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JAN 19 1988 BOOK 70 uu-.642.. 9J-5 of the Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.). The rules mandating public participation in the comprehensive planning process and contained in section .004 of Chapter 9J-5 of the Florida Administrative Code are flexible enough to allow each local government to develop a public participation program consistent with its needs and with local conditions. Although flexibility exists in structuring the plan, the requirement to have a public participation program is specific in state statutes and the administrative code. Consistent with these requirements, the staff has developed a plan for public participation throughout the comprehensive plan development process. This plan will ensure participation by County residents in plan development, utilizing the technical knowledge and expertise of individuals, groups and organizations within the County. Unlike. the public participation plan previously recommended by the staff, this proposal would not involve the creation of any new committees. In fact, the basis of the proposed public participation plan would be to use the interest and expertise of existing County committees to obtain public input and to advise the Planning and Zoning Commission. DESCRIPTION & CONDITIONS Any successful program for public participation must be clearly formulated and contain opportunities for: public education regarding the planning process; public review of planning documents; public discussion and input during plan preparation; and development of public support for plan adoption. These were objectives considered by the staff in the development of the proposed public participation program. As recommended, the public participation program is divided into phases to coincide with the timing of comprehensive plan development. The three phasesare: public information (an ongoing activity), plan development, and plan adoption. Each of these phases will involve public meetings, workshops, public hearings, and other activities. The Planning & Zoning Commission, as the_ County's designated local planning agency (LPA), has responsibility for preparing the comp plan and, as such, for public participation activities. As proposed, the Planning and Zoning Commission would coordinate all comp planning activities; however, public participation activities relating to specific plan elements would be assigned to existing committees which focus on areas relating to specific plan elements. An example of this would be the Marine Advisory Committee with staff assistance coordinating review and public input for the coastal zone element. ALTERNATIVES & ANALYSIS The attached public participation plan is the second alternative to be presented to the Board of County Commissioners. While the first proposal involved creation of a new set of committees, the current recommendation focuses on existing groups. Other advantages of the current proposal are that it is more detailed than the former proposal; it allows for participation of Planning and Zoning and Board of County Commission members in the process; it incorporates an on-going public information program; and it ensures public participation in the process. Although the Planning and Zoning Commission has the responsibility to prepare the. comp plan and establish a public participation program, the proposed program involves using existing committees over which the Planning and Zoning Commission has no authority. Therefore, to implement the recommended plan, the Board of County Commissioners will need to delegate responsibility for plan element preparation to those existing committees referenced in the attached public participation plan document. 82