Originally Published: September 3, 2020 1:54 p.m. Verde Independent
In August, the Big Park Council conducted its first electronic regular meeting via Zoom. It was wonderful to be together again, and aside from a little electronic clunkiness, a lot was accomplished.
• Welcomed a new officer, Secretary Phil Feiner, who was elected via our new electronic voting system.
• Mary Morris was announced as chair pro tem of the Planning & Zoning Committee, succeeding Mike Ryan, who resigned for personal reasons. There are currently no applications under review by the committee.
• Introduced the amendment to our bylaws to clarify BPRCC electronic meetings and voting preferences. Discussion and voting will happen in September.
• Formed an ad hoc Community Plan Committee to lead the Big Park Regional Community Plan update for the 2022 Yavapai County Comprehensive Plan.
• John Swingle, our liaison to the Verde Valley Transportation and Planning Organization, gave a run down on various transportation projects on the horizon that will impact the Village.
• A proposal for the Council to lead a community forum for the District 3 Supervisor candidates prior to the November election was met with enthusiasm, and volunteers will move this concept forward for the next meeting.
• The bylaws committee led the first of our review discussions on the Proposed Bylaws. Consensus on recommended changes was confirmed via a straw poll, and these changes are being incorporated in the document under review.
• A post-meeting survey indicated strong support for using the Zoom technology going forward – and so we shall. Join us for the meeting (Thursday, Sept. 10, 9 a.m.) from the comfort of your own home. Details will be provided with the meeting agenda the week prior.
• The results of the survey were published Aug. 24 as a website blog (bigparkcouncil.org).
• Public Agency Reports – In the Works
Our streamlined meeting agenda is evolving as we adjust to the limitations of the Zoom format.
For the sake of timing, we cannot include the highly popular public agency reports that many of us enjoy. The executive board is working on a concept to deliver this information and connection either in the form of an email news bulletin and website post, or a separate Zoom meeting dedicated to that content and possibly a Q&A opportunity. Stand by for more as we work on coordination with the agencies.
Community Plan Committee Launched
At the meeting I presented a historical review of the Big Park Community Plan, explaining the County’s 2010 moratorium that resulted in the elimination of traditional community plans from the County Comprehensive Plan. A draft Purpose and Scope for an ad hoc committee the formation of the committee was unanimously approved.
A Working Group has been formed of community volunteers, which I agreed to chair. This is a community-wide project, open to anyone who would like to participate. Watch our website, the Villager and other community portals for information in coming weeks.
BPRCC denounces vandalizing campaign signs
It was brought to our attention that political campaign signs posted in the Village were recently destroyed “in the dark of night.” The Executive Board of the Council is dismayed by this activity. Elections are the sacred mechanism of a democracy, down to the microscale of our community Council. When any candidate is disrespected, our process is undermined. The Council’s Code of Conduct states that we will “serve as a model of leadership and civility to the community”. We urge our Members and the community at large to be watchful and abiding by these principles throughout the election process.
Your community – your council
The BPRCC has a number of impactful and exciting projects happening and we encourage all Village residents to become involved. Get to know us by subscribing to our email list and attending the open meeting on the second Thursday of each month. There are many ways for residents to participate, whether or not you belong to a member organization. Shoot us a message at info@bigparkcouncil.org and describe your area of interest.
The September agenda will include the second in a series of discussions on the proposed bylaws. You will find a timeline showing progress on the review process, a current DRAFT document, and background materials on the next section up for review in a new area called “BPRCC Bylaws Update – Latest Information” on our website.
Camille Cox, President (camille@onrampcomm.com)