Guest column: What OWN does; and plan for the Town Hall
By Welling Clark, President, Organization of Westside Neighbors (OWN)Who we are and what we do: For those of you who may be new to the Westside, OWN is your volunteer neighborhood advocacy group, a 501c(3) nonprofit. We work to improve
At OWN's Westside Neighbors Picnic last
summer, Welling Clark poses with his wife, Sallie, who completed 12 years as the
county commissioner for District 3 in December. The couple have also owned the
Holden House Bed & Breakfast at 11th Street and Pikes Peak Avenue for 31
years.
Westside Pioneer photo
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The OWN board of directors normally meets on the second Thursday of every odd month from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Westside Community Center. The public is welcome. An exception will be the Town Hall March 9 (see that subhead below).
OWN's normal functions include:
· Land-use review.
· Neighborhood public safety oversight.
· Code enforcement oversight.
· Government/resident interaction.
OWN identifies issues and then works to make sure that the concerns of our neighbors and neighborhoods are heard by local government and planning entities.
We are a friendly group of volunteers, and we welcome all residents who want to join us and help make the Westside a great neighborhood to live, work and play.
OWN Town Hall
Come learn the latest Westside goings-on at the annual OWN Town Hall meeting Thursday, March 9, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Buffalo Lodge, 2 El Paso Blvd.
All Westsiders are invited.
The Town Hall will include an election to fill three positions on the nine-member OWN Board of Directors. Three OWN board positions will be open in March. Terms are three years. There are nine board positions in total: three at-large and six specific geographic regions of the neighborhood. Westside residents can vote for candidates to these positions at the Town Hall meeting.
Other scheduled topics:
· Westside Avenue Action Plan (WAAP) project update.
· Avenue Task Force update.
· Avenue Merchants group update.
· Possible expansion of OWN boundaries to include unincorporated properties in the WAAP area (Colorado Avenue west of 31st Street).
· Narrowing West Colorado Avenue from four lanes to two lanes (a government proposal - good or bad?)
For more information, contact OWN President Welling Clark by e-mail at welling80904@yahoo.com or by phone at 661-8070.
(Posted 1/22/17; Opinion: Guest Columns)
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