Information technology, clear communication and human services were among residents’ concerns at a community forum sponsored by the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders Thursday night.
The forum was held to present information about Monmouth County’s strategic plan and to receive feedback about what residents think is important and what they feel should be included.
The event was held at the Monmouth County Library Eastern Branch in Shrewsbury.
Bill Hynes, president of Janis Solutions, made a presentation explaining some history about the county and what the strategic plan will eventually address.
Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, education, public safety and regulation, planning and economic development, citizen services, recreation and library, health and human services.
He said that within his firm’s proposal to the county was the need to elicit input from local residents.
Toward that end, there will be a telephone survey administered by Monmouth University, and the ability for online feedback via the county Web site.
Hynes said Monmouth County is the first county in New Jersey to devise a strategic plan.
After hearing the feedback, Hynes said, “The real challenge is bringing them together. Taking what officials think and what the residents think and coming up with a set of priorities and recommendations.”
Residents talked about roads, open space, and the recycling of waste, and Hynes said those comments will be brought back to the consultants who are devising the plan.
“The objective is to create a blueprint of the future of county government that will address everything from what is the vision of the county for the community, and then look at all the various aspects of community life,” he said in an interview after the meeting.
Hynes said that right now the firm is in the information-gathering stage, and he was pleased with Thursday’s turnout of about two dozen people, many representing organizations.
“I think it was a good start, and I think we’re very encouraged that the people who were here were interested,” he said. “I think we learned that we have to have more communication and better ways to get information about this process out, which we’ll take back to the county.”
According to a press release issued by the county, once the information-gathering process is complete, the Strategic Plan Committee will analyze the data and review all government operations, and then begin making recommendations with an eye toward improving government services and identifying efficiencies that can be implemented by the Board of Chosen Freeholders.
The release states that a final document could be adopted in the summer of 2009.
Ginger Mulligan, a Red Bank resident, said she was glad there was a forum for feedback, but also said that the committee needs to keep people informed as the process continues.
“I’m very proud to live in Monmouth County. I’ve been very involved in the nonprofit human services delivery system and feel we have a unique county in terms of its caring about every member of our citizenry,” she said in an interview after the meeting. “And I wanted to make sure that the planning process was not going to be doing anything that would jeopardize those who are least able to speak for themselves.”
Mulligan said she’s most concerned about how the current economy will affect Monmouth County.
“What I’m most worried about is, with the kind of economic situation that we’re all confrontedwith at every level of government, I’m most afraid that there might be severe cuts to human services, that some of the most vulnerable people will wind up falling through the safety nets,” she said.
Another open forum about the strategic plan is scheduled for Nov. 17 at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters in Manalapan at 6:30 p.m.
Anyone unable to attend the forum can submit feedback via the Web site, www.visitmonmouthcounty. com, by Monday, Dec. 1.
For more information, call 732-431-7310.