Willow Park commission schedules Oct. 16 town hall to gather resident input on charter

The Willow Park Home Rule Charter Commission on Sept. 24 voted to target Thursday, Oct. 16 for its first public town hall to solicit resident input on a proposed home‑rule charter.

Chair outlined three candidate dates and asked members to consider outreach and possible pre‑town‑hall questionnaires. Commissioners disagreed about whether to hold events on a weekday evening or a Saturday, with one member saying Thursday evenings better accommodate families while another argued Saturdays may draw more residents. "I personally think Thursday evening is the best because for anyone with kids, Saturdays are eating up and things going on," one commissioner said.

After discussion the commission adopted a motion to target Oct. 16 by voice vote and agreed on follow‑up dates and additional draft meetings (including Oct. 22, Nov. 5 and Nov. 19). The Chair asked commissioners to prepare short, clear materials for residents and suggested the commission keep early outreach simple so it does not appear finalized; commissioners agreed that introductory text explaining what a home‑rule charter is should be included if a questionnaire is circulated.

The commission emphasized the town hall is informational — no charter actions will be taken at the event — and directed members to bring suggested questions and outreach ideas to the next meeting. "If we get over 500 people voting on this it will be a shocker," one member said, underscoring the commission's view that education and outreach matter even if turnout may be modest.

The commission also noted it will post materials on the Home Rule Charter Commission page and coordinate advertising for the town hall.

Next procedural steps: finalize a short outreach paragraph and suggested survey questions, and confirm venue logistics with the facility manager.