Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 1, 1990 TAG: 9007010274
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: D-13 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Short
The two-hour sessions will be held at the Capitol and other sites across the state, Wilder announced Friday.
"These open houses will enable me and my administration to better serve all Virginians," Wilder said.
The first session was set for Saturday, July 21, in the small conference room outside Wilder's private office at the Capitol. The governor is to take questions from 10 a.m. to noon.
The size of the conference room will limit attendance to about 15 or 20 people, in addition to the Capitol press corps. Wilder said the forums would be scheduled in other major regions of the state.
As for ground rules for the sessions, the governor's office is putting an emphasis on pre-screening questions to ensure that Wilder faces few, if any, surprises.
Citizens do not need an appointment to attend, but they will be asked to put their questions or concerns in writing before the meetings, the governor's office said. The correspondence will be sent to Wilder's constituent affairs office or appropriate Cabinet secretaries, all of whom will attend the sessions.
Wilder's "open houses" are similar to the "work weeks" of his predecessor, Gov. Gerald Baliles. Baliles conducted about half a dozen work weeks in several major regions of the state, spending a few days in an area to listen to and discuss the concerns of its residents.
by CNB