|
||||||||||
STATEMENT OF ISSUE
This item seeks ratification of the Board actions taken at the March 23, 2021 Joint County/City Comprehensive Plan Workshop and seeks direction from the City and County Commissions on the Proposed Community Engagement Strategy for the Southside Action Plan.
FISCAL IMPACT
This item has no fiscal impact.
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Option 1: Ratify the actions taken during the March 23, 2021 Joint County/City Comprehensive Plan Workshop on the Update to the Southern Strategy Area (aka Southside Action Plan) and approve the community engagement strategy for the Southside Action Plan as presented at the March 23, 2021 Joint Workshop. (City and County)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In line with recent updates provided to both the City and County Commissions, this item outlines a strategy for community engagement with a goal of creating meaningful input and development of the Southside Action Plan (SAP). The proposed three-phased approach for community engagement and data analysis will be used to develop a Southside Action Plan report and policy recommendations, which is expected to be completed and presented to the Board of County Commissioners and City Commission in late 2021. Also, at its January 13, 2021 Retreat, The City Commission voted to rename the Southern Strategy Area (SSA) section of the Comprehensive Plan the Southside Action Plan. Technically this requires a text amendment to the Comprehensive Plan and will be included in the amendments submitted as a result of the public engagement strategy. However, going forward staff will refer to the effort as the Southside Action Plan until such time that formal change is made.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
For Workshop Item #3 providing a Report on the Proposed Community Engagement Strategy for Update to the Southern Strategy Area (aka Southside Action Plan), the Board approved Option #1 and as presented:
The City Commission did not take formal action at the workshop but discussed the same points as the County Commission.
The strategy for community engagement provided in this item specifically addresses Goal 11 of the Tallahassee-Leon County Comprehensive Plan (Comprehensive Plan) Land Use Element for improvements to the area identified as the "Southern Strategy Area" (SSA). Goal 11 of the Comprehensive Plan Land Use element outlines policies and objectives, “to encourage quality land development and redevelopment which results in increased population growth toward the southern part of the Tallahassee urban area, to retain and increase employment opportunities, and to attain an income mix in the Southern Strategy Area that is comparable to the remainder of the urbanized County.”
Policy 11.2.1 of the Comprehensive Plan also requires regular updates on the SSA to be brought to the City Commission and Board of County Commissioners every three years. Since the adoption of the SSA in 1998, there have been six updates, the most recent being the Southside Area comprehensive Report (2016) and the Southside Investment Update (2018).
In the two decades since the SSA policies were adopted, our community has changed significantly, with population growth, new infrastructure investments, and updated technology. However, the pace of quality redevelopment in the Southside that are identified as goals in the SSA policies of the Comprehensive Plan have not met expectations.
At the January 13, 2021 City Commission Retreat and the February 16, 2021 Board of County Commissioners meeting, staff presented an update on the SSA Land Use Element Goal of the Tallahassee-Leon County Comprehensive Plan. Both Commissions accepted the update. The City Commission moved to recommend renaming the SSA to the Southside Action Plan, and appointed Commissioner Diane Williams-Cox as the City Commission liaison for this effort.
Now is the time to evaluate the existing policies and objectives of this goal in the Comprehensive Plan Land Use element and engage with members of the Southside community to identify additional strategies to move the Southside forward and achieve the goal of “quality land development and redevelopment” that improves the quality of life and employment opportunities for those who live, work, and build a living in the Southside community.
The first step in developing the SAP is the proposed community engagement strategy, to occur over a seven-month period, that will collect a broad range of public input from members of the community about their wants and needs for the Southside. Information gleaned from the public engagement process will provide direct insight and will supplement existing data sources. This information will be used to develop revised policies for the Commissions’ consideration.
Some key topics that will be analyzed and discussed with the public during engagement process will include:
Southside Action Plan Community Engagement Strategy
Planning staff has developed a community engagement process that will begin in April 2021 and will continue throughout the summer and fall, with the anticipation of bringing back a final report identifying specific recommended actions to both the City Commission and Board of County Commissioners in December 2021.
Phase 1- Introduction to the Southside (Initial Assessment)
Phase 2- Understanding the Southside (Community Feedback)
Phase 3 - Southside in Action (Policy Review)
Throughout the engagement process, staff will use various methods to receive input from the Southside Community. Engagement methods will include a website and online surveys, and virtual and in-person meetings. Staff will also seek to assemble a core group of community leaders that can assist with disseminating information and assisting with community engagement to ensure maximum participation of the community. Staff will also survey existing community meetings and events in the Southside to bring information and engagement opportunities to these venues and organizations where people may already be meeting.
In response to ongoing health and safety concerns resulting from COVID-19, the types of engagement will be varied enough to reach a broad audience of community stakeholders, and designed in a way to meet CDC guidelines to ensure the health and safety of participating community members and staff.
CONCLUSION
On March 23, 2021, the County and City Commissions held a joint workshop on the Proposed Community Engagement Strategy for the Update to the Southern Strategy Area (Southside Action Plan). Staff recommendation on this item would ratify the action taken by the Board at the March 23, 2021 Workshop and provide direction from the City and County Commissions to approve the community engagement strategy for the Southside Action Plan (Option #1). This action would provide consistent direction from the County and City Commissions to staff.
Following the ratification of action taken by the Board at the joint workshop and direction from the City and County Commissions, the SAP community engagement process will be initiated with the launch of a website and online survey. Additional community-wide engagement opportunities for April 2021 will be announced shortly thereafter. Following the seven-month community engagement and data analysis process, staff will bring the results of the SAP and recommended policy updates for the Tallahassee-Leon County Comprehensive Plan to the County and City Commissions for consideration.
OPTIONS
Option 1: Ratify the actions taken during the March 23, 2021 Joint County/City Comprehensive Plan Workshop on the Update to the Southern Strategy Area (aka Southside Action Plan) and approve the community engagement strategy for the Southside Action Plan as presented at the March 23, 2021 Joint Workshop. (City and County)
Option 2: Board Direction. (County only)
Option 3: City Commission Direction. (City only)
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
Options #1.