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“We provide substantially more information than is required by law. People appreciate that, especially when they’re trying to find out about a project near their home or office,” said Ms. Studley added. “The public can now view exactly the same information that members of the Planning & Zoning Commission and Board of Supervisors review before making a decision on a case.”
Pinal County’s Planning & Zoning Commission is made up of citizen volunteers who evaluate proposed projects and make recommendations. The Commission can recommend approval, denial or stipulate approval if certain conditions are met. The recommendation then goes to the Board of Supervisors for a final decision.
The starting point to access this information is the Planning & Development home page at http://www.pinalcountyaz.gov/Departments/PlanningDevelopment/Pages/Home.aspx.
Next, click on Notice of Hearing on the left side. This directs you to a map with color-coded pins depending on the type of case or stage in the process.
Once you click on a pin, a box will appear with a basic description of the case.
If you are looking for more information, you can click on VIEW NOTICE OF HEARING. This takes you to the actual Notice of Hearing containing details on the case.
While on the same page as the map, you can scroll down and see the list of cases by hearing date for both the Board of Supervisors and the Zoning Commission.
Case documents will be available online from the time the Notice of Hearing is posted (30 days prior to the Planning & Zoning meeting), through the hearing at Planning & Zoning. The case information will be updated to reflect the zoning board’s recommendation and remain accessible through the Board’s decision on the case and for 30 days thereafter.
Ms. Studley acknowledged that the project would not have been possible without the assistance of many of her colleagues, especially the staff in the county’s Information Technology department.
“We are pleased to raise the bar on government transparency with access to this information on the internet. The county has an “A” rating for website transparency but we aren’t content to rest there,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Pete Rios. “This is another step in the County’s effort to keep the public informed and provide useful e-government services.”
In January 2009, the Pinal County Board led the way by making background information and detailed documentation for Board agenda items available online.
