Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2016 15:33:24 -0500
From: Gregory Louie
Subject: Takeaways: Community Leadership and Development in Columbia, MD
Hi Chatham Chatlisters!
As promised here is a record of the audience takeaways from the talk by Gaines Steer on Community Leadership and Development last Sunday.
*Takeaways*
After the talk, the audience was asked to provide brief statements concerning their takeaways (lessons learned from Columbia that might be considered for the growth and development of Chatham County). The actual flip charts recorded that day contain sentence fragments that were an attempt to concisely capture the gist of the audience statement. I have attempted to flesh out the sentence fragments into full sentence form to make them more sensible to those who were not present. Oh, BTW, for others who were not present, please don’t shoot the messenger. Remember these are not my opinions, my role was to record what others said. Having said that, here are the takeaways …
1. Principle: Agreements needed to be continuously monitored and enforced over time.
2. Concern/Question: What happens to the agreements when a corporation is sold?
3. Concern/Question: What best principles/practices might be applied to govern educational development?
4. Concern/Question: What principle/practice will allow (or ensure) that existing stakeholders participate and/or are involved?
5. Perspective: Regarding the perception of dissension: Currently the media leaves the impression that the community is polarized with clear lines for and against. However, there must be a spectrum of responses.
6. Question: How can we provide outlets for those other voices to emerge?
7. Fact: The composition and the motivation of stakeholders will undoubtedly change as new residents move into Chatham Park.
8. Concern: Lower income families in service industries and other occupations will need affordable housing. How will affordable housing be addressed?
9. Principle: Listening is always valuable.
10. Principle: For voices to be heard, community discussion forums require a set time and place.
11. Principle: After listening, action is required.
12. Concern/Question: County seems to need answers to the “How?” for infrastructure development. Examples: – How do we provide education for the growing population? – How do we create parks from the developer’s set-asides? – How will the influx of large numbers of new residents change aspects of governance?
13. Principle and Question: Rouse and the developers of Columbia provided a strong vision for “Growing as a People.” What does this mean for us?
14. Concerns/Questions: What values/principles will guide the development of Chatham Park? Can we create a mechanism for a dialogue between the developers of Chatham Park and various stakeholders that is more satisfying?
15. Solution proposal: Perhaps an online community forum would allow voices to be heard.
16. Realization: A power shift is inevitable. It is likely that political power will be dominated because of sheer numbers of residents of Chatham Park.
17. Principle: Community is a verb!
Thank you, and have a great day!
Gregory Louie
“Love is the most powerful force in the universe, and it is also the most available force because anyone can access its power.” Martin Luther King Jr.
*”I am committed to an environmentally sustainable, socially just and spiritually fulfilling world” * – paraphrased from the Pachamama Alliance
*”Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”* – Attributed to Goethe