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- Oregon's State Rural Development Council speaks out about
rural transportation needs.
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- Issue: The Regional Transportation Advisory Committees of the
Governor's
- Transportation Initiative had nearly completed their reports
for the
- Statewide Committee when the Oregon Rural Development Council
got the
- opportunity to provide a rural perspective. This meant that
the ORDC had
- to act quickly in order to provide the Committee with valuable
rural
- viewpoints before the Committee's findings were given to
Governor
- Kitzhaber. Although the Regional Transportation Advisory
Committees were
- presenting what they considered key issues, there were
additional items
- that rural residents and business owners wanted to be
addressed.
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- Project Details: On May 31, 1996 the Oregon Rural Development
Council
- sponsored a forum to allow Council members to express what
they felt the
- key transportation issues were for rural areas in Oregon.
Because the
- Regional Advisory Committees were nearly finished with their
- transportation reports, the ORDC had to organize the forum
quickly and
- make the results known before the Committees had completed
their task.
- Approximately 50 people attended the forum, despite two major
scheduling
- conflicts.
-
- The forum consisted of a plenary session, where members of the
- Governor's Regional Transportation Advisory Committee
described issues
- they deemed critical in each rural area. Next, small groups
identified
- other areas of concern and prioritized issues and
recommendations from
- the perspective of the ORDC. The ORDC Chair was directed to
report the
- results of the forum to the Statewide Advisory Committee. This
report
- was promptly generated and submitted to the committee.
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- Outcomes: The ORDC members had the opportunity to have their
voice heard
- on rural transportation initiatives. The Governor's Statewide
Committee
- heard firsthand the priorities of those people who live and
work in
- rural areas, and the impact of the forum was reinforced by the
written
- report. The ORDC's quick action on such an important issue was
received
- positively from Council members. Many members noted in their
forum
- evaluations that this type of activity was indeed appropriate
for the
- Council to continue, and that this forum was a success.
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- This forum may serve as a precedent for other advisory
committees who
- seek rural viewpoints before making policy recommendations.
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- SRDC Role: The ORDC brought together policy makers and rural
customers.
- The Oregon Council performed quick logistical work to provide
a timely
- forum with a format that allowed both the Advisory Committee
and the
- Council members to share their priorities for transportation
initiatives
- in rural Oregon.
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- For more information about the Oregon Rural Development
Council forum,
- contact Judith St. Claire, Executive Director of the Oregon
Council, at
- 503/326-5833 or on RDNet at Jstclaire. Copies of the report
submitted to
- the Governor's Transportation State Advisory Committee are
posted on
- RDNet.
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