Special Task force for Issue Advisory Groups

MINUTES

January 22, 2008
6:30 p.m.
316 North Academy Street, Cary, NC
www.townofcary.org

Present: Lori Bush, Thomas Byrd, David Forvendel, Lloyd Hinnant, Donald Hyatt, Vicki Maxwell, Susan Lawson, Staff Liaison William Coleman, Council Liaisons Mayor Harold Weinbrecht and Julie Robison

The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m.

Mayor Weinbrecht opened the meeting by explaining the purpose of the committee. The purpose is for the group to develop a process by which citizens can get issues to council for review. Mayor Weinbrecht stated that the committee should determine criteria, process, how long the task forces can operate and develop a mission statement. Chairperson Bush allowed members to give a short introduction of themselves and reminded the group that they had 90 days to complete their mission.

After introductions, Chairperson Bush stated that in some instances information about the Town's processes is not easy to find. The committee's task is to try to create a framework and a petition process with criteria that explains to citizens what they have to do and what they should expect. Within this framework the committee should outline a process and establish criteria for getting issues to council.

Julie Robison stated that it was important that the process be citizen-generated as a bottom-up approach.

Chairperson Bush stated that it was important to identify what would be helpful in petitioning the Town - creating a Web page, creating documents, and identifying how to find out what is going on. Don Hyatt responded that most information was transmitted by email. Mr. Hyatt also recommended that the committee consider limiting issues that could serve as petitions to those issues that were within the scope of authority of the Town.

Chairperson Bush noted that a number of suggestions may be made that would need to be placed on hold or in a parking lot until the committee could gather more information on them.

Ms. Maxwell stated that she was involved in a project to try to acquire homeowners' association information for all developments in Cary to try to provide a basis for distributing information.

Chairperson Bush mentioned that some of this information was already online through the State of North Carolina; however, that information did not include contact information for homeowners' associations. Ms. Bush also noted that by the time citizens received information through normal sources, often it was too late to take action. It was stated that information on processes for initiating issues should be published in the Town's Guide to Services.

Ms. Bush also stated that in reviewing ideas for the process to be developed for citizens to get issues to council, some adjectives that should describe that process should be easy, accurate, clear criteria and definitions. Ms. Bush asked the committee to also think about ground rules and operating principles for the task force and discuss future meeting times.

It was decided that the committee would meet every Tuesday through February for two hours and that after February the schedule would be revisited. The committee then discussed methods by which the committee could post information to be read by the rest of the committee that might involve research or suggestions. The committee discussed using Wiki or other blog technology.

Mr. Coleman stated that this could be discussed with Bill Stice, the Town's Technology Services Director.

Ms. Bush then suggested that the committee use mind-mapping facilitation technique in order to link ideas together as they are brainstormed so as not to lose any creative ideas. The committee agreed that that would be a useful process.

Don Hyatt suggested to get an overview of existing flow of work - identifying processes as they are now, such as rezoning, site plans, speed humps, healthy neighborhoods, etc.

Mr. Hinnant suggested that the committee discuss the issues of what constitutes an issue that should be brought forward. Julie Robison stated that the idea itself should be citizen-initiated. Ms. Lawson suggested issues such as the Carpenter sign might be an example of an issue that would be brought to council to form a task force, and that those issues be brought to council by the public by an organized group of citizens.

Julie Robison suggested that the citizen groups could have significant potential for problem solving. Mr. Forvendel suggested that the group, in discussing these items, continually review their mission statement to be sure the committee is on task. Don Hyatt suggested that the process have a mechanism for council to sanction groups so that it doesn't inadvertently give citizens power that they do not have, i.e., petitioning power. Mr. Forvendel reiterated that the issues are to be brought to council and that council would sanction those issues for further study.

The committee then discussed the potential operation parameters of the issue committees with Ms. Robison stating that some task force committees may require a council liaison and Mr. Forvendel stating that staff support may be necessary also.

Mr. Hinnant asked about establishing an agenda for the task force meetings. Ms. Bush responded that each meeting should have a main topic and discuss categories of issues and criteria, and there should be a goal for each weekly meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for January 29, 2008, at 6:30 p.m.