La Plata, MD – Recent public hearings on controversial issues, such as the 2016 Comprehensive Plan and the proposed Watershed Conservation District (WCD) in western Charles County, have generated so much in the way of email traffic that the county is planning to restructure the way it solicits comments.
Charles County Director of Planning and Growth Management Steve Kaii Ziegler told the Charles County Planning Commission Monday, April 10 in La Plata, the volume of correspondence has overwhelmed staff.
“Our ability to adequately capture volume nature and type has been problematic,” Kaii Ziegler said. “We’re not using any filters, so anyone who wants to submit anything can do it in that open type of operating procedure. This system is fraught with issues that may arise.
“We have had multiple incidences where one person has submitted multiple, 10 or 15 transactions,” he added. “About 75 percent of all email traffic for and against has come through a web platform. We’re getting a lot.”
Kaii Ziegler said that several citizens contacted him and said that their names are identified as supporting the WCD when they were, in fact, opposed to it. He suggested creating a “fillable” form which would remove potential for fraudulent emails and duplication.
“We would establish a series of protocols so the data can be sorted and tabulated,” he said. “There would be a separate web page providing comments to one source. The ability to verify them would be included,” he added.
“What we’re talking about doing is what the federal government does,” Kaii Ziegler explained. “It’s unfortunate, but that’s what we have to do.” Citizens could still submit comments by U.S. Mail, he said.
Planning Commission Member Nancy Shertler noted that she found value in some of the comments.
“I’m not sure of the value of bean counting the comments,” she said. “I like getting comments that point out problems or solutions we may not have seen. It’s not ‘Americas Got Talent.’ It’s not an election. It’s the quality, not the quantity of comments.”
“People think it’s a vote,” Kaii Ziegler agreed. “It’s not. That tabulation, the time it took to bring that together, was misplaced. This isn’t a popularity contest. We’re treating this like a learning opportunity.”
He said Planning and Growth Management staff will be consulting with Charles County Attorney Rhonda Weaver as the process moves forward.
Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com