In the last article we talked about the Long Range Steering Committee makeup and its progress to date.

Tuesday, March 30, 1999

In the last article we talked about the Long Range Steering Committee makeup and its progress to date. We also outlined the five main areas for future development. This article will explain the next phase of the process, how you can get involved and when the recommendations will be presented to the Mower County Board.

For each of the major focus areas we have assigned chairs from the main committee. We will also be requesting 12 additional community members for each group. Once the committees are fully formed they will develop their topic with the assistance of a facilitator. The facilitators come to us via the University of Minnesota Extension Service. The committee chairs and the facilitator assigned to each group are as follows: Land Use – Janet Anderson, chair, Marian Anderson, facilitator; Youth/Family – Father Paul Nelson, chair, Jean McCarthy, facilitator; Elderly – Eileen Hutchinson, chair, Judy Susen, facilitator; Infrastructure – Larry Larson, chair, Mary Laeger-Hagermeister, facilitator; Public Safety/Health – Neal Ronquist, chair, Dave Peterson, facilitator.

As previously stated, each committee will have up to 12 community members in addition to the chair. We are hoping to have these people reflective of Mower County.

We want people to apply that are from Austin and greater Mower County, youth (high school and young adults) and elderly, culturally diverse, etc. For these committees to be effective, they will need to be diverse.

In the next few weeks the County will place ads in the area newspapers. Individuals wishing to apply will be able to obtain an "application" form through the office of the Mower County Coordinator. All applications will be considered by the chairs of each committee. The application will request information about yourself and why you wish to serve on the committee.

Each committee will operate with similar guidelines as follows: 1.) Each committee will plan to have four to six meetings that are a maximum of one and a half-hours in length each; 2.) The location of the meetings may need to vary in order to receive community input (i.e. go to schools to attract youth); 3.) Public will be welcome at all meetings. Any public comment will be at the end of each meeting and directed by the chair; 4.) County staff will be assigned to each committee. The County Staff will serve as recorders and assist the committee members as technical staff. The County staff will provide information to the committee, but are not members. This is to be a community focused process and not directed by County staff; 5.) Each committee will have the discretion to form subcommittees to review specific issues; 6.) The committees are expected to have their findings and recommendations back to the Long Range Steering Committee by September of 1999.

After the committees have forwarded their report, the Long Range Steering Committee will reconvene. It will be its job to develop final recommendations and present them to the County Board in October.

In ending, it is the hope of the County Board that this process encourages community input. All of us need to remember "we the people" are in reality the government. Your assistance and input is encouraged, respected and necessary.

Individuals who are interested or have any questions are encouraged to visit with any committee member or call the Mower County Coordinator’s office at 437-9549.