The Neighborhood Advisory Councils (NAC) will be hosting a “NAC Primary Candidate Forum” on Tuesday, August 27, 6-8 p.m. at Lincoln Elementary School.
CONTACT: Susan Harding, Public Information Officer, 301-600-1385
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, August 22, 2013
NACs to Host Primary Candidate Forum
FREDERICK, MD -- The Neighborhood Advisory Councils (NAC) will be hosting a “NAC Primary Candidate Forum” on Tuesday, August 27, 6-8 p.m. at Lincoln Elementary School. The NAC’s will also be hosting a “General Election Forum” on Tuesday, October 22, 6-8 p.m. at the American Legion on Taney Avenue.
Although each Forum has a different format, both are unique because they are citizen-run.
The “NAC Primary Candidate Forum” is an open house that will allow residents to meet mayoral and aldermanic candidates and discuss issues in an informal but substantive way.
In addition, all candidates have been asked to compose and prepare handouts of their responses to specific residents’ questions. These questions were gathered from residents across the City and grouped into the five categories by the NAC Forum Committee. Candidate handouts will serve as position papers which residents can use to compare candidate positions and make informed decisions on Primary Day.
The five question areas are as follows:
1. Please address The City of Frederick economic development, including:
a. The Golden Mile plan, progress, and timeline, including Walmart inclusion;
b. East Side Rising plan, progress, and timeline;
c. Convention hotel plan, progress, and timeline;
d. Carroll Creek Linear Park plan, progress, and timeline;
e. Carmack Jay property on North Market
f. Facades without buildings on South Market along the creek;
g. Hargett Farm plans.
2. Please address The City of Frederick code enforcement, including:
a. Blighted and vacant properties;
b. Trash in empty lots;
c. Overgrown properties;
d. Overcrowding and how Code Enforcement should handle overcrowding;
e. Noise and the current use of the FPD to enforce the noise ordinance;
f. Proactive code enforcement (City employees go look for issues) versus reactive enforcement (City employees wait for citizens to complain).
3. Please address policing in The City of Frederick, including:
a. Your thoughts on the adequacy of our police force staffing levels;
b. Crime issues on Carroll Creek; crime issues in the downtown area; crime issue ion other neighborhoods (violence, noise, drugs, etc.);
c. Your thoughts on the top crime concerns in the city;
d. Speed cameras: your views on speed cameras; your views on red light cameras.
4. Please address growth and development in The City of Frederick, including:
a. Your philosophy on City growth the development including the pace, density, type of growth, etc.;
b. Land annexations;
c. Planning and zoning effectiveness;
d. Promotion of infill development;
e. The importance of the existing historic district and thoughts about an enlarged historic district to include bordering historic neighborhoods;
f. Open space / parkland creation.
5. Please address the role of citizens in government in The City of Frederick, including:
a. Your view of the role of NACs and funding for NACs;
b. Your view of the role of commissions and boards, and the weight that the mayor and aldermen should give findings and recommendations by these commissions and boards;
c. Strategies to increase citizen involvement.
NAC Forum Planning Committee Members are Peter Brehm, Beth Conny, Diana Halleman, Jeanne Kelly, and Truby LaGarde.
Details about the upcoming “NAC General Election Forum” will be released within a few weeks.
For more information on the Neighborhood Advisory Council Candidate Forums, please contact Michele Bowman at 301-600-2091 or mbowman@frederickpolice.org
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