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Phase II of the Winchester-Frederick County Unification Discussion is well underway, and it will soon be time for the subcommittees to present their reports to the Steering Committee.
As in Phase I last year, we are asking that you, the citizens of Frederick County and Winchester take advantage of the opportunity to participate in this very important project.
Chances are you may not have heard much about the Phase II proceedings. When there is no crisis and no controversy, there is no outcry of public emotion. It's difficult to gather the enthusiasm to attend an informational meeting. But we must pay attention and become involved. The decisions that come out of the unification discussions will shape the future of Winchester and Frederick County.
The subcommittees for Phase II are:
- Water & Sewer – Harry Smith, Chairman;
- Inspections – Doug Toan, Chairman. See Open Forum August 18;
- Data Processing/Finance – Dave Ziegler, Chairman. See Open forum August 25;
- Transportation – Dan Troup.
These subcommittees 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.
Working together is an established tradition between Winchester and Frederick County. Consider the Winchester-Frederick Joint Judicial Center, Regional Library, Waste Water Treatment Plant, Regional Jail, Economic Development, Convention and Visitors Bureau -- all of these are examples of our successful history of cooperation in regional projects.
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, complex 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 the citizens and the Unification committees, the Public Opinion/Public Input Subcommittee has scheduled public meetings, established the Committee of 100, and developed a website for internet information dissemination and response.
You 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 three public meetings in which you can provide your input. They are scheduled as follows:
- Thursday, September 20, 2007 -- Daniel Morgan Middle School -- 7:00 PM
- Monday, September 24, 2007 -- Evendale Elementary School -- 7:00 PM
- Thursday, September 27, 2007 -- James Wood High School. -- 7:00 PM
The subcommittees will present brief reports of the proposals they are preparing, and there will be time at each meeting during which you can make comments and ask questions. 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.
The second opportunity for participation is the Committee of 100 which has been 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. You may become a member of this very important NON-MEETING Committee by completing the application form on-line on the website or by contacting Rhoda Kriz at 667-1663.
The third avenue for your input is 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. Survey/questionnaires will be available at each public meeting as well as on-line. Available twenty four hours a day the website provides you a continuous opportunity to participate in the discussion of the unification 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.
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