Garner ’ s nationally accredited Police Department keenly recognizes that citizen outreach and engagement are essential components of effective 21st-century policing . The Department conducts an annual citizens survey , holds a Citizens Police Academy and maintains a Citizens and Police Together team . The department has held forums on policecommunity relations and co-hosted a meeting on body-worn cameras with the NAACP , among other things . Visit garnerpd . org to learn more about the department .
A key Town service partner , Garner Volunteer Fire- Rescue , Inc ., has started its own citizens academy . Visit garnerfire . com to learn more .
The Town also places significant weight on public comment and input during the updating of its longrange plans . Most recently , over a thousand residents provided input through surveys and public meetings on the Town ’ s updates to its comprehensive and transportation plans ( see more about these documents on pages 16-17 ).
To offer an idea about how your municipal government can better engage citizens , contact us at ( 919 ) 773-4418 . And , of course , you can always engage the Town through its social media (/ townofgarner ).
Citizen Advisory Bodies
The most direct way citizens can participate in the Town government ( short of running for elective office ) is to serve on one of the Town ’ s citizen advisory bodies . Here are brief descriptions of those bodies :
Board of Adjustment : Hears and decides appeals from any order , decision , requirement or interpretation made by the land-use administrator or other administrative officials in carrying out or enforcing any provisions of the Town of Garner Unified Development Ordinance . Also hears and decides applications for special exceptions and variances .
Parks , Recreation and Cultural Resources Advisory Committee : Provides recommendations to the Town Council about recreation services , facilities and fee policies .
Planning Commission : Advises the Town Council on matters that deal with land use , zoning , community appearance and development . Requires some candidates to have experience in fields such as architecture , planning , development , landscaping , the arts or other fields related to urban design or appearance .
Senior Citizens Advisory Committee : Serves in an advisory capacity with the Town of Garner in planning , coordinating and directing of programs and activities at the Garner Senior Center . Committee members must be eligible to participate in senior activities by being at least 55 years of age .
Veterans Advisory Committee : Acts as a public interface between Garner residents and Town officials to explore ways in which to honor and recognize the service of area veterans ; assists the Town of Garner ’ s planning for ceremonies , observances , holidays and events honoring veterans ; interacts with local veterans organizations and assists in the preservation , operation , integrity , maintenance and upkeep of the Garner Veterans Memorial .
Downtown Garner Association ( DGA ): Fosters downtown revitalization through the administration of the Main Street program in a public-private partnership with the Town of Garner . This 5- to 9-member Board of Directors works with the town ’ s downtown development manager to set strategic priorities for downtown economic development within a context of historic preservation .
Learn more about any of these advisory bodies by contacting the deputy town clerk at ( 919 ) 773-4456 . You can download an application requesting to serve on one of these bodies at garnernc . gov / government / townboards-and-committees .
garnernc . gov
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