Agenda 12-12-23; 8-h - Approval of the Orange County Transportation Services Public Involvement Plan

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7 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PLAN INTRODUCTION The Orange County Transportation Services Department (referred to as "the Department") serves the community in a transparent manner and ensures the County residents are an integral part of the transportation decision making process, plans, programs and projects. To achieve this goal, staff must be aware of and sensitive to the County's changing population and culture as well as the needs across neighboring areas when developing and implementing community participation, outreach, and engagement programs. Media and messaging options are evolving, print newspaper subscriptions are declining, and access to the internet varies considerably across the county. This Public Involvement Plan (referred to as "the Plan") serves as a proactive means of engaging residents, business, youth, seniors, and anyone interested in shaping the county's multimodal transportation system and a means of ensuring clear, concise and engaging material for all transportation users. Mission The department is responsible for transportation duties in all areas of the County in collaboration with local towns which consists of Hillsborough, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Mebane. Department staff is committed to creating a culture of respect, diversity, equity, and inclusion for the communities we serve. We are committed to the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people in accordance with all laws, regulations, and policies. It is the policy of the department that no person shall, on the grounds of race, religion, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, political affiliation, National Guard or veteran status, genetic information, or disability be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of transportation, or be subjected to discrimination. We are dedicated to ensuring all Orange County residents have the access and opportunity to provide meaningful input, to participate in departmental services and to benefit from funding decisions made by the agency. Department staff believes that diverse perspectives can only make us better as we work to serve the people of Orange County. Purpose The purpose of this plan is to ensure consistency, transparency and collaboration across the county and with regional, state and federal partners in understanding and implementation of community participation, outreach, and engagement strategies for all stages of the transportation planning and decision-making processes. The department recognizes community engagement as an active and intentional dialogue between our diverse residents, professional staff, and elected officials. For communities to be meaningfully involved in decision-making processes and Report Date 1