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By Galen C. McBride
Rappahannock News Staff Writer
A joint session of the Town Planning Commission and the Town’s Future Committee packed the town hall on Aug. 25. Town and comity residents met with town planner Milton Herd to discuss his proposed citizens’ steering committee and development of a long-range planning document for the town.
The Town’s Future Committee chairman Ray Gooch previously solicited volunteers for the steering committee. Twelve county and 11 town residents responded.
Ralph Dellevie, a Culpeper County resident who owns property in Rappahannock, also volunteered.
Mr. Herd explained that the primary purpose of the steering committee is to be “executive in nature,” providing “liaison between the community, the town council, and (himself).” They would be a “touchstone” on the pulse of the community, enabling everyone’s views to be heard.
Final selection of committee members would be based on its being “as representative of the broad community as possible, reflecting the full spectrum of interests and backgrounds,” including age and - racial mix, personal philosophies, incomes, education, etc.
The town council plans to review the volunteer list and confirm membership during its September session. ,
Mr. Herd views his role to be that of a facilitator who would “help the community decide what it wants and guide it to achieve what it wants. (The goal of) facilitating is to help reach consensus.”
He feels that he brings “philosophy and experience” to the process. His goal is “to come in with as few preconceptions as possible. Then, as we build rapport, we can draw out the ideas.”
County resident Newbill Miller supports this view. He said it was important for everyone to be “open, candid, and positive.” - - :i,
Most of the consensus building would involve the four or more planned public hearings. Members of the committee would provide advice and help develop the agendas for the meetings.
Mr. Herd’s proposal includes the development and approval by the town council of an updated comprehensive plan that would establish goals well into the 21st Century.
He suggested that some limited modeling and development of trend scenarios, along with identification of alternatives and evaluation, is built into Task Group I, the first phase of the proposal.
It is then up to the planning commission and town council, with detailed input from the steering committee, the public workshops and hearings, the county, and other government agencies, to make the final policy decisions regarding the town’s future.
Mr. Herd clarified that the steering committee is “not (being established) to help prepare the draft planning document.” With proper research, planning, and execution, the action “could move from the visioning stage directly to the planning commission.”
As proposed, the plan would “have a 20-year horizon and a sense of benchmarks,” broken out
See MEETING, Page A6
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