Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 4 · column 2 of 7 · from the scan, no model involved
coined public participation during the three-plus years they’ve spent drafting the proposed zoning ordinance. Still, virtually no participation by the public occurred until last week during a public hearing.
Perhaps the planners should have pursued participation actively, rather than passively accepting it.
A series of discussion meetings, announced in advance and held in different parts of the county, may have helped gamer participation and gain acceptance. In smaller groups, planners could have determined what people wanted and explained the “whys” of the proposed zoning ordinance as the draft evolved.
Of course, it’s easy to be a quarterback on Monday morning— to suggest what could have worked after it’s too late.
But it isn’t too late.
County planners say they’re not in a hurry to get a new ordinance in place. The people say they want more time to take a closer look, and more opportunity to make suggestions.
More meetings will get more participation; more participation will make people feel like their concerns count; when people believe their views are being considered, they’re more apt to get in the boat.
No ship sails smoothly with mutiny on her decks. It’s torpedos, launched by those who believe they’ve been left out of the boat, that sink ships.
84.2%