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Council and residents press for planning-and-zoning board to lead public outreach on city comprehensive plan
Summary
Council members and citizens urged the planning-and-zoning board to drive the rewrite of Harahan's comprehensive plan and to hold advertised public meetings with the consultant rather than informal town halls; discussion focused on advertising and participation.
Members of the Harahan City Council and residents debated how best to conduct community outreach and involve the planning-and-zoning board in updating the city's comprehensive plan during the council meeting.
Several council members and residents said consultant Steve Villavasso (name variously transcribed in the meeting) has been holding public presentations and town-hall style sessions, and they urged that such work occur as part of formal, advertised planning-and-zoning meetings so the board can consider the consultant's draft and develop a recommendation to the council. "The community input should be at a planning and zoning meeting," a council member said during the exchange.
Participants noted low turnout at a recent session and the difficulty of recruiting volunteers for board service. Council members suggested better advertising, including use of the city website and social media, and discussed holding planning-and-zoning sessions in the council chambers or senior center to improve accessibility and public participation.
Council members discussed the legal constraints of the Open Meetings Law, noting that planning-and-zoning board members are a voting body and must conduct deliberations in an open meeting. The council advised the consultant and staff that future sessions intended to collect public comment should be formally posted as public meetings of the planning-and-zoning board so that board members can hear the same input the consultant receives.
No formal action was taken; council members asked staff to improve outreach and to coordinate with the planning-and-zoning board and the consultant to ensure the process is properly noticed and that minutes are recorded for any meetings with draft materials.
