Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Community Council in Abingdon

Got a response this a.m. from Jane Walker, Harford County Government and Community Relations about forming an Abingdon Community Council. She wrote that only 2 people have expressed interest so far in being on the council. (That would be 3, including me.)
The council is required to meet at least quarterly, so it wouldn't be a huge chunk of time. She sent me the bylaws for county community councils and I believe this could help Abingdon.
I'm not sure, but maybe a community council could help with some of the problems I've seen lately that don't get much/any attention:
Yard sales in front of Abingdon Elementary. Something I called the sheriff's office about, the school board and Roni Chenowith. Sheriff's office said, "These are probably school sanctioned." Roni Chenowith did help by contacting school board but county schools said, "we have to see it happening." And since no one's around on the weekends, there are all the transients, selling junk and leaving it on school grounds when no one buys it.
Speeding. County said they weren't going fast enough to put speed humps in my neighborhood. Police said it's too hard to write tickets for speeders in this neighborhood. Proposed solution: Go to courthouse and swear out a warrant for someone you saw speeding after taking down name, address, and license plate number.
Traffic. Drive through Constant Friendship and try to get out of Target or Lowe's on a Saturday and see what I mean. And still the building continues. Who approved all that?

Here's a bit of the bylaws and the goals of a community council. In a nutshell, it would be representation we're not getting now.

GOALS1.Strengthen existing communities and neighborhoods and help achieve a satisfying quality of life for all county residents.
2.Advise the Harford County Executive and his/her Administration on issues of concern and interest to local communities.
3.Act as a liaison between the members of the community-at-large and the Harford County Administration.
4.Increase citizen participation and responsibility of communities throughout Harford County.

B.OBJECTIVES
1.Strengthen community identity and reinforce the importance of established community focal points.
2.Create a process for meaningful public participation and education so that citizens have a voice and role in advising the administration on community needs and issues.
3.Foster new alliances and coalitions by involving diverse elements of the community in a broad spectrum of community issues.
4. Improve the quality of neighborhoods by identifying and addressing specific needs and problems in areas such as safety, neighborhood revitalization, traffic, and recreation.
5. Reduce juvenile offenses by creating Youth Panels in selected Community Councils to adjudicate pre-selected, minor offenses committed by first time juvenile offenders. The Youth Panels shall work in conjunction with the Sheriff’s Department and Department of Juvenile Justice.

1 comment:

Emmorton Elementary PTA said...

I would be interested in serving on an Abingdon community board. I'm currently President of the PTA at Emmorton Elementary. I do live in the 21015 zip code, so perhaps I'm not considered Abingdon.

Robert Butler