Citizen Involvement
The Newport News City Council initiated the Framework for the Future in 1989 to prepare a new and expanded comprehensive plan for the City, using broad citizen participation and input. The Framework for the Future deals with issues which are important to citizens: crime and public safety, traffic congestion, public education, environment, air and water quality, housing for low and moderate income people, health care, job opportunities, in addition to the traditional planning concerns of land use, economic development, transportation and community facilities.
In 2005, City Council requested that the Framework for the Future be updated with the same level of citizen participation that was used in preparing the original Framework for the Future.
The update began in October, 2005 with an orientation of all Task Force members. During the Update, the Task Forces held 150
total meetings and the Oversight Committee met more than 30 times.
The City Planning Commission appointed members to five citizen task forces to insure maximum citizen participation. Four task forces focused on their respective planning districts. The fifth task force, the Youth Task Force, operated City-wide. It involved students from the City’s high schools. The Department of Planning provided staff support to all task forces. Each task force averaged between 10 and 15 active members.
The five task forces received direction from an Oversight Committee appointed by the City Council. The Oversight Committee provided overall direction and project management to the Framework process. The chairman of each citizen task force was a member of the Oversight Committee. Other members were the City Manager, the Director of Planning, two planning commissioners, two at-large citizen members and the City Planning Commission Chairman, who chaired the committee.
Figure 1-1 below represents the organization of the process.
Ultimately, the Framework for the Future Update will be reviewed and recommended by the City Planning commission after its public hearings. the City Council will take action on the Framework for the Future Update after its own public hearings. Figure 1-2 illustrates the Framework for the Future Update process flow.
