Every county in Oregon is required by Oregon to have a Committee for Citizen Involvement (CCI) that is responsible for assisting with the development of a program that promotes and enhances citizen involvement in land-use planning, assisting in the implementation of the citizen involvement program and evaluating the process being used for citizen involvement. As allowed by Oregon statutes, Polk County designated the duties of the CCI to the Planning Commission in 1987. Between 1987 and 1997 the CCI was inactive. During that period many of the Planning Commission members had no idea that they were also appointed to serve as the Committee for Citizen Involvement.

As a result of increased interest of citizens starting in 1997, several Area Advisory Committees were reactivated and in December 1997, the Board of Commissioners established new by-laws for the Area Advisory Committees. It was clear at this time that additional changes and coordination were needed to ensure a viable citizen involvement program in Polk County. The Board of Commissioners established an Ad Hoc Committee to review the situation and to make recommendations for changes. This committee met during 1998-1999 and developed a set of recommendations. Subsequently, the County Commissioners held several public hearings, and early in 2001 revised the Goals and Policies for Citizen Involvement and the By-Laws of the AACs. The Commissioners also re-established a CCI that was separate from the Planning Commission.

A new CCI was appointed in 2001 and was composed of a past Planning Commission member and four other people who had applied to serve on the Planning Commission for 2001. The CCI met four times in 2001 and developed a work plan for 2002. Action items approved by the CCI and the Planning Commission included: 1) reconsider boundaries of AACs, 2) plan an annual meeting and recognition for AAC members, 3) update brochures for citizen education and 4) request funding for AACs to tape record their meetings and to distribute their minutes.

The Citizen Involvement Program and the Committee for Citizen Involvement in Polk County looks fine on paper, but once again there is almost no sign of activity or progress. The CCI meet only once in 2002. The repeated request for funds to help the AACs take and distribute minutes was once again denied without giving any specific response or details to either the CCI or the AACs. One must question whether or not Polk County really desires to promote citizen involvement in land use planning. Continued neglect, lack of support and lack of communication will not encourage citizen participation.