By Angela Reinhardt
All members of the Citizen Advisory Committee on Commission Structure (CAC) met Tuesday evening and finalized the dates and agenda for the first round of public hearings scheduled in July.
Following a non-binding vote last November in which Pickens voters overwhelmingly expressed an interest in moving to a multi-commissioner format, the CAC was created to draft a workable multi-person form of government that will appear as a binding referendum on the 2010 November ballot.
The 42 CAC members, divided into six subcommittees, have been charged with various tasks and, following a brief report from each subcommittee chair, members of the CAC hammered out the agenda for three scheduled pubic hearings in July.
The Progress has regularly reported on subcommittee meetings. All past committee reports, along with other relevant information, can be found at the Progress website, www.pickensprogress.com. Simply click on the “Moving to A Multi-Person Commission” link.
More information about the multi-person commission can also be found at www.pickenscountyga.gov.
The purpose of the July public hearings is for CAC members to gather information from Pickens County residents. These hearings, however, will not be in a question/answer format.
“We will be in listen mode,” CAC Chair Phil Anderson said, “and it is critical that we set the stage in a positive way and make them as constructive an experience as possible.”
Information from these hearings will help the CAC determine the form of government best suited for residents of Pickens.
The three hearings will begin with an introduction of the five basic forms of county government by either Dave Wills, government relations manager for the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG), or by Larry Butler, chair of the diversity subcommittee, depending on the date.
Following the introductory material, Pickens County Democratic Party Chairman David Robinson will briefly speak about the anticipated benefits and costs of multi-person commissions.
Pickens residents will then be handed the floor and will be given three minutes each to offer their comments on what form of a multi-person commission they prefer and why.
They will also be asked to advise the CAC about questions to be answered in the October round of public hearings after a specific commission-structure recommendation is given.
Any person interested in attending the July hearings is being asked to prepare their comments in written form and submit them to the CAC ahead of time, or, simply to bring them to the July hearings.
Please include your name and contact information with your comment.
The CAC can be reached by visiting www.pickenscountyga.gov and clicking on the multi-person icon. There is a link at the top of that page which allows you to e-mail the CAC with your comments for the July hearing. People not planning on attending the July hearings are also encouraged to submit comments via e-mail for the CAC’s consideration.
Research subcommittee chair Jon Aldridge also suggested residents attend other local government meetings (city council, school board, commissioner, etc.) to get a feel for various board structures and the ways in which they operate.
Following are dates for the July public hearings:
Thursday, July 16 at 7 p.m.
Appalachian Technical College
Monday, July 20 at 7 p.m.
Episcopal Church of the Holy Family
Thursday, July 23 at 7 p.m.
Hill City Elementary School
|
|
