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<br /> 6/17/2025 <br />COMPREHENSIVE PLAN <br />ENGAGEMENT, ADMINISTRATION, AND IMPLEMENTATION ELEMENT <br /> Page 189 <br />Engagement, Administration, and Implementation <br />Vision: Everett engages all members of the community in meaningful conversations. Decisions are made <br />in open, transparent meetings. <br />Element Scope: The Engagement, Administration, and Implementation element details how the City will <br />work with the community to prepare, administer, implement, and update the Comprehensive Plan in <br />accordance with the Growth Management Act. <br />Why We Engage with Our Community <br />Decisions are better—more equitable, resilient, and accountable—when all interested parties are <br />involved in considering the issues and weighing in on decisions. Collaborative and inclusive community <br />participation are essential to supporting Everett’s core values of opportunity, equity, partnerships, and <br />accountability, as well to as creating and sustaining a prosperous, healthy, and equitable Everett. <br />All community members’ needs and concerns are valid, efforts must be made to improve <br />communication with traditionally under-represented and under-served groups, including low-income <br />communities and communities of color. Meaningful engagement is inclusive of voices in our community <br />that may have been historically marginalized and excluded. Consistent with the City’s core values and <br />vision for government performance, deep and inclusive community involvement is essential to <br />transparency and equity in long-range planning decisions. It also makes it possible to create and work <br />towards a shared vision for the future. <br />Consistent with Everett’s core values, the city is committed to transparency in community involvement <br />processes. When community members have a good understanding of a process, they are better able to <br />participate effectively. Improved transparency and communication allow the city to better understand <br />community opinions and needs. <br />How We Engage with Our Community <br />Everett is committed to authentic public engagement and recognizes that the complexity and changing <br />character of planning issues, technology, and the city itself requires thoughtful innovation to ensure <br />inclusive and equitable community engagement. Increasingly diverse demographics, as well as past <br />failures to fully engage all members of the community, point to the need for new approaches to citizen <br />engagement that promote inclusive participation. Changes in communication technology allow, and <br />even require, the city to offer new avenues for engagement, and hopefully, collaboration. Finally, the <br />city’s natural and built character and infrastructure are constantly evolving and continually require <br />citizen input. The following policies challenge City staff to assess current practices and develop new <br />tools through an ongoing evaluation and improvement of public engagement methods. <br />Inclusive and diverse community engagement <br />Promoting inclusive engagement in Everett’s diverse community requires a variety of innovative <br />outreach strategies to identify the most impacted communities, develop equity-driven public <br />engagement goals and outcomes, establish meaningful relationships, implement culturally relevant <br />engagement opportunities, and remove barriers to participation. City staff seeks to engage Everett’s <br />entire community in civic life and cannot assume that all people are equally comfortable or familiar with