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In the first of a series of articles on the Winchester-Frederick County Unification Discussions published last week in this Open Forum, Mike Foreman, chairman of the Steering Committee, described the Steering Committee and Sub-committee structure of the two-phase project. He explained the first phase in which the Planning/Zoning, Social Services, Parks and Recreation, Fire and Rescue, and Schools Sub-committees have each been charged with the task of developing a plan by which their respective departments could unify to provide more efficient and more effective services to the citizens of Frederick County and Winchester.
Now we are embarking on what our orientation session said would be the most important part of the process. PUBLIC INPUT.
You, the citizens of Frederick County and Winchester now have an opportunity to participate in this very important undertaking. The Public Opinion/Public Input (PO/PI) Sub-committee which has the responsibility of disseminating information to the public and receiving input from the citizens throughout the project invites you to join in the discussions. The ultimate outcome of the Winchester-Frederick County Unification Discussions can be influenced by you, the citizens. Communication and public participation are essential in reaching the best outcome in this multi-faceted project. We want and need you, the citizens of Frederick County and Winchester to become involved in this unification discussion.
In order to provide multiple and continuous opportunities for communication between you, the citizens and the Unification committees, the PO/PI has scheduled public meetings, established the Committee of 100, and developed a website for internet information dissemination and response.
You will have at least three avenues of communication to actively participate in determining the future of Frederick County and Winchester. The first of these is to attend one of four public meetings in which you can provide your input. They are scheduled as follows:
- Monday, March 13, 2006 -- Sherando High School -- 7:00 PM
- Wednesday, March 15, 2006 -- War Memorial Building, Jim Barnett Park -- 7:00 PM
- Tuesday, March 21, 2006 -- Millbrook High School -- 7:00 PM
- Thursday, March 23, 2006 -- James Wood High School. -- 7:00 PM
At each of these meetings the Steering Committee and the sub-committees will present the proposals that are being developed by the unification sub-committees. The same information will be presented at each meeting. You are strongly encouraged to attend at least one of the public meetings to receive first-hand information about the proposals and how they are being developed. This will allow you to have an input to and make an informed judgment regarding the Unification effort. Surveys that will be distributed at each public meeting will be collated by the Senior Advanced Placement Government class of James Wood High School. There will be a block of time set aside at each meeting during which you can make comments and ask questions.
The second opportunity for participation is the Committee of 100 which is being established in order to have a thorough and consistent review of all of the proposals throughout the duration of the project. You are invited to become a member of this important Committee of 100 which is a 'NON-MEETING committee of individuals' made up of volunteer citizens representing a cross-section of the Winchester-Frederick County population. Each member of the Committee of 100 will be asked to review the unification proposals and to submit comments at various times throughout the project. The comments will be collated and presented to the appropriate sub-committees. The individual responses and comments will remain anonymous. You can become a member of this very important NON-MEETING Committee by contacting Rhoda Kriz at 667-1663 or completing the application form on-line on the website.
The third avenue is to utilize the website - www.winchester-frederick.com - which contains the details of the project, executive summaries of the proposals, an on-line application form for the Committee of 100, and an interactive form for comments, questions, or suggestions. Available twenty four hours a day the website provides you a continuous opportunity to participate in the future of Winchester and Frederick County.
The Steering Committee encourages you to participate in one or all of these public input opportunities. The Winchester-Frederick County Unification Discussion is an important project that has the potential to provide improved quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of our governmental services. Please take every opportunity to become involved and participate in the discussions. Attend the meetings, join the Committee of 100, visit and submit comments through the website.
Reasonable people, equally informed, will make intelligent decisions.
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