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4
Public Participation Process
Public participation is a critical element of the master planning process. The goal of the
public participation process was to obtain input from citizens, elected and appointed
officials, and other interested parties to understand the diverse interests, concerns, and
needs. This helped the Town and its consultants to build consensus on how to provide
good cell phone service, while minimizing impacts from telecommunication facilities on
neighborhoods and maintaining community character and public safety in Morrisville.
To be as inclusive as possible, staff devised a public participation process that included a
kickoff meeting, two open house events with presentations, interactive keypad polling, and
online polling.
At the kickoff meeting, participants had an opportunity to interact with planners and the
technical consultant. Additionally, using keypad‐polling devices for real‐time responses,
staff conducted an interactive Community Preference Survey (CPS) with the participants to
receive input on preferred telecommunication facility type(s), preferred height, potential
locations, interest in using public properties, etc. Finally, in an effort to reach a larger
audience, staff prepared and posted online the same CPS conducted at the kickoff meeting,
which generated a very large response. Utilization of the online process provided a direct
participation link for those interested parties unable to attend the events. The online CPS
remained open for approximately one month. Between the two survey methods staff
received over 150 responses to the first CPS.