Highly Anticipated Carroll Commissioners' PlanMaryland Forum Set (Update)

After Patch originally posted this story, Carroll County government issued a news release with additional details about its upcoming PlanMaryland forum.

According to the news release, a limited number of tickets may be provided to the public on an as available basis at a cost of $25 per ticket.

Additionally, the speakers that will attend are contributing their time and at minimal cost. Private donors have also stepped forward with funding to minimize costs to taxpayers.

The news release also detailed topics that will be covered in the forum which will include: the role of automobiles versus mass transit in our economy, the role of septic systems versus treatment plants in Bay health, assumptions embedded in nitrate loading calculations, the costs versus benefits of compact development templates, and economic implications and validity of proposed greenhouse gas mitigation initiatives.

--Story as it was originally reported--

The anticipated Carroll County Commissioners' PlanMaryland forum is set for Oct. 31 in Pikesville.

The forum is scheduled for noon at the Pikesville Hilton, and according to Jim Simpson, the county's public relations consultant, it will likely be an invitation-only event. He said details were still being worked out.

"We only have room for 125 people," Simpson said. "We decided to scale back on spending, which necessitated a smaller venue. We will be inviting city, county and state officials."

Simpson said the public will have access to the meeting through a video that will be posted on the county's website.

The forum, previously referred to as a "summit,"will include a panel discussion on "technical and economic premises," Simpson said.

"The panel will be a discussion between experts, PlanMaryland folks and local leadership from around the state," Simpson said. "It's a discussion intended to explore and question the underlying premises behind PlanMaryland. It's an educational opportunity."

PlanMaryland has been a , especially in Carroll County. The the state's sustainable growth plan, arguing that it is not truly about the environment or smart growth, but rather about control and politics.

Simpson said there will be at least one representative from the Maryland Department of Planning on the panel.

The following panel members are listed on the event invitation:

• Lord Christopher Monckton--a science policy advisor to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, a contributing author to the Science and Public Policy Institute and a speaker on climate change science.
• Wendell Cox--an expert in urban planning and transportation policy, principal of an international urban policy firm, senior fellow at the Institut economique de Montreal in Quebec, a three-term Los Angeles County transportation commissioner and chairman of the Financial Analysis Committee of the Amtrak Reform Council.
• Patrick Moffitt--served on the White House committee on environmental technology (under Clinton/Gore), founder of CFM Environmental Services, Inc. and former president of US Water LLC.
• George Frigon--wastewater treatment expert, senior partner at NewFields, a global environmental consulting firm, co-author of the USEPA's manual for wastewater treatment for small communities, co-chair of the advisory board for the graduate part-time program in Environmental Engineering and Science at Johns Hopkins University.
• Ed Braddy--executive director of the American Dream Coalition conducting forums on urban planning, transportation, land use, housing and property rights, former commissioners of Gainsville, FL and a published columnist and speaker.

Simpson did not say how much the forum will cost, but he did say that he anticipates the forum will be largely funded through donations.

He said the Pikesville venue was chosen because it was economical and is more central for those traveling from other parts the state.