December 2009 Activities of the Reston 2020 Committee

The Reston 2020 Committee had a busy month, despite the holiday period, beginning with Chairman Dick Stilson’s remarks at the meeting launching the County’s Reston Master Plan Special Study Task Force on December 1. At that meeting, Dick proposed that the Task Force--

--Take a holistic approach to its review of Reston planning.

--Create and use community advisory groups to help inform the Task Force.

A week later, at the first official meeting of the Task Force, there was some positive discussion of moving forward with the community advisory groups, but also many questions about their role, composition, tasks, etc.

The December 9 meeting of the Reston 2020 Committee and ensuring Committee dialogue has focused on developing a terms of reference for the community advisory groups. The immediate objective of the Committee is to present to the Task Force a robust proposed terms of reference for community advisory groups that it will find amenable, approve, and implement at its January 26 meeting.

--The current draft terms of reference under study by the Committee proposes the creation of as many as eight advisory groups along functional and area lines.

--The draft lays out an ambitious work agenda for the groups that is complicated by the rapid planned pace of the Task Force they will support.

The Reston 2020 Committee would very much like to encourage your participation in one of the advisory groups as they are formed. We will provide details as they become available, but please feel free to contact RCA about your interest.

A critical element of the Reston 2020 Committee’s effort discussed at its December meeting is developing a communications strategy to ensure Restonians have timely and complete information on the Task Force, the Committee, and other inputs affecting the re-vamping of the Reston Master Plan.

--Among the most important of these is making sure there is an appropriate process for ensuring the participation of the three Committee members who are also Task Force members—which requires a “public meeting” under sunshine laws.

--Communications with the local news media will also be an important element of the Committee’s efforts to help assure that developments in the Task Force receive comprehensive and balanced coverage.

--The creation of a Reston 2020 blog was also proposed. A prototype blog is being reviewed with a view to a public launch in early January 2010.

The Committee is also reviewing member contributions for Planning Principles to be used by the Task Force. A number of ideas have been submitted and they will be culled and organized to meet the spirit of the Task Force’s intent to establish a set of principles to guide their planning activities.

The Reston 2020 Committee is arranging a public meeting for the 6, 7, or 8 of January 2010 at a place not yet determined. This will precede the Task Force’s January 12 “community meeting” as well as its first working meeting on January 26.