Here are a few written notes from the very successful and well attended 2009 El Paso County Citizens’ College. Saturday September 19, 2009, marked the second day of the two day compressed/accelerated 2009 El Paso County Citizens’ College sponsored by the Citizen Outreach Group of El Paso County, Colorado. The selection process included the inclusion of thirty six people to participate in the Citizens’ College. In general, the fiscally conservative citizens of the area wanted to know who exactly was paying for the event. Private donations and sponsorships provide complete funding for the event. Maybe people wanted to know who was paying for the lunch boxes from Jason’s Deli. Free meals are exceedingly rare within the reality of the current economic conditions.
The courthouse security staff is in proud possession of a body scanning device. These devices are exceedingly rare within the United States. I volunteered to go through the system. The video of my courthouse body scanning experience will probably be available on the El Paso County website. Naturally, the technical advancements made within internet infrastructure create the possibility of online content sharing. Overall, this security system improvement will probably help reduce the number of weapons that potentially enter the courthouse.
El Paso County has a twenty year capital improvement program based on a system of master planning. This roadmap provides a schedule of expected costs and potential expenditures based on potential revenue sources. Should people develop a capital improvement program with complete schedule for private property? Maybe a market exists for a homeownership based capital improvement program. Somebody could probably build a template and market the template. Apparently, employment prospects exist for people interested in either law enforcement professionals or the health care industry. El Paso County probably should invest more money into maintaining infrastructure. What happens when the tax base cannot support the maintenance of the infrastructure? Could this possibly be a nationwide infrastructure problem? When major infrastructure failures occur within government the ability to provide services dissipates.
The health department in El Paso County, Colorado has a mission… the health department deals with the planning for and the response to pandemics… a list of essential services from the health department does exist… who certifies this list? Emergency preparedness has become a primary focus of the health department during the last few years…
Veterans affairs receives funding based on the number of veterans begin severed within the area. The Colorado Springs area has a substantial number of veterans. What is the Veterans Outreach Group?
The clerk and recorder found increased efficiencies by getting almost half of the documents submitted in electronic format…
Under future consideration for attendance:
1) The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office holds a Citizens’ Academy…
2) The City of Colorado Springs holds a Citizens’ Academy…
3) The Colorado Springs Police department holds a Citizens’ Academy…
Standing Questions:
1. How does performance contracting work?
2. How does information technology change expectations for the capital improvement program?
3. What funding streams exist to support the elements of master planning?
4. What is the Whitestone Research Institute?
5. How much does a basic project and project screen cost?
The following prose represents a few notes taken at the Citizens’ College on Saturday September 12, 2009, the first official day of the El Paso County (Colorado) Citizens’ College. Apparently, the City of Colorado Springs also offers a citizens college experience. According to a nonscientific simple headcount, thirty six people are participating in the 2009 El Paso County Citizens’ College. A quick review of the room provides evidence that El Paso County has moved to a single stream recycling program. What is single stream recycling? Single stream recycling involves a contract with a company that can separate multiple types of waste from a single trash receptacle recycling system.
Why do people attend a citizens’ college?
What do people learn from attending a citizens’ college?
What is the 12 week Sheriff’s Citizen Academy?
This is the third citizens’ college sponsored by the Citizen Outreach Group. The two previous citizens’ colleges were much longer… the new format condenses the previously presented content into a two Saturday format. The Citizens Outreach Group also sponsored a table at the Colorado State Fair. A delivery of box lunches will arrive at lunchtime.
The following prose represents a few notes taken during and about the citizens’ college on Saturday September 12, 2009.
This is an education seminar about the various functions of local government, “El Paso County Government 101.” Is county government really the oldest form of government in the United States? A history lesson of the Middle English terminology associated with the derivation of the words: shire, county, and sheriff. The speaker provided a brief history of how terms from Great Britton appeared in the United States. The State of Colorado came from a number of states and territories including Texas, Utah, Nebraska, and Kansas. Arapahoe was the first county founded in the State of Colorado. Colorado has seventeen original counties including El Paso County. Who was General William Jackson Palmer? Who was Spencer Penrose? Why did General Palmer and Spencer Penrose not get along?
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