Climate-Friendly Areas Evaluation Report

Southern Rogue Valley CFA Engagement Report 1 Southern Rogue Valley Climate Friendly Areas Study Community Engagement Report June 30, 2023 I. Introduction By the end of 2024, communities – including Ashland, Medford, and Talent - are required by state law to study, identify, and designate “Climate -Friendly Areas ” (CFAs ). CFAs are intended to be place s where people can meet most of their daily needs without having to drive. These places may be urban mixed - use areas such as downtowns and main streets. The CFA process requires centering voices of underserved populations and working towards equitable outcomes. While some may see Climate Friendly Area designation as a benefit, others may fear gentrification -caused displacement. As this planning effort may generate significant public interest, the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) enlisted a consultant to provide public engagement assistanc e to these jurisdictions and help ensure the public is engaged in the decision -making process and the voices of underserved populations are heard . This report describes the community engagement efforts carried out for the CFAs project by the cities of Ashland, Medford, and Talent with support from 3J Consulting. This document outlines the methodologies employed to engage traditionally underserved populations and the broa der public, the strategies employed for disseminating information, the channels utilized for gathering feedback, and the plans for integrating the received input into the study. II. Objectives The objectives of the study’s community engagement program were to: •Help the community identify preferred location(s) of climate -friendly areas. •Center the voices of traditionally underserved populations, particularly those disproportionately harmed by past land use and transportation decisions and engage with those populations to develop key community outcomes. •Give all potentially affected interests an opportunity for input. •Actively seek participation of potentially affected and/or interested agencies, individuals, businesses, and organizations. •Provide meaningf ul community engagement opportunities and demonstrate through a reporting back process how input has influenced the decisions. •Clearly articulate the process for decision -making and opportunities for input or influence. •Explore partnerships between your city, county, Council of Governments and other agencies and organizations, for overcoming potential barriers to plan implementation. •Help the public to understand how this fits into other planning processes local governments are undertaking. •Comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Environmental Justice rules and the Climate - Friendly and Equitable Communities community engagement requirements in OAR 660 -012-