Met
Establish a public participation and engagement framework
City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan

Description

Through clear, easily accessed guidelines, the City aims to define and structure its approach to public participation in City matters as well as create a framework to standardize how City staff engage with the community. Public feedback is very important to the City’s decision-making as an organization, and must be consistent and transparent, ensuring equal and equitable access for all persons. To that end, the City aims to formalize the procedure for inviting the public to participate in decisions, defining which items require public participation, standardizing tools, approaches and resources for staff, and how the feedback received will be implemented and accounted for in the final decision. In addition, this framework will support all upcoming engagement opportunities by enhancing communications about upcoming opportunities to participate, thereby reaching more residents, and allowing more individuals to weigh in and contribute to the City’s understanding of the public’s desires.

KR End Date

3/31/25

KR External Update

Council officially approved the City’s new Community Engagement Framework and the updated Corporate Communications and Engagement Policy at the March 25, 2025 Council meeting.

The newly adopted Community Engagement Framework is a guiding document for how the City invites and uses community input in decision-making. It was developed through two phases of community engagement, research, and best practices informed by the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2). The Framework and Policy were updated to reflect the public feedback. The Framework sets clear criteria for different levels of public participation and provides guidance on when, how, and why the City will engage. It also outlines how decisions are made, what informs those decisions, and how community input will be incorporated.  The public feedback is also being incorporated into the City’s Engagement Toolkit, which provides staff with standardized tools and resources to support community engagement activities. The City will also enhance communications about upcoming opportunities for public input, including during the City’s annual business planning process and on key projects and initiatives. 

Initiatives

Complete
Develop and implement public engagement framework
City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan | Completed 3/28/25