Policy Board Adopted Public Participation Plan 5-22-2017

The introduction provides an overview of the Maui MPO, its major products, and goals for public participation in the transportation planning process. The Maui MPO functions under a committee structure comprised of a Policy Board, a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and MPO staff. The Maui MPO is responsible for three major planning products for the island of Maui: the Long-Range Transportation Plan(LRTP), the Transportation Improvement Program(TIP), the Unified Planning Work Program(UPWP), and the Public Participation Plan (PPP). In compliance with current federal transportation legislation, the MauiMPO has developed this PPP to document its process for encouraging review and comment on regional transportationplanning by the general public and interested parties.

This section provides an overview of various techniques and methods that may be used by the Maui MPO to carry-out its public participation process. The Maui MPO will share information about draft plans and projects through print, television, and radio media outlets, newsletters, and its website. The Maui MPO will seek public input through its formal Policy Board and TAC meetings, presentations to organizations, public workshops, attendanceat community events, surveys and comment cards.

This section presents an overview of how the Maui MPO will ensure that its public participation process is compliant with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Environmental Justice, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The Maui MPO is dedicated to identifying traditionally underserved populations (e.g., low-income, minority, non-or limited-English proficiency, transportation disadvantaged populations, etc.) using all available socio-economic data sources and input from community-based organizations. The Maui MPO will use enhanced outreach techniques to ensure that special populations are well represented in the public participation process and that plans and processes are communicated using audience-appropriate methods

The Maui MPO will consult with interested parties in the development and adoption of the LRTP, TIP,UPWPand PPP.  Interested parties may include representatives of public transportation agencies or customers, freight shippers, providers of freight transportation services, private providers of transportation services, representatives of users of bicycle and pedestrian facilities, representatives of the disabled, and other organizations or individuals with an interest in the transportation planning process. The Maui MPO will consult with other federal, state, and local agencies that have an influence on or are affectedby local and regional transportation planning decisions. Specifically, the Maui MPO will share draft plans and documents with those groups, and participate in meetings and on committees as appropriate to coordinate regional planning activities.

This section provides specific guidelines for how the Maui MPO will comply with the Hawai‘i Sunshine Law (HRS92), publish official notices, and make all plans and documents available to the public.

• Hawai‘i Sunshine Law–All sessions of the Maui MPO Policy Board and the Technical Advisory Committee shall be open to the public. The public will be allowed to testifyon agenda items at the beginning of each meeting.
• Official Notices–The Maui MPO will notice all meetings, public hearings, and public comment periods for plans and programs at least seven days in advance of such meeting, hearing, or period.
• Availability of Plans and Documents–The Maui MPO will make all plans and documents available at its office and on its website.

This section provides specific guidelines for when the Maui MPO will encourage the public and interested parties to participate in the development, adoption, amendment, and review of major MPO plans. Maui MPO staff, under guidance from the TAC, is responsible for the preparation of each draft document. After the TAC and Policy Board have endorsed a public review draft, an official notice will be made to solicit public review and comment.The notice shall identify the duration of the public review period prior to the meeting at which the document will be considered by the Policy Board.  Draft documents will be made available for review on the Maui MPO website and at the Maui MPO office, and email notification will be sent to the Maui MPO contact list. The Policy Board will consider each plan for adoption at a public hearing after all comments are received, documented, evaluated, and addressed