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Comprehensive Plan, City of Paris, Texas Policy Planning Issues CHAPTER 2 POLICY PLANNING ISSUES PLJBLIC PARTICIPATION The City of Paris Comprehensive Plan was initiated during the fall of 1998 in a multi-step process. The planning consultants met with the Mayor, City council, planning commission and City staff to discuss planning issues in general and agree upon a planning process. The consultants then held six "key-person interviews" with representatives of the public and private sectors, including the City administration, the school district and the business community. The public meeting process included two public meetings: • A"Focus Session" to identify the most critical issues facing Paris in the coming years; and • A"Policy Planning Charrette" to address the identified issues. In addition, community participation was sought throughout the planning process: A community opinion survey was mailed to all Paris households, the results of which are in Appendix B. Numerous public meetings were held during the 18-month plan, including two public hearings prior to adoption. Issues Focus Session and Planning Policy Charrette The public Focus Session was held on October 26, 1998 at the Paris Civic Center. The purpose of the Focus Session was to provide an opportunity for residents of Paris to identify issues that are critical to the future of the community in the next twenty years. The method for issue identification used at the Focus Session workshop was a structured idea sharing process with about 50 residents of the City and the surrounding areas. "Break-out" groups were formed to discuss the specific sets of key issues that were identified by the entire group at the Focus Session. The Break-Out group topics were: Land Use to discuss issues relating to the location, type and distribution of land uses as Paris grows. 2. Economic Development to discuss issues relating to business and industrial growth in Paris and the surrounding communities. 3. Quality of Life to discuss specific issues that influence the assets of the City of Paris as they relate to social and cultural enhancement, including public facilities. Participants in each break-out group ranked the issues. The ranked issues and other information gathered from the Focus Session were used to develop a list of "critical issues" to be discussed at the "Policy Planning Charrette" Workshop. 9 ~ S:US288\WPCV"inal rcp>n 2-01.Juc