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APC staff says public participation plan will be updated after INDOT request
Summary
APC staff presented a planned update to the Public Participation Plan, citing INDOT's request and federal changes to nondiscrimination and outreach rules; the plan (last updated in 2021) will be shortened and include modern translation tools.
Aria Staiger, Area Plan Commission staff, told the Area Plan Commission of Tippecanoe County Citizen Participation Committee on March 11 that the commission will update its Public Participation Plan (PPP) at the request of the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT).
The PPP is a policy document that guides how APC collects public feedback for major planning efforts such as the Thoroughfare Plan and the Metropolitan Transportation Plan, Staiger said. "The PPP includes residents of Tippecanoe County and anyone passing through like commuters and tourists," she said, and it outlines strategies, engagement methods and sustained communications to ensure broad participation and legal compliance.
Staiger said federal requirements, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Civil Rights Act, shape outreach and nondiscrimination obligations. The PPP was last updated in 2021 and is currently 32 pages; staff told the committee the goal is to make it more concise, incorporate lessons learned, and take advantage of lower-cost translation technologies to improve accessibility.
INDOT has requested the update to reflect federal changes related to public outreach and nondiscrimination, Staiger said. She described outreach tools under consideration such as social media, streamed meetings, surveys and clearly posted comment periods, as well as ongoing communication channels between the public and the APC office.
No formal action on the PPP was taken at the March 11 meeting. Staiger said staff will evaluate the scope of changes, incorporate required federal considerations, and share updates and meeting recordings online as the process proceeds.
