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Eagle Pass MPO board approves public participation plan, opens 45-day comment period
Summary
The Eagle Pass Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Policy Board on Feb. 12 approved a public participation plan and authorized a 45-day public comment period to guide outreach on MPO plans and documents.
The Eagle Pass Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Policy Board on Wednesday approved its draft public participation plan and opened a 45-day public comment period to solicit public input on how the MPO will reach residents and stakeholders.
Placido Madera, MPO director, described the document as the MPO's guide to public outreach. “The public participation plan is a required core document as part of a MPO,” Madera said, explaining it sets the MPO's standards for meeting notices, translation and accessibility, and ongoing two-way engagement.
The plan outlines the MPO's goals to “engage and inform, encourage participation [and] facilitate ongoing two-way dialogue,” lists required core planning documents, and identifies traditionally underserved groups the MPO must try to reach, including people with limited English proficiency, low-income residents, older adults and people with disabilities. Madera said the document calls for posting regular meeting schedules and using a mix of social media, local press and direct outreach to organizations with large residential populations.
Tim Waters, a planner with Stanley Consultants, urged board members to review the draft closely. “If anything, our federal and state agencies are really good at is the evaluation of did you follow your public participation plan,” Waters said, stressing the importance of documenting outreach steps in case reviewers later examine the MPO's process.
The board voted to approve the plan and open the 45-day comment window, after which staff will collect comments, group similar items, respond to feedback and, if needed, return to the board with revisions before final adoption. Madera said staff will begin targeted outreach immediately, delivering the draft to entities such as the housing authority and publishing notice of the comment period on social media and other outlets.
Action recorded: a motion to approve the public participation plan and open the 45-day public comment period was made and the board approved the motion by unanimous vote; the transcript does not record a formal roll-call tally.
The comment period begins after the board's approval; comments received during the period will be compiled and addressed by MPO staff and consultants, and the board will consider any substantive changes before final adoption.
