Cultural Council Agenda and Packet 2014 01 16

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Additionally, federal, state, and/or local law requires a public hearing on a number of matters irrespective of whether an ordinance is involved. For example, a public hearing is held on the City budget, the City Comprehensive Plan and similar plans, and a variety of site - specific or person- specific activities, such as annexations of land into the city, rezonings, special use permits, variances, and new liquor licenses. Any- one may provide comments during these hearings. Public Records Access to public records is an important aspect of citizen participation in government. Louisville fol- lows the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) and the additional public records provisions in the City Charter. In particular, the Charter promotes the liberal construction of public records law, so as to promote the prompt disclosure of City records to citizens at no cost or no greater cost than the actual costs to the City. The City Clerk is the custodian of the City's pub- lic records, except for financial, personnel, and police records which are handled, respectively, by the Finance, Human Resources, and Police Depart- ments. The City maintains a public policy on access to public records, which include a records request form, a statement of fees, and other guidelines. No fee is charged for the inspection of records. No fee is charged for locating or making records available for copying, except in cases of voluminous requests or dated records, or when the time spent in locating records exceeds two hours. No fees are charged for the first 25 copies requested or for electronic records. Many records, particularly those related to agenda items for City Council and current Board and Com- mission meetings, are available directly on the City's web site at www.LouisvilleCO.gov. In addition to posting agenda - related material, the City maintains communication files for the City Council and Plan- ning Commission. These are available for public inspection at the City Clerk's Office, 749 Main Street. CORA lists the categories of public records that are not generally open to public inspection. These include, for example, certain personnel records and information, financial and other information about users of city facilities, privileged information, medical records, letters of reference, and other items listed in detail in CORA. When public records are not made available, the custodian will specifically advise the requestor of the reason. Citizens are encouraged to review the City's web site (www.LousivilleCo.gov) for information, and to contact the City with any questions regarding City records. Public Involvement Policy Public participation is an essential element of the City's representative form of government. To pro- mote effective public participation City officials, ad- visory board members, staff and participants should all observe the following guiding principles, roles and responsibilities: Guiding Principles for Public Involvement Inclusive not Exclusive - Everyone's participation is welcome. Anyone with a known interest in the is- sue will be identified, invited and encouraged to be involved early in the process. Voluntary Participation - The process will seek the support of those participants willing to invest the time necessary to make it work. Purpose Driven - The process will be clearly linked to when and how decisions are made. These links will be communicated to participants. Time, Financial and Legal Constraints - The process will operate within an appropriate time frame and budget and observe existing legal and regulatory requirements. Communication - The process and its progress will be communicated to participants and the commu- nity at -large using appropriate methods and tech- nologies. Adaptability - The process will be adaptable so that the level of public involvement is reflective of the magnitude of the issue and the needs of the partici- pants. Access to Information -The process will provide par- ticipants with timely access to all relevant information in an understandable and user - friendly way. Educa- tion and training requirements will be considered. Access to Decision Making - The process will give participants the opportunity to influence decision making. Respect for Diverse Interests - The process will foster respect for the diverse values, interests and knowl- edge of those involved. Accountability - The process will reflect that partici- pants are accountable to both their constituents and to the success of the process. Evaluation - The success and results of the process will be measured and evaluated. Roles and Resp•- ®1.sibilities - Cif-- Counr " City Council is ultimately responsible to all the citi- zens of Louisville and must weigh each of its decisions accordingly. Councilors are responsible to their local -8-