It was the Las Cruces City Council that found itself embroiled in controversy earlier this year over whether to approve a 6,000-acre development on
But it’s the Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners that is taking the lead on ensuring public involvement in future development.
The commission, on a vote of 5-0, approved an ordinance change on Tuesday that requires developers asking for subdivision approval or zoning changes involving 100 acres or 100 lots or more to first hold a town-hall meeting with area residents. Doña Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley, who proposed the change, said it stemmed from the controversy over Philip Philippou’s
“I thought the people who were calling for more public input had a point,” he said at Tuesday’s commission meeting, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News.
They did have a point. Kudos to McCamley for responding with a proposal that helps address the situation and to the other members of the commission for approving it. In doing so, they’ve proven that they understand the need for public involvement, not just token participation, and that they haven’t lost touch with the constituents who elected them.
You see, there’s a big difference between public input and public involvement. The city council – and most local governments – allow input at their meetings. That means people get a quick chance to speak before the governing body that makes decisions. The opportunity usually comes just before members vote on the item in question, when most have already made up their minds.
It’s not uncommon for some elected officials to get on their computers or visit the restroom during public input.
True public involvement, on the other hand, is when people get a chance to not only learn about a proposal but have an opportunity to provide feedback at an early stage, when it can make a difference. The county’s new rule requires developers to tell members of the public about their projects before they stand for approval in front of the county’s Planning and Zoning Commission or the Board of Commissioners. And they have to do it in the area where the development would be built, rather than at the commission chambers in
It’s an excellent step toward participatory government.
It’s unfortunate that the county’s requirement only applies in unincorporated areas of the county that also fall outside the Extraterritorial Zone, the five-mile area around the
Commissioners should be commended for seeing another government’s mistake and learning from it. City councilors, and the members of both boards who sit on the ETZ Authority, should place similar requirements on developments in the areas they govern.