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Killeen approves revised citizen participation plan after public criticism about outreach and access
Summary
The City of Killeen adopted revisions to its citizen participation plan to clarify staff and CDAC roles, update substantial amendment criteria, and accommodate council meeting scheduling, after public commenters raised concerns about outreach, availability of materials and meeting notices.
The City of Killeen adopted a revised citizen participation plan Monday that updates procedures for community input on HUD-funded programs and clarifies responsibilities for Community Development staff and the Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC).
Miss McNair, Community Development staff, said HUD requires a citizen participation plan and that the proposed revisions would clarify staff and CDAC responsibilities, update criteria for what constitutes a substantial amendment, replace individual staff names in the plan with staff positions as points of contact, and add language to accommodate the city council schedule so public hearings would not start before 5 p.m. "The citizen participation plan provides a framework through which residents can have input and influence over proposed community development activities," Miss McNair said.
During public comment, Melissa Brown criticized the city's outreach and documentation practices. Brown said the document the city prepared to describe public outreach measures appeared blank in the CAPER and said meeting notices that state hearings will occur "immediately following" city council sessions were insufficient because regular council meetings begin at 3 p.m. and the public cannot reliably know when hearings will begin. Brown also said meeting materials should be readily available online and that community planning meetings should be held in locations and at times accessible to low- and moderate-income residents and non-English speakers.
Miss McNair responded that the city's mailing list for the process had more than 700 recipients and that staff posts notices and makes draft materials available at specific public locations, but she acknowledged an omission in recording comments from a prior June meeting. Staff reiterated that public hearings would not be scheduled to start before 5 p.m. to improve accessibility.
Council action: A councilmember moved to adopt the revised citizen participation plan as a memorandum/resolution and the motion passed 6–0. The revision does not require an ordinance; staff recommended adoption by resolution.
The record shows the plan's revision history back to the plan's initial adoption in July 1988, with subsequent revisions in January 1995, April 1998, January 2011, January 2018 and April 2020. Staff cited HUD rule 24 CFR section 91.105 as the governing citizen participation requirement for participating jurisdictions.
Ending: With council adoption, the revised plan becomes the city's stated framework for public notice and engagement on HUD‑funded programs; public commenters asked staff to ensure online availability of documents and more proactive outreach to non‑English speaking and community-based organizations.
