Public Participation is any process that involves the public in problem solving or decision-making and uses public input to help make decisions. It promotes sustainable decision-making by providing participants with the information they need to be involved in a meaningful way, and it communicates to participants how their input affects the decision.

There are four areas where we require community engagement or public participation and where citizens can meaningfully contribute:

• Policies
• Planning
• Projects and initiatives
• Service level changes

The City of Red Deer’s public participation program is guided by the International Association of Public Participation’s (IAP2) principles, and Council has adopted the IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum as a tool for determining the appropriate level of public participation.

Other ways to have your say:

We seek citizen input through numerous mechanisms. Other opportunities outside of formal Public Participation, include:

• Joining a Council Committee
• Contacting City Council or administration
• Using Report A Problem
• Joining online conversations on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram