West Side Arena

• Provide stakeholders with key project and process information, including the basis for this project and the focus on year-round recreational uses by West Side residents.
• Ensure process integrity and relevance, including creating engagement opportunities in which stakeholders can hear/learn from each other and making decisions driven by stakeholder perspectives.
• Build and strengthen relationships between the county and West Side communities, including actively involving key stakeholder groups in the engagement process design and cultivating lasting relationships so stakeholders stay involved in evaluation and refinements over time to ensure community benefits. 
• Gather stakeholder perspectives by seeking feedback on what recreational activities and/or recreational facilities would be beneficial to the community and what is lacking.

For this project, the county has committed to the Core Values and Code of Ethics from the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2).

IAP2 Core Values for Public Participation

Community engagement:

• Is based on the belief that those who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision-making process.
• Includes the promise that the stakeholder contributions will influence the decision. 
• Promotes sustainable decisions by recognizing and communicating the needs and interests of all participants, including decision makers. 
• Seeks out and facilitates the involvement of those potentially affected by or interested in a decision. 
• Seeks input from participants in designing how they participate. 
• Provides participants with the information they need to participate in a meaningful way. 
• Communicates to participants how their input affected the decision.

IAP2 Code of Ethics for Practitioners

• Purpose. We support public participation as a process to make better decisions that incorporate the interests and concerns of all affected stakeholders and meet the needs of the decision-making body.
• Role of Practitioner. We will enhance the public's participation in the decision-making process and assist decision-makers in being responsive to the public's concerns and suggestions.
• Trust. We will undertake and encourage actions that build trust and credibility for the process among all the participants.
• Defining the Public’s Role. We will carefully consider and accurately portray the public's role in the decision-making process.
• Openness. We will encourage the disclosure of all information relevant to the public's understanding and evaluation of a decision.
• Access to the Process. We will ensure that stakeholders have fair and equal access to the public participation process and the opportunity to influence decisions.
• Respect for Communities. We will avoid strategies that risk polarizing community interests or that appear to "divide and conquer."
• Advocacy. We will advocate for the public participation process and will not advocate for interest, party, or project outcome.
• Commitments. We ensure that all commitments made to the public, including those by the decision-maker, are made in good faith.
• Support of the Practice. We will mentor new practitioners in the field and educate decision-makers and the public about the value and use of public participation.