The goal of this symposium is to increase the awareness of how the Hancock County region as a whole is growing and what choices we have in planning our future. The focus will be on how to plan for a prosperous future while also preserving our quality of life.

If you are be local government official, business leader, participant in a community-based organization or an interested citizen, please join us.

What is the purpose of the forum?

It will continue with the process of building a regional dialogue on growth and development trends by formulating regional growth and development policies. These policies will address the interrelated topics of transportation, economic development, land use planning and coastal resource management. Housing needs and the promotion of healthy communities may also be addressed. The policies will be used to establish priorities for state and federal grant funding as well as guide county-wide decisions on transportation and economic development policy. A regional policy framework will also provide a valuable reference document for comprehensive plan committees.

Aren’t other groups already doing this?

There are groups working on economic development, transportation and health care. There are also some sub-regional groups that are looking at the future of their respective sub-regions. There is no one who is trying to bring these groups together and assure that they are not overlapping or working at cross-purposes.

Could this group threaten local control and add another layer of government?

Rather than threaten local control, the purpose of the forum is to articulate priorities for the county as a whole so that towns and local businesses are able to prosper while consciously safeguarding what’s special about Hancock County. Towns that work together are generally stronger and better able to plan for their individual futures. The forum will serve as a unifying point of dialogue for countywide concerns but anticipates providing a networking role with existing governments, agencies and organizations rather than create a new organization. The policies created will be purely advisory. Municipal governments would have to approve any grant applications or changes to regulations that affected their town.

How do we assure that these policies reflect the wishes of Hancock County residents as a whole?

There will be many opportunities for public input. The project will be guided by a diverse, 15-20-member advisory committee that will be meet several times during the 2002-2003 fiscal year and serve as the primary sounding board for ideas. It will be assisted by an 8-member policy committee, which will work closely with the Hancock County Planning Commission staff in overseeing the preparation of draft documents and other materials.

Draft products will also be provided to the media and posted on a web site to facilitate public access to the process and provide regular opportunity for feedback. There will be further input from the various sub-regional groups. Finally, the forum will hold a follow-up to the January 2001 Planning for Prosperity symposium (presently scheduled for the fall of 2003) to present its ideas to the residents of Hancock County.