Hyland’s Visioning Task Force Takes Its First Steps

Approximately, 60 business and community leaders gathered at the Mount Vernon Government Center Monday evening as part of the Mount Vernon Visioning Task Force.

The Task Force is the brainchild of Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerry Hyland who came upon the idea last year. "I was at a Mount Vernon Council (of Citizens' Associations) meeting getting ready to deliver a report as I often do," Hyland said. "And it occurred to me that I've been representing this district for over 20 years, maybe it's time to turn it inside out. I thought it would be a good idea to have the citizens tell me where we're going, instead of the other way around. I think this (the Task Force) is the best to get a lot of talented people involved."

Hyland views the Task Force as comprehensive, tackling long and short-term problems with long and short-term solutions.

The initiative kicked off with a bus tour that spanned the entire Mount Vernon district in early August. From there, Hyland created nine committees, eight representing a different aspect of the public interest and the other an executive committee.

The committees and respective chairs are:

• Executive Committee – Queenie Cox and Dale Johnson (Co-Chairs)
• Business & Economic Development – Nate Wilson
• Education – Dale Rumberger
• Environment, Parks and Recreation – Queenie Cox, Larry Zaragoza
• Human Services – Barney Barnwell
• Housing and Community Development – Liz Lardner
• Land Use – John Byers
• Public Safety – Joe Cammarata
• Transportation – Dale Johnson

Prior to the meeting, points of emphasis were added to the committees' to-do list. The meeting was then opened up to public comment as citizens from throughout the Mount Vernon district, many of whom hail from the Lorton area, offered their suggestions on what issues the committees ought to focus their energies. The input was wide-ranging, with very-specific concerns raised (e.g. the need for more retails space along Route 123) to broader concerns about the future of the district (e.g. how to improve air and water quality).

The committees will now meet separately and then re-convene in January with a report based on those meetings.

Further information and the opportunity to comment are viewable at Supervisor Hyland's site HERE.