DATE: Saturday, November 29, 1997           TAG: 9711290212

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B2   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LEWIS KRAUSKOPF, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   49 lines

CHESAPEAKE CIVIC GROUP TAKES PETITION ONLINE

It's not your father's petition drive.

Since the November elections, the Chesapeake Council of Civic Organizations has been collecting signatures to try to put a managed-growth advisory referendum on the May ballot.

But in addition to sending members door-to-door with a clipboard, the group is using the Internet to solicit the 16,260 signatures.

``It's an excellent way to get the information to anyone who has a computer or access to the library,'' said Gene Waters, the CCCO president. ``Instead of having to call and ask questions, they can access the information at their convenience.''

At the organization's web site, Net browsers can bone up on the CCCO's take on managed growth, including what the group sees as the problem with zoning laws and the question that the organization wants on the upcoming ballot: ``Should the General Assembly enact legislation authorizing Chesapeake to adopt an ordinance providing that approval of residential subdivision plats and issuance of residential building permits shall be contingent upon availability of roads, schools, public safety services, water services and sewer services that are adequate to support development?''

Then, those interested in helping with the drive can print petitions.

``They can print it out and have it for the relatives to sign,'' Waters said.

In addition, the group has sent about 1,000 electronic mail messages to people the CCCO has worked with in the past, Waters said.

For the past three years, the CCCO has maintained a Web page for information about the group and a history of managed growth in Chesapeake.

Waters has had more than 25 years' experience with computers. He is a project leader for a software development team that provides communications and management information services for the Navy.

He also maintains the CCCO home page in addition to the home page for the Hampton Roads Council of Civic Organizations.

``We've focused a lot on getting information out better to the community via the Internet,'' Waters said.

Waters said the number of signatures has not been counted since just after the November elections, when members said they numbered about 7,000.

CCCO members will be asking for signatures at the city's holiday parade next Thursday, and will staff the polls for the Dec. 16 special election for the 14th Senatorial District seat vacated by Attorney General-elect Mark L. Earley. MEMO: The CCCO home page is: (www.infi.net/(tilde)CCCO/)

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