EASD School Board Meeting- No Sanctions

Tomorrow night, the school board may be considering a motion to sanction a fellow board member for attending the Budget Ad Hoc Committee meetings.  I am hoping the board does not impose sanctions, but supports the board and public ability, shall I say duty,  to attend properly advertised meetings. The following is a excerpt of one of mine previous blog. 

I strongly believe all taxpayers should be allowed to attend the meetings, whether they are a parent, teacher, school board member, or school director-elect. The underlying purpose of the budget committee is to create a new layer of transparency between the school board and the public. Excluding the school board members from the conversation is a mistake.

If the school administration is worried about the board members unduly influencing our decisions, then have the parents chair the overall committee and all the sub-committees. This will allow the school board members to hear the actual debate about critical budget issues, without influencing the parents decisions. Of course, this assumes the parents can actually be influenced by any board member.

Open Government is hard, but worth it!

Forks Comprehensive Plan - Public Meeting

The Forks Township BoS will hold a public meeting regarding the revised Comprehensive plan.  The public meeting is set for December 1, 2009 at 7:00PM in the Forks Municipal building.

A copy of the plan is available on the  township web site!

Get Involved!  Every Voice Counts!

EASD Budget Ad Hoc Committee Meeting

The EASD Budget Ad Hoc committee held its second meeting on November 10, 2009. The 5 subcommittees meet to discuss recommendations to reduce the 2010 budget.

• Alternate Education, Students Services, & Community Services
• Transportation, Facilities, Energy, and Security
• Athletics and Extracurricular Activities
• Curriculum, including study halls
• Technology, Printing, and Copying

 

Right now, the subcommittees are discussing various options and gathering information about the various programs.  The next meeting is schedule for January 12, 2010. The new school board will be updated at the January 25,2010 meeting.

Get Involved! Every Voice Counts!

Forks and KMRD do battle in Court

Today, Forks Township and KMRD legal teams presented arguments to the Commonwealth Court about the KMRD procedural challenge. Each side had about 9 to 12 minutes to present their case and a couple of minutes for rebuttal to the other side statements.

The court is expected to issue a ruling in about 4 to 6 weeks.

Get Involved! Every Voice Counts!

Thank You Forks Township Voters!

I would like to thank the voters of Forks Township. I am very honored and humbled to be elected as one of the new Forks Township Supervisors.

I am looking forward to serving the people of Forks Township!

 

David Billings

David Billings - Candidate for Forks Township Board of Supervisors

During this campaign season, I have walked most of the township neighborhoods and shaken many hands.  Mostly though, I shared my ideas and listened to the thoughts of folks like you about our town and what to do to make it better. I truly welcome these personal discussions.

We have very serious issues facing our township and we need serious people to solve them. Ever-increasing taxes, spiraling municipal costs and the lack of open government burden us all in Forks Township. You and I need to discuss all issues openly and candidly so we can do something about them. That is what my candidacy for Supervisor is about.

I hold a deep belief in the importance of civic involvement, actively engaging the community on critical issues and being an integral part of solutions.  In fact it is my opinion that the role of local government is to work for the people and not for personal interest or gain.

I try to live my convictions.  I serve on the Forks Planning Commission and am an active member of the Township Comprehensive Plan committee. I have held various leadership positions in school district committees, non-profit organizations and my church, including three years on the church Vestry.

I carry the message that we cannot continue to conduct business as usual in Forks Township. We need more responsive, open, and financially responsible local government. You deserve no less! 

You need to be confident that your vote will make a difference in creating a better future for our township.  If you want to chat about these important issues, please send me an email at billings2009@yahoo.com.

I have the experience and leadership skills to be your township Supervisor. You can count on me to be an independent voice of reason on the Board of Supervisors.

I will be humbled and honored to receive your support on November 3rd.

Campaign Talk - Less than 2 days to Election Day

I have been walking the neighborhoods for the past 3 weeks.  Mostly though, I shared my ideas and listened to the thoughts of folks like you about our town and what to do to make it better.  The following is a list of ideas, I got the chance to discuss with our fellow citizens of Forks Township:

1. Lean Township Spending -- We need to implement a fiscally conservative approach to township finances. I believe we need to hold he line on Real Estate Taxes. It is time to act!
2. Clean Government -- In my mind, clean government has three basic components.  First, candidates for public office should have the highest level of integrity.  Second, Forks needs to have an open access policy to documents and officials.  Finally, Township elected officials should proactively reach out to the public on critical issues and seek diverse ideas while formulating public policy. It is time to act!
3. Go Green -- Too many times, innovative energy saving solutions are just talk and nothing more.  Forks needs to continue implementing forward thinking ideas.  A good example is the Solar Ordinance passed by the Planning Commission.  In terms of open space, it is clear that the decision about whether to fund an open space initiative should be up to the voters.  Private citizens (or a formal group) should take the lead in crafting and leading a winnable Open Space Referendum.  Forks' farm acreage is shrinking fast, and it is critical that decisions be made ASAP. It is time to act!
4. Create a truly transparent government -- The good folks of Forks Township deserve easy and consistent access to public township records. The 2009 budget with all accounting notes, all 2009 department plans, all five-year plans, all developer plans, all final legal decisions from the Zoning Hearing Board, all drafts of the Comprehensive Plan (including maps/exhibits), and all public testimony on any topic - should be easily available.  I have a simple and easy solution:  Reduce the per copy price from 25 cents to 5 cents and put these (for free) documents on-line. It is time to act!
5. Support a active Business Relations organization -- This is critical to figuring out why so many retail businesses in this township fail. It is disturbing that Forks Township does not collect data on business failures in order to determine the root cause and help to prevent it in the first place.  Retail businesses need our help.  It is time to act!
6. Proactive Community Planning -- We need to proactively identify businesses we want in Forks Township and take steps to attract them!  It is important the new Forks Business Association succeed and help the township create a viable economic development plan.  It is time to act!

Get Involved! Every Vote Counts!