Richmond Mayor Evalyn Moore discusses area mapping with advisory committee members Marie Kirkham, Pat Pittman and Joe D. Robinson.
The City of Richmond invites citizens to post comments on Richmond’s new online discussion forum. This site encourages community stakeholders to step back from day-to-day concerns and think the big picture, such as growth opportunities and constraints over the next 20 years. Unlike typical public meetings, the “24/7” nature of a virtual town hall allows citizens to participate in local government from the convenience of their homes and on their own schedules. Similar sites, which have been hosted in Pearland, Cedar Park, Lubbock and Fort Worth, have attracted a diverse cross-section of residents that typically do not – or cannot – attend scheduled community events.
The top two online contributors will win a one-hour lunch with City Manager Terri Vela and Assistant City Manager/Police Chief Bill Whitworth. Website visitors earn points by posting comments and liking other comments using an intuitive interface similar to Facebook and other social media outlets. New questions will be posted over a three-month period to facilitate early and ongoing communication between City officials and Richmond citizens.
The feedback from this site will be used to develop the City’s Comprehensive Master Plan, a 20-year growth and development outlook. The plan will reflect the community’s values and traditions, while simultaneously exploring opportunities and best practices for growth, redevelopment and enhancement. Once adopted in June 2014, the plan will serve as the City’s blueprint for the next 20 years by:
• Assessing the opportunities and challenges facing the City and the surrounding area;
• Providing goals and objectives to work toward through the Year 2035, and
• Setting priorities for a realistic implementation program that leads to practical results.
For more information about the online discussion forum or the Comprehensive Master Plan, please contact Terri Vela, Richmond City Manager, at 281-342-5456, or visit the project website at www.richmondmasterplan.com.