Blog

2008 Virginia Municipal League Recap

2008-10-23T14:19:18Z

Virginia Municipal League's 2008 Conference was held in Norfolk from Sunday 19 Oct 08 thru Tue 21 Oct 08. The Virginia Municipal League is a non-profit organization that provides leadership and education to the leaders of Virginia's cities and towns in nearly every aspect of operations, governance, and community visioning. To me, this annual event has been the best single investment of time in effectively serving the citizens who trust us with their future. Christiansburg is known for active support and involvement in VML, and this year was no exception. Our mayor and every council member was in attendance this year, as was Town Manager Lance Terpenny, who has also served for several years on the Executive Committee and was installed as the 2009 President-Elect. Other local partners in attendance were council members, mayor, and town manager from Blacksburg and Radford, and excellent attendance from our neighbors up the road in Salem and Roanoke. Notable talks from Governors Kaine,Warner and Gilmore added to the depth of perspectives (as you may recall, Governor Kaine was previously Mayor Kaine from Richmond).

So why is this such a great event? I think it's because we are saturated with concentrated doses of education, expertise, and tenured experiencewith topics of critical importance to effectively managing our affairs and serving the community. The event also provides ample opportunities to interact with elected officials from other Virginia localities to talk about things in a Dr. Phil-type manner ... "so how's that working for you?". Another noteworthy outcome is that each of our council members hears a lot of information together, and so when topics come up later there's often a more mutual base of knowledge on which to build a discussion and make decisions. I won't recap all of the sessions, but will touch on a few highlights that were especially significant to me.

The message of Sustainable Communities was a major thrust of this year's conference. VML's 2008 "Go Green"challenge was used as a recent success in encouraging localities to focus and lead in areas of resource and environmental conservation. Nearly 100 Virginia localities expressed interest in the "Go Green" challenge by requesting an application. Only 41 actually completed the energy inventory and submitted a plan for reducing consumption and emissions (Christiansburg was one of these). Award winners this year for measuring outcomes and meeting ambitious threshholds included the Town of Blacksburg (second place in thestate for localities from 5,000 to 90,000 residents), and the City of Roanoke (for localities greater than 90,000). A keynote address from Mr. Ed McMahon of the Urban Land Institute on this topicwas especially impactful. The following are some of my notes:

1. Sustainability means meeting our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs as well

2. Sustainability means "Lasting - Enduring - Harmony between nature and man"

3. The"Sustainability Revolution" is Real

4. China invests 9% of its Gross National Product in infrastructure, Europe invests 5%, and the United States only 1.5%. This limits our ability to adequately take care of our present system, and cripples our ability to provide transportation choices (rail, public transit, and bike/ped).

5. Every community should have a Long-Range Conservation Plan. This plan should include aspects of predictability for alternative transportation, greenways, and energy consumption.

6. As for identifying public spaces and sustainable investments within a town or city, Ed challenged the group to adopt the philosophy of Joe Riley, Mayor of Charleston SC, "Give the Best of the City to the People."

And finally, 9 key steps a community can take and endorse to lead to a Sustainable Community:

1. Develop a shared vision for the future

2. Inventory regional and local assets

3. Build Plan around the enhancement of these assets

4. Use education, incentives, partnerships with private sector, and voluntary initiatives (emphasis was made that localities should not simply regulate, but participate as well)

5. Invest in infrastructure themselves

6. Pick and choose among development proposals

7. Cooperate for mutual benefit

8. Consider community character as well as ecology and economics

9. Have strong leaders and committed citizens

On the topic of downtown revitalization, McMahon emphasized that "Nothing succeeds like Success", and that small projects lead to great things. They develop sense of accomplishment, result in more ambitious goal-setting, and present more partnership opportunities.

Other significant presentations and roundtable discussions on Recycling, Freedom of Information, Baseline Carbon Emissions Inventory and "Town Section - Ask an Expert" where the inter-relationships between Virginia's counties and towns were explored and clarified. There was plenty of information shared about the federal and state funding decreases that are looming and the uncertainty in store ... and resultant challenges.

And so, we're better equipped to face 2009 and I'm optimistic that we'll collectively put this knowledge to work for the betterment of the Town. And thank you for the opportunity to attend.

Huckleberry Trail Extension 2009

2008-10-12T22:14:39Z

As previously reported, the Huckleberry Trail - Christiansburg Extension did not receive Federal Transportation Enhancement Funding earlier this year. Progress has continued, however, to expand this important community resource. The Preliminary Engineering Report laying out the extension of the Huckleberry Trail from the present trail head at the NRV Mall behind Sears to the Christiansburg Recreation Center was completed in 2007 by Gay & Neel, Inc. Final Construction Plans for extending the trail up to the crossing with Route 114 were also completed in February 2008 with funds provided by PREIT (Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust - owners of the NRV Mall). This summer Town Council selected a bridge style for the Friends of the Huckleberry to include for the Route 114 Crossing. All these are necessary steps and ensure that when funding is secured the project can move forward without delay ... which brings us to the point of this journal entry.

The funding application for the 2009 cycle of Transportation Enhancement Funding is due on Friday, October 31, 2008. Many aspects of the previous application are the same, including broad-based support from local jursidictions and elected officials at state and federal levels, but we are now seeking additional letters of community support for the project to further strengthen this year's application. These letters can be from businesses, civic clubs, neighborhood groups, bicycling and outdoor recreation associations, and any other group that represents grass-roots support from our area. Significant efforts have been made this year, and will continue through December 2008, to line up administrative and political support for this year's application within the VDOT selection process by contacting and meeting with key personalities. And so, consider this a call to action to consider what you can do to help hit this one into the grandstands.

All letters should be addressed to: Mr. Michael A. Estes, Local Assistance Division, Virginia Department of Transportation, 1401 East Broad Street, Richmond 23219. They must be received by Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and can be provided in either hardcopy or digital form to one of the two following contacts:

1. Mr. Kevin Conner, CLA, Gay and Neel, Inc., 1260 Radford Street, Christiansburg 24073 (kconner@gayandneel.com)

2. Mr. Lance Terpenny, Town Manager, 100 East Main Street, Christiansburg 24073 (lterpenny@christiansburg.org)

Thank you in advance for any assistance you can provide (letter and/or financial commitment to Friends of the Huckleberry, which can be earmarked for the Christiansburg Trail Extension and used for the 20% Local Match - http://www.huckleberrytrail.org/). VDOT's Commonwealth Transportation Board will take this up in January 2009 and funding announcements are expected in March. NOW is the time ...

DeVote to Change?

2008-09-18T16:25:20Z

The issue of whether to change the date of town elections from May to November has been resonating in our community, largely accentuated by the decision of Blacksburg to go this route beginning with the November 2009 elections. The primary argument in favor of switching is to increase voter participation, and I'm convinced that this would happen (probably boosting registered town voter participation from 10 -12% to somewhere in the 30-33% range). The primary argument against changing is that local town issues and the intimacy of having all candidates and voters turn out at the same place on election day would be diluted. There are also financial considerations, with the basic summary being that changing elections to November would represent some up-front costs to the town, but result in a net decrease in town costs of recurrent future elections as the County would bear all costs of odd-year voting. The break-even point would be somewhere about two voting cycles. These are not large figures either way ($4,000 - $5,600 aggregate). Both of these are valid perspectives and there are sentiments emerging from both camps, some of them strong.

As for my personal views, I happen to enjoy our classical arrangement where there's one unique day in May where all town voters and candidates gather and interact at the Armory to exercise their right to elect individuals that have more impact on their daily lives than any state or federal candidate does. On the other hand, I recognize the benefits of increased voter participation and in reducing confusion on the part of some voters that are either unaware of the May election or who intend to vote but show up at the wrong poll (the one they are familiar with for the other County/State/Federal elections). There are also issues of confusing the non-partisan nature of local elections and Town issues with the partisan nature and candidates/issues for higher office. In either case, the goal should be to make Town Government as strong as possible for representing the majority view of informed voters. That being said, a sweeping change like this should come from the majority view of our voters and I would support such a view. One method for achieving this would be by referendum; another would be by action of Town Council. As we dig deeper into this, I would appreciate your thoughts as to what you think we should do. Thanks.

Looking Back, Looking Around & Looking Ahead

2008-09-02T12:25:54Z

Last weekend was pretty special in our town. On Saturday 23 Aug 08 we had three events going on - each significant in their own rite, but taken collectively amounted to something much greater. The first was Montgomery Museum's Annual Celebration, complete with story-telling, a Civil War encampment, antiques, local historical books available for signing by the authors, arts and crafts, and even a visit from Will Rogers. What fun! Next, there was a 45th Anniversary Celebration of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech in Washington, held at Rosa Peters Park. At this we were invited to watch Dr. King's famous speech as a group, and then gathered outside to an 'Open-Microphone' session from members of our community who described their experiences from that pivotal time in our history and talk about the evolution of civil rights. I was born the year following Dr. King's speech, and subsequent assassination, but it was stirring to listen to community matriarchs such as Elaine Carter speak first-hand about those times, being there in Washington, and the excitement, hope, uncertainty and even fear that came with participating in the equal-rights movement in those eventful days. Lastly, we had our fourth and final Cruisin' Christiansburg in the Downtown Area with perfect weather and the same success that the first three had produced. The coverage by our local newspapers has been both generous and positive for these events, and I believe there's little convincing necessary that these types of events are very worthwhile to continue into the future.

As we celebrate our past and present, the message is that we should be planning future progress as a community by creating more events to be TOGETHER - and to share history, experiences and ideas. By all accounts, each of these events is evidence of a community on the move and is definitely something to be thankful for, get excited about, and to be involved with.

Outta the Park !!

2008-08-15T19:47:39Z

Hooray for us !! Christiansburg Parks & Recreation Director Art Price and Supervisor of Outdoor Sports Facilities and Parks Chuck Muncy were notified earlier this month of Dixie Youth Baseball's (www.dixie.org) decision to hold its 2010 World Series at Harkrader Sports Complex! This directly on the heels of Christiansburg's own 11& 12 yr.old "O-Zone" Baseball Players winning the state title and representing Virginia at this year's 2008 World Series in Mississippi (congratulations to them!). These wonderful announcements represent vision, perserverance, and LOTS of hard work and commitment by a wide swath of our community, and none is prouder than Chuck. He's the former Christiansburg Supervisor of Athletics and in his new role manages the new Harkrader Sports Complex. Chuck's goal, as expressed to the Dixie executives in Marshall, Texas is for Christiansburg to be the Youth Baseball Capital of Southwest Viginia. Congratulations Chuck, Art, Recreation Department Staff, and to the MANY tireless coaches, parents and volunteers that support our youth programs. Now is one of those times to say WOW!

Now, a Zoom Out to look at the bigger picture. This is one more thing that puts us on the map and it makes good business sense. It's estimated that this year's World Series in Mississippi resulted in $1.5M of direct revenue into the community. And so Christiansburg stands to gain both in profile and financially. That's in addition to the fact that Harkrader plays host to events nearly every weekend between April and October already this year.

Another keystone is that the Harkrader Complex is but one more example of regional cooperation in action in that Montgomery County and the Town partnered together to make this whole thing happen. And this type of cooperation is evident, and growing, throughout our town, county and in Blacksburg. Other noteworthy symbols of this cooperation is youth football, basketball, baseball, the Huckleberry Trail, Senior Olympics. Heck, the list goes on and on.

So what does the future hold in working together with Montgomery County, Blacksburg, Radford and even Pulaski County on projects of mutual recreational benefit? Who knows. Likely candidates in my mind are more trails, parks, and facilities that pass two fundamental questions of logic -- "What can we do together that we probably couldn't - or shouldn't - do by ourselves?", and "Is it fair to all concerned?"

I'm encouraged by the increasing cooperation on projects like this and in the growing togetherness that is evidenced by elected officials in our local governments. A good example of this logic is the Huckleberry Trail ... of the thousands upon thousands of people who use it, I bet that there are precious few who care whether they happen to be in Christiansburg, Montgomery County, Virginia Tech, or Blacksburg. Folks are HERE and they're just plain enjoying it. Same goes for the other stuff. So what are your thoughts? ... what do you think should be next ?

Rated G

2008-08-12T12:42:25Z

When I launched this on-line journal ten weeks ago, I did it with the goal of encouraging constructive, G-rated dialogue about issues in Christiansburg that could be viewed, interpreted, and discussed by all members of the community ... whether you happen to be age 8 or 88 (or more). I take no offense, in fact I appreciate, opposing views and like to consider issues from as many perspectives as possible before arriving at a decision and taking action. Over the last few days, for the first time, I've taken editorial liberty to delete two posts that I construed as inappropriate and/or beyond the constructive tenor that is desired for this journal as explained. My hope is to avoid restricting comments prior to posting, and I appreciate (in advance) folks respect for the nature of this open forum so far.

Bits & Pieces

2008-08-04T02:51:54Z

We visited Smithfield Plantation three weeks ago on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and afterwards took our dog on a walk around the VT Cross Country Course that meanders around and throughout the beautiful former plantation. After taking the tour of the homeplace, the guide ushered us into the gift shop, the last room in the basement before leaving. In there I was looking through a book of quotes by Thomas Jefferson. There was one in there that's stuck with me since, and I thought I'd share it: "Information is the currency of democracy." Simple, poignant, and intuitively obvious. I've also thought about how the world has changed since Jefferson's time -- technical advances and the billions of dollars we've invested in "information technology". A good question for pondering is: How has government kept pace with these explosions in capacity? Sure, there's certainly more information, and access to information, but I wonder what T. J. would think of our progress if were alive today. No deep thoughts or diatribes, merely an interesting historical observation.

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On a totally unrelated subject, but one that will liven up the dog days of summer for anyone with even a passing interest in 'land use', I'm including below one of the best reference pieces that I've ever come across; I've used it numerous times since it was provided to me three or four years ago. It's clear, concise and obviates even the most complex land use conundrums ... Enjoy!

TEN RULES OF LAND USE - by Karen Collins of Henderson County, NC

1. Never assume that undeveloped land in your neighborhood will always remain so. Unless you own it, count on something else being built there.

2. Water runs downhill. Unless you live at the top, you will probably experience stormwater runoff problems.

3. Sprawl is the latest enemy of people and planners. Unfortunately, the only thing Americans hate more than sprawl is density.

4. Not all land is zoned. If property near you is not zoned, then think of the most obnoxious use conceivable and picture it in your community.

5. If you are not native to this area, whatever attracted you here will likely attract others. This phenomenon is known as growth.

6. Land values are driven by supply and demand. Taxes are based on land values. These things change.

7. There are significant differences between public and private roads. If you must live on a private road, be prepared to pay for it.

8. Wells and septic tend to fail. Make no mistake about this.

9. If your land is so located that it is safe from annexation or incorporation, it is probably a prime candidate for a landfill, prison, utility tower, quarry or reservoir.

10. In land use issues, the common good usually prevails. Never assume that you know what the common good is.

Low-Car Diet

2008-07-24T13:59:57Z

An issue that’s shared mental shelf space in the not-too-distant past with world peace, food supply, natural disasters, etc. in the average American’s mind is fossil fuel dependency. It’s gotten a lot of national press under the headings of global warming, sustainability, and environmental stewardship, but to get resolute national attention and local buy-in, most Americans must be affected in a material way … especially the pocketbook. With skyrocketing fuel prices, inflation, and an increasingly uncertain economy, that time has come and nearly everyone is thinking about what this means to them; and most is looking at the future in a different way. I realize this is a ‘macro’ observation, but there are very clear ‘micro’ – or local – implications, and this is what I’d like to share some thoughts on.

When the cabbage is boiled down, most folk’s basic daily transportation needs fall into one of four categories: Work, Education, Shopping, and Medical. Of course there are others, but I’d say these four account for 80-90% of all trip generations. In Christiansburg, we are in a geographic epicenter/crossroads of most, if not all, of these mobility needs for the New River Valley … and arguably beyond to the Roanoke Valley, Radford, and Pulaski. An interesting factoid from recent transportation mobility studies by the New River Valley Planning District Commission (PDC) is that residents of the NRV are particularly mobile, with more than 40% working in a different jurisdiction in which they live. No real surprise, but an intuitive confirmation. Although not much quantitative data exists, ample qualitative data confirms that Christiansburg is indeed Downtown NRV for commerce and retail.

If we as a Town are to maintain our quality of life and sustainability as a community, we must carefully consider the foregoing realities and look into our future to see what we can do better and/or differently to achieve these goals. And I’d say that a huge step in the right direction is to be thinking more about a “Low-Car Diet.”

Like the USDA Food Pyramid that we are all familiar with from our childhood, I’ll propose for this discussion that a Low-Car Diet is comprised of four major ‘food groups’, or alternative transportation options: Walking (the base of the pyramid), followed by Biking, Public Transit, and Carpool/Ridesharing (the pinnacle). I’ve seen different variations of this concept, but I like this one the best.

Walking and Bicycling are both topics I’ve talked about at length in previous discussions. Bottom Line: We can and must prioritize all forms of pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and the Town should lead by example.

Public Transportation: So what’s been done, what’s being done, and what should we do in the future as a Town to ensure that our resident’s transportation needs are met in an efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible nature? Here are some highlights:

1) The Town of Christiansburg has financially supported the Blacksburg Transit’s hugely successful Two Town Trolley (TTT) for nearly 20 years. The TTT is a “Limited Service” route of the BT, which allows it to operate at optimal efficiency with regards to federal funding requirements. We need to continue supporting this wonderful program, and be open-minded for dialogue that takes place from time to time to further expand the BT system to a more regional system. (http://www.btransit.org/cms.php/routes/ttt-cburg/)

2) The Smart Way Bus(www.smartway.org) started several years ago as a subsidiary of Valley Metro in Roanoke, and has been an increasingly important Public Transit option between the New River and Roanoke Valleys. I’ve been personally encouraged to see this important regional program take off, and equally encouraged to observe its growing success. For example, in FY04/05 total ridership was 23,761. In FY05/06 this increased more than 50% to 36,369 riders. FY06/07 saw another increase to 39,923, and based on the first three quarters of FY07/08, the SmartWay is on-track to increase another 25% to around 50,000 riders! Wow, this is a no-brainer. The Town kicks in roughly $5,000 annually for this with the biggest contributors being the City of Roanoke and Virginia Tech.

Carpool/Ridesharing: The following are present and future programs that the Town of Christiansburg supports through the Planning District Commission:

1 )Ride Solutions – A joint program of the Roanoke and New River Valley Planning District Commissions, this program allows any resident of Christiansburg, and the Region, to call and register for a carpool match in the area. This is an excellent program, funded mostly by the Virginia Department of Rails and Public Transportation, which has had significant positive impacts with carpooling, job retention, etc. For example, at the large Echostar facility in Christiansburg’s Falling Branch Commerce Center, there is a specially designated, preferred parking area that is directly adjacent to the main entrance and is reserved exclusively for RideShare participants. (http://ridesolutions.org/)

2) Mobility Manager - The NRV Planning District Commission (NRVPDC) was recently awarded funds by the Department of Rail and Public Transit (DRPT) to embark on a Mobility Manager Pilot Project. The initial scope of the project is to identify barriers between human service transportation providers and determining methods to address efficiency in the delivery of their services to multiple clients. The project will kick-off in October/November and the goals are to increase coordination and ridership among the various agencies that already provide transportation services to sectors of our population.

And so, there's been notable progress and cooperation in some areas, and we must not be complacent when it comes to these objectives . We need to stay focused on providing more and better alternative transportation choices for our citizens.

(Big) Brother Can You Spare a Dime?

2008-07-14T01:46:56Z

On Thursday 10 July 08, I was in Richmond representing the Town on Virginia Municipal League's (VML) Transportation Policy Steering Committee and Transportation Policy Committee. Our charge was to craft policy statements for locality perpectives on transportation priorites for roads, bridges, rail, public transportation, etc. for the upcoming Fiscal Year. Simply put, what we ended up saying with a bunch of fancy words was, SHOW US THE MONEY. (!) Because Virginia is a Dillon Rule State, local governments are extremely limited in their options to raise revenue for necessary public improvements. Ttransportation funding is historically a role that state government has shouldered. Opinion: If the General Assembly would like localities to accept more responsibility for their trasnsportation future, then this devolution needs to be funded.

In the wee hours of the morning on Thursday, for the 22nd straight year, the General Assembly fizzled out on a plan for adequate, sustainable, dedicated non-general funds to support Virginia's transportation network. This, in addition to the repeal of the wildly unpopular 'Abusive Driver Fees' from last year's session, means that Christiansburg will receive about 44% less transportation funding in FY 08-09 for critical new capital projects like US Route 114 than we did in the current FY. My opinion is that this lack of vision borders on the absurd.

Additionally, we heard an impressive presentation from Fiscal Analytics, Ltd. on the 2008-2010 Budget Outlook for Virginia. Foregoing the painstaking detail, the thrust was that US economy is weaker than was expected when State revenue forecast was prepared, and falling stock prices further reduce capital gains tax revenues. Bottom Line: It's entirely possible, and perhaps even likely, that additional budget reductions on the order of $2.5B may be necessary over three years, including broader local aid cuts. In FY09, for instance, the General Assembly is cutting $238M from local aid and the mechanism is now in place for further cuts in the future.

The resonating disappointment from all this is that for the next two years, the Town will be looking elsewhere for ways to meet present levels of service in some areas, especially with programs that depend on annual state funding commitments, transportation and otherwise. Of course this won't be impossible, but it does mean that we will have to be more resourceful, be alert for unique funding and/or promotional opportunities, and be willing to try new things if we are going to achieve our goals and avoid raising taxes. An excellent example of this way of thinking at our last meeting was Police Chief Mark Sisson's report dated 20 June 08 that emphasized several measures our PD was implementing to reduce fuel consumption and vehicle maintenance costs. I was in the Marketplace area yesterday and saw two of our officers on bike patrol, just as the chief mentioned. Just like at home, if everyone does their part hardships can actually bring the community closer together. This will be the case if we each adopt a servant's attitude and look for ways to pitch in.

Weaving the Web

2008-07-07T01:08:36Z

Whenever I hear the word 'web', I can't help but think of Gary Larson's classic Far Side cartoon where the two spiders have spun a web at the bottom of a children's slide -- all ready to catch their next meal -- when one says to the other, "If we pull this off, we'll eat like kings!" Funny how this type of thing sticks with you ... anyhow --

Here's more on the history and status on the Town's new website that will hopefully be of interest:

1. In August 2007, Mayor Ballengee formed a Website Committee to study and recommend on the development of a new town website. The designated Website Committee is comprised of three Town Staff members and two Council Members (Ballengee & Stipes).

2. August 2007 - December 2007: Members of the Website Committee interview each Council Member and Town Department Heads, including Volunteer Services (Fire Department and Rescue Squad), to gather input, determine objectives and content of a new website. Among other good ideas, all Council Members agreed that the new website should include a current Community Calendar with public meetings and Town activities, current Meeting Agendas and Minutes, and a plethora of related information including the Town Code, Comprehensive Plan, Aquatic Center feature, Harkrader, Recreation Schedule, emergency notifications, and in every respect to showcase the opportunities and goings-on within the Town, and to market the town to the world beyond. Web-site user prioritization was determined to be: 1) Citizens; 2) Existing and Potential Business; and 3) Visitors. A primary goal of the Committee has been to stimulate citizen participation in all town activities, programs, and to enhance existing Town business and Special Events, and cultivate town investments like Harkrader, Aquatic Center, etc. All Council Members agree that it is important that residents be able to pay bills on line (taxes and utilities), however, the Town must first have its new financial software up and running and purchase a module that provides for on-line payments; so hopefully this will be coming along soon as well.

3. In December 2007, the Website Committee recommends to the full Council that a professional consultant with civic website design experience be hired to carry out this task. Council agreed and authorized funding to do so.

4. December 2007 thru May 2008 - Advertisement, collection, reviews of 17 proposals and corresponding interviews with short-listed firms. Website Committee authorizes Asst. to Town Manager Carpenetti to contract with CivicPlus (www.civicplus.com) to develop the website; this was done well within the allocation. CivicPlus lays out project schedule with completion/launch date of October 2008.

5. July 2008 Update - CivicPlus on schedule with proposed timeline ... provided Mock-ups (sample front pages) last week with glimpses as to the appearance, organization, and content of the new website. It's all looking good, and everything we're expecting to see is on there and in a logical and attractive format.

6. The final link in a successful launch is having a solid and reliable website maintenance plan to ensure the website is updated and current. Final planning on this is taking place right now, and the emphasis and commitment is there to make sure this gets done.

And so, the plans to increase transparency, information accessibility, citizen participation, and town marketability have been underway since last fall. The plan is soon coming to fruition and I believe that it represents huge progress in Open, Responsive, and Efficient government.

I'm happy to answer questions or to fill in any gaps with what is being done on this exciting initiative.