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JCC Supes Want to Host Triangle SummitFriday, December 03, 2010 James City County Supervisors have invited leaders of the two neighboring Triangle governments to get together and discuss regional issues, a meeting the three bodies haven’t had in the past 25 years. James City County Board Chairman James Kennedy sent letters to Williamsburg’s Mayor and York County’s Board Chairman Don Wiggins last week requesting the three bodies hold a joint work session. “I’ve been pushing for this for the past couple of years,” says Kennedy. “It’s time to explore our similarities and expand on the regional cooperation we’ve had lately.” The three governments haven't gotten together in such a meeting in at least 25 years, as far as Kennedy has been able to determine.Topics up for discussion would likely be the regionally coordinated 2012 comprehensive plan and some elements of the recently released economic diversification report commissioned by the Historic Triangle Collaborative. Many of the suggestions in the report would require regional collaboration. Kennedy says the joint meeting might also focus on the possibility of shared revenue zones in which localities collaborate and share the costs and profits of a particular project. This idea might have been more beneficial than the competition and redundancy between neighboring new developments High Street (in Williamsburg) and New Town (in James City County), he points out. “I’d rather have thirty-three percent of something than a hundred percent of nothing,” he says on the idea of revenue sharing. Another good topic of discussion would be the new Economic Opportunity Zone in James City County, which abuts York County, as it might be a chance at more regional cooperation. Better utilizing the College of William and Mary and Thomas Nelson Community College is also on the list of things Kennedy would like to talk about. He’s not sure if Williamsburg and York County will agree to meet, but he thinks “it’s time for local governments to start thinking differently, and work more collaboratively.” The work session will likely be held in January or February, depending first on their agreement to participate, then on their respective schedules. |
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Comments
This hurts our area, as students look to flee the area after graduating, wanting nothing to do with all the grouchy old adults who creep around town.
Instead of being able to integrate these most highly talented young people into our local businesses and citizenry, we lose them and their skills and talents to other locales.
The resultant brain-drain is a terrible loss, as we lose the chance to become the dynamic, vibrant, forward-minded community would could be.
With W&M pumping out this best-and-bright est talent in Virginia, we should be the state's epicenter for high-tech, finance, think-tank, and arts & humanities type industries. We should be Virginia's Harvard Square or Silicon Valley or Seattle, WA. But we aren't....becau se the grouchy old people are such a perpetual drag on all of us. What smart young people would want to set up their homes and families around these crusty old curmudgeons?
This is a loss to all of us. Think about how valuable property is in the above mentioned places. That could be us if we didn't have such a bumper crop of sour old small-minded self-centered retirees.