Note from APTAWEB: The following is a Press Release from the Franklin County Citizens Advisory Committee.

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

CARRABELLE – September 12, 2006 - Chartered by Franklin County Board of Commissioners’ resolution, the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) held a "get organized" meeting at the Carrabelle City Council offices on Monday, September 11. Gail Riegelmayer facilitated the issue-driven discussions. Purposes of the meeting were:

• Discuss and approve a set of "Guiding Principles" for the CAC
• Initiate sub-committees for focused work on key concerns (for example, an Economic Development Plan for Franklin County), and
• Continue to reach out to ensure the CAC remains an open channel for broad public participation in the goals, objectives, and policies of their County Government.

Lively discussion of "who are we" and "what we believe" resulted in three guiding principle "Goals" for the CAC. The CAC believes in and will work to help the County achieve:

• Broad-based public participation in effective County planning,
• Balanced growth together with effective Comprehensive Plan enforcement,
• A sustainable commercial seafood industry and working waterfronts.

From the beginning to the end of the meeting, current members expressed a commitment to keep the CAC an open forum for the diverse concerns and aspirations of Franklin County citizens for the future of our communities. The next meeting of the CAC will be a training session on planning in mid-to-late September (exact date/time/place will be announced via print and radio).

Individual members committed themselves to recruiting others for active participation in the CAC, from Alligator Point, Lanark, Carrabelle, Eastpoint, St. George Island and Apalachicola. Meetings will always be advertised and open to the public, with "in-progress reviews" reported by the CAC to the Franklin County Board of Commissioners during its second (evening) meeting each month which begins at 5 p.m. and is held at the Courthouse Annex Building in Apalachicola.

The final work-product of the CAC will be completed in collaboration with staff of the County Planning Office and presented for Commission action this coming January.

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