THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 17, 1996 TAG: 9605170476
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MIKE KNEPLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
The area's political and business leaders seem to be more serious about including a grass-roots perspective on regional efforts, says Gene Waters, a neighborhood activist from Chesapeake.
This week, Waters was named to a one-year term on the board of directors of the Hampton Roads Partnership, a public-private organization recently formed to develop the region's economic priorities.
Waters, 48, is president of the Hampton Roads Coalition of Civic Organizations and the Chesapeake Council of Civic Organizations.
His appointment marks one of the few times that neighborhood representatives are included on regional boards, usually made of movers and shakers from government, education and business.
Typically, such groups fail to involve grass-roots people up front - a reason why many regional efforts have stumbled, Waters contends.
``A number of things are going to be put on the table for the region, and citizens are going to be asked to participate in the funding,'' Waters said. ``If you're going to ask people to invest in these projects, it's important to have their backing.
``If you wait too long, or wait until a regional board comes up with its agenda, then the citizens perceive it as a special-interest item that they didn't have any voice in.''
Involvement of grass-roots leaders, such as those from neighborhood groups, Waters said, can enhance the credibility of regional proposals.
Their involvement, he added, also can help coax city council members in each city to be more cooperative across municipal boundaries.
Citizens are more interested in regional cooperation than many local politicians understand, Waters maintained. For example, he said, people see the need for the coordinated efforts to attract more companies with good-paying jobs.
The Hampton Roads Partnership, which held its inaugural meeting Wednesday, is the second regional group that now includes grass-roots representation. Several months ago, the Plan 2007 program for economic development, also created a civic-league seat.
While Waters is pleased, he said regional groups need to appoint even more neighborhood leaders - one from each Hampton Roads city.
``We're finally getting all the politicians, business leaders, educations and a civic-league leader in one room,'' he said. ``I'd like to say civic-league leaders, plural.'' by CNB