WASHINGTON CO. KICKS OFF STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETINGS

  

Washington County’s series of strategic planning meetings has gotten underway.

Dozens of community members gathered on Tuesday at the Meyersville Volunteer Fire Department and on Wednesday at the Burton Volunteer Fire Department to provide feedback on what the county should prioritize as it heads into the future.

Washington County Judge John Durrenberger said he was happy to see the large number of people who are interested in what is happening in their county and that the public’s input is vital to the county’s future planning.

The meetings are being led by Strategic Government Resources (SGR) and its Senior Vice President of Leadership Development, Hilary Shine.  Residents were asked rounds of questions and broke into small groups to discuss answers on various topics, such as what they love most about Washington County, what are the county’s top needs, and what the county should look like 10 years from now. 

Precinct 1 Commissioner Misti Hartstack Corn said the county wants to emphasize forward-thinking through this process.

When asked about Washington County’s most desirable characteristics, common answers from attendees were the community’s small-town feel and close-knit nature, the abundance of nature and wildlife, the charm of downtown Brenham, and the history and heritage in the area.  Preserving those aspects were among the top priorities, along with maintaining and expanding healthcare access, improving roads, ensuring preparedness for floods, and increasing funding for public safety departments.

Some additional feedback included the desire to enhance communication between county agencies and the public, protect water sources, provide education opportunities for landowners new to the rural lifestyle, improve environmental and animal control, establish regulations to avoid land disruption by new home developments or businesses, accommodate higher paying-jobs and jobs for young people, and build a judicial center. 

The county and SGR continue to meet with community members and stakeholders in each of the precincts.  Two more planning meetings are scheduled for July 24^th and July 31^st, both at the Washington County Expo.  The July 24^th meeting, scheduled from 5:45 to 7:45 p.m., is geared for Precinct 3 residents.  The July 31^st meeting, running from 6 to 8 p.m., is intended for Precinct 2. 

The information from the meetings, as well as an online survey on the county’s website, will be compiled into a report for commissioners to review this fall.