Harford County Executive Barry Glassman has announced the creation of eight community advisory boards to replace the former community councils that existed during the past two county administrations and were originally known as community planning councils.
Glassman said the new advisory boards will advise his administration on matters of interest to local communities and "provide better communication between citizens and county government."
"Allowing our communities to come together to have meaningful discussions about issues of local concern should be an important part of our decision-making process," he said in a statement. "The community advisory boards will certainly not be the only means through which my administration will interact with citizens, but they will serve a key advisory role in matters affecting local communities."
The community advisory boards are: Abingdon, Churchville/Creswell, Dublin/Darlington, Edgewood, Fallston, Jarrettsville/Norrisville, Joppa/Joppatowne and Whiteford/Cardiff/Pylesville/Street.
Each board will consist of five to 10 citizens selected by the county executive, "who collectively represent a diversity of interests and backgrounds," according to the announcement. Each board also may have one student member who is enrolled in a high school in Harford County.
"We are really encouraging people to participate in these boards," Cindy Mumby, the county executive's spokesperson said. "We want to hear from anyone who may be interested."
Prospective members are asked to visit http://www.harfordcountymd.gov/cab to download an application or call the Office of Citizens Affairs & Administrative Services, 410-638-4109, ext. 1824, to request an application via email or U.S. mail.
Anyone who is unsure about which community advisory board he or she should participate in should contact Citizens Affairs and Administrative Services. To ensure consideration for the initial round of appointments, citizens should return their applications by Feb. 27; however, applications will be accepted at any time during the county executive's term.
According to the announcement, the community advisory boards will function in much the same way as the former community councils did. They will provide a forum for keeping communities abreast of important projects, programs and events, and will serve as a source of information for both county government and interested citizens.
Mumby explained that the boards are indeed going to be similar to the former community councils; however, she also noted the name is what it implies: they will be advisory to the county executive.
Members will be expected to attend regular board meetings, ranging in frequency from monthly to quarterly. Meeting dates and locations will be determined by the county in consultation with each board, the announcement states.
One change from the old format is anyone who lives within the boundaries of an inactive board is welcome to participate with an active board nearby, "and boards will be encouraged to take a broader view of issues pertaining to their communities," according to the announcement. When the old planning councils were set up, there was coverage of the municipalities of Aberdeen, Bel Air and Havre de Grace that waned over the years.
The previous separate community council areas of Abingdon/Emmorton and Bush River will be combined into one Abingdon Community Advisory Board.
Within the Bush River area, there are very active community associations in both Riverside and Forest Greens/Perryman, which provide citizens with community-level interaction, and county government will also explore working with those associations to provide improved cooperation and communication, Glassman's announcement states. Residents of any portion of the Bush River area are welcome to participate in the Abingdon Community Advisory Board.
While two community areas are joining together, one previously inactive area is being revived.
Recognizing sufficient citizen interest, and at the urging of County Councilman Pat Vincenti, Glassman said he is planning to establish the Churchville/Creswell Community Advisory Board, serving the areas of Churchville, Creswell and Fountain Green.