The Regional Citizens Committee (RCC) initially came into being in the mid-1970s as the result of a federal mandate; it was initially structured as three committees focusing on the issues of transportation, housing and the environment. In 1980, the three committees were merged into one and since that time the RCC has functioned as an advisory committee to the Board. In 1984, the RCC Chair was given a seat at the Board table in an advisory capacity.
The RCC was structured to fulfill several goals:
- To identify those members of key regional organizations who could convey the message heard at RCC meetings to other individuals, thus building a grassroots consensus for DVRPC initiatives;
- To review ongoing DVRPC activities and program and provide input on public policy within the purview of DVRPC; and
- To work cooperatively with the Board and staff to implement the public participation requirements mandated by federal transportation legislation.
The RCC was originally composed of citizen members, advocates for special interests, and regional organizations.
In February 2011, RCC President John Pawson was instructed by the DVRPC Executive Committee to step down; he passed away the following February. On March 8, 2011, members of the RCC were notified by Committee Chairwoman Aissia Richardson that voting rights for members were being revoked on the Action Task Force subcommittee, which votes and comments on transportation projects (Transportation Improvement Program Action Items), and had been redistributed to selected members chosen by the RCC executive committee and unknown DVRPC employees. A records request under Pennsylvania State Law by PA-TEC revealed that the re-assignment of voting rights was undocumented and done out of public view. This occurred after months of RCC deliberations over SEPTA parking garage projects, commuter rail expansion, and prioritization of transportation funding. Despite several attempts, including a formal right-to-know request, DVRPC did not produce any records documenting the suspension and redistribution of voting rights at the RCC's Action Task Force, or alterations to the Federally mandated Public Participation Plan.
The May 17, 2011 meeting opened with Aissia Richardson reading a statement about diversity, Nazi concentration camps, and insisting her name be spelled and pronounced correctly each and every time she was addressed (demanding repeatedly "say my name, say it for the record!"). This was followed with a series of personal attacks against members of PA-TEC by vice chairman Jim Richardson, telling one member "go screw yourself!" and another "the next time this comes up in any context, you and I are gonna talk about it on the sidewalk!" Former RCC member Tom McHugh later commented at the January 27, 2012 DVRPC Board Meeting that PA-TEC members were "villianized by the executive committee."
Read more about this topic: Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
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