There are ways to improve the UDC process so that we are all confident that it’s the best road map for Roswell’s future and that it protects the goals and values of Roswell’s residents and small businesses[1].  Following are details of my suggested approach.  The outline is flexible; when you read it, you’ll get a sense of what the process is designed to achieve.  I believe that this approach will bring transparency and accountability to the UDC and ultimately make it much stronger[2].

1.  Release a draft of the UDC document.  Publicize it through available channels and local groups: Homeowners Associations; churches; civic and professional groups; Boards and Commissions; schools; and other networks.

2.  Open the “Notice and Comment” period for a defined period of time.  For a document of this size and magnitude, it should be at least 60 days.  During this time, the draft does not change so that everyone is looking at the same thing when they’re providing comments.  If changes are made in an unstructured fashion, then nobody is sure what has changed and when, what they’re supposed to comment on, or what effect their comments might have.  This approach also wastes time for staff and the groups giving input on the draft.

Comments should be attributed: this process is rooted in dialogue and accountability.  Gathering contact information from commenters also builds a network for information-sharing as the process progresses.  Anonymous comments may be accepted, but there is no obligation to respond to them.  Accountability is a two-way street, and we should all accept responsibility for our part in the process.

a.  Schedule UDC workshops and work sessions with a range of stakeholder groups, such as HOAs, churches, civic and professional groups, Boards and Commissions, school-based groups, the Downtown Development Authority, Roswell Inc, City Council, and others.  A group can dive into specific aspects of the UDC or consider the entire document from their perspective.  The workshops are moderated and recorded.

b.  Schedule public meetings about the UDC that are active and grounded in open conversation and dialogue.  Present the draft to attendees, take their questions, and ask them questions:  What’s confusing?  What’s exciting?  What’s missing?  The meetings are moderated and recorded.

c.  Collect and invite input through the City website and via email, phone, and postal mail.  Acknowledge them when they are received.

3.  Gather and sort all of the comments from all of the sources so that they can be considered all at once.  Publish the result as a public document.

4.  Use the comment document as the basis for making changes to the UDC draft.  Track the changes and refer to the comments where appropriate.

5.  Publish the updated draft and publicize it through available channels and networks.

6.  Work through the new draft with Boards, Commissions, and Mayor and City Council in open meetings, hearings, and work sessions at which public comment is permitted.

7.  Make and track additional changes to generate a final draft for a final reading.

8.  Approve the UDC.

The process doesn’t stop with approval of the UDC.  Approval is just the beginning of the difficult work of implementation.  I therefore suggest that the UDC should not become effective immediately after its approval.  An implementation plan needs to be created so that the transition from our current processes and systems to the UDC is as smooth as possible.

A good implementation plan will be publicly available and will include concrete steps to bring the UDC from paper to reality.  It will name specific expectations and tasks for specific roles and positions, with goals and metrics to measure progress in the short, medium, and long terms.  Where are we going, how do we know when we arrive, and how are we going to continue to improve?

The plan should allow time to train staff, Council, and Boards and Commissions on the new processes that the UDC brings.  New materials and forms and the website need to be created and tested.  Evaluation processes and measures need to be generated.  Before the UDC “goes live,” a series of “tabletop exercises” can work through potential scenarios with the new code.  Nobody can predict the future, but shouldn’t we do everything in our power to think through as many possibilities as we can so that we’re as prepared as we can be?

Change is difficult.  Transition is difficult.  Nothing is perfect.  But we owe it to our city and its future to utilize a strong and fair process for creating and implementing the UDC.