Steering Committee Meeting #1 Agenda

• Presentation on Strategic Plan scope and schedule

• Advisory Committee Meeting #1 Agenda

• Advisory Committee Role (draft)

• Nominees to Advisory Committee

• Nomination form for Advisory Committee

1. The meeting began at 7:30 p.m. with a welcome from Mayor Scull.

Strategic Plan Objectives

2. C. Nathanson provided information on the history of the Region Strategic Plan.

Strategic Plan Scope

3. M. Shiffman made a presentation on the scope and schedule for the Strategic Plan. M. Shiffman emphasized that the Steering Committee would play a critical role in the Plan.

4. B. Hankin said it was key to have public involvement, and asked for information on those plans. M. Shiffman said public involvement would be provided through a broad Advisory Committee, press releases, public meetings, and other forums.

Cumberland Development Corporation role

5. T. Stanzione said the decision-making on this project would stem from the Steering Committee, and not only from the CDC Board. Bridgeton has not yet made a formal decision on whether to participate. If Bridgeton does not commit to the project, they will be asked to attend the Advisory Committee, not the Steering Committee.

County Participation

6. R. Brewer said the County was willing to assist in public outreach, and presentations could be made at County Planning Board and County Economic Development Board.

Office of State Planning Participation

7. C. Newcomb said beside providing funds, OSP would make state agencies available when it was time to implement Plan strategies. Plan endorsement is a critical element, and as part of the OSP’s endorsement, it would structure an agreement to carry out Planning and Implementation agenda.

Advisory Committee

8. T. Stanzione said he would be chairing the Steering Committee. He asked Steering Committee members to provide names of nominees to the Advisory Committee. The names of these individuals should be faxed to him by September 4^th. Mayor Thomas, R. Brewer, and B. Hankins volunteered to assist T. Stanzione in considering the nominees by the end of the week of September 3^rd. B. Hankins asked what the limit on the size of the Advisory Committee should be. T. Stanzione and M. Shiffman said 30 to 40 people. Mayor Wilson suggested Janet Wolf for Advisory Committee. T. Stanzione said Jim Seeley would also be added to the list of nominees.

9. M. Shiffman said the Advisory Committee could be open to the public, but this would not require a formal public notice. R. Brewer said meeting notices could be sent to local newspapers.

10. T. Stanzione asked if anyone objected to planning board chairmen being nominated for the Advisory Committee. C. Newcomb said the involvement of planning board members was important, since the Strategic Plan may require changes to local master plans.

11. C. Newcomb suggested a speaker’s bureau, where Steering Committee members could speak about the Regional Plan before community organizations, editorial boards, etc.

12. T. Stanzione asked if press should be invited to the Steering Committee. B. Hankins said that the Advisory Committee was the avenue to public involvement. Further, if press were not present at the Steering Committee, input could be evaluated in a more objective fashion. M. Shiffman said that on other regional planning projects, steering committee meetings typically were not open to the public. Mayor Garrison said that discussions could be more candid. T. Stanzione said he would advise public of Advisory Committee meetings, not Steering Committee meetings.

13. C. Newcomb said he would invite OSP Director Herb Simmens to the first Advisory Committee meeting.

14. Dates for the first Advisory Committee meeting were discussed. It was originally scheduled for September 24, but has been rescheduled for October 22.

Next Steps

15. M. Shiffman said Orth-Rodgers personnel would be meeting with the municipalities.

16. T. Stanzione said Steering Committee members needed to follow up with development ideas presented by the Bayshore Economic Summit.

17. M. Shiffman said she would send draft study goals and objectives to T. Stanzione to present to Advisory Committee. T. Stanzione said Advisory Committee members should participate in setting goals and objectives. S. McCullough said Advisory Committee members should be given information in advance so they would be prepared to discuss goals and objectives. It was agreed that goals and objectives would be discussed at first Advisory Committee meeting, but may not be decided until the second meeting.

18. T. Stanzione asked C. Newcomb to what extent the Region Strategic Plan needed to conform to OSP expectations, rather than municipal goals. C. Newcomb said OSP had asked for certain things to be addressed in this study: a build-out analysis and a visioning process. If there are aspects of the Strategic Plan that do not advance the State Plan, but the process reflects municipal consensus and general agreement with Smart Growth goals, the Strategic Plan would be accepted.

19. Meeting adjourned at 9:07 p.m.

These meeting minutes were prepared by Daniel Kueper, Orth-Rodgers & Associates.