Overview
The Atlanta Planning Advisory Board (APAB) is a representative Board of citizens drawn from every district of Atlanta that advises the City Administration, City Council and others on citywide issues, goals and objectives relative to Atlanta's Comprehensive Development Plan and related concerns. It also advises on ongoing issues related to land use, zoning, transportation, environmental quality, license review, parks and open spaces. The Planning Advisory Board maintains direct communication with the Commissioner of Planning, and its annual budget is administered by the Bureau of Planning. Unlike ad hoc citizen groups formed for the purpose of lobbying for individual interests, APAB delegates vote to reflect the broad democratic consensus of the NPU they represent. APAB is the official voice of Atlanta's citizens in the planning process pursuant to provisions of the Atlanta City Charter, and actions of this Board and its membership are subject to the City Code of Ethics.
APAB is composed of twenty five delegates and 25 alternate delegates from each of the City's 25 Neighborhood Planning Units (NPU). The NPU Chairperson or official delegate is, by statute, the voting representative of their NPU. APAB elects officers yearly, and its officers, together with its committee chairs, constitute the Executive Committee of the Atlanta Planning Advisory Board. APAB meets on the third Saturday of every month at City Hall in the morning. The public is invited to attend any regular APAB meeting. A brief period for public comment is a feature of the monthly APAB session. APAB meetings are televised live on City Channel 26, and are taped for archival purposes.
The primary mission of the Atlanta Planning Advisory Board is to facilitate citizen participation in affairs of city government by drawing on its representation from the Neighborhood Planning Unit system and elsewhere. The Board assists City agencies in determining priorities, in review and recommendations on budgetary items and in matters of policy. APAB may advise the City concerning responsiveness of city government to its citizen organizations and other citizen participants in the planning, administrative and legislative processes. APAB may also perform other functions as required by federal law relative to citizen participation where federal law does not mandate assignment to a specific agency, and may perform other duties as assigned by the Mayor and City Council. APAB is the nominating or appointing body for citizen seats on numerous City boards and commissions.
Committees and Work Groups
Under its present by-laws APAB maintains a committee structure that parallels that of City Council. The committees consist of: Finance/Executive, Public Safety, Community Development and Human Resources, Zoning, Utilities, Transportation, and Committee on Council. The President of APAB and the Executive Committee routinely create collaborative committees or work groups from within its delegate pool and from the city at large to facilitate citizen input on specific topics of current concern that are under consideration by city government. APAB committee members frequently work with City Council committees during the amendment phase of legislative papers in order to incorporate citizen concerns before the legislation is enacted.
Citizen Participation Training and Issues Forums
An important activity of APAB is to inform and educate citizens by presenting workshops and other training events and to raise awareness on pending issues of civic concern. In years when funds permit, APAB convenes a Leadership Institute for community leaders in order to strengthen their knowledge, skills and effectiveness in providing citizen input within the City's citizen participation system. More routinely at the beginning of each calendar year orientation training by the Bureau of Planning is hosted by APAB for all new NPU chairpersons in January. Other training seminars are held, time permitting, as an adjunct to the monthly Saturday APAB meetings and at other times. The Atlanta Planning Advisory Board also holds occasional forums and panel discussions, some with distinguished invited guests, when such forums are timely, in order to monitor citizen opinion at critical times in citywide debate on pending issues.
Atlanta Neighborhood Achievement Awards
On an annual basis, at the discretion of its executive committee, APAB hosts a citywide event, the Atlanta Neighborhood Achievement Awards. A Neighborhood Achievement Award recognizes one or more citizens and groups who, in the estimation of APAB or the recipient's NPU have demonstrated outstanding leadership or service to their community and the City. APAB may also, when appropriate, recognize an organizational entity with a special Award for citywide leadership and service to the citizens of Atlanta.
Contact Information
Atlanta Planning Advisory Board members and officers can be contacted through Ms. Wendy Scruggs-Murray, the Citizen Participation Coordinator for the City of Atlanta Department of Planning and Community Development, at (404) 330-6899, fax (404) 658-7491 or by email at wscruggs@atlantaga.gov