The Advisory Council
Monday, January 16 – Thursday, January 19, 2006
Several teams have established steering committees and sub-committees. While I agree with this approach, I had a slightly different and very clear idea of how I wanted to structure our public participation.
This is to be the Parish community’s plan. It is not the Parish Government’s plan or the cities’ plan – and it is definitely not the plan of a bunch of outside consultants. It needs to be reflective of all sectors of the community. We need to provide technical expertise and support, but in many ways we are just the scribes and the people need to create the plan.
With such a short time frame, active participation is a must. I have asked each of the now seven topical area leads to find at least 6 and hopefully more people who will serve on their advisory council work group. They are to meet with there work group at least once a week for the month of February, working through each piece of the plan as it is developed. We cannot afford the possibility of getting far off-track -- we do not have the time. It is not assumed that government will implement all of the projects. I have asked each lead to work to ensure that his or her group is representative of the parish geographically, economically, etc. – that there be elected officials, government employees, people from the not for profit and for profit sectors and some key citizens and influencers.
And I am also creating an eighth group on Government and organizational capacity. I have invited all the Mayors, the Parish President, the Chambers of Commerce and the United Way. This groups job will be to help prioritize, provide feedback to the other groups and determine if the human and financial resources exist to implement the proposed projects.
By Wednesday, over 70 people had agreed to serve on one of the eight working group. Approximately 40 people attended our first meeting Wednesday night. Officers were elected and each working group met briefly to establish a time date and location for their first meeting and to suggest additional people for the group.
A very hopeful start.
Several teams have established steering committees and sub-committees. While I agree with this approach, I had a slightly different and very clear idea of how I wanted to structure our public participation.
This is to be the Parish community’s plan. It is not the Parish Government’s plan or the cities’ plan – and it is definitely not the plan of a bunch of outside consultants. It needs to be reflective of all sectors of the community. We need to provide technical expertise and support, but in many ways we are just the scribes and the people need to create the plan.
With such a short time frame, active participation is a must. I have asked each of the now seven topical area leads to find at least 6 and hopefully more people who will serve on their advisory council work group. They are to meet with there work group at least once a week for the month of February, working through each piece of the plan as it is developed. We cannot afford the possibility of getting far off-track -- we do not have the time. It is not assumed that government will implement all of the projects. I have asked each lead to work to ensure that his or her group is representative of the parish geographically, economically, etc. – that there be elected officials, government employees, people from the not for profit and for profit sectors and some key citizens and influencers.
And I am also creating an eighth group on Government and organizational capacity. I have invited all the Mayors, the Parish President, the Chambers of Commerce and the United Way. This groups job will be to help prioritize, provide feedback to the other groups and determine if the human and financial resources exist to implement the proposed projects.
By Wednesday, over 70 people had agreed to serve on one of the eight working group. Approximately 40 people attended our first meeting Wednesday night. Officers were elected and each working group met briefly to establish a time date and location for their first meeting and to suggest additional people for the group.
A very hopeful start.
posted by J Corlss at 8:15 PM
1 Comments:
Excellent, inclusive, sensitive approach.
Bravo for bringing the process to the people.
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