Urbanization Forum adds community bulletin board to website

The Urbanization Forum of Washington County has rolled out an electronic Community Bulletin Board, making it easier for citizens to post comments or ask questions about proposed policies for current and future urbanization in the county. The bulletin board is the second phase of www.urbanizationforum.com, introduced last month to include the public in the discussion among elected and appointed leaders in the county.

The forum is focused primarily on two issues, how will new services be provided to developing areas outside Metro’s Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) – known as urban reserves – and how will services be delivered in the future to currently developed but unincorporated areas (like Cedar Mill)? Local government and service district leaders created the Urbanization Forum earlier this year to discuss how to deal with population growth.

“The bulletin board gives the public an opportunity to comment as policies are debated,” says Mark Cushing of Tonkon Torp LLP, a government affairs attorney who is facilitating the discussion. “Posted comments will be monitored closely so we may respond to questions and carefully listen to public feedback.” The website offers background documents on the issues and meeting minutes and audio recordings of the public debate.

At the last public meeting on June 19, the forum discussed options for extending urban services to future urban reserves. Members of the Urbanization Forum authorized the formation of a study group to further develop policy recommendations for these areas outside the UGB.

The next public meeting is planned for September at a date and place to be announced. The agenda will include a report of the study committee’s recommendations. A fuller conversation will start on the critical, and more difficult second issue, how to deliver services to unincorporated but developed areas in the county.

NEWS HOME