10a NCAC 97C .0111      CITIZEN PARTICIPATION

(a)  Each grant recipient funded under Rule .0108(a)(1) of this Section is required to establish citizen participation policy and procedures. Grant recipients shall hold public hearings to meet the requirements of Rule .0401(5) of Subchapter 97B only during the initial planning when a new multi-year plan is to be developed.

(b)  CAAs funded under Rule .0108(a)(1) of this Section shall hold one public hearing for review and comment in each county it serves prior to submission of the Community Anti-Poverty Plan to the Division of Social Services.

(c)  Each grant recipient shall be responsible for establishing procedures to ensure that the poor are able to participate in the decisions and activities of the grant recipient. These procedures shall include provisions for:

(1)           Notification for any board or committee meetings to include the agenda items. These shall be provided individually to all members of the board and committees in writing at least five days before the meeting. In addition, notices shall be given to the local public media and posted in all the grant recipient's neighborhood and community centers.

(2)           Information about standards of program effectiveness. This information shall be given to persons in poverty to permit them to plan for and evaluate agency programs and to set priorities for the use of funds and other resources. Evaluations of programs and their operation shall consider the views of the poor on the board, as well as the views of program participants and area residents.

(3)           Information and training for board members about their by-laws, functions, duties, and responsibilities and the issues that will come before them.

(4)           Developing involvement of the poor in programs administered by the grant recipient. This involvement may be in the form of a program advisory committee or neighborhood council made up of persons residing in the county or counties where the grant recipient administers programs. The committee and council may advise the grant recipient on program priorities, participate in the development of the grant application, review and comment on programs and policies, and participate in the evaluation of programs.

(5)           The grant recipient in the planning process of its Community Anti-Poverty Plan shall annually hold meetings to ascertain suggestions, recommendations, and priorities for eliminating poverty from the poor. The grant recipient shall provide information and training to the residents that are poor to ensure their involvement in this planning process. The recommendations, suggestions, and priorities of the residents that are poor shall be reviewed by the board of directors in its determination of programs to be implemented by the grant recipient, and will be maintained by the grant recipient for public inspection.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 143B-153(6);

Eff. December 1, 1983;

Amended Eff. October 1, 1984;

Readopted Eff. November 1, 2017.