9.
City Council Work Session
- Meeting Date:
- 02/28/2023
- From:
- David Lemcke, Transportation Engineer Associate
- Department:
- Engineering and Capital Improvements
Co-Submitter:
TITLE:
Timely Public Access to Traffic Study Data
DESIRED OUTCOME:
The desired outcome of this item is to maintain the existing requirements of the Arizona Public Records Law. The Arizona Public Records Law states that any person may submit a request to examine or be furnished with copies of public records, and that the responding agency shall promptly respond to such requests, and that the time it takes to respond to the request will depend on the complexity of the request, volume of responsive documents, and other factors.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Staff received a petition on 11/15/22 requesting:
“City Council establish a policy requiring Staff to provide Traffic Study data to the public within 15 days of any request, or at least 7 days prior to any meeting (e.g. City Council, Transportation or Planning and Zoning Commission, etc.) set to discuss the findings and allow the public to present their interpretation of the data.”
This petition was brought before Council December 6, 2022. At that time Staff recommended no deadlines be imposed and that the requirements specified in the Arizona Public Records Law be maintained. After discussion and public input, Council decided to move the petition forward, but recommended the exact phrasing and dates specified be reevaluated.
Staff has met internally and still recommends that no deadlines be imposed and that the Arizona Public Records Law be maintained. If City Council would like to discuss some form of deadlines outside of the existing Arizona Public Records Law, staff recommends that any deadlines be limited to the general subject of the petition, which is neighborhood traffic calming data collected internally by the City, and that deadlines apply only to Transportation Commission meetings. Staff recommends the deadline for posting neighborhood traffic calming data to the public to be the end of the day Friday the week before the Transportation Commission meeting where the data will be presented. Transportation Commission meetings are held the first Wednesday of even numbered months. This provides the weekend, plus two business days, and the day of the meeting for the data to be reviewed by the public. This proposed deadline would not typically delay or extend the timing between data collection and Transportation Commission meetings.
“City Council establish a policy requiring Staff to provide Traffic Study data to the public within 15 days of any request, or at least 7 days prior to any meeting (e.g. City Council, Transportation or Planning and Zoning Commission, etc.) set to discuss the findings and allow the public to present their interpretation of the data.”
This petition was brought before Council December 6, 2022. At that time Staff recommended no deadlines be imposed and that the requirements specified in the Arizona Public Records Law be maintained. After discussion and public input, Council decided to move the petition forward, but recommended the exact phrasing and dates specified be reevaluated.
Staff has met internally and still recommends that no deadlines be imposed and that the Arizona Public Records Law be maintained. If City Council would like to discuss some form of deadlines outside of the existing Arizona Public Records Law, staff recommends that any deadlines be limited to the general subject of the petition, which is neighborhood traffic calming data collected internally by the City, and that deadlines apply only to Transportation Commission meetings. Staff recommends the deadline for posting neighborhood traffic calming data to the public to be the end of the day Friday the week before the Transportation Commission meeting where the data will be presented. Transportation Commission meetings are held the first Wednesday of even numbered months. This provides the weekend, plus two business days, and the day of the meeting for the data to be reviewed by the public. This proposed deadline would not typically delay or extend the timing between data collection and Transportation Commission meetings.
INFORMATION:
Please see the attached presentation for more information.