What is more boring than watching grass grow or paint dry? Our regional planning agency, the San Diego Association of Governments, may be attempting to answer that question. Between now and Nov. 30, it is accepting public comment on its plan to accept public comments. It will be known as the Public Participation Plan.

Wait ---- don't tune out ---- it gets better! They won't be accepting comments on just any topic when the plan is finalized. Oh, no. It is designed to restrict public input to the preselected projects the agency wants to approve. Comments on the process of selecting the projects are unwelcome and won't be accepted..

It's rather tricky, really. The Public Participation Plan makes it possible for the agency to appear to comply with federal law that requires "full public access to key decisions" in transportation planning, but by limiting public comment to proposed projects, they're actively preventing our input on the project selection process.

This effort is revealed in three of the "public outreach and planning" guidelines in the draft document at: < a href="http://www.sandag.org/ppp">http://www.sandag.org/ppp

-- "2. SANDAG will develop public participation programs tailored to meet specific project needs, which address the unique challenges presented by each project."

-- "4. SANDAG will maintain and enhance opportunities to promote plans and projects and secure input on those plans and projects through the SANDAG Web site, e-mail newsletters and notification, and other Web-based activities."

-- "14. A targeted public participation program will be developed to inform the community of factors related to a planning project."

Although Guideline 4 refers to "plans" as well as projects, it's most likely referring to the promotion of preselected plans and not the process of choosing and generating the plans. Tricky, tricky. The most important part of the planning process will be closed to public comment.

Fortunately, this failure to fully involve the taxpaying public in the planning process can be addressed between now and the 30th because ---- well ---- because it's accepting public comment on the Public Participation Plan.

Should the agency honor its promise of congestion relief by expanding the freeways, as stated in the ballot language for the TransNet tax we passed in 2004? Should congestion relief be its highest priority? Should SANDAG develop a congestion relief plan? We can answer those questions if the Public Participation Plan is amended to accept public input on transportation policy in addition to transportation projects!

Please take a few moments to e-mail your thoughtful comments to SANDAG's Public Information Office (pio@sandag.org) explaining how the Public Participation Plan should include input on transportation policy, priorities and project selection. If public comment is administratively blocked by the plan, gridlock and congestion will continue to worsen.

It may seem like a mind-numbingly dull task to create and send the message, but it's necessary since the finalized plan will determine which public comments are accepted and which are ignored.

Afterward, you can liven things up by mowing the lawn or retouching the paint.

GEORGE CRISSMAN lives in Vista.