In 2020 the city council of Littleton, CO, began building its new Unified Land-Use Code (ULUC). City leadership understood the value of public buy-in and was committed to generating public participation with the project. The goal was an engaging, easy-to-use and easy-to-manage online ULUC that addressed the concerns of the community with transparency and clarity.
Having codified and published its city code on the enCodePlus technology platform in May 2021, Littleton was eager to use its features and tools to build the new ULUC.
The city had used the collaborative editing feature to create and publish the code and now the city clerk had taken over making updates in real time (processing 33 amendments in house in the first nine months!).
The published code features popular tools like quick-links to popular sections, links to the city’s Envision Littleton Comprehensive Plan and vision summary, and integration with its GIS-powered land-use and zoning map. The new ULUC would need to meet the same elevated standard.
Littleton is a small, largely built out community with an established character. Citizens are engaged, educated on the issues, and vocal. It was important to ensure their voices would be heard. Littleton is dedicated to thoughtful community discussion regarding challenges facing the city and opportunities to shape the future.
Before modern technology made these public-input gathering practices obsolete, local governments measured public opinion by holding open meetings, manually recording comments, and then emailing compiled documents around to staff for consideration and action. There was no reliable method to track, export or archive the process.
No accountability. No transparency. No public sense that they had been heard. Plus, today’s citizens increasingly prefer immediate, online access over physical attendance at public meetings.
Littleton’s approach raised the bar and proved that efficient, effective public engagement was possible.
During development of its comprehensive plan, the city had utilized surveys, emails and other traditional tactics to gather public opinion. It was cumbersome, but necessary. When it came time to create their new ULUC, they realized they could leverage their new enCodePlus technology to streamline the process.
Using its Project WebManager feature and its flexible drafting and commenting tools, Littleton was able to streamline the process and easily manage the 18-month project with transparency and accountability.
“Littleton created a dedicated URL (EnvisionLittleton.org) to manage the entire project” said Kathleen Osher, Director of Community Services in the City Manager’s Office for the City of Littleton. “I was able to keep the dedicated site easily updated by using the maintenance module powered by enCodePlus. Changes are fast and easy to make so that specific project information for our residents and business was always the latest and greatest.”
The result is a feature-rich, always-updated website – easy to manage in house, and fully integrated with other city GIS maps and codes. Check it out here. These resources, along with supplemental videos and unique features and development tools, will keep the public updated and informed for years to come.
”The ULUC is our next step in managing change and growth in the city while maintaining our identity and quality of life”, said Osher. “Using enCodePlus allowed us to make a very technical process more approachable to our residents, property owners, and businesses. The search function has been key for putting the draft at the fingertips of our stakeholders.”
Explore the website to learn more about projects powered by enCodePlus or its customizable public engagement tools or project websites.
Sign calculator empowers citizens to test the consequences of proposed sign regulations
Oklahoma City, OK, is using enCodePlus technology to generate public engagement with the development of their new sign regulations. A customized sign calculator, calibrated to reflect proposed regulations, allows users to determine how proposed rules would affect their businesses and properties.
In collaboration with its consultant, the city drafted and published their sign regulations online using the enCodePlus platform, allowing citizens to review the entire text, use the calculator to project the results, and then comment on the document.
The city can then weigh public opinion, recalibrate the calculator, and republish the document for further review. In just 20 days, the website has generated more than 60 public comments. With the ability to adjust regulations to reflect comments, the result will be a useful tool that delivers functionality that serves the unique desires of the community.
