DRAFT Public Participation ProgramCity of Port Orchard
2024 Comprehensive
Plan Update
Public Participation
Program
City of Port Orchard Department of Community Development
Mailing Address: 216 Prospect St., Port Orchard WA 98366
Physical Address: 720 Prospect Street, Port Orchard
Phone: (360) 874-5533
E-mail: planning@cityofportorchard.us
Website: https://www.cityofportorchard.us/2024-comprehensive-plan-periodic-update/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/City-of-Port-Orchard-
Government/100064446051899/
Nick Bond, AICP City Development Director
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Jim Fisk, AICP Senior Planner
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Stephanie Andrews, Senior Planner
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Jacob Miller, Associate Planner
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Josie Rademacher, Assistant Planner
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I. INTRODUCTION
Port Orchard is conducting a periodic review of its Comprehensive Plan as required by the
Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA). As a city in Kitsap County, Port Orchard is
required to complete its update by December 31, 2024. The entire Comprehensive Plan will be
reviewed and updated with review to include the following elements or chapters:
• Introduction
• Land Use
• Housing
• Parks
• Natural Systems
• Climate
• Economic Development
• Utilities
• Transportation
• Capital Facilities
• Appendices
In addition to the review and update of these elements and chapters, the City will also conduct
a consistency evaluation to ensure that its development regulations are consistent with the
updated comprehensive plan, the Growth Management Act, Vision 2050, and the Kitsap
Countywide Planning Policies.
The GMA requires early and continuous public participation in the Comprehensive Plan and
Municipal Code Update in RCW 36.70A.140:
Each county and city that is required or chooses to plan under RC 36.70A.040 shall
establish and broadly disseminate to the public a public participation program identifying
procedures providing for early and continuous public participation in the development and
amendment of comprehensive land use plans and development regulations implementing such
plans. The procedures shall provide for broad dissemination of proposals and alternatives,
opportunity for written comments, public meetings after effective notice, provision for open
discussion, communication programs, information services, and consideration of and response
to public comments [..]
The purpose of this document is to identify the City of Port Orchard's public participation
objectives, approach, audiences, schedule, and opportunities for public participation. This
document may be updated over time to reflect the needs of the Comprehensive Plan and
Municipal Code Update project and experiences in early outreach to ensure public participation
is effective.
II. OBJECTIVES
The Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan Update Public Participation Objectives include:
• Meeting the public participation goals of the Growth Management Act.
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• Offering engaging opportunities to the Port Orchard community to participate in
planning and comment on the future of the city.
• Providing objective information to assist the public in understanding issues and solutions.
• Providing opportunities for the public to provide feedback through all phases of the
review.
• Using a variety of participation methods (such as meetings, media, social media, mailers,
etc.) to offer all residents a variety of ways to participate.
• Making the review inclusive to people of all ages, races, cultures, and genders.
• Making the plan itself easily accessible to residents of the community.
• Asking questions of the community in order to gain new insights about Port Orchard
and choices about the Comprehensive Plan polices, regulations, and implementation
strategies.
• Identifying GMA requirements, policy trade-offs, and opportunities to voice
unique conditions about Port Orchard.
III. APPROACH
The 2016 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update was a major overhaul of the City's guiding
document. In 2024, the City envisions a light refresh of the 2016 document to address
regional objectives, changes to state law, and changes in community preferences. The City
intends to check in with the public on progress toward achieving previously stated goals while
seeking input on how to best achieve regional objectives and implement state law.
The City has hired a team of consultants lead by AHBL, Inc. to assist with the 2024 periodic
update. The City has other consultants working on related plans that will be utilized in the
comprehensive plan update process including:
• Water System Plan
• Sewer System Plan
• Stormwater System Plan
• Housing Action Plan
• Transportation Plan and Modelling
Other recently completed plans and reports will also inform the planning process and include
but are not limited to:
• The 2022 Port Orchard Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan
• The 2021 Kitsap County Buildable Lands Report
• The Port Orchard Downtown Subarea Plan
• The Ruby Creek Subarea Plan
• The McCormick Village Subarea Plan
• The South Kitsap School District Capital Facilities Plan
• The West Sound Utilities District Water System Plan
• The West Sound Utilities District General Sewer Plan
• The Blackjack Creek Watershed Assessment Protection and Restoration Plan
• The City's 6- and 20-Year Transportation Improvement Programs
• The Bethel Sedgwick Corridor Plan
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The City has a separate contract with Transportation Solutions, Inc. (TSI) to assist with
updating the City's transportation model and transportation element, though TSI is also a
member of the team led by AHBL. The City is working with other consultants on updates to
utility system plans and these system plan updates will be utilized to inform the Utilities
Element Update. The City and the consultant team will consult with West Sound Utility District
and the City of Bremerton to inform the Utilities Element of the Comprehensive Plan. The
Housing Action Plan currently under development using Department of Commerce Grant funds
will inform the Housing Element. Finally, the recently completed Parks, Recreation, and Open
Space Plan adopted in 2022 will be used as the basis for the Parks Element.
IV. AUDIENCES
There are several audiences - individuals and agencies - that will participate in the 2024 Port
Orchard Comprehensive Plan Update, and each will become engaged in the process in
different v%qs
o General Public: Port Orchard residents, property owners, and business owners.
o Elected and Appointed Officials: City Councilmembers, Planning Commissioners,
Design Review Board Members.
o Non -City Service Providers: West Sound Utility District, City of Bremerton (Water),
South Kitsap Fire District, Kitsap Transit, South Kitsap School District, etc.
o Non -governmental Organizations: Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club of Port Orchard and
other service clubs, the Port Orchard Bay Street Association (POBSA), Kitsap Alliance of
Property Owners (KAPO), etc.
o State, Regional, and Other Local Governments: Puget Sound Regional Council, Kitsap
County, Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council, The Suquamish Tribe, and the cities of
Bremerton, Gig Harbor, Poulsbo, and Bainbridge Island, WSDOT, the Department of
Commerce, the Department of Ecology, the Port of Bremerton, and the Department of
Natural Resources.
V. ROLE OF DECISION MAKERS
City Council: The City Council will provide policy guidance and is the final decision maker for
the Comprehensive Plan update. Council members will be notified of public workshops and
are invited to participate early on in the planning process. All public workshops will be noticed
appropriately so that all Council members are able to fully participate in these events in the
event of a quorum. The Council will receive periodic briefings on the update and will review the
Planning Commission recommendations on the periodic update to the Comprehensive Plan.
Council will hold a public hearing on the final draft periodic update to the Comprehensive Plan
prior to taking final action.
Planning Commission: The Planning Commission will provide policy recommendations for
the periodic update to the Comprehensive Plan and ensure that the public is involved
throughout the process. The Planning Commission will review the draft update on a chapter -
by -chapter basis, providing opportunities for public comments while providing feedback and
recommendations to the administration. All public workshops will be noticed appropriately so
that all Planning Commission members are able to fully participate in these events in the event
of a quorum. The Planning Commission shall forward its final recommendation to the City
Council for the periodic update no later than October 31, 2024.
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Administration: The Administration will oversee staff and consultant work on the periodic
update. They will facilitate public meetings and present draft materials to the Planning
Commission and City Council for review. They will revise documents as needed and provide
all materials to Planning Commissioners and City Council members in a timely manner.
VI. ROLE OF THE PUBLIC
The Comprehensive Plan is primarily written for and with guidance from the public. It contains
their preferences, ideas, and policy objectives. During the update is important to retain the
public's interest by making citizen participation as accessible as possible. This will be
accomplished through advertising, outreach, stakeholder involvement, and numerous public
events.
Goal 11 of the GMA requires citizen participation and coordination: "Encourage the
involvement of citizens in the planning process and ensure coordination between communities
and jurisdictions to reconcile conflicts. "The Washington State Department of Commerce lists
benefits of including citizens in the process:
• Enhances the quality of planning by incorporating a wide variety of information
and perspectives.
• Allows communities to make decisions based on shared values.
• Engage citizens in the ownership of local land use challenges and solutions.
• Educates and empowers citizens.
• Supports swift and efficient project implementation.
• Ensures that good plans remain relevant over time.
• Fosters a sense of community, and trust in government.
This Public Participation Program is intended to supplement existing City regulations and procedures for
the processing and adoption of policy materials and development regulations.
VII. METHODS AND TOOLS
Techniques for public participation vary in scale, technology, structure, and timing. The
primary means of participation will be the traditional public meeting at several key points
during the update process. Meetings will likely be held in a hybrid virtual/in-person format to
ensure that all members of the public are encouraged to participate. All meetings offering
virtual engagement components will be recorded to provide citizens with an opportunity to
follow this process at their convenience. Port Orchard has a historical lack of citizen interest
in planning processes, so it essential to encourage involvement from as wide an audience
and as early as possible.
The following tools will be employed to achieve widespread and ongoing citizen involvement:
Public open houses and meetings
o Background presentations, educational lectures, workshops, roundtables, one-
on-one interviews, activities, games, etc.
o Encouragement of participation by attendees
Effective notice:
• Underrepresented groups will be specifically targeted for outreach
• The date, time, and location of events will be published early enough
and widely enough for all interested citizens to be notified
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Notice will be published in the City's official newspaper of
record
Regular press releases will be published ahead of public meetings,
and city staff will be available for interested reporters and media
outlets
Postings in public spaces, social media updates, and email subscription
lists
• Focus events
o Small scale focus groups with underrepresented members of the community
(at schools, businesses, neighborhood centers, etc.
o Presentations and workshops with community organizations and neighboring
jurisdictions
• Opportunities for open discussion
o Speaking sessions and roundtables at meetings
o Additional public comment periods at Planning Commission, Council, and sub-
committee meetings
• Written comments
o Online meetings
o Public feedback
o Online surveys
o Comment forms available at public meetings
• Surveys
o Online and paper surveys will be conducted to collect public opinion on a wide
range of topics and from a diverse and representative sample.
• Distribution of background information
o The current Comprehensive Plan and other relevant documents will be easily
accessible on the City website and available at the Port Orchard branch of the
Kitsap Regional Library.
o Information will be shared with the Planning Commission, city departments, and
regional agencies as needed.
• Public hearings
o The Planning Commission will conduct public hearings on the draft plan elements
and on the final draft plan prior to making a recommendation to the City Council.
Written and oral testimony will be accepted at public hearings.
o The City Council will conduct a public hearing on the final draft plan prior to
adoption. Written and oral testimony will be accepted at this public hearing.
• SEPA
o The city's environmental process will include opportunities for the public to
provide comments on the proposed plan and its possible adverse impacts.
• Interested Parties List
o The city will build and maintain an interested party's notification list and provided
notice to interested parties when opportunities to participate in public workshops
or to provide testimony exist.
XIII. SCHEDULE AND OPPORTUNNITIES FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
(See Appendix A attached)
IX. CONCLUSION
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A public meeting was held to discuss the draft Public Participation Program on November
1, 2022 by the Port Orchard Planning Commission to review and provide comments on the
draft Program. A subsequent public hearing on this Program was held on December 6, 2022 by the
Planning Commission at which time the plan was recommended for approval by the City
Council. The Port Orchard City Council adopted the program at its regular meeting on
December 13, 2022. This program may be updated administratively as conditions change
or additional resources to support outreach activities become available. A current copy of
the program shall be available for viewing at the front counter of the Department of
Community Development and on the city's website.
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