Agenda - 12-13-2022; 8-f - Orange County Transportation Services (OCTS) Title VI Plan

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40 IX. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PLAN A. Introduction Effective public involvement is a key element in addressing Title VI in decision-making. This Public Participation Plan describes how OCTS will disseminate vital agency information and engage the public. We will seek out and consider the input and needs of interested parties and groups traditionally underserved by transportation systems who may face challenges accessing our services,such as minority and limited English proficient (LEP) persons. Underlying these efforts is our commitment to determining the most effective outreach methods for a given project or population. General public involvement practices will include: • Expanding traditional outreach methods.Think outside the box:Go to hair salons, barbershops,street fairs, etc. • Providing for early,frequent and continuous engagement by the public. • Use of social media and other resources as a way to gain public involvement. • Coordinating with community- and faith-based organizations such as the Hispanic Liaison, educational institutions, and other entities to implement public engagement strategies that reach out specifically to members of affected minority and/or LEP communities. • Providing opportunities for public participation through means other than written communication, such as personal interviews or use of audio or video recording devices to capture oral comments. • Considering radio, television, or newspaper ads on stations and in publications that serve LEP populations. Outreach to LEP persons could also include audio programming available on podcasts. B. Public Notification Passengers and other interested persons will be informed of their rights under Title VI and related authorities about our program. The primary means of achieving this will be posting and disseminating the policy statement and notice as stipulated in Sections 3.0 and 4.0, respectively. Additional measures may include verbally announcing our obligations and the public's rights at meetings, placing flyers at places frequented by targeted populations, and an equal opportunity tag-on at the end of radio announcements. The method of notification will be determined through an initial screening of the area. C. Dissemination of Information Information on Title VI and other programs will be crafted and disseminated to employees, contractors and subrecipients,stakeholders,and the general public. Public dissemination efforts may vary depending on factors present, but will generally include: posting public statements setting forth our nondiscrimination policy in eye-catching designs and locations; placing brochures in public places, such as government offices, transit facilities, and libraries; having nondiscrimination language within contracts; including nondiscrimination notices in meeting announcements and handouts; and displaying our Notice of Nondiscrimination at all our public meetings. At a minimum, nondiscrimination information will be disseminated on our website and on posters in conspicuous areas at our office(s). Project-related information and our most current Title VI-related information will be maintained online.