development, the Citizens Action Coalition and other governmental offices.

D. Meeting Schedules: Annual meeting schedules for each committee are prepared and forwarded to committee members, the Muncie Star Press, and persons listed in the public participation database. Schedules are also posted in the Plan Commission/MPO Office.

E. PLAN NEWS Mailing List: The mailing list for PLAN NEWS is updated in December/ January of each year to reflect changes in elected officials, appointments to committees, additions to the public participation database, and individual requests.



Section 1. Public Participation Database. Top

A. General Public: A listing of neighborhood organizations shall be maintained as provided by the organizations and/or the Office of Community Development. A listing of individual citizens wishing notification shall be maintained as compiled from requests by such citizens. These listings will be kept on file at the DMMPC Office.
B. Transportation Public: A listing of affected public agencies, representatives of transportation agency employees, private providers of transportation and other interested
parties, including elected officials, shall be maintained and kept on file at the DMMPC Office.



Section 2. Transportation Committees. Top

A. Transportation and Planning Involvement Council (TAPIC): An existing committee comprised of citizens who are not a part of local government and who are recruited from both
subsections A and B in Section 1 above. Input from TAPIC members is forwarded to the other transportation committees and implementing agencies as applicable.

B. Technical Advisory Committee (TAC): An existing committee representing local government, private industry, and others with technical expertise needed to provide input into
the transportation planning process. Action from this committee provides the 1st step in a 3 step local approval process for transportation plans and programs.

C. Administrative Committee (ADMIN): An existing committee representing implementing agencies and decision makers whose input is needed to formulate policy for the transportation planning process. Action from this committee provides the 2nd step in a 3 step local approval process for transportation plans and programs.

D. Delaware-Muncie Metropolitan Plan Commission (DMMPC): An existing commission whose composition is prescribed by state law, representing citizens and elected officials of Muncie and Delaware County, Indiana, which has been designated as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Muncie Urbanized Area. Action by the commission is the final step in a 3 step local approval process for transportation plans/programs.

E. Ad-Hoc/Special Task Force Committees: An existing forum for creating a project specific committee to provide input for the 3 step local approval process. The membership would vary and would be geared toward the task at hand.

Section 3. Public Participation Process for TIP and transportation plans: Top

A. Requests for Public Input: Requests will be distributed near the beginning of each calendar year through PLAN NEWS, individual mailings, public postings and the newspaper. The content of the requests will identify the document and specify the meetings which will be used to consider the document. Public input may be presented at the meetings, in written or verbal form, or at the MPO Office in written form at any time. This component is aimed at ensuring early consultation for the TIP and transportation plan documents. A sample request form is kept on file at the DMMPC Office.

B. Distribution of Annual Meeting Schedules: Annual meeting schedules for all committees and the DMMPC are prepared at the end of each year for the upcoming year. These schedules will be forwarded to all members and all persons listed in the public participation database at the beginning of the calendar year. This component is aimed at early consultation and continuing involvement.

C. Notice of Public Meetings: A specific notice will be forwarded to all members and persons on the public participation database at least 10 days prior to the set of meetings at which the transportation plan or TIP will be under consideration. A sample notice is kept on file at the DMMPC Office.

D. Notice of Public Hearing: A notice of public hearing will be published in the Muncie Star and the Muncie Press for the DMMPC meeting at which the transportation plan or TIP will be presented in draft form. The notice will also list meeting dates for final consideration of the transportation document. A sample notice is kept on file at the DMMPC Office.



Section 4. Public Participation Process for TIP Amendments and Transportation Plan Amendments. Top

A. Standard Process: The standard process shall be the same as presented in Section 3(C&D).

B. Additional Process: When preliminary planning meetings are held concerning TIP amendments and amendments to the various Transportation Plan Components, a combination of
Section 3(A) and 3(C) shall be used.

C. Legislative Process: When a component of the Transportation Plan is a part of the Comprehensive Plan of the Delaware-Muncie Metropolitan Plan Commission, the public hearing process will be extended to include action by the legislative body (Board of Commissioners, City Council, Town Council) with all of the normal notification required by law for a public hearing.



Section 5. Policy Amendment Process. Top

A. Notice: Notice of any proposed amendment to the Public Participation Policy contained herein shall be given by the methods set forth in Section 3 with the notice to include specific information that written comments on the amendment may be filed in the MPO Office for 45 days from the date of the notice.

B. Approval Process: Any proposed amendment to the Public Participation Policy will go through the standard 3 step local approval process (TAC, ADMIN, and DMMPC).



Section 6. General Policy Statement. Top

A. Local: It is the policy of the DMMPC/MPO to allow access and input at all times from the general and transportation public on any transportation related plan or program.

B. State: It is the policy of the DMMPC/MPO to assist the State of Indiana in achieving public participation as required by law for the State TIP and other components of transportation planning as set forth in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act by utilizing our local database, procedures, and committee structures.



Section 7. Effective Date. Top

A. The Public Involvement Policy set forth herein will be in full force and effect from the day after the date of approval by the Delaware Muncie Metropolitan Plan Commission (DMMPC) onward until such time as the Public Involvement Policy is amended again by the DMMPC. Public comment will be accepted during the 45-or-more day approval process. The comments will be on file at the DMMPC Office.