|
Topics:
Local
Governance
Pike County Cooperative
Extension was a co-sponsor as well as a participant at the regional
Land Use & Growth Management Conference at Tobyhanna Army
Depot on May 6, 1999. Peter Wulfhorst moderated Rural Session 2
which focused on Visioning, Growth Area boundaries, On-lot sewage
management and Greenways.
Peter presented testimony
at the Pike County Land Use Forum conducted by the Commonwealth
of PA on June 29, 1999 at the Best Western-Hunt's Landing. He provided
information on the recently completed Pike County Water Resources
Plan and the strong correlation between land use and groundwater.
Sound land use practices including wellhead protection area overlay
zoning, stormwater management plans, septic system management plan,
Wellhead Protection Area signage and household hazardous waste collection.
Peter also attended the Monroe County Land Use Forum on July
1.
Carson Helfrich and
Peter taught the Basic Course for Planning Commissioners
at the North Pocono Middle School. Over 30 citizen planning commission
members attended the course to learn about the PA Municipalities
Planning Code and how it structures planning in the Commonwealth.
Strategic
Planning for Non-Profits
Non-profit executives
are often so busy keeping up with fundraising requirements, daily
management decisions, and changing demands for programs and services,
that they don't take the time to actively manage their organizations.
But a good strategic plan is a foundation for effective strategic
management. It allows managers to take control of organizational
aims, directions and outcomes.
In November, 1998, non-profit
directors, board members, staff and volunteers from surrounding
counties gathered to learn how to:
- Begin a strategic
planning process;
- Audit their organizational
mission;
- Recognize their organizational
strengths and opportunities;
- Develop and implement
a strategic management concept.
Pike
County Visioning
William Shuffstall, Clearfield
County Community Development Agent, has worked in various capacities
with the Pike County Community Planning and Human Development office
and the Visioning Task Force Chairs to generate a strategic vision
process for Pike County.
The Visioning Task Force's
goal is to produce a strategic vision for the county and recommend
goals and action plans that can be carried out by communities, organizations
and local governments to attain the strategic vision. Bill's responsibilities
and activities include:
- working with the Pike
County office of Community Planning and Human Development, to
implement and conduct a county visioning process that involves
individuals that represent the county both demographically and
geographically. In this role he assisted with developing a timeline
and visioning process that is being carried out in Pike County.
- meeting with key
individuals to gain their perspectives on key issues facing Pike
County and looking at actions that could be taken by county residents
and organizations to address the issues and barriers to addressing
the issues.
- conducting educational
programs on strategic community visioning for task force chairs
and members.
- facilitating some
task force meetings.
- working with the
Pike County office of Community Planning and Human Development
to identify grant opportunities and identified Penn State faculty
to conduct research in Pike County that can complement the visioning
process.
Bill's expectations for
future activities in Pike County include continued work with the
Pike County office of Community Planning and Human Development and
Pike County Extension Staff to:
- review the task force
reports and draft County Strategic Vision and goals.
- develop strategies
to develop community generated action plans to implement the goals
identified by the Task Force.
Y2K
& You
Y2K is an abbreviation
for the Year 2000 Milllenuim Bug. The root of the issue may be malfunctioning
computer chips used by businesses we depend on. The media has focused
on the possible disruptions in services such as electricity, public
water, medical care, financial services and transportation.
Today's households are
heavily dependent on outside services for daily needs. In order
to be ready for Y2K, people need to ask and answer some questions
that will get them moving in the right direction to prepare.
Through a unique partnership
with Canada and Penn State University, Governor Tom Ridge led development
of an extensive year 2000 public information campaign. Through this
PaY2K initiative, brochures, workbooks and videos were developed
to help businesses and communities prepare effective Y2K action
plans. Additional information can be found at www.Pa2K.org.
Locally, Cooperative
Extension and the Pike County Emergency Management Office hosted
a PaY2K Satellite Town Hall meeting on June 30. The meeting consisted
of 3 segments that focused on small business compliance, local government
contingency planning and consumer emergency issues. The Town Hall
meeting is available on video by loan from the Cooperative Extension
office. Other Y2K publications available from the Extension office
are: Consumers & the Year 2000; Surviving Year 2000 Û A Guide for
Contingency Planning; Business Continuity & Emergency Management;
and Year 2000 Guidebook for Local Governments.
|
you
are here