OAK HILL -- Finally, the citizens of Oak Hill will be given the opportunity to be heard on their own turf at a town hall-style forum in the City Hall Commission Chambers on Aug. 9, a Friday, sponsored and moderated by Headline Surfer. All are welcomed to attend, but speaking preference will be given to Oak Hill residents, with few, if any exceptions.
The reality is we've already heard from the politicians and the larger business community, but those who have not been heard from are the citizens of Oak Hill themselves.
Already, there has been some grousing from some political and chamber insiders as to why this forum is being held in the first place. To have to respond answers the very question: Oak Hill counts.
As publisher of the 24/7 internet newspaper, I believe it is important to hear from the folks who live here in Volusia County's southernmost and smallest incorporated city. After all, the launches would be be right there.
And let's be real about this: Not one politician, not one chamber executive has even asked Oak Hill what it wants or needs to buy into the aerospace program without feeling that the aerospace concept is being forced down its throat with little or nothing in return.
Let's start with the most basic: How about modern sewer and water?
It's easy for politicians to come to Oak Hill once in a blue moon and make speeches about how great this is going to be. But the ultimate question that needs to be answered is this: What's in it for Oak Hill? And that is precisely what this forum is all about.
The forum starts promptly at 6:30 p.m. and is scheduled for 90 minutes.
Quite frankly, we've already heard enough speeches and back and forth debate -- even back biting at two meetings -- the first in the Volusia County Council Chambers in DeLand -- a discussion that last four hours.
Then there was the meeting at the Brannon Center in New Smyrna Beach co-hosted by State Sen. Dorothy Hukill and dist. 3 County Council member Deb Denys that got real ugly really fast. And sandwiched between these two was an appearance by Denys at an Oak Hill meeting.
Having moderated and sponsored 15 public candidate debates in 2012 leading up to the November elections, I am confident, some great ideas will be offered on ways Oak Hill could benefit greatly.
The benefits to the rest of Volusia County are obvious in the form of jobs and revenue, but remember this. Oak Hill residents know all too well this is something that they would have to live with -- good or bad and there are no certainties.
This forum is not about the pros and cons of locating a private aerospace program on the Shiloh property -- whether it is the pro-job forces or the pro-environment forces. And the argument of those who have said they support the jobs, but not the location, have made their case already as have the other two sides.
This forum is designed to hear "exclusively" from the citizens of Oak Hill. After all, nobody has asked them for their input.
There were some legitimately hurt feelings in Oak Hill as to why the Brannon Center in New Smyrna Beach was chosen when the Burns Sci-Tech charter school could have handled a large crowed. But that's water under the bridge now.
We've heard the argument that it all depends on the environmental studies in Washington. That, too, is true. But that doesn't mean Oak Hill can't start to chart a course to make the case for its needs in the meantime, should this aerospace program become a reality. And there are any number of suitors in the industry.
Between now and the forum, Headline Surfer will present highlights from the County Council discussion, Deb Denys' presentation and the Brannon Center meeting, which degenerated into a shouting match.
Everyone from Oak Hill who attends will be given a chance to be heard if that is their desire. Each person will be asked to provide their full name and address for the record.
The forum will be videotaped and posted on Headline Surfer's YouTube Channel as well as on the 24/7 internet newspaper and on our Facebook pages. With nearly 15,000 contacts on our Facebook page, integrated with our Twitter and internet newspaper, I am pretty confident Oak Hill's needs will be well publicized.
I will write a summary on the forum and present it to Oak Hill Mayor Douglas Gibson, County Chair Jason Davis, our senate and state representative delegation in Tallahassee as well as other political and business executives who have shown an interest in this aerospace dynamic.
This is all too important for Oak Hill to continue being a doormat and I am honored to moderate this positive discussion.