05 26 26 Public Involvement Plan for Tolleson General Plan Update
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Public Involvement Plan Tolleson General Plan | Page 2 Public Involvement Plan May 2026 Table of Contents Overview ...................................................................... 3 General Plan Requirements .......................................... 4 Project Team and Committees ...................................... 5 Public Participation Strategies ....................................... 7 Public Participation Timing ......................................... 10 Public Involvement Plan Tolleson General Plan | Page 3 OVERVIEW The City of Tolleson initiated an update to the existing City of Tolleson General Plan 2024 originally adopted by City Council in 2014. The update will establish a contemporary community vision, goals, policies, and implementation tasks for Tolleson's growth and provision of City services. Regular updates of the general plan are required every 10 years in accordance with the Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S. § 9-461). As Tolleson's primary policy document, the predominant purpose of the update process is to confirm the general plan remains relevant, responds to new opportunities, and addresses challenges facing the City. The main objective of the Project Team is that the general plan will be built on a considerably broad and thorough community engagement program. Throughout this process, community participants will have the opportunity to learn about the primary policy areas of the plan; hear from other community members; provide comments and feedback on existing plan elements, new considerations, and strategies; identify challenges they are currently facing and explore potential opportunities. To propel the community engagement program efforts, this Public Involvement Plan (PIP) describes the activities and community outreach methods that will be utilized to engage the public and attract a broad audience to participate in the General Plan Update (GPU). The PIP will: • Comply with Arizona statutory requirements. • Introduce the Project Team and establish committees. • Define participation strategies. • Provide an anticipated participation timeline. The PIP is a dynamic document that will evolve, adapting tools and techniques to meet community needs. Events and activities may be added throughout the planning process to engage more residents, property owners, and businesses in Tolleson. The purpose is to capture the community's interests, remarks, comments, and opinions and gather contextual data effectively. This data will play an important role in guiding the Project Team’s approach to developing a plan that accurately reflects the overarching interests of the community. The GPU will be derived from a public participation and input process in which community feedback is used to develop the community-informed vision statement, goals, policies, maps, and implementation actions. Public Involvement Plan Tolleson General Plan | Page 4 GENERAL PLAN REQUIREMENTS Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) 9-461.06 require that a municipality readopt or update its general plan every ten years. Furthermore, A.R.S. § 9-461.06(C)(1) requires that the governing body (the City of Tolleson’s City Council) adopt a written PIP that provides: • the broad dissemination of proposals and alternatives; • the opportunity for written comments; • public hearings after effective notice; • open discussions, communication programs, and information services; • and consideration of public comments. Statutorily, the required policy areas that the GPU will address include land use and circulation (transportation). Additional optional elements, such as growth area, housing, recreation, open space, environment, water resources, and cost of development, may be included as the Project Team delves further into the process. During the GPU process, a city must also consult with, advise, and provide an opportunity for official comment by public officials and agencies; school districts; adjacent entities, including public utility companies; civic and professional organizations; property owners; and residents. This PIP meets the statutory requirement to promote meaningful, inclusive, and productive public engagement, providing practical, early, and continuous notification and participation opportunities from all geographic, ethnic, and economic areas within the City of Tolleson throughout the entire GPU process, culminating in City Council adoption. Tolleson’s Evolving the World Sculpture, Source: City of Tolleson Public Involvement Plan Tolleson General Plan | Page 5 PROJECT TEAM AND COMMITTEES Project Team The Project Team includes key City of Tolleson staff members and the consultant team. Led by Logan Simpson, the consultant team includes representatives from Elliot D. Pollack & Company and Kimley-Horn. Many support staff from the City of Tolleson and the consultant team will also be lending their expertise through the GPU process. Technical Advisory Committee The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) will be comprised of City representatives from various departments that will provide technical input as subject matter experts. The TAC members will review and comment on the content of the GPU as it is prepared. The TAC members will also participate in technical interviews, plan audits, and public events. Some of those departments include: • Development Services • Fire • Parks & Recreation • Polic • Government & Public Affairs • Utilities • Finance Project Team Chris Hamilton City Project Manager, Project Engineer Brett Harris Building Official Jason Earp Development Services and Economic Development Director Nico Gasca Public Affairs Jacqueline Ochoa Public Affairs Terri Hogan, Logan Simpson Project Manager Laney Corey, Logan Simpson Assistant Project Manager McKayla Dunfey, Logan Simpson Innovation Lead Rick Merritt, Elliot D. Pollack & Company Housing, Cost of Development, and Economic Growth Lead Chris Joannes, Kimley-Horn Transportation and Infrastructure Lead Ryan McKell, Kimley-Horn Transportation and Infrastructure Support Public Involvement Plan Tolleson General Plan | Page 6 Community Advisory Committee The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) will be comprised of a select, diverse group of Tolleson community members. The CAC will be asked to provide their input and perspective throughout the GPU, and they will have the opportunity to review and comment on the plan's content as it is prepared. Up to three meetings will be held with the CAC at strategic project milestones. A kickoff meeting with the CAC will take place in July 2026. Boards and Commissions Throughout the GPU process, the Project Team will present to and solicit feedback and direction from the City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission. Early and continuous involvement of elected and appointed officials is critical to the GPU effort. Kick off meetings with both the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council are planned for May 2026, and regular updates will be provided throughout the project. Public hearings are anticipated to be held with the City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission in Spring 2027. Comments and considerations from other city boards may be sought, and updates will be provided by staff throughout the various points during the GPU. Community Groups All community members and interest groups will be invited to participate throughout the GPU process. The following list provides a general outline of the types of groups that may be engaged throughout the process. During the Summer of 2026, it is anticipated that members of these groups will be interviewed, as described in the Listening Sessions section of this report. Community Groups City Elected Officials, Boards & Commissions Chamber of Commerce Businesses, Employers, Landowners, Developers State, Federal, County, and other Local Agencies Special Districts and Utilities HOAs / Retirement Communities Educational Institutions Non-Profit Groups Youth Groups Health Organizations Sports and Cultural Facilities Faith Based/ Cultural Groups Public Involvement Plan Tolleson General Plan | Page 7 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION STRATEGIES Public participation is a key component of an inclusive and comprehensive planning process. Meaningful input from the community provides valuable direction to inform the GPU’s vision, goals, and policies, and ensures that the City and the Project Team hear and respond to the community's needs and desires. Engagement best practices that will be employed include: • Inclusivity: Use of varied methods of communication to reach all community segments. • Transparency: Clearly defined purposes and possible outcomes of engagement opportunities. • Follow through: Close the engagement loop by sharing the input collected and how it was used in the GPU. Unique Project Branding Using the City's style and branding guidelines, the Project Team will create a unique look and feel that will be used throughout the GPU to promote uniformity and familiarity with the plan. The branding and tagline will be used on all promotional materials and takeaways to help propel the GPU by keeping community members aware of the plan from the beginning to the end of the update process. City Logo: Project Name: Tolleson General Plan Update Project Tagline Considerations: • Plan Tolleson • Tolleson Together • Tolleson Tomorrow • Tolleson POP (Plan for our People) • Tolleson PATH (Planning for All, Today & Hereafter) • Tolleson FOCUS (Family, Opportunity, Community, Unity, Strength) Fonts: Comfortaa & Source Sans Pro Color Palette: Public Involvement Plan Tolleson General Plan | Page 8 Inclusive Engagement The Project Team believes that all community members should have a voice in the GPU. The following includes anticipated events and techniques that are intended to engage as many community members as possible throughout the process. Specific details of these activities will be broadly advertised and published on the City website and Project Website as well as city social media. • ENGAGEMENT TRACKING: Demographic and geographic information will be collected throughout the GPU process to gauge participation. Using this information and an engagement tracking tool, the City can adjust engagement tools to target groups or areas that may be underrepresented in responses. • UNDER-REPRESENTED ENGAGEMENT: All engagement notification materials will be translated and distributed in English and Spanish, and Spanish translation will be available for events. Additionally, collaborating with civic organizations, youth groups, student governments, and children in after-school programs, recreation, and summer camps will amplify the voices typically left behind in planning processes. • COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS: Community Ambassadors are individuals within the community who will serve as liaisons, willing to assist in the process, spread the word about GPU community engagement to their networks, and act as a familiar introduction between the Project Team and community groups. Members of both the TAC and CAC will be asked to be Community Ambassadors in their networks or circles of influence and the Project Team will seek additional Community Ambassadors throughout the process. • DEDICATED BILINGUAL PROJECT WEBSITE: Public engagement activities and all project documents will be accessible on the dedicated Project Website. The City's website and social media will also provide links and GPU information. The GPU website will launch in May 2026 and will include community event details, feedback opportunities, interactive mapping, questionnaires, quick polls, and more. The consultant team will maintain the website, while City staff members will coordinate the information on the City's website and social media. • PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS: Building on the website's layout, regular updates will be provided in both written and digital forms, detailing project progress to increase awareness and encourage community engagement. A bilingual informational brochure will be completed in May 2026 and made available digitally on the website as well as in print for distribution at various venues and community events. Additional materials, such as flyers, newsletters, videos, social media posts, etc., will help the Project Team increase awareness and support for the GPU. Local media news releases, all City social media platforms, and E-lists will also be used to advertise public events and solicit public participation and comments. • ONLINE BILINGUAL COMMUNITY QUESTIONAIRE: The digital questionnaire will be developed concurrently with community workshops and events to garner targeted, quantifiable feedback. Links to the questionnaire will be included on the Project Website, available at community events, and distributed through email lists and social media. The questionnaire will be drafted in May 2026 and distributed in June 2026. Public Involvement Plan Tolleson General Plan | Page 9 • LISTENING SESSIONS: A series of up to sixteen (16) in- person and virtual one-on-one and group interviews or Listening Sessions will be held in summer 2026. The sessions will consist of an informal interview designed to encourage community members to share their perspectives on challenges and opportunities for Tolleson. The information shared will become the foundation for the GPU. Varied community members and interest groups will be invited to participate. The Project Team will compile a broad list of potential community groups and stakeholders, which will evolve throughout the GPU process as additional groups are identified. • INNOVATIVE USE OF TECHNOLOGY: The Project Team will use social media and the City's website for meetings and input notifications. In addition, the Project Team will update the Project Website with notifications of meetings and input opportunities such as pop-up events. Additional innovative technology utilization options include 2D and 3D mapping, ArcGIS Urban, ArcGIS StoryMaps for the existing conditions memo, infographics, and renderings, and modeling to help the Community better visualize ideas. This technology is anticipated to be utilized throughout the entire process. • BILINGUAL COMMUNITY EVENTS: Following the launch of the Project Website and initial community questionnaires and interviews, two in-person interactive workshops with multiple in-person and virtual sessions for each will be held in summer 2026. These workshops will build on each other and are intended to provide direction on the community's vision, goals, and desired growth scenarios for the City. These workshops will be held at different times and locations with virtual and in-person options and available Spanish translation to ensure broad and accessible participation. • COMMUNITY DROP IN EVENTS: In addition to the community workshops, potential drop- in events, such as community festivals and events, will be utilized as additional opportunities to gather input and share information on key topics during the GPU. The following events are anticipated to be attended during the GPU and will be advertised on the Project Website as they are confirmed: Planned Community Drop-In Events (Subject to Change) 4th of July Celebration July 3, 2026 Tolleson Talks September 24, 2026 Community Trunk or Treat October 16, 2026 Public Involvement Plan Tolleson General Plan | Page 10 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION TIMING The GPU process was initiated in April 2026, with an anticipated 13-month timeline culminating with final adoption hearings in Spring 2027. Throughout the GPU process, community members will have numerous opportunities to participate, and each GPU public event will be broadly advertised. Public participation events and activities will be held between June and December 2026 as depicted in the schedule graphic. This timeline is fluid and will evolve in response to the needs of Tolleson’s community.