A oescmmve REVIEW AND APPRAISAL or cmzau INVOLVEMENT m PLANNING son me SMALL mMMUNITY A use 5mm or- 51. JOHNS, MICHIGAN ' Thesis for the Degree. of M. U. P. MICHlGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Max R. Puffers “i965 LII;;?;A.R_Y I Michigan g {gate University I. ,a ¢ J :— IIHWM Ififlfimlflfllfllflfllflfllflflflflmflflfl .3 3 1293 01098 5939 ‘ FEB 0 5 mm ABSTRACT A DESCRIPTIVE REVIEW.AND APPRAISAL 0F CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT IN PLANNING FOR THE SMALL COMMUNITY by Max R. Putters With the availability of Federal Planning grants fbr smaller communities, more attention has fOcused on planning, and the sub— Ject of active citizen involvement in local planning programs. This thesis explores the various facets of a broad scale citizen participation effort in St. Johns, Michigan, and evaluates the effectiveness of that endeavor. A limiting factor in the evaluation stems from.the fact that the program was relatively short lived, and therefore little occurred in the way of plan implementation during the research phase of this paper. Nevertheless, the infbrmation de- veloped from the St. Johns program should be a helpful resource for communities contemplating programs of citizen participation. The St. Johns citizen program was guided by the Institute fbr Come munity DeveloPment and Services of Michigan State University. Hence, a critical informational resource was the records maintained by that Max R. Putters agency, which includes correspondence, technical reports, news clippings, progress reports, and various memoranda. Of these, the program evaluations made through progress reports by Institute per— sonnel were most useful. Their timely observations of successes and failures offered a unique insight into the entire Operation as it pro- gressed. Additional insight was obtained from an interview with the present city manager who worked with the program as city assessor. The prOgram evaluation also drew data from other communities which ex— perimented or employed citizen resources in planning. Several brief accounts of these programs are included as are the results of a letter interview with a number of professional planners. Their selected comments on the subject of citizen participation are incorporated in- to the thesis. The main emphasis of the St. Johns program was the use of citizens in preparing the comprehensive plan. Citizens with a variety of back— grounds were assigned to inventory existing land use, transfer field information onto data cards, conduct home interviews, and do some re- port writing. Leadership fer this citizen activity was provided by city officials, although Institute personnel assisted indirectly. The organizational structure for the St. Johns program.provided for the participation of 125 citizens. This structure competently en— compassed the key subject areas of the planning program. It also stands as an effective educational device, creating a ready forum for discussing planning concepts, and development problems. The maJor limitation rests on the fact that so large an organizational structure is difficult to properly maintain when technical staff time is scarce, Max R. Putters as it was in St. Johns. The most significant conclusions of this thesis are listed below: 1. The fecus of citizen involvement in planning for the small community should be around the planning commission and the local governing body. Other citizens may be included on an active basis through existing community groups, special pur- pose study committees, mass communication media, and tech- nical report presentations at various public meetings. Other committee groups in small communities should be used fer the specific purpose intended and then disbanded. Stand- ing committees are quick to lose interest and become difficult to reconvene without complete reorganization. If citizens are to do actual planning work, such as data gathering, they should know exactly what work will be in- volved before being committed to the task. In addition, adequate direction, farms and instructional aids should be provided. School age citizens may prove to be the most satisfactory source of assistance in obtaining and pro- cessing many types of community information. Extensive citizen involvement programs will consume a great amount of staff time. This time will be required from both professional planners and city officials. The most effective citizen involvement programs are moti- vated.by a community crisis factor. This could be a serious economic situation or the prospect of developing a significant community project (urban renewal, new swimming pool, new expressway, etc.) Max R. Putters S. The major role of citizen involvement in community planning is that of advising the technical planner. Hence the planner has a fbrum for identifying community needs as well as fer testing planning prOposals. 6. When subject matter specialists are responsible fer preparing individual technical reports, direction is needed to assure that each study contributes to the total planning effort in the most meaningful way. Although the St. Johns citizens involvement program*was a limited experiment, it offers a number of guides fer communities which may desire to engage in a similar effort. Hence, this thesis endeavored to evaluate the program from.a practical operational point of view. A DESCRIPTIVE REVIEW AND APPRAISAL OF CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT IN PLANNING FOR THE SMALL COMMUNITY A CASE STUDY OF ST. JOHNS, MICHIGAN By Max R. Putters A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTERS OF URBAN PLANNING Department of Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture 1965 ACICVOWLED GMENTS The preparation of this thesis involved the contribution of time and talent by many individuals, without which this thesis could not have been satisfactorily completed. Particular gratitude and appreciation is extended to the following individuals for their valuable assistance: Thesis Advisors Mr. Joseph M. Prochaska, Assistant Professor of Urban Planning Michigan State University Mr. Carl Goldschmidt, Associate Professor of Urban Planning Michigan State University Mr. Sanford S. Farness, Professor of Urban Planning Michigan State University Mr. Myles G. Boylan, Professor and Director of the School of Urban Planning, Michigan State University Editing Mr. Henry Engen, Associate, Vilican-Leman & Associates, Inc. Planning Consultants, Southfield, Michigan Typing Mrs. Mary Putters, Author's wife Mrs. J. A. Dempsey, Superior Letter Service, Marquette, Michigan Special gratitude is extended to M.S.U. Urban Planning Professors Charles W. Barr and Dr. Richard D. Duke for continuing encouragement and informal assistance. Also, the Institute for Community DeveIOp- ment, MSU, particularly Mr. Burton B. Brackney for authorizing general access to the Institute records and file materials relating to the St. Johns program. Finally, the personal time afforded by Mr. Kenneth Greer, City Manager of the City of St. Johns, Michigan. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION CITIZEN ROLES IN PLANNING THE SMALL COMMUNITY Elected Officials Municipal Officials Citizens EVALUATION CRITERIA FROM SELECTED CASE STUDIES Detroit Metropolitan Area Regional Planning Commission Washtenaw County, Michigan City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Santa Barbara County, California SCOPE AND NATURE OF CITIZEN PARTICIPATION THE Definitions of Citizen Participation Citizens Who Participate in Planning Purpose and Need fer Citizen Participation Use of Citizens Plan Implementation Summary ST. JOHNS' CASE STUDY Description of the City of St. Johns Initiating the St. Johns Program The Involvement of St. Johns Citizens Organization fer Citizen Participation The First Twelve Mbnths The Second Twelve Months iii 10 12 16 18 19 22 22 23 2h 26 28 29 32 32 3h 38 AG 117 EVALUATION OF THE ST. JOHNS PROJECT Program Objectives Project Initiation Citizens Organization Citizens' Work 1. 6. Land Use Survey Home Interviews Recording Information Community History Other Subjects McBee Card Punching Communications Records Motivation CONCLUSIONS BIBLIOGRAPHY iv 51 52 56 58 6O 6O 60 61 62 63 63 66 68 7O 76 ILLUSTRATIONS CITIZENS ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE MC BEE DATA CARD 39 APPENDIX CONTRIBUTING PROFESSIONAL PLANNERS LAND USE INSTRUCTIONS FOR CITIZENS MC BEE DATA CARD A-l A-2 A-h INTRODUCTION A basic tenet of planning theory is that citizens should participate in the processes of plan formulation and plan implementation. The most specific guides fer accomplishing citizen involvement are found in Planning Enabling Legislation and in the directives of Federally assisted Urban Renewal Programs. These guides envision citizen par- ticipation in an advisory capacity and prescribe representation from various occupational groups or affected geographic areas. This de- velOps a broader citizen base upon which program.pr0posals may be tested. Through the vehicle of a case study of St. Johns, Michigan this paper will endeavor to describe and evaluate a broader application of the con— cept of citizen participation. In this case, the Institute for Community Development and Services, Michigan State University experimented with the concept that local citizens could perfbrm.meaningful work on planning studies. In this instance the citizen's work related to gathering come munity facts and compiling the information obtained, including some limited report writing. By having citizens enlisted in the work of the plan, the sponsor of the program assumed that there would be greater in- terest in community affairs generally, and would result in a more effec- tive planning program. Not to be overlooked in the St. Johns effort was an underlying objective to create or develop the local leadership, ne- cessary to carry out planning objectives. As a frame of reference fer evaluating the St. Johns citizen participa- tion experiment, selected opinions from.professional planners, and ex— amples of other citizen planning programs are included. These data pro- vide a rather broad view of how citizens may be organized and used in programs and plans for community development. 1. CITIZEN ROLES IN PLANNING THE SMALL COMMUNITY Any person with established residence in a community may be referred to as a citizen. However, for the purposes of this paper, citizens will be referred to in terms of three broad groups: Elected offi— cials, municipal officials, and citizens. By definition, elected officials are persons officially seated on the local governing body. Municipal officials are technical or semi-technical persons employed within the operating departments of the municipality, perhaps better described as department heads. For simplicity reasons, the term citizen refers to all other residents of the community. Citizens may also be considered as being in either the organized or unorganized sector of society. Although somewhat colloquial, the un- organized citizen group is also referred to as the "man in the street" citizen. Citizens from the organized sector of society produce much of the leadership feund among community residents. They are the ac- tive members of such groups as Lions, Rotary, Chambers of Commerce, Labor Unions, Fraternal Orders, Women's Clubs, PTA'S, and profession- al associations such as a local Real Estate Board. Below is a discussion of the major citizen groups as they, at least theoretically, would perform in a comprehensive planning program. Elected Officials Perhaps one of the most important single roles in the process of come munity development and/or planning, is that of the elected official. For the purpose of this discussion, elected officials are considered in terms of their total function as the legislative body and not as individuals. In the approximate order of importance the roles of elected officials are: (1) (2) (3) (1i) (5) To authorize sufficient monies to support a planning program or a related community-wide study. The planning'work as it evolves becomes instrumental to the elected officials central function of policy—making. Upon completion of the study, (or parts thereof), adopt the necessary ordinances or ordinance amendments that will assist in carrying out approved plans. This involves bringing come munity policy officially into line with necessary community action. Refer Special project proposals to the planning commission for recommendation. Special projects in this instance may arise from.municipal officials, organized citizen groups em- barking on various community projects, or from professional advisors. Evaluate alternative action programs, and promote those which will provide the best long and short term returns to the com- munity. Seek advice from various persons and groups in order to carry out the above fUnctions. In larger cities special committees or task farces may be appointed to review various project pro- posals. In smaller communities, elected officials must rely upon the knowledge of municipal officials, legal advisors, and other trained specialists. Nearly all community development projects proceed under the general authorization of community policy, which is subject to sanction by elected officials or public referendum. Few major projects material- h. ize which are totally beyond the authority of local elected officials. Those that do are normally Sponsored by state or national governments. For example, the location of a new military installation or the general routing of an interstate highway are developments largely beyond local control. For the most part the role of the elected official can be described as ”representative" and one which must view the planning process in the eyes of an entire electorate. In this capacity, the short term bene— fits must continually be weighed against the long term gains. Here is where an economically depressed community may be forced into choosing immediate solutions to problems. Theoretically the long term'benefits of the community should be given priority if there are significant dif- ferences in alternative proposals. Failure to obtain favorable policy decisions from elected officials results in a gradual weakening of long term planning efforts. Hence an aware citizenery may be able to stimu— late favorable long term policy decisions by actively voicing its views to the governing body. Municipal Officials Municipal Officials are usually equipped with professional skills or technical training. Their functions are specialized and mainly concern the solution of day to day problems. Under some forms of government, a city manager is responsible fer directing the individual functions of all departmental people. The small community prObably would not have more than four or five official departments (including the school super- intendent who is not subject to city control). Frequently these depart- ment heads will be responsible for more than one municipal function so as to utilize their time more efficiently. 5. Since municipal officials are normally preoccupied with daily programs of municipal operation, they rarely have sufficient time to analyze the long term needs of the community. For example, a recreation director is concerned with such matters as hiring staff, maintaining and re- quisitioning equipment, organizing and scheduling athletic programs, preparing a budget and generally supervising the activities of his de- partment. Normally he would not have the time or expertise to project the city's population, survey all natural resources, classify various facilities, do mapping, evaluate his facilities in terms of accepted standards, correlate future recreation needs with such other come munity facilities as schools, and traffic routes, and finally his ap- praisal of future needs may be biased by continual budget (or policy) pressures toeeonomize. For the most part, municipal officials are not 1 Even in an easy position to take the long term comprehensive view. resident planners, working full time fer the community may find theme selves amidst a variety of administrative functions which reduce their effectiveness to approach long range planning. In the larger come munities, planning departments frequently have a staff section that devotes much of its energy solely to the task of long range planning. It would duplicate efforts fer each municipal department to pre- pare its own population projection, and the results may differ sig- nificantly from one another. All departments should operate from a single study of future population. The 19h8 edition of Local Planning Administration supports this concept in the section ”Re- lationships with City Officials," with the fellowing: ”The Planning Commission can also aid greatly in developing programs and plans that involve more than one department and in collecting basic data that are useful to several departments, thus avoiding duplication of effort." 6. Perhaps the single most serious shortcoming of long range depart- mental planning, is the inherent lack of coordination with other de- partments, or other agencies within the community. A good example is the frequent conflict between municipal government and the school dis- trict with jurisdiction over the same area. This conflict is particu- larly noticeable among smaller communities and makes the task of good coordination extremely difficult. The role of municipal officials in terms of planning effectuation is to carry out particular elements of the comprehensive plan through suc- cessive stages of development. This is accomplished most directly through recommendations in the annual capital budget, which should re— flect proposals in the plan and capital improvement program. In order for these officials to effectively relate their Specialized area of work to the general development policies of the community - as expressed in the plan - they must be involved in the comprehensive planning pro- gram from the beginning. Failure to achieve rapport with municipal officials on a continuing basis may preclude the implementation of im— portant long term.objectives. The scope of the day to day work of municipal officials must be broadened to include the underlying policies of the plan. Citizens With minor exception, it is the citizen who makes up the membership of local planning commissions and other civic groups. While it is true that nearly all planning commissions have representation from the or- ganized sector of the community, this does not imply that the "man in the street" is excluded. 7. Citizens have as their major function the task of reviewing and under— standing various planning prOposals on community development projects. If they serve on a planning commission their dutues are enumerated in state enabling statutes, wherein their function includes making recome mendations to elected officials as well as some mandatory review powers. The planning commission is in itself a basic structure for establishing citizen participation in the municipality. According to statute, the members must be representative of a variety of professional and occupa— tional fields. Other forms of citizen planning organizations (such as advisory committees) are essentially refinements of the planning come mission concept of citizen review, citizen understanding, and citizen response to proposals for development or redevelopment. Citizens from the unorganized sector of local society are usually diffi— cult to reach, since they do not belong to the major civic groups of the community. NewSpaper accounts, radio and television broadcasts, and Special informational bulletins are the most accepted means of bringing their attention to planning efforts. In those instances where a pro- posed project directly affects or interests citizens, they may respond with letters to the editor, Sign petitions, attend hearings and/or alert public officials of their desires. If the matter is of no direct concern, the citizens normally would not volunteer their opinions. Perhaps the most direct means of reaching citizens are through measures which in— volve personal interviews, mailed questionnaires or special citizen com- mittees. Persons who have a prominent community orientation or interest often stand out as community leaders. Executives in local industry, large land owners, doctors, church or club officers, and renowned family names 8. typify citizens who have a deep influence upon the affairs of small towns. These citizens may come from either the organized or unorgan- ized sector of society and, being respected, are called upon fer ad— vice. Their local prestige is a significant factor in selling ideas for various community improvements; hence, it is advisable to seat such persons on a planning body or otherwise engage their counsel in an ad- visory capacity. Citizen leaders working closely with, or in support of, the planning commission can have a strong effect on morale. Respect for a leader's prestige can be a stimulus for members of a planning body to participate more fully in affairs affecting community growth. This motivating effect of leaders can also work in reverse; particularly if his views are counter to that of the general planning program. Building con- fidence in planning work may well be a leader's most significant con- tribution to the plan, therefore, it is critical for the planner to expose prominent citizens to the planning work in progress. EVALUATION CRITERIA FROM SELECTED CASE STUDIES In developing a framework or guide for evaluating the St. John's citi— zens participation program, it is necessary to first identify the basic components of citizen participation and then explore some actual work- ing programs. For the purposes of this paper, the author envisions three basic elements of citizen participation, as linked to the pro- cess of community planning. The fi£§t_relates to educating citizens as to the scope and meaning of community planning. This element is exemplified in small towns where University staff, planning consultants, or regional planning agencies endeavor to impart direct knowledge of how communities grow and what can be done to encourage better forms of development. Usually this kind of information is intended to reach a maximum.number of local citizens. The second element involves the pre- paration of a comprehensive or master plan. This element is Specific in that it embodies the general work and scope of community planning exemplified by the operations of a planning commission. The phigd.ele- ment is the use of citizens to effectuate a definite community project, such as a new highway, library, park, band shell, or similar facility, which ultimately results in effectuating the comprehensive plan. This is perhaps the most widely recognized form of citizen involvement. Hence, the three elements of citizen participation may be listed as follows: 1. General Planning Education 2. Comprehensive Planning Programs 3. Individual Project DeveIOpments Although the basic components may be separated for discussion purposes, each is interrelated with the other. Moreover they may exist separately, partially, or in combination, in any community, at any given time. His- 9. 10. torically, element three has been most prominent. Citizens working on Specific projects began to realize that there was a larger Sphere of planning activity that had to be recognized before the project plans could be considered competent. The mayor's "blue ribbon" committee is typical of this approach. Finally, as comprehensive planning'became more widely understood, the need fer educating citizens on planning be— came apparent. Comprehensive planning as practiced today actually in- volves all three elements in a simultaneous process, geared to effec- tuate the best long term development patterns fer the community. In- dividual projects are best carried out when planned in concert with other community needs, and when prOperly announced to the citizenery (educational aspect). The fbllowing cases of citizen oriented planning programs were selec— ted partly on the basis of the author's experience in the community, and partly on the availability of reasonably good examples. The in— tent is to present as many different approaches to the subject as is practical. It should be noted that the cases discussed below are not limited to small communities, but they do relate to the basic elements of citizen participation as discussed in the feregoing paragraphs. Detroit Metropolitan Area Regional Planning Commission The Detroit Regional Planning Commission was among the first planning commissions to complete basic elements of a metropolitan area plan. Logically the next step was to establish a program for promoting and implementing the plan, a formidable task in a metrOpolitan region which contains over a hundred and fifty separate municipalities. Since there is no single develOpment authority to effectuate elements of the plan on a region-wide basis, it was deemed necessary to implement at the ll. local level. The approach in this case was to organize local come munities with common development relationships into sub—regional units, wherein the growth problems of the total region could be analyzed in greater detail and in reference to smaller segments of the metrOpoli- tan region. Not only did this create a framework within which the pro— cess of general planning education could be carried out, but it also provided a systematic means fer local informational feedback. The sub-regional units established in the Detroit MetrOpolitan Area were called Development Areas and were organized under Development Area Councils. Local trade areas, school service areas, and land use barri— ers (expressways, railroads, industrial corridors etc.) were the prin- cipal criteria used to define a Development Area, although the final boundaries were adjusted to coincide with local governmental units. Work in the Development Areas involved detailing the General Regional Plan for a given DevelOpment Area and holding regular meetings with the Development Area Councils, which functioned in the capacity of an area planning commission. Through these meetings, the plan could be ex~ plained in full and the local units of government were better able to understand how they related to the metropolitan area. By design, nearly every Development Area Council had an incorporated city or village as its focal point. Hence local news media and other communication channels could be effective in dispensing information on the activities of the Development Area Council. As a concept fer citi- zen participation from a regional level, the DevelOpment Area Councils appear highly logical, and where tested proved to be reasonably suc— cessful. Two factors however, are necessary to make the Development Area concept a success: one involves adequate financing to staff and 12. program the active councils, and the second involves the preparation of comprehensive local plans to maintain local interest. This would mean the introduction of element three of the citizen's participation process; that of working with Specific projects. In actual practice the Regional Planning Commission consistently lacked the necessary staff and financing to sustain numerous active councils. Hence, only a few communities in the Detroit Region ever obtained a sound understanding of planning at either the regional or the local level through the development area technique. In time, local planning assistance funds from the Federal Government enabled individual come munities to embark on their own planning program, thereby decreasing their need to rely on regional planning staff for technical assistance in preparing plans. The formation of county planning commissions fur- ther removed the regional commission from local planning functions. It must be recognized, however, that the general acceptance of pro- fessional consultants and county planning agencies was due in part to the early educational efforts of the regional planning commission. Moreover, the technical reports prepared by the Regional Planning Come mission proved to be valuable reference material in the local planning programs which followed. Washtenaw County, Michigan The Washtenaw County Planning Commission, with offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan, established a county-wide program of education to stimulate interest in, and an understanding of, land use planning. The technique for undertaking this effort was not unlike the Development Area Councils used by the Detroit MetrOpolitan Area Regional Planning Commission. The geographic area of Washtenaw County was divided into smaller units and 13. designated Community Areas. Each Community Area was composed of one urban focal point with its surrounding influence area. One of these sub—county units experienced planning successes related to the subject area of this paper and is discussed in the following paragraphs. The Milan Area Regional Planning Commission is in one organized Come munity Area of Washtenaw County. In this area the elected officials and citizens from one village and four townships (centered half in Monroe County and half in Washtenaw County) joined in a cooperative planning effort under the direction of the Washtenaw County Planning Commission to achieve an impressive record of accomplishment. In sketch form, the Milan Area program evolved as fellows: The general need for planning at the local level was stressed on many occasions by the county planning staff. A new interstate highway was planned, and eventually constructed, through the village and two town- ships. This, along with the loss of several industrial employers and declining retail sales, created a "crisis factor" which stimulated the local governmental units to work jointly toward their future. With the technical and financial backing of Washtenaw County, and a shared financial contribution from the five local units of government, the Milan Area Regional Planning Commission was fermed. In addition to available county staff, a part time technical assistant (a graduate student from the University of Michigan) was hired to research this community area and prepare a "sketch plan" to guide future develop— ment. In the course of preparing the Sketch plan, a good deal of local in- terest was stimulated over existing problems, declining industrial base, and a parallel reduction in retail sales. The area planning 1h. commission, as the first local group to consider local problems on a broad scale, was able to arouse local businessmen to take an active role in the prOgram. An economic subcommittee of the planning come mission led to the formation of a local Industrial Development Corpora— tion. As the plan neared completion, a number of critical answers were obtained in regard to business district improvements, prime industrial areas, transportation advantages, potential housing areas, and a number of related subjects. At this phase of the prOgram a large town meeting was held in the high school auditorium for the purpose of explaining progress on the planning commission's work to area residents. In addié tion to several prepared talks, Milan's mayor publicly announced that a small new industry would soon begin operating in Milan. This proved to be the beginning of a successful drive for new economic activity. To actively assist, the Washtenaw County Planning Commission published an industrial promotional brochure for the Milan area. This report focused local interest on matters of industrial development and was successful even if no tangible industrial developments can be directly credited to the publication. At the end of some three years of intensive work in the Milan Area, the industrial picture brightened significantly with a hO% increase in the industrial labor ferce. One of the first ground breakings, fer a new plastics research plant, was a well-promoted event complete with local dignitaries, invited guests, the high school band, and numerous area residents. Obtaining the land fer this new industrial operation proved to be a project requiring wide participation, since the land had to be annexed from an adjacent township so that municipal water and sewerage facilities 15. could be provided. The inter—community organization of the Milan Area Planning Commission was an important fact in the ultimate success of obtaining the new industry. As a tribute to the success story of the Milan area, the Michigan Week Achievement Award in Washtenaw County was presented to the Milan Area Regional Planning Commission fer its part in "developing a sound economic atmosphere and a climate favorable to business and industry in the Milan area."1 Some important reasons for the Milan success story in planning and development were: 1. The presence of serious problems which threatened the economic welfare of the community, and a county planning commission which recognized these basic problems. 2. The establishment of an inter-community organization, the Milan Area Regional Planning Commission, to effectively engage in a comprehensive planning study. 3. An Interstate expressway then was a new community factor which aroused the interest of both local community leaders and the "man in the street" citizen. h. The availability of numerous agencies concerned with community deveIOpment problems who volunteered to spend time in the come munity. These included: the Detroit Metropolitan Area Regional Planning Commission, the University of Michigan, Michigan Indus- trial Ambassadors, the Michigan Consolidated Gas Co., the Detroit Edison Co., the U. S. Department of Commerce, and a number of County agencies. Each of these agencies came to Milan by in- vitation and addressed the Planning Commission on development matters that should be solved. 1 From an article printed in the Ann Arbor News, April 2h, 196A. 16. Perhaps the Milan situation is unusual in that a small village and four rural townships joined together to explore mutual problems. Pre- vious to the formation of this local Regional Planning Commission, all of the traditional problems associated with political barriers were present. It was also a unique experience in that the new regional planning commission aroused more interest, accomplished more work and, in general, out-perfbrmed the established village planning commission in Milan. City_of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Although not entirely applicable to small community planning, the City of Philadelphia has some rather interesting and widely publicized citi— zen participation elements. In Philadelphia, citizen participation be- gan before the establishment of an official planning program under the auspices of a Citizens Council, which was instrumental in getting a planning commission organized. Today the Citizens Council is still ac- tive and promotes the work of the official planning commission in the following manner: 1. Organizes neighborhood improvement associations, and sponsors regular meetings at the neighborhood level. PrOposed capital outlays and other improvements for the neighborhood area are discussed, with speakers from public agencies and city depart— ments usually participating. 2. Larger geographic areas of Philadelphia are approached through a town meeting technique, bringing together numerous organiza- tion representatives. Here the mayor, Planning Director, or Department heads explain area-wide prOposed deveIOpments or those concerning more than a single neighborhood. Time is 17. allotted for questions, answers, and comments from the floor. 3. City-wide citizen participation is promoted through advisory committees, in a manner Similar to that used by most large planning commissions. A. Recently initiated was a program centered around meetings called "Delegates Planning Meetings". City-wide in sc0pe, the Delegates are representatives from major civic and busi- ness organizations in Philadelphia (two from each). Monthly meetings are held in city hall for the purpose of discussing a particular planning topic, such as: the library, recreation, transportation, zoning, and the like. Though oriented to a large metropolitan city, the Philadelphia pro- gram has some potentials for small town application. For example, neighborhood meetings could be related to the elementary school ser- vice area. A PTA group is actually interested in prOposed improve— ments within their "neighborhood". The next level of participation would be city-wide. Here the town meeting or Delegate meeting idea has valid application for airing planning proposals, obtaining citizen reaction and otherwise discussing community problems. One of the more unusual approaches to bringing the citizen closer to the planning process in Philadelphia is the citizen's annual review of the six year Capital Improvements Program. Briefly, the Citizen Council has a Public Improvements sub-committee, which in turn has sub-committees that work on prOposed projects with department heads. Members visit project areas, ask citizen opinions at the neighborhood level, compare notes, and recommend the projects deemed most vital to the City Council. Although simplified here, the whole procedure appears to hold a great 18. potential for arousing citizen interest as it reportedly does in Phila- delphia. As a rule, citizens are concerned about matters which involve public expenditures, and include bond issues, tax levies and tax rates. Issues of millage increases for school bonding is a continuing'problem.among Michigan school districts. Once the school bonding pr0posal is placed on the ballot (or prOposed to be so placed) the citizen becomes very concerned, often is vocal, and demands evidence of need. Hence, it is not unusual to find local school boards appointing citizen committees to study the school district capital expenditures, thereby reversing the process of gaining public understanding of why and how projects be— come reality. In Philadelphia, this idea has worked so well that the City Council gave financial assistance toward the committee's work. To illustrate effec- tiveness the City Council made 89 changes in their 1959 Capital Improve- ments Program before adoption. Seventy-five of these changes were recom- mended by the Citizens Committee.l Sault Ste. Marie,_Michigan Another program of citizen involvement which bears mention was under- taken in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. This community had several ex- posures to planning thought, but the first significant cityawide study was not begun until 1958. Staff from the Institute of Community Develop- ment Services, Michigan State University, used the Sault as a test for 1 Journal of the American Institute of Planners, "Planning and DeveIOp- ment in Philadelphia, Citizen Participation," August 1960, Volume XXVI, Number 3, p. 198. 19. IBM data processing techniques in a land use study for planning pur- poses. In this land use study, citizens were used to gather land use data on field sheets (maps). Specially prepared data Sheets were then filled out for each parcel of land to record the field survey findings. These data were eventually transferred to IBM cards and tabulated by machine. Subsequently an existing land use report, a population study, and a preliminary land use plan were prepared. Overall the study took some two years to complete and resulted in a good deal of citizen contact with the planning process. From'the Sault study effort it is difficult to cite many Specific items related to widespread citizen acceptance or understanding of municipal planning and development projects. However, the author has Since become involved in a complete updating of the Sault Ste. Marie Plan under the auspices of a federal planning assistance grant. From work with the community it is significant that: l. The local planning commission is a group of citizens with con— cern fer the future of their community. Detailed minutes of proceedings are kept of each meeting which normally has a good deal of active discussion among the members. Both city depart- ment heads and elected officials are represented on the planning commission; hence, there is established liaison among citizens, technicians, and policy-makers. In addition, the minutes of several other municipal working committees are filed with the planning commission and distributed along with their own regular minutes. 20. 2. Formal presentations of technical planning studies by con- sultants normally occupy only one item of a long working agenda. The chairman ensures a thorough discussion of each item. When no official action is taken on planning commission recommendations there is active follow—up to aScertain the reason. It is a strong point that day-to—day problem solve ing is a major aspect of the commission's work. 3. The City's elected officials have also displayed an awareness of development problems, and tend to agree more than disagree with planning commission recommendations. Mbreover, in the face of a declining industrial economy, the city purchased some 1300 feet of river front land for park and recreation purposes. This was perhaps an unusual perceptiveness on the part of an economically depressed community to invest some $100,000 in the tourist aspects of the local economy. Formerly the Sault was an industrially oriented community and tourism was secondary. However, the changing character of the local economy is dramatized by the fact that the Sault lost over 80% of its manufacturing labor farce between 1950 and 1963. Thus, after several years of continued exposure to the planning pro- cess, it appears that the various community elements are functioning in a sophisticated manner. Perhaps more importantly, these elements are aware of local development potentials. Santa Barbara County, Califbrnia Functioning somewhat like the Citizens Council in Philadelphia, Santa Barbara County has a Citizens Planning Association. Its stated purpose is to provide the strong backing needed by official planning commissions 21. throughout the County. Their program for action on a County-wide basis includes the following: 1. Researching long-range area planning. 2. Infbrming the general public through meetings and news media of problems and planning. 3. Working with public and private agencies on all problems of the economy, natural resources, and development. A. Establishing liaison among various groups to facilitate the flow of infbrmation. 5. Promoting the creation or establishment of improvement groups at the local level. 6. Representing itself at major planning meetings. From the list of endeavors, the Santa Barbara Citizens P1anning.Associ- ation covers a broad Spectrum of activity. In fact, many would be con— strued as duplications or usurpation of functions normally undertaken by a planning commission. Emphasizing a key phrase in its purpose, strong backipg, would imply that this group investigates the facts of a development issue and publicly states its position. Undoubtedly planning commission resources are used. As an added voice in develop- ment matters, both local and county planning agencies find the ne- cessary support to be more aggressive in their work to influence pub- lic policy. 1 "Citizen Action for Community Planning," Planning and Civic Comment, Vol. 26, No. A, December, 1960, pages 28-30. SCOPE AND NATURE OF CITIZEN PARTICIPATION In order to establish a broader base of infbrmation on which to evaluate the St. John's program, a number of planning officials from the United States and Canada were interviewed by letter. A deliberate effort was made to reach planning directors representing different types of planning agencies. Of the 50 names selected, ten replied, and these are listed in the appendix. Each of the planners interviewed was asked to express his opinion on several key facets of citizen participation in he planning process. Their comments are listed individually and in composite farm by appro— priate Subject area on the following pages. No attempt was made to correlate the selected comments with individuals, as some expressed the desire not to be quoted. Definitions of Citizen Participation Of itself, the term citizen participation is quite broad and may be interpreted to include a wide range of activities. In order to give a clearer understanding of citizen involvement in community planning, a few selected comments from.the professional planners are listed below.1 1. Generally, citizen participation is twofold, either in the fbrm of advisory or working committees assisting the munici- pality, or other citizen groups which function independently from the governing body, such as service clubs and property owner's associations. 1 Comments listed herein have been modified and combined and thus are not shown in quotations. 22. 23. 2. Citizen participation is no more than the normal involvement which is theoretically expected from an infbrmed citizen in a democratic society. Converting this into what would approach even a form of mass action may be carrying the process a bit too far (some exception in Urban Renewal). 3. A good citizen participation program is one in which the insti- tutions of the community are actively involved in a dialogue that results in community objectives. h. Citizen participation may be defined as a taking part in the planning process by those who will be affected by the plans. 5. To some extent citizen participation has become a cliche' that is now in vogue and can harm responsible local government if irre3ponsibly advocated. Based on the feregoing, it may be concluded that citizen participation is primarily an advisory vehicle, designed to facilitate communication between the planning function and those who are to be affected by the plans. It is deemed significant that citizen participation was viewed as a normal activity, operating through the established structure of local society. An Opinion not listed above expressed the idea that local government in the small community is also considered to be citizen participation. None suggested the desirability of organizing a citizens group that would operate over and above the established community structure. This, however, should not be interpreted to mean that such an organization would necessarily be undesirable. Citizens Who Participate in Planning, Having developed some reasonable definitions of citizen participation, 2h. it is pertinent to identify the range of citizens who should be brought into the process. The fOllowing statements typify the thinking of the professionals interviewed: 1. Citizens who participate in planning work should come from var- ious strata of the local society. In most cases they are selec- ted from among the upper levels of society. 2. The range of citizens who "should" participate extends from the average citizen, through a special meeting in small communities, to the well-organized goal-oriented group in larger areas. 3. There Should be an opportunity fer the unorganized sector of the public to have their Opinions heard and considered. The "man in the street" who is not a part of the institutionalized structure of the community is too frequently overlooked. The planners agree that virtually all sectors of local society should participate in the planning process. MOreover there is a general recoge nition that the "man in the street" citizen has fewer opportunities to advise on planning matters. Perhaps this condition is not unusual as those citizens who are part of the organized sector of society are accustomed to group work and therefbre have developed more interest in community affairs. HOwever, the professionals imply that there Should be greater concern fer the "man in the street" citizen, as he too can materially contribute to the process of goal formulation. Purpose and Need for Citizen Participation The purpose and need for citizen participation can be interpreted in part from.the definitions section above. HOwever, the general recog- nition that citizen participation is a distinct function of the planning process stems from.the belief that the Older farms of public involvement 25. were too limited. This thinking is supported by Mr. Stuart Chapin who notes: "Partly because of’the lack of understanding of the nature and purposes of city planning and the consequent public apathy to planning proposals, and partly because of a genuine interest in bringing planning deci— sions closer to the ultimate consumers of planning, city planners to- "1 day are devoting increasing attention to civic relations. He noted further that the Older approaches emphasized "eye-catching re- ports and newspaper articles," which to a degree, is included in the broader concept of citizen participation today. Chapin goes on to state three of the major objectives in today's citizen or public re- lation programs. These are presented in summary fOrm below: 1. Develop an understanding among citizens of the principal physical problems and needs of the community. 2. Cultivate the practice among civic leaders and civic or- ganizations of sharing in the planning process (early and later stages). 3. Provide a medium fOr reporting on planning studies and recommendations to the community.2 It is interesting that the professionals interviewed for this thesis expressed similar views on the overall purposes of citizen participa- tion programs. Some of their comments related to: educating public Stuart F. Chapin, "Perspectives of Land Use Planning," Urban Land Use Planning, Harber & Brothers, Publishers, New York, p. 386. 2 Ibid., p. 368. 26. Officials to the needs of the community, educating citizens of the facts which must be considered, and allowing citizens to examine on a factual basis, some of the problems that may concern them. An appro- priate summary to the fOregoing is one of the planner's statements that "the cooperation of municipal Officials and citizens can evolve plans with economic and social realism." Implied in the above paragraphs is that participating citizens can illuminate the wishes, needs, desires, and capabilities of the come munity, thereby resulting in more rational compromises between pure planning concepts and actual develOpments. Valid compromises, however, need not depend on citizen involvement. Indeed the development condi- tions of a community are subject to change, perhaps more rapidly than the citizen's ability or willingness to recognize new factors. Hence, the planning technician is usually the first to consider concept modi- fications in view of the community situations he encounters through basic research. Use of Citizens Theories on the use of citizens in the planning process range from the advisory role to that Of having citizens do actual planning work. The fellowing statements represent the Opinions of selected professional planners on the subject of valid citizen functions. 1. Citizen participation can be useful in these two stages of the planning process: (1) collection of certain types of data and recognition of trends in the municipality, and (2) representing popular reaction to planning pr0posals. 2. It would be acceptable fOr citizens to work on studies for the purpose of education and pragmatic experience. However, if it 27. is done as a substitute fOr professional work, the results will usually be disappointing. 3. Smaller municipalities with poor finances may employ citizens to work on planning studies; however, it rarely produces satisfactory results. A. One important area in which citizens can participate is that of establishing community goals and objectives. Another area is that of capital budgeting where the goals can be weighed against available revenues. 5. Everyone should not have a free hand in molding the clay of the community plan. However, PTA'S, trade unions, newspapers, re- search councils and the like, should have their opinions and objectives considered in the planning process. 6. It is important that citizen groups know their responsibilities and relationships to the planning agency. When an agency in- vites community reactions and ideas, it must be prepared to consider these suggestions. From the fOregoing it may be concluded that use of citizens in the planning process lies in the area of goal formulation, which entails determining community needs. Even though it is the job of the planner to determine needs on a technical basis, the citizen substantiates these determinations through discussion, and his reactions are a test of their general applicability. This discussion-reaction phase is a key factor in building support for, and confidence in, the final planning recommen- dations (both fer the citizen and the technician). It further supports previous statements that the chief role of citizens is advisory. 28. Some professionals felt that citizens could be asked to work on planning studies fOr educational purposes. In some instances it may result in beneficial work eXperience fOr retired citizens, particularly when a planning program.does have meaningful work to be done by this approach. On the whole, however, it is the general consensus that the role Of study preparation is for the technician rather than the average citizen. In any work with citizen groups it is important to clearly Spell out duties, and responsibilities. The citizen Should not have the idea that he is free to dominate a plan with his impressions, but rather that his contributions can have an influence upon it. One professional noted that "asking a citizen fOr an opinion on a technical matter is a possible invitation to trouble." Plan Implementation An important benefit of programs fOr citizen involvement is to increase the possibility that major elements of the community plan would be imr plemented. This concern grew out of past community experiences when plans were virtually lost in the files of municipal officials. The pro- fessionals interviewed were asked to comment on the importance of citi- zen participation to plan implementation. Their selected replies are listed below: 1. Two major factors which cause plans to fall into obscurity are: (1) lack of activity on the part of the elected Officials, and thus on the part of the assisting groups and committees, and (2) lack of financial resources or prOper municipal budgeting. 2. Those plans that survive the political test of the community, and succeed in achieving political support, are those that are 29. carried out. It cannot be expected that every plan would meet this test. 3. The fact that there is active citizen participation in com- munity planning is not the sole ingredient that leads to suc- cess. Such factors as financing, political ramifications and expediencies, and the impact of a project on the community as a whole, or on neighboring communities is also significant. A. Plans are not implemented fOr many reasons. Perhaps one of the more basic reasons is inherent in the nature of the plan, in that it may be thought of as being a document rather than a process. While none of the above statements suggest that citizen participation ‘will not assist in the process Of plan effectuation, they clearly point out that there are a wide number of other fOrces which come into the picture. A particularly cogent point was the view that plans are thought of as documents rather than as processes. This may be inter- preted to mean that the community may not be an exact replica of the plan twenty (20) years hence, but that the principles of sound develOp- ment Should be fellowed. It is likely that those specific proposals which pass the tests of political and financial expedience would be realized in the twenty year period. Assuming that the fOregoing is essentially true, the key to successful plan implementation can be shown to rest upon citizen involvement. By educating citizens about community needs, and long term develOpment ob- jectives, the fOrces of political acceptance and financial ability can be made to fellow the guides of the plan rather than operating indepen— dently of the best long term needs of the whole community. Viewing 30. citizens in their total community context of officials and residents, the SCOpe of citizen involvement becomes clearer.1 alarm From the statements contained in this chapter it is possible to present a general consensus of how professional planners view citizen participa- tion. These opinions are of interest in that they give some indication as to how citizen participation functions, and also how some profession- als see the citizen working more effectively in the planning process. Foremost, it appears that planners have a definite responsibility to expose the citizen to their planning programs. Some planners noted that the citizen Should be brought into the process in the early phases, at such time as planning concepts have been technically refined. Moreover, the citizen's role is not confined to a few areas of responsibility, but generally works into the entire scope of planning. The citizen's use- fulness will vary with each community and the particular objectives to be achieved. For example, there was a near unanimous opinion that citi- zens Should not actually "work" on a planning study, since this is the responsibility of the trained planner. However, such work may be jus- tified under certain special conditions. This emphasizes the point that 1 An example of this process in Operation could be Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Having experienced catastrOphic industrial losses be- tween 1950 and 1963, this community rallied enough support from its citizenry to finance the construction of a women's dormitory for their small university. Significantly, funds were Obtained from.the surrounding counties as well as the city itself. In this instance, an element of crisis contributed to or provided the cause fOr local community action, but the action Obtained rested on the understanding by area residents of the changing nature of the local economy. 31. a citizen's role is chiefly advisory in nature, a source fOr testing planning ideas (or plans) as well as fOrmulating community goals.l An important point rests on the method used to establish liaison with the citizen. The dominant approach appears to be through existing citizen organizations: PTA, Lions, Rotary, Chambers of Commerce, and related groups. Sometimes Special committees may be fOrmed, as in Ur- ban Renewal. Citizens who are not a part of the organized community structure are exposed through mass communication media which include radio, television, and newspapers. Individuals may then express their view through personal contacts with community officials. Not to be overlooked is the fact that citizens may occasionally be asked to par- ticipate financially on certain community-wide endeavors, either by voted millage or personal contributions. In these instances a good deal of promotional work is essential. 1 The advisory role of citizens applies to planning commission members as well as special study committees. THE ST. JOHNS' CASE STUDY The purpose of this chapter is to present a factual review of the St. Johns Citizen Participation Program, as it proceeded under the direc- tion of both the city and the Institute fOr Community Development and Services, Michigan State University. The fOllowing statement taken from the Initial Outline For St. Johns Citizens Planning Study Committee is an excellent illustration of the overall program Objectives: "The St. Johns community planning program--— is a means of transforming St. Johns from the community "it is" into the kind of place "it wants to be." Description of the City of St. Johns The city of St. Johns is a small selfecontained urban center situated some 20 miles north of and within the regional influence of Lansing, Michigan. St. Johns is also the county seat of Clinton County and is surrounded by some of the richest agricultural soil in the state. Functionally, St. Johns is a center fOr local government, serves a growing retail trade area, provides nearly 700 jobs in manufacturing enterprises and Offers a variety of services for the surrounding agri- cultural area. The physical deveIOpment of St. Johns may in some respects be likened to a storybook village centered among picturesque farm.lands. The old— er residential areas of the community are neat, well maintained, and attractively accented with large shade trees. The community center is dominated by a large masonry courthouse sited on the public square. The square is flanked.by several churches, the high school, and the main street Shopping area. With a touch of imagination it is possible to sense the atmosphere of bustling week—ends of years past when the 32. 33. surrounding farm population came to town in horse drawn vehicles for provisions, socializing, and entertainment. Amidst the serenity Of a small town environment one can also find the signs of a modern city tooling up to meet twentieth century demands. Surrounding the Older urbanized area are new housing developments, new schools, new streets, and even a small Shopping center on the periphery. Moreover, the city is no longer dependent upon railroad transportation, as modern highways cross east to west, and north to south. Drive-in restaurants, motels, and new Offices also reflect the changes which are taking place. Age also shows through in the twentieth century, as Signs of structural Obsolescence can be fOund along main street, in some hous- ing areas and on some street surfaces. More recently the city of St. Johns has taken on some of the character- istics of a bedroom community to Lansing. Although the city has a his- tory of continued population growth, it is gradually accounting fOr less of the total county population. This is due to the weight of Lan- sing's metrOpolitan growth in the southern areas of Clinton County. In 1960, St. Johns' pOpulation was reported at 5,636 peOple, representing a 13.7% increase over the 1950 U.S. Census figure. Public facilities in St. Johns are available to serve the needs of the city and its influence area. A large city park accommodates most city- wide recreational activities. Several major park improvements were provided by active civic organizations. Public assembly Space is avail— able in City Hall, the Courthouse, and school buildings. In addition the city provides a wide array of services including fire protection, water supply and sewage treatment. 3h. Perhaps the most significant development concern of St. Johns is the need to provide necessary community services at a pace equal to its rate of growth. This could become a more serious problem if the "bedroom" function Should become dominant over the years to come. Also the need to check physical obsolescence and modernize the central shopping dis- trict is apparent. Initiating the St. Johns Program During 1957, the city manager of St. Johns felt a need to have the city planning commission re-activated. He discussed this interest with a planning specialist from Michigan State university, who simultaneously was employed by the Institute For Community Development, a public ser- vice agency dedicated to the cause of advising communities on their development problems.1 Following this initial meeting the city manager requested the Institute to assist in the work of re-instating a local planning commission. The Institute agreed to assist and, on April 28, 1958, after two meetings, the new planning commission was officially organized. Thereafter the city manager inquired as to the possible services that the Institute would provide in developing a master plan and capital improvement program. This request began a series of events which resulted in the citizens participation planning program in St. Johns. In reply to the city manager, the director of the Institute expressed interest in an "educationally oriented program of community develOp- ment", and arranged a meeting to work out a possible joint program. The Institute fOr Community Development, hereafter referred to as the Institute, was established with funds provided by the W.K. KellOgg Foundation. Located at MSU'S Kellogg Center, the Institute is physically near to St. John's, hence a convenient source of pro- fessional assistance for the city. 2 Letter from.the Institute director to the planning commission chair- 35. On September 10, 1958, the public meeting was held and resulted in a tentative planning program to be undertaken over a period of three years, to proceed according to the following schedule: First Year would result in the completion of a Community Master Plan, using citizens in the process of plan preparation. Second Year work would entail an analysis of the Master Plan, and fOrmulation of a Capital Outlay Program. Third Year work envisioned a program for up-dating both the Master Plan and the Capital Outlay Program. At this same public meeting, the planning commission discussed the rela- tive merits of hiring a professional planning consultant or of using Institute staff and the facilities Of Michigan State University. By a unanimous vote, the planning commission moved to recommend to the City Council that St. Johns contract with the Institute fOr Community Develop- ment. On October 8, 1958, the St. Johns City Council concurred with the planning commission's decision to employ the Institute, and the program was officially underway. To ensure local sincerity and concern, the city contributed some $2,000. to the prOposed planning effort. The customary practice for the Institute was to proceed with community projects on the strength of a resolution passed by the local governing body, and a return letter of confirmation. Hence, there was no detailed contract spelling out mutual duties, responsibilities, or work items. The agreement between the city and the Institute became effective on October 17, 1958 and contained the fo110wing: 1. St. Johns was committed only to the first year of con- templated.work; 2. The Institute would provide a project coordinator to organize various committees fOr broad citizen participation; 36. 3. The Institute agreed to furnish various subject matter specialists, including urban planners; h. Written reports and maps would be prepared by the Institute; 5. Clerical and drafting services would also be part of the In- stitute's responsibility. Following the agreement, the city planning commission held a meeting to discuss the goals and Objectives of the program, which resulted in a decision to sponsor a large public meeting to inform the entire community of’the impending study effOrt. The Involvement of St. Johns Citizens The St. Johns Planning Commission scheduled the large public meeting in an effort to dramatize the beginning of the community planning study. The purpose of the meeting was to attract as many citizens as possible to explain what could be accomplished through planning. Various come munity organizations received special invitations urging that they in- vite their members to attend. In addition, an appeal was made to the unorganized sector of society, requesting active participation. A driving fOrce behind the community planning program was the St. Johns Chamber of Commerce. This was due, in part, to land use and parking problems in the main business area, and fear of competition from the small Shopping center in the southeast part of the city. Zoning, water supply, and sewage disposal difficulties in the downtown area also con- cerned these local merchants. On the evening Of November 11, 1958, the large initiating meeting was held with more than 100 persons attending. Representation included the city council, industrial managers, civic organizations, and various 37- other segments of the city's population. Advance notice of the meet- ing comprised extensive press coverage, letter campaigns, notices in places of employment, and appeals to various individuals. In view of the attendance figures, the publicity proved effective, enabling the program Sponsors to explain the coming planning work directly to a large number of citizens. The agenda for the meeting was designed to generate as much interest as possible, and contained the fOllowing items: 1. The local news editor, who was a member of an earlier (the first) planning commission, began with a Short talk on the history of the city's large park, the county hOSpital, school system, and related facilities. The role of public Spirit and participation was emphasized, noting how local civic organizations worked toward the realization of some major park improvements, which included a large swimming pool. 2. The chairman of the newly fOrmed planning commission discussed the merits Of re-activating the planning commission, including a description of its functions. 3. The project coordinator from the Institute explained the pur- poses Of his agency, how it was related to Michigan State University, and what it would do in the St. Johns study. A. A prepared Slide talk by the Institute's planning specialist explained some Of the goals to be achieved through planning. Illustrations of accomplishments in other urban centers were used. It was generally agreed by those reSponsible that the public meeting was a success. Planning commission members "evidenced real satis— faction" with the session and were eager to move ahead. Thus was 38. launched a full scale experiment to involve citizens more closely with all phases of the planning process. AS a gesture of support and good will, the Chamber of Commerce publicly contributed $500 to the city planning commission's effort. Organization for Citizen Participation Following the public infOrmational meeting the Institute fOr Community DeveIOpment outlined a broad organizational structure that would in— volve numerous citizens. The names of over one hundred citizens in- terested in participating on study committees were obtained at the pub- lic meeting. The next step in building the citizen committee structure was to establish the planning commission as the steering committee. Under the steering committee arrangement there were fOur basic committees: (1) Social, (2) Physical, (3) Economic and Financial, and (h) Transporta— tion. Under these committees were organized some 16 subcommittees. The task of filling committee positions was carefully controlled by the steering committee. Each person was evaluated as to his particular abilities and willingness to work on a particular study committee. Even the chairman for each committee was selected in advance by the planning commission. Once the tentative committee roster was prepared, a planning commission member was made responsible for contacting each selected citi— zen to obtain his fOrmal acceptance. Generally, the response was excel- lent, as very few citizens declined to serve; however, this enthusiasm waned for some and they were eventually replaced. In all, some 125 citizens agreed to work with the planning commission on the communitydwide study. (See -ChartII, Citizens Organizational structure). 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