Balanced Development Coalition’s upcoming Development Forum
The Balanced Development Coalition (BDC) is hosting a Development Forum in the Mountaineer Mall Community Room on April 20th, 2006, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm, for candidates of the WV County Commission and the WV legislature. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided. (The Community Room is across from Radio Shack. Enter the Mall between General Glass and Elder Beerman—the Community Room will be on your right)
The BDC is an alliance of groups concerned about development, including Farmers And Residents for saving Monongalia County Farms (FARM), Citizens for Responsible Development (CRD), the Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition (MVCAC), and West Virginia for Democracy. FARM advocates the adoption of a USDA Farmland Protection Program for Monongalia County. CRD is a grassroots group dedicated to the promotion of responsible development and land use planning in Morgantown and Monongalia County. MVCAC focuses on improving and preserving the quality of the air we breathe. WV for Democracy is a grassroots political action committee supporting progressive candidates and policies.
The BDC Development Forum will be moderated by WCLG News Director Dave McClung.
The goal of the BDC Development Forum is to foster a discussion of how best to manage growth and development in Morgantown and Monongalia County. Specific development issues that will be focused on include farmland preservation, storm water runoff, air quality, transportation, land-use planning, and tax increment financing (TIF).
With the Morgantown region experiencing a period of particularly rapid growth, decisions made now will have a large impact on the future of the region. Thus, issues related to development are very important for this election.
Participants in the Forum include candidates for the County Commission and the state legislature. The county commissioners play a key role in managing growth and setting policies that can ensure a high quality of life for local residents. The State delegates and senators have the power to influence WV state code, which provides the legal framework for county level actions. For example, state code provides for specific regulatory mechanisms for the implementation of planning. In addition, state agencies construct infrastructure, such as roads, and regulate activities that affect the environment, including air and water quality.
All candidates for the County Commission and the State legislature have been invited to the Forum. So far the following candidates have indicated they will attend: County Commission candidate Betty Wiley, and WV Legislature candidates Barbara Evans Fleishauer, Steven Fumich, Charlene Marshall, and Alex Shook.
To provide a context for the Forum, all candidates for the County Commission and state legislature were asked to complete a questionnaire. Responses were received from the following County Commission candidates Asel Kennedy and Betty Wiley, as well as State legislature candidates Robert Beach, Barbara Evans Fleischauer, Cindy Frich, Steven Fumich, and Jim Manilla.
The candidate’s responses to the questionnaire indicate that development is a key issue in this election. Most candidates expressed strong support for managing growth, but opinions regarding how to do so varied greatly. If you would like a copy of the candidates' responses, reply to balanceddevelopment@yahoo.com.
The forum will be a great opportunity to learn about the candidates’ vision for the Morgantown area, as well as a chance to give feedback to the candidates about development issues that are important to the public.
The primary election is on May 9, and early voting begins April 19.
Citizens for Responsible Development Morgantown WV 599-2938