Commendation for new department

Stephen Nelson and Molly B. Grove
Published: July 30, 2008

As the chairman and chair-elect of the Prince William County-Greater Manassas Chamber of Commerce, we commend the Prince William County Board of Supervisors for voting unanimously to approve
the creation of the new Department of Development Services described in an article in the July 17 issue of the paper.

According to the article, the new department will be formed by combining two existing divisions for the purpose of streamlining the permitting process for certain commercial development. The Prince
William County-Greater Manassas Chamber of Commerce applauds the approach the county has taken with this reorganization and as taxpayers, we are grateful that the county has found a way to
utilize existing resources for the most part.

The Prince William County-Greater Manassas Chamber of Commerce has long been an advocate for local businesses and has been working with officials from Prince William County to suggest
permitting process improvements over the last several years. We greatly appreciate the willingness of county staff to listen to our comments and concerns over the years as they have looked for ways to
ease the processes. 

We commend the county for the steps it has taken to implement the BUILD program and simplifying the process of opening or expanding a business in Prince William County. We believe that the county
has been responsive to input from our members about suggestions for improvements to the existing system. We are confident that the county will continue to work cooperatively with the Prince William
County-Greater Manassas Chamber of Commerce and that the results will continue to be mutually beneficial.

STEPHEN NELSON and MOLLY B. GROVE

Chair and Chair-Elect of the Prince William County-Greater Manassas Chamber of Commerce