Transition Milestone

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, July 27, 2016

County Launches Website for Community Participation Organizations

Washington County launched a new set of web pages this month to support Community Participation Organizations (CPOs) countywide. The step is part of a programmatic transition that has shifted administrative support for CPOs from OSU Extension Service to the Washington County organization and becomes a cornerstone of the County Administrative Office's new Community Engagement Program.

The new website can be found at:
www.co.washington.or.us/cpo

The site includes:

• Links to sign up for online newsletters,
• An interactive map to look up which CPOs serve your community,
• News items and media releases about upcoming events,
• Meeting notices, agendas and notes for each CPO and the Committee for Community Involvement (CCI), and
• Training resources such as the CPO Handbook.

"Transitioning the CPO program management from OSU Extension to Washington County brings a host of potential benefits including a web presence that is integrated with Washington County's web environment," said Mike Dahlstrom, the program's new manager. "The CPOs are a key element of the County's goal to expand and improve public participation, and a stronger web presence will help us move toward that goal."

Background
Changes to the County's public engagement program were prompted in the fall of 2014 when OSU Extension Service announced that it would no longer provide administrative support to the CPOs. In response, after an extensive community advisory process, the Board of County Commissioners brought the CPO Program into the County Administrative Office as the cornerstone of a new Community Engagement Program. More information on the transition can be found at the Transition Team's website.

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