2026-10-27 - City Council Work Session

02:02Mhm.

04:05>> Mhm.

06:07>> Mhm.

08:10>> Mhm.

10:12>> Mhm.

10:48>> I'll be right back.

10:49>> All right.

10:51Uh

10:52We'll call this meeting to order this

10:55city council work session

10:57uh in city council chambers

11:00389 Spruce Street on the second floor in

11:03Morgantown, West Virginia 26505.

11:07Today is Tuesday, October 27th

11:10at

11:12on 20 or 2026 at 7:00 p.m. This meeting

11:15will be broadcast live via YouTube on

11:17the city of Morgantown's YouTube

11:19channel.

11:22So, I am not the Mothman.

11:26Uh

11:27I am sixth ward city councilor Mark

11:29Downs

11:30and uh to jump into the agenda

11:35under unfinished business, we have uh

11:38staff summary of public comment on

11:41social services coordination.

11:43>> Uh yes, thank you, Deputy Mayor. Similar

11:46with our prior workshop sessions after

11:49the initial council discussion,

11:52uh we have been holding a public

11:53workshop where we solicit feedback from

11:56the public. Staff provides a summary

11:57[clears throat] of the items that we

11:59heard. Uh knowing that we have a lot of

12:01discussion tonight, I will keep that

12:03brief. It is in your packet a summary of

12:05what we received from feedback from

12:07community members. I will highlight a

12:09couple of areas of interest when it

12:11comes to social services coordination

12:13focused on uh warming shelters, public

12:16restrooms, shade structures, and seating

12:19was the areas that rose to the top for

12:21areas of interest and attention.

12:23I do also want to call out one thing

12:26that we recognized with the comments

12:27that we received for additional comments

12:30were very focused on transit and related

12:33to transit reliability, transit access,

12:37pedestrian safety. So, I think that that

12:39was an important thing that came out

12:40discussion. So, you all have that

12:43summary. I would offer to you all for us

12:45to wrap up the social services. We

12:47generally have council provide an

12:49opportunity if there's any final

12:51discussion on the social services

12:52coordination

12:54and then we will continue to follow up

12:56on the items that come forward through

12:57that.

13:00>> Thank you.

13:02Open it up for council discussion.

13:08Anyone have any additional

13:11input on [cough] social services besides

13:15what we discussed previously or was

13:19presented as

13:21an outcome of the public comment.

13:26>> I would just note that pedestrian safety

13:29was referenced as an

13:32interest under the social safety

13:36social services umbrella and you know,

13:39it's interesting that SunCrest Town

13:41Center was highlighted as a particular

13:44area where pedestrian safety might be um

13:49needed most and

13:51I'm wondering if our city planning

13:54people might be able to coordinate

13:56something with

13:58other experts in that realm so we could

14:01look out for people who are walking the

14:03busy streets.

14:07And that is one of the busiest

14:08intersections.

14:10There is.

14:11>> So, SunCrest Town Centre

14:15um

14:16is

14:18an [snorts] area that we have um

14:22our bike board that is not currently

14:24active and our pedestrian board that is

14:26currently active. Um

14:29both have worked on

14:31projects in that area. It's pretty much

14:33controlled by the um Division of

14:36Highways.

14:37And um it is not in the city limits, but

14:41lots of people um

14:43go through there who are

14:45coming to the

14:46>> [cough]

14:46>> town, so it's completely understandable

14:48that we would

14:50want some activity there. Um

14:53There's supposed to be a sidewalk from

14:56the uh Mileground

14:58to Suncrest Town Centre area.

15:01And uh at the last minute

15:03>> [snorts]

15:04>> um

15:05the particular engineer who was working

15:07on that project uh value engineered it

15:09out or just chose that it wasn't

15:12important, and so it didn't happen.

15:14And then um

15:16the Mileground portion got the sidewalk.

15:19And

15:21there had been talk

15:23at one point about then a sidewalk going

15:26from the during when the Mileground was

15:29constructed with the sidewalk, there was

15:31talk about then that sidewalk that had

15:33been eliminated from the project before

15:35[snorts]

15:36being removed.

15:38I mean, being then after it'd been

15:40removed being put back in in place. Um

15:42and being constructed at that time, but

15:44that didn't happen. At one point um

15:47the city had a and somebody can

15:51correct me, maybe Damian knows more than

15:53I, this the city had a

15:57um

15:59agreement or a a grant, we got a grant

16:03um on that same portion from um from the

16:07school, East Eastwood School, to

16:11um

16:13Suncrest Town Centre, and that um

16:16grant got given and then got officially

16:19by the DOH taken away. Is that

16:21>> Uh, yeah.

16:23>> [clears throat]

16:23>> Yes.

16:24>> Uh.

16:28It got the money's for that. We went we

16:30got uh, to 30% design, couple different

16:32concepts

16:33uh, with the project with the funds. Uh,

16:36but we couldn't move forward because

16:38that area is outside city limits. We

16:40couldn't spend city funds

16:42outside city limits. So, we ended up

16:43putting the rest of the funds into other

16:45projects. We moved that tap grant funds

16:47to uh,

16:48Walnut Street and another project.

16:51Uh, but so I was going to yeah, that's

16:53kind of time we were looking at annexing

16:54that area as well and it didn't go well.

16:57>> Yeah.

16:58Well, it scares the bejeebers out of me

17:01to be on that section and see people

17:03walking because when it was constructed

17:05there was um,

17:07a guardrail placed. They used

17:09[clears throat] to have a nice wide

17:10area, but then they put a guardrail. So,

17:13there's a very small [snorts] area and

17:14people walk it regularly.

17:16So, it's scary. So, I appreciate you

17:19bringing it up and I'm one for

17:22always giving something another second

17:24or a third go. Uh,

17:26but I think we would need to do some

17:29lobbying with the DOH and um,

17:32work with

17:34some other entities to try to get that

17:36going again. But it it is crucial. It is

17:38terrible um,

17:41that intersection and those

17:43intersections all around it and and how

17:45people get in and out.

17:47>> And the pedestrians I agree.

17:49>> [cough]

17:50[clears throat]

17:50>> What is going to happen when

17:52Suncrest Middle School

17:54opens in about what, 2 years?

17:57Um, with all the young people who I

17:59don't know what it's like today, but

18:01when I was a middle

18:03junior high school student at Suncrest,

18:05we had open lunch. The wonderful

18:08teachers and the principal let us walk

18:10all over the place at lunchtime. We

18:13could go off campus

18:15to get a hot dog, to get some pepperoni

18:17rolls. We had a We had a lot of

18:20free-ranging

18:21activities, walking, running, playing.

18:25What is going to happen to the young

18:27people who are going to be studying in

18:29the vicinity of the one of the most

18:31busiest intersections

18:33in Monongalia County, which probably

18:36should be annexed by the city.

18:41>> No No argument with you there.

18:45>> I think the young people

18:48who are going to be enticed

18:50by Suncrest Town Center,

18:54whether they want to get a little donut

18:55action or

18:57smoothie

18:59or a hoagie,

19:01chicken wings, McDonald's, I think it's

19:04really short-sighted to not put in a

19:07pedestrian-

19:09friendly

19:10system there.

19:14>> Yep.

19:16>> We used to,

19:18>> I'm good.

19:19>> One of the things that

19:21um

19:23I appreciated about the public input and

19:25I you know, I want to point out because

19:27it's a it's a priority it's a priority

19:29for for me and and is um

19:32year-round

19:33uh congregate housing and shelter.

19:36Um

19:38I I think it's a I think it's absolutely

19:40I think it's something [clears throat]

19:41that we've got to figure out how to do.

19:44Personally, um when you look at the

19:47numbers, uh we had a great shelter in

19:50here recently um with 19 beds and and

19:54and they have

19:56um

19:57they they they they have you know, many

20:00many more that they turn away. They turn

20:03away every day someone away every day.

20:05Um our pit counts point-in-time counts

20:08are um consistently somewhere between,

20:12you know, around 125 or more. Um

20:15we've we've got a need uh in our

20:19community. If you look around, you know,

20:22um

20:23our downtown and and and you the the

20:26need is right there in front of our eyes

20:29and I think uh

20:32it's you know, while

20:34while I understand it's a national issue

20:37and um

20:38you know, I think it's our obligation to

20:40do something about what we can about it

20:42here locally and and uh

20:45so I I I'd like to see us address it.

20:47>> [cough]

20:47>> Um

20:48I'd like to see us do more to address

20:50it.

20:51Um

20:54for sure.

20:56Uh you know, the the

20:56>> [snorts]

20:59>> the other and I'll

21:00just change gears that I that I want to

21:02bring up um on on social services is

21:06coordination between providers.

21:10Uh I think this is something that

21:12communications is is is working on, but

21:15>> [snorts]

21:16>> um

21:17but you know, with HR1 being implemented

21:21and

21:22uh requirements for volunteerism

21:25um to continue to re-

21:28uh receive social services benefits

21:31um

21:32I think it's 80 hours a month.

21:34Um

21:35>> [snorts]

21:36>> I think that's that's going to be that's

21:38going to be uh super important to our

21:40community to have opportunities

21:44to make those opportunities available

21:46for for folks

21:48uh or make them aware of those

21:50opportunities

21:52uh for volunteerism so they can meet

21:54that threshold. And um and I think it's

21:57also going to be [clears throat]

21:59it's it's also important for providers

22:01social services providers

22:04to who have needs to be able to

22:06coordinate. Um

22:09there's uh I'm I know we work when we

22:11work with WBU, we work with I serve, uh

22:14we have programs that work with

22:16AmeriCorps, but um I think you know,

22:19looking at some way to

22:23be an aggregator both on the the service

22:25the social services sides, the needs

22:29um streamlining

22:31kind of fast-tracking communications,

22:33but also fast-tracking

22:36um and opportunities for people that are

22:40interested in volunteering to you know,

22:44uh

22:45make that make that interest known

22:48better known.

22:49Uh I think it's it's kind of like

22:52>> and training?

22:53>> Screening training just being able to

22:55sign up, you know, um sign up because as

22:59I

23:00as I understand it I serve limited to

23:02WBU students. Is that Is that or is that

23:05not correct?

23:07>> It's primarily a

23:09WBU program, but I'm not sure if they

23:11extend it.

23:12We could see if they would do.

23:14>> But um having something that's more open

23:17to others in the community, I think

23:19would be beneficial if someone's, you

23:21know, interested in picking up trash or

23:25something. We've got lots of

23:26opportunity, right?

23:28So

23:29um

23:30not just for picking up for trash, but

23:32for lots of other things that are a

23:34little more positive.

23:36Picking up trash is important, too.

23:39>> Uh so

23:43>> [cough]

23:43>> that's kind of that's those are my

23:45thoughts on

23:47um

23:48on on on the matter.

23:50>> So I also had coordination written down

23:53um as a

23:57something

23:58and my thoughts about coordination is

24:01just how the different groups all

24:03interact with each other and I'm not

24:05sure

24:06um

24:08if it happens fully at Hazel's House or

24:11if that could be worked with or how we

24:14get people

24:15um

24:17working together closely.

24:20That seems like something

24:21[clears throat] that

24:23makes the all the benefits of all the

24:25things that people do um more available

24:28is if they're coordinating with each

24:30other so that they're handing

24:32people off to whoever the next person is

24:34that they need.

24:38That's probably not the right way to say

24:39it, handing off, but offering up all of

24:42the different options for people.

24:44>> But the [snorts] the social services are

24:46really like we don't have to become

24:47experts in social services.

24:49They're they're the experts in what they

24:51do, but what we can do is we can be that

24:53connective tissue and and pull folks

24:56together.

24:57>> we can encourage people to

24:59>> [clears throat]

25:00>> coordinate

25:01themselves. I think we've had We've

25:04collaborated with the county before and

25:09just helped with that rather than taking

25:11that over. Um

25:14Anyway, however however would best be

25:16done, but I think

25:18people coordinate themselves very well

25:19if they're

25:20encouraged to.

25:24So, however that best works.

25:26>> I [snorts] don't I don't know if that

25:27aligns with the scope of what we're what

25:30we're working towards, but if it does,

25:32it's great.

25:33>> it will make it'll make the warming

25:34shelter and I wanted to applaud Hazel's

25:37House of Hope and

25:39the having the warming shelter. Warming

25:42shelter's still there, right?

25:44>> To my knowledge at this point that that

25:46is moving forward.

25:48>> Um so [snorts]

25:51I think

25:52whatever we can get

25:54to have people get behind the warming

25:56shelter and seeing if it can be

25:57successful this year and then carry over

25:59into next year so that we have that

26:01stable is an excellent um

26:05Like if we could do that this year, that

26:06would be fabulous.

26:08Um the

26:10>> [snorts]

26:11>> uh public restrooms, the shade

26:13structures, and the seating

26:15um

26:16I am all for

26:18more seating in the downtown.

26:20Um

26:22creative shade structures where they're

26:25appropriate and they don't block

26:26something or make something else

26:28difficult to do.

26:30Um

26:33public restrooms somewhere where they

26:35can be

26:38um

26:41like in an existing building or somehow

26:44like

26:45somehow connected with our public safety

26:47building.

26:48Uh somehow

26:50um

26:54built so they don't freeze.

26:57But [snorts] ways where they're um

26:59where everyone can use them and they can

27:01be um

27:02monitored.

27:05>> And available all the time.

27:07>> And available all the time. But um

27:14Yep.

27:16Could be the public safety building and

27:17facing out

27:19toward the street from some direction of

27:21the public safety building or it could

27:22be the ones that are already inside the

27:24public safety building.

27:26Um and just

27:29made more available.

27:32I know those are controversial.

27:35But it would it it would it makes sense

27:36to have good public restrooms. They just

27:38need to be places where they can be

27:40uh

27:41kept warm so that the facilities don't

27:43break and monitored. And I'm not sure

27:45how the

27:48the bathrooms have been going. The um

27:50porta-potties have been going.

27:52>> Last [snorts] year we implemented the

27:54porta-potties and I think overall a

27:56positive response. So we you know we we

27:58do pay to have somebody come in and make

28:00sure that they stay clean regularly, but

28:03um I think overall

28:05I would say from a pilot point of view a

28:07a positive solution temporarily while we

28:10continue to look for other ones.

28:11>> they are they year round?

28:14>> Uh so the porta-potties down at the park

28:18is only during the winter months because

28:20then it's open during the regular

28:22season.

28:23>> Okay.

28:24>> So we will have them once we close the

28:26them for the winter. We will have them

28:28delivered here shortly.

28:29>> On Monday?

28:30>> Monday.

28:31>> And I I it that they're cleaned

28:32regularly.

28:33>> Yes.

28:33>> Mhm.

28:34>> And stocked with toilet paper regularly.

28:36>> What's that?

28:37>> I said and stocked with toilet paper

28:38regularly.

28:41>> Appreciate that, too.

28:42Um

28:43Yeah, and I and I'm I mean, just on that

28:45point,

28:46>> [cough]

28:46>> somehow public restrooms became a

28:48controversial topic in Morgantown, but

28:52um yeah, I

28:53I think I I just think that's a

28:54wrong-headed way of thinking about it. I

28:56mean, we've got we've got world-class

28:58>> I'm bringing it up

29:00I know now now oh no.

29:01>> And I appreciate it and because we've

29:03got [snorts] world-class amenities and

29:06um people can't use them to their

29:08fullest

29:09extent if we don't have places for them

29:12to use the bathroom or get water. So, um

29:16I really think it serves to complement

29:18our our assets

29:22by virtue of having them.

29:26>> Um so

29:29we had talked about additional housing

29:31up at Hazel's House of Hope. Is that

29:33something that we're still interested in

29:35like [clears throat] um tiny homes or

29:37other

29:39housing at Hazel's House?

29:41>> City Manager, you you have a

29:43>> I I do not have a recent update from

29:45them. I do know that we have worked with

29:47them in the last It's it's been several

29:50months um related to the feasibility of

29:53how they could move forward and I think

29:55that it's it's doable. We can find

29:57solutions through our planning and

29:58zoning divisions and so I think we've

30:00worked through any of those type

30:02concerns and so it would be with Hazel's

30:05House of Hope as far as applying for

30:06grants for funding or when they decide

30:08to move forward with that type of

30:09project.

30:10>> Yeah, my understanding was they were

30:11they were moving forward with the grant

30:13application. We provided them

30:16we provided them with the letter of

30:17affirmation that they are their plan met

30:20with

30:21our exist their existing zoning, so

30:24but I don't know any where any of that

30:26>> or anything.

30:27>> other floors at Hazel's House that were

30:29going to be renovated for various

30:30purposes.

30:33>> I haven't received an update on that

30:34lately.

30:35>> Yeah. Well, we can ask when Daniel's

30:37back. We can ask.

30:41>> Last week we had our last at our last

30:44meeting, we had um

30:47Mountain Line and uh

30:49Housing Authority in and I think both

30:52took actions to follow up with us on

30:55um some different on engagement. This is

30:59um

31:00we can follow up with them on

31:03that engagement. Um

31:05I'm anxious to

31:07talk with both.

31:13>> [cough]

31:14>> Anyone have anything else?

31:19Okay.

31:19>> I I do have a question about um

31:22porta-potties.

31:24It's been a while since I've been in

31:25one. Do they come with hand-washing

31:27stations?

31:29>> Yes, they have hand sanitizer.

31:31>> Yeah, the current ones have hand

31:32sanitizer in them. They don't have the

31:34kind of when you come out and you step

31:36on the

31:37water buffalo and and paper towels and

31:39water come out. Um they're just the

31:41sanitizer inside and that is also

31:43something when they service them that

31:44they check.

31:46>> Thank you.

31:50>> All right.

31:51All right, we'll move on to the public

31:53portion which shall be governed by rules

31:57established by council and adopted by

31:59resolution.

32:01Open this public portion.

32:04Do we have anyone wishing to speak?

32:09Okay, we'll close this public portion.

32:11>> to open the floor.

32:12>> Oh, we've got one.

32:13Yeah, come on.

32:14>> Thank you.

32:16>> [cough]

32:17>> Hi, my name is Luis. Um

32:19I own a food truck vending out here on

32:21High Street, the Island Halal Puerto

32:23Rican um fusion.

32:26And the reason I came today because I

32:28know if you heard about what happened

32:29Friday, I know they resolved the issue

32:32for now, but as a vendor, I our major

32:35concern is like

32:37if they will switch something like they

32:39tried yesterday to do with the 10% the

32:42hours and all that it was like a

32:44surprise for us. So now

32:47we thinking that maybe on the future

32:48they will do something like that.

32:50We just want to

32:52be part of it of any major change like

32:54that.

32:55Because I got employees and

32:58it will take 10% it will take like

33:00almost

33:02it will change from 300 a month to 1500

33:04a month.

33:05It's a huge difference.

33:07Me at least I got four employees that

33:08work with me and it will be like the

33:11hours changing the hour they was trying

33:13to cut from 11 to 12 from from 3 to 4.

33:17Last Saturday I made $503.

33:19That's 50% of the income on those 2

33:22hours.

33:23So we just have a major concern about

33:25it. I mean I know they resolve it but I

33:28just do I still show up. Um I live here

33:30in the town just to let my voice you

33:33know just to speak about it.

33:35>> Thank you.

33:36>> Yeah.

33:38>> Thank you.

33:40>> [clears throat]

33:43>> Okay. Anyone else?

33:46All right. We'll close this public

33:47portion.

33:49On to new business. We have a staff

33:51presentation of participatory budgeting

33:54results.

33:55>> Yes, thank you Deputy Mayor. Emily and I

33:57will tag team this a little bit but what

33:59we wanted to preview with you all today

34:02is

34:03we've had several discussions as we look

34:05to head into the new budget season that

34:07there's changes that we'd like to see

34:10and how we create our budget, balance

34:13our budget, move forward and more

34:15importantly kind of communicate our

34:16budget. And part of the foundational

34:19ideas that we have engaged in is one we

34:22want to be more transparent, we want to

34:23be more open and understandable with

34:25that budget information but we also want

34:28to be more engaging and so we've started

34:31talking about the topic of participatory

34:33budgeting and what that is in simple

34:35terms is just you know really getting

34:37out into the community to see what

34:40matters. I think that's particularly

34:42important in years where resources are

34:45strained and and limited is going to

34:47help us decide what goes the furthest,

34:51right? Where is it the most important

34:53and the most impactful for us to spend

34:55our funds?

34:56So, Marvin with our GIS team created a

35:00wonderful dashboard for us,

35:02which is a program where people can log

35:04in and they can drop ideas and projects

35:07and programs and things that they would

35:09want for us to consider when developing

35:11our budget. Given that is the first year

35:13for it to be established, like anything

35:15that we like to kind of crawl, walk, and

35:17run. So, we are do we did it as a a

35:21pilot approach. And and the way we

35:24rolled this out is Emily and I went on

35:27as well as some council members went on

35:30neighborhood meetings and we sat down

35:33with each neighborhood and we just had

35:35some open dialogue to say, "Tell us what

35:37is important in your area." You know,

35:39had that conversation, give us ideas,

35:41what are your concerns?

35:43Through those meetings it came up with

35:45124 project ideas that were submitted.

35:50And what I'd like is Emily to kind of

35:52give you a

35:53a really quick tour around of how the

35:56system works. We don't won't go into the

35:58back end of anything,

36:00but this just gives you an idea of as we

36:02look forward into even future budget

36:05years, different tools that we're

36:06working to establish and build in order

36:09to increase that feedback that we

36:10receive. So, you do have we won't go

36:13into all the results. You have been

36:15provided the results we received. The

36:17departments have also been provided

36:19those results. So, as we're discussing

36:21the department requests to the budget,

36:23that's part of our conversation as well

36:25of what of those items are being

36:27incorporated into the budget requests.

36:29So, Emily, if you if you don't mind

36:30adding to that and kind of giving us a

36:32little peek about what we have in the

36:34system.

36:35>> Sure, absolutely. As Jamie said, you

36:37have the link for this. And you when if

36:40you go to click submit an idea, it'll

36:42take you to this map. But,

36:44you'll see kind of as we kind of zoom

36:46out, you know, these are some of the

36:48ideas that came

36:50out in the Sun Crest neighborhood. These

36:53are ones that came out in the Evansdale

36:55neighborhood, and each one of these you

36:57can [cough and laughter] click on

36:58>> [clears throat]

36:58>> a particular area and it will come up

37:00with just high level what the project

37:02called and a brief project description.

37:04So, these exist for all of the

37:06neighborhood tours that we did and then

37:08one neighborhood that could not

37:10participate in person sent email. So,

37:14that was something that worked as well.

37:16Honestly, it was

37:17>> Emily, so so do we get input from all of

37:20the neighborhoods?

37:22>> We got eight responses, so I think these

37:25are all the neighborhood associations

37:27that are meeting.

37:29>> Yeah.

37:29>> So,

37:30that was [clears throat] really from Sun

37:32Crest.

37:32>> We did.

37:34>> That was really what I was asking.

37:36>> Sun Crest, what did they do?

37:38>> We

37:39met with them.

37:40>> Oh, you met with them. Oh, good.

37:41>> Yeah,

37:42Evansdale was the only one that they had

37:44just done a walking tour and so they

37:47sent some of theirs via email. So, I

37:49think um

37:51Wiles Hill, Highland Park is not

37:54currently active and

37:58Norwood is not active.

38:00>> Norwood is not active.

38:01>> Yes, so those are the two official

38:03neighborhood associations that exist but

38:05are not active at the moment. So, those

38:08two ones

38:08>> soon active.

38:10>> Perfect. Looking forward to it. Um

38:13So, you have this, you can click on each

38:15one of them.

38:16You know, as as we kind of went through,

38:20and Jamie mentioned these got sent to

38:22Department Heads. There are some of

38:23these that have a cost to them. Some of

38:26them may just be enforcement that

38:29or or pain points. You know, an example

38:31of one

38:32I don't want to say it was a pain point.

38:34One was, "Hey, we have a neighborhood

38:36sign.

38:37It's at the city garage. We just need to

38:38get it installed." So, that's not

38:40something

38:41that we have to wait till next July for.

38:44And so, some of these or they may say

38:46were you know, we're already in the

38:48process of getting a neighborhood sign

38:50through the Mosaic program.

38:52But those are still kind of captured on

38:54here. Um, some of the areas of speeding

38:56enforcement,

38:58um,

38:59you know, code enforcement. So some of

39:01those are not budgetary impacts, but we

39:03wanted to make sure we still recognized

39:05uh those.

39:06Um, lots of sidewalk and kind of

39:08pedestrian safety type of initiatives.

39:11Um,

39:12and and it was interesting to kind of

39:14see though what kind of plagued each

39:16different neighborhood, you know, what

39:17was similar across the different

39:18neighborhoods and what wasn't. So,

39:20um,

39:21you know, as

39:23the first time we were into it, right?

39:25You know, I

39:26as I was filling them out, I'm like,

39:27"Okay, well, you know, this category

39:29wasn't maybe quite right. This one so

39:30we're making those tweaks now so uh

39:33hopefully we can make that a better

39:34product for next year." But you have

39:36this in your email inbox, you can click

39:38through all of it um

39:40and see it and again, it's both in map

39:42form if you just want to um

39:45you know,

39:46Joe, if you wanted to kind of go into

39:48first ward and click and see what came

39:50up in first ward um or if you wanted to

39:53there were some that are downtown. Some

39:55are [cough]

39:56>> [clears throat]

39:56>> assigned to kind of the public safety

39:57building that were kind of more

39:59citywide. So, um when I sent the Excel

40:02spreadsheet, some of the comments may

40:05have been kind of dropped in

40:07Sun Crest for example, but it was more

40:09of a citywide comment. So that's why I

40:11tried to add those um kind of

40:13neighborhood comments. So, um again,

40:15things were kind of learning and

40:16tweaking for the next time, but uh I

40:18think it was a really great activity and

40:19the folks that participated I think um

40:23really enjoyed the opportunity. So, uh

40:25thank you all for those of you who could

40:27be there and uh otherwise, I'm sure you

40:30had a lot of great discussions with your

40:31neighbors. Thank you.

40:34>> Thank you.

40:36>> So that concludes our presentation. We

40:37just wanted to show you all a little bit

40:39about what we've uh started with

40:42participatory budget this year. Um, you

40:45all have the results. Wanted to provide

40:47you the results so that as we continue

40:49the discussion tonight, you have a

40:50little bit of that framework of what

40:51some of the neighborhood has said as

40:53well. So,

40:55any questions on the process or

40:58from you all what you would see how to

41:00make it better.

41:01>> [snorts]

41:01>> I mean, I think you all I'd be

41:03interested in your input and ideas on

41:06what you think would make it better. You

41:08You You all You two were at all of the

41:11meetings and

41:13and [clears throat]

41:13uh but I think it's a great I I I think

41:15it's fantastic that we're doing it.

41:17>> Yeah.

41:17>> Uh

41:18>> I I think it being able to expand the

41:20reach of it next year, you know, we we

41:22didn't want to just publish a live

41:25system where anybody could log in and

41:27and drop a point until we felt the

41:29system and made sure we worked through

41:31the system, but

41:32um the system has the capabilities of

41:34not only can people go in and and create

41:36their own project. It doesn't have to be

41:38through a neighborhood engagement

41:39meeting. It could be a a live system

41:42where people can add it and then you can

41:44see up on the screen where people can

41:45almost like upvote ideas. Uh so, because

41:48we didn't push that out, um we don't get

41:51the benefit necessarily of that

41:52functionality. So, I'm really excited to

41:55see the the next evolution of it, um but

41:57I think this was a a helpful opportunity

42:00to give it a dry run.

42:01>> Yeah. Um and and I think,

42:03you know, making sure that um

42:07one of the reasons why we wanted to do

42:08it through the neighborhood association

42:10is

42:10>> [cough and clears throat]

42:11>> um there's a couple examples on here of

42:13uh

42:15a neighborhood that wanted to make a

42:16couple streets the healthy streets that

42:18that closed the streets down to

42:19vehicular traffic.

42:21You know, we always want to make sure,

42:23right, that some things it doesn't

42:25matter if it's just one neighbor that

42:26says, "Hey, I want a sidewalk patched in

42:28this area, right?" Um but some of those

42:30other impacts are kind of uh greater

42:32impacts to the area. Um so, kind of

42:34getting that neighborhood consensus on

42:36if they feel that that um would be a

42:39benefit to the neighborhood or not. Uh

42:41some neighborhoods we had really great

42:43attendance. Some neighborhoods were, you

42:45know, much smaller intimate

42:46conversation. Um again, I mentioned we

42:49kind of changed some of the prompts a

42:50little bit. So, uh even as I went

42:52through there, you know, you picked a

42:54category and then put your project and

42:56description, you know, I was in the

42:58middle of the meeting and like none of

42:59these categories are the one I want. So,

43:02we are working on those, but just kind

43:04of getting more feedback and

43:07you know, maybe giving them an

43:08opportunity of you know,

43:10something that they also feel like it's

43:11working well. We had a lot of that

43:14discussion.

43:16You know, there was the project ideas,

43:17but Jamie had a couple other

43:20prompts as well, but giving them an

43:22opportunity to say hey, this is really

43:24great. Don't change it.

43:26So, that was

43:26>> [cough]

43:27>> nice, too.

43:30>> I think we figured out with the

43:31Evansdale um

43:34submission

43:35that we need to make sure that when

43:37people are requesting projects or

43:40explaining projects or writing their

43:42explanation that whatever it is is

43:45specific enough that we can figure out

43:48how to accomplish it. So, um one person

43:50can look at it in their section and see

43:52something that they feel like is

43:54obvious and then somebody else can look

43:55at it and they're not seeing it from the

43:58same perspective. Maybe

44:00first person has a child or they're

44:02looking at it as somebody that doesn't

44:03walk fast or however however it's

44:06perceived. So, we need to be specific

44:08enough that

44:10you all can

44:11uh translate that into something that's

44:13doable.

44:14>> And I think [clears throat] that's an

44:15excellent point as we look to roll this

44:17system out maybe in future budget years

44:19more widely. Uh the system does have

44:22capabilities where people can upload

44:23attachments. So, if they do drawings or

44:26any type of information that they want

44:27to support their request, uh really the

44:30the citizens can make what they want of,

44:32you know, how in-depth they get into

44:34that as well. So, that will be helpful.

44:40>> Anyone else have anything for the word

44:43on participatory budgeting, Gail?

44:44>> Well, that was just I enjoyed looking at

44:47this visual presentation. It was really

44:49exciting to see the different areas that

44:51people um felt compelled to discuss in

44:55that.

44:56>> [cough and clears throat]

44:57>> I thought it was very interesting

45:00that the

45:03top category was

45:05sidewalks with 18 of those type of

45:08occurrences, and that the second highest

45:11was, um, crosswalks

45:14>> Mhm.

45:14>> with nine requests, and that then the

45:18following

45:19four with eight each were parking

45:22enforcement, speeding, traffic calming,

45:24and paving. Um, it's a lot of

45:28a kind of

45:29structure, as you might imagine, in

45:31neighborhoods, and, um, and requests for

45:35enforcement, and, um,

45:39just

45:40making people's neighborhoods walkable,

45:42and drivable, and usable.

45:45>> Yeah.

45:46Yeah, just

45:46>> a big difference when

45:48all of those things happen, and I think

45:50they've been happening more and more in

45:52Morgantown. That's one way we can

45:53congratulate ourselves, but then also

45:56see where there's

45:58the room for improvement.

46:02Thank you.

46:04>> Thank you.

46:05All right, on to strategic

46:07prioritization discussion.

46:09>> Sure, absolutely. Thank you, Deputy

46:11Mayor.

46:13So, we we do have a presentation

46:15tonight. I I kind of want to start

46:17>> I'm present.

46:18>> Uh

46:19>> [clears throat]

46:20>> The goal tonight, ultimately, is to, in

46:23you know, open up the dialogue with the

46:25City Council. We have been having

46:28fantastic workshops over the last 9 or

46:3010 months, where we have, uh, discussed

46:33a lot of big topics, and as a result of

46:35those conversations, there's a lot of,

46:38um,

46:39big [clears throat] concepts and ideas

46:40and programs and and opportunities for

46:42things for us to tackle. Um, what it has

46:46resulted in it is we've come up with a

46:48list of like over a hundred things that

46:50we went, "Man, these are things we

46:52really would like to do." which is which

46:54is exciting and wonderful, but anytime

46:56we are establishing our our action plan

46:59and our way forward, working with a list

47:01of a hundred is is I like to say, you

47:04all have heard me say it before, when

47:05everything's a priority, nothing's a

47:06priority. So,

47:08uh the intent of tonight's discussion is

47:11to help us take those lists and say, uh

47:15where can we build consensus with

47:17council in order to try to develop in a

47:19little bit more honed in and focused

47:21list of the areas that you want to focus

47:24on. So, uh tonight is not intended to be

47:26a full-blown strategic planning session.

47:29Uh it's not intended to be a full-blown

47:32discussion of the the topics in depth

47:35that we did, for example, in the work

47:37shops. Um I'll use an example, if if

47:39crosswalks come up as a topic of

47:42interest tonight, um you know, tonight's

47:45discussion is the discussion of the

47:47importance of crosswalks and maybe uh

47:49each of you discussing and advocating

47:51why that's a priority for you, but not

47:54necessarily getting down into here's

47:56where we need to have that crosswalk. Um

47:59so those this is really um I wouldn't

48:01say the beginning of the conversation.

48:03We are we've already started the

48:05conversation, but it certainly isn't the

48:06end of it as well. We're we're kind of

48:08mid-swing. So, you can see here what

48:10we've done so far um is we've discussed

48:14we've identified those original hundred

48:17plus areas, and with that we asked

48:20council to complete a just a preliminary

48:24priority uh survey, where we had taken

48:27those hundred areas and and uh clustered

48:30them into five main categories that are

48:32pretty typical that you see as across

48:34strategic planning for government. Um

48:37and we asked council to rank the top

48:40three priorities within each of those

48:42five categories.

48:44Um so, we will go over what those

48:46results looked like tonight, but even

48:48through that process, um

48:51it resulted in a list of of the hundred

48:54items, uh 51 of them were still voted on

48:58as by at least one council member of

49:01this is a a priority area. So, we still

49:03have further whittling down to do

49:06because realistically, ideally, we'd

49:08want to come up with a list of probably

49:10about three to five really main priority

49:14strategic focus outcomes that we want to

49:16focus on in the next 18 to 24 months or

49:1912 to 24 months.

49:21I do want to hit as we talk about the

49:23idea of we're going through this

49:24prioritization exercise um

49:28that doesn't mean that these are the

49:30only things we're going to work on over

49:33the next 12 to 24 months.

49:35What this exercise allows us to do is

49:39really look at especially as we're

49:41building our budget for resource

49:43allocation budgeting purposes

49:46because staff likely will continue to

49:49knock out some of the things that we've

49:50been talking about. They will continue

49:52to do their their great daily work and

49:54they from what I've seen continue to

49:56raise the bar every day. So, um they

49:59will continue initiatives. They There

50:01may be some initiatives that are

50:04didn't come up on the list as priorities

50:06that get done because they're low

50:08effort, but you know, high impact that

50:10staff runs with.

50:12But what identifying these really three

50:15to five

50:16categories does is particularly at the

50:19leadership level when you look at Emily

50:21and Ryan and I's time helps us keep

50:25focus on where we spend a lot of that

50:28time in order to get some of these

50:30things across the finish line cuz we we

50:33really want to maintain those focus so

50:35that we can execute well.

50:37Um so, we mentioned we had the survey.

50:40We've come down to about 51. We've

50:43compiled those results, which we have

50:45tonight. And then tonight's purpose is

50:48if it pleases the council, we would like

50:50to engage in some additional discussion

50:52once we talk about those preliminary

50:53results to see the path forward of how

50:57we continue to whittle that down. We do

50:59We activities that can help us with that

51:02tonight if that's the the wish of

51:04council or we can approach this in any

51:06way council likes because this is really

51:08a council's activity

51:11um

51:12to create those priorities and certainly

51:14you have staff here from several

51:15departments tonight. Again, you know,

51:18not intended to be full discussion on

51:21these topics but we want that engagement

51:23on both sides if council has any

51:25high-level questions that staff can help

51:27with in this discussion. We are here to

51:29assist as well.

51:32Um from here what we envision is once we

51:35create a smaller list of that three to

51:38five if we can build that consensus

51:41staff would then go and really

51:42operationalize and come up with action

51:45plan and work plan. If you don't mind

51:47the next slide.

51:49>> [clears throat]

51:49>> So you can see here just what we are

51:51talking about it is there's lots of

51:54steps to continue. So council really

51:57with the elected officials and executive

51:59leadership team

52:00today tonight and the last couple of

52:02we're at those top two categories. We're

52:04talking about policy direction and

52:06organizational wide goals. We're really

52:08at that top of the pyramid but there's a

52:10lot of work that has to be done in order

52:12for us to push that down throughout the

52:14organization so that we can say how does

52:18how do these priorities translate into

52:19every employee and what they are doing

52:22in their function and their role in

52:24moving these priorities forward. So this

52:26just is a good visual representation to

52:28show you all that staff has certainly

52:31steps to take from here

52:33once we have those areas that we will

52:35bring you back plans of you know

52:37projects and ideas and things that you

52:39all have been talking about as well as

52:42metrics and how we're going to measure

52:43some of those success areas and would be

52:46expected to continue to report on

52:48progress in those areas.

52:53Any questions so far before I go into

52:55what the

52:56original

52:58survey came back from council as areas

53:01identified

53:02for priorities amongst the

53:05100 plus items.

53:09>> Any question? You have a question?

53:10>> What's up there?

53:13>> Are we talking about what's up on the

53:15>> So she wanted to

53:15>> No, before I get into those, did you

53:17have any questions?

53:19>> No.

53:19>> Okay. Okay.

53:21Uh so the next couple of slides is going

53:24to take you through, as mentioned, you

53:26all most of you completed a survey that

53:28said here are top areas. What we've

53:31highlighted in here is ones that

53:34received a vote from at least one

53:36counselor as a priority area. You do

53:39have uh sent to you the entire list

53:42because if if council feels like they

53:44want to pull one in for discussion, we

53:46certainly can, but the the top

53:48priorities identified across council, um

53:51you can see there that

53:54uh five of six people who completed the

53:57survey indicated that public

53:59right-of-way and cleanliness such as

54:01grass weed and trash uh

54:03is a priority for them. So you can start

54:06to see while 51 items received a vote,

54:10as we go through this, you will see

54:12there a couple of items that there

54:14likely is already some shared consensus

54:17from the initial survey of a priority

54:20item. So So that's a good example of

54:22one. Um traffic and pedestrian safety

54:25improvements is another good example,

54:28which I think ties nicely into what we

54:30were just talking about with the

54:31neighborhoods. Uh what council is voting

54:34and saying this is priorities is also as

54:37we are having those neighborhood

54:38discussions, some of things that the

54:40neighborhoods are saying are important

54:41to them as well.

54:43Um

54:44>> [snorts]

54:44>> I can certainly go down each one, but

54:46you can see the number of votes that

54:49were received

54:51um for these areas. Would you like to

54:56discuss anything or having questions on?

54:58And this would be under the public

54:59safety category.

55:02>> Chief Powell, you mean?

55:03>> If you have just if you have any

55:05questions or if you

55:06>> I do. Chief Powell um um

55:10I was wanted to talk about some of the

55:13the problems with the

55:15uh

55:16truck traffic down on Beachurst and

55:19Brockway, we're having some issues with

55:22the speeding.

55:23Um

55:25no tarps

55:27and I'm assuming the Jake brakes are

55:29still going on at night time, but

55:32just today for example,

55:34uh one of the trucks cut in front of a

55:36school bus

55:38right around 6th Street.

55:39We had traffic backed up clear to the

55:43where [clears throat] the intersection

55:44meets at Fayette and a truck went

55:47to avoid stop or having to stop in all

55:50the traffic, he rode the left lane

55:53that would take you to Campus Drive

55:56and cut in

55:58try to cut in vehicles, but he sped

56:01quite he

56:03went pretty fast past Reynolds Hall

56:05while the traffic was completely stopped

56:08in the right lane.

56:11Do you know where I'm talking about,

56:12Reynolds Hall?

56:13>> Yeah, no.

56:14>> Okay. I was just wondering if we can

56:16have more enforcement on on the

56:19Beachurst and Brockway for these trucks.

56:23The

56:25the traffic has doubled down there with

56:28these trucks and we need more

56:30enforcement.

56:31>> Just yeah, and that's not a problem. I

56:34don't I mean

56:35there's never been a time when someone's

56:37asked us to

56:39address a specific problem that we

56:41haven't addressed it and

56:44>> We just we we really need to up the

56:47enforcement.

56:49>> you know, I don't know that it's going

56:50to

56:52solve the problem.

56:54>> No, it's not. I I agree.

56:55>> And and

56:57I mean we can we can we can certainly

56:59start enforcing more vigorously

57:03and it was like I was telling the city

57:04manager the other day

57:06um

57:08usually things like insecure loads or

57:11things that we don't know about until it

57:13happens.

57:13>> Pardon, you kind of have to be at a

57:14microphone or it doesn't pick up.

57:16>> that's fine.

57:17Well, things like that, things like

57:19traffic traffic violations, obviously we

57:21have to be present to observe the

57:23traffic violation. We can respond and be

57:26there.

57:26>> [clears throat]

57:27>> Um usually the problem adjusts itself

57:29when we're there. And it stops becoming

57:31a problem while we're there. And then

57:33when we leave, it becomes a problem

57:35again. So, what we what we try to do is

57:38we try to be as proactive as we can and

57:40we put people where they need to be or

57:42where the problem is. And and for a time

57:45the problem goes away. But like things

57:47like unsecured loads, things like that,

57:50that's a reactionary thing where we're

57:53having to respond to it. Like an officer

57:56isn't going to observe that necessarily

57:59until it happens. Um so, they're not

58:02going to notice that maybe a latch isn't

58:04secured on the back of

58:07Cuz that's really how the the loads are

58:09getting spilled is is there's a faulty

58:12latch or something on the back of the

58:13truck. So, there's lots of nuances to to

58:16that. Um there's no real problem with

58:19inf-

58:20Like there's been arguments in the past

58:22about

58:24uh our guys aren't trained, but there's

58:26other issues beyond that and and I don't

58:28think the training is that big of a deal

58:30because the code is the code and we can

58:32enforce the code. We don't have a

58:34problem with that. But um

58:37like I said,

58:39specific incidents of things happening,

58:42we have to know about and then we will

58:43respond to it however we can respond to

58:46it. That's that's about the end of it. I

58:48I don't know

58:49um

58:51I can put officers on Beechers for a

58:53while. I can put officers on Brockway

58:57for a while.

58:58Um and we can probably write a couple of

59:01citations if we observe something. And

59:03and that might solve the problem for a

59:05little bit.

59:06>> It's not going to solve

59:06>> Yeah, but I think But I But I think

59:11>> But doing nothing is not the answer,

59:14either.

59:14>> What we've done What I can tell you

59:16we've done

59:18>> Mhm.

59:18>> is we've We've reached out to the Public

59:21Service Commission. We're having

59:22enforcement agents come up from there

59:25>> Wait.

59:25>> to do work for that specific because

59:28that's what what they do.

59:29>> Right.

59:30>> Uh and and Brockway, Beecher are both

59:33state routes.

59:35And so, we're working on addressing the

59:39issue

59:39>> Mhm.

59:40>> and using

59:42the resources we have beyond what we've

59:45got. And we can do what we can do, and

59:47we'll do what we

59:48what we need to do. We We were

59:50We were stopping trucks

59:52>> Right.

59:52>> for entering the wrong lane, turning

59:55onto Walnut

59:56for weeks.

59:57>> Mhm.

59:58>> We issued 20 citations, and we did it

1:00:01for quite a while.

1:00:03Then we started getting complaints from

1:00:04the company, and then we started getting

1:00:06complaints from the truckers, and then

1:00:08and then that sort of died off.

1:00:10And so, um

1:00:13like I said, it go it's it's it's just

1:00:16one of those things.

1:00:18Traffic enforcement, speed enforcement

1:00:20in neighborhoods, if I if I get a

1:00:22complaint from a person in a

1:00:24neighborhood that we're having speeding

1:00:25issues, the next day there's either an

1:00:28officer sitting where where where

1:00:31>> [cough]

1:00:32>> where [clears throat] they're

1:00:32complaining about, or there's some kind

1:00:35of traffic warning.

1:00:36>> Yeah.

1:00:36>> Like a

1:00:38a um

1:00:39>> [cough]

1:00:40>> um a mobile unit that's that's

1:00:42indicating speed and ask asking people

1:00:44to slow down. That's usually how it

1:00:45starts, and then it goes to enforcement.

1:00:48And then we write tickets to people

1:00:49speeding, and those people live in the

1:00:51neighborhoods, and then they stop

1:00:52complaining about because it's usually

1:00:54people that are already living in those

1:00:56neighborhoods

1:00:57that are complaining about it, and then

1:00:58they're also getting the tickets.

1:01:01That's That's usually That's usually how

1:01:03it goes.

1:01:04>> No, I understand. It just It's It's

1:01:05increasing.

1:01:06>> Yeah.

1:01:07>> And it's

1:01:08It's very clear that

1:01:09>> I don't think it's not a problem. I I I

1:01:12I recognize the problem. I think it's

1:01:14just going to have to take sort of a

1:01:18a little different approach than just

1:01:21direct enforcement to sort of address

1:01:23it. I think the Public Service

1:01:25Commission is the right way to go.

1:01:27>> Councilor and and chief, if I may, um

1:01:30as we kind of go through this, again, if

1:01:32this comes out as one of the priorities,

1:01:34and again, we're going to continue

1:01:36trying to work through it even if not,

1:01:39um that would be something in in my

1:01:41opinion that could very easily fall

1:01:43under that traffic and pedestrian

1:01:44safety, right? Whether it is speeding or

1:01:47going around cars, um

1:01:49you know, just going into other lanes,

1:01:51different things like that with in

1:01:53particular trucks, I think kind of falls

1:01:56under that umbrella of traffic and and

1:01:58you know, pedestrian safety improvement.

1:02:00So, as we kind of drill into these a

1:02:03little bit more, you know, if that

1:02:04becomes a priority area, it's not just

1:02:07about pedestrian safety improvements,

1:02:09you know, as in sidewalks and crosswalks

1:02:11and

1:02:12um

1:02:12lighting or something like that, but

1:02:14when it comes to traffic, that also may

1:02:16be sightline issues, speeding issues,

1:02:20speeding issues in neighborhoods,

1:02:22impacts of vehicles going outside of

1:02:23lanes. So, that's kind of as we drill

1:02:25into that, um can encompass that, but

1:02:27that's a really great point to make sure

1:02:29that when we think about that traffic

1:02:32safety improvements, if that could

1:02:33include that as well.

1:02:34>> That would be great. Also, could we look

1:02:36at a crosswalk

1:02:38being painted on 6th Street next to

1:02:41Seneca and the lines because that's a

1:02:45huge issue when the trucks make the

1:02:46turn,

1:02:48they're completely taking both lanes and

1:02:50if you have a car wanting to get out

1:02:52onto Beechers, that's a problem. So, I

1:02:55would ask that we look at probably for

1:02:58safety

1:02:59for the crosswalk to paint a crosswalk

1:03:01there.

1:03:03And and stuff, but anyway, that's not

1:03:06about

1:03:07that, but

1:03:07>> [laughter]

1:03:08>> I got off that, so go ahead.

1:03:11I'm done. Thank you, David.

1:03:12>> No, that's all right. Does anybody else

1:03:14have any questions about traffic safety?

1:03:17Yeah.

1:03:18>> I mean, and I don't know because I don't

1:03:20know anything really about how

1:03:23roads are determined to be a state road

1:03:27or a local road or a county road, right?

1:03:30>> So

1:03:30>> There's There's no county roads.

1:03:31>> So in in Morgantown is a little bit

1:03:33unique especially in the downtown area

1:03:35because we have two main routes that run

1:03:39through it. Uh one takes up High Street,

1:03:42one takes up uh Spruce up Willey Street

1:03:44and it's 19 119. Both run through the

1:03:47heart of town. And it takes up a lot of

1:03:50Route [snorts] 7 is a state route that

1:03:52runs You You're probably familiar You

1:03:54You grew up here, you know. So So So

1:03:58Uh

1:03:59It We We've always traditionally run

1:04:01into issues with not not so much

1:04:04enforcement, but just like the things we

1:04:07can do with respect to improvement.

1:04:09>> Sure. Like placing a crosswalk on a

1:04:11state road isn't something that we just

1:04:13unilaterally

1:04:15>> Even Even High Street itself sometimes

1:04:18we have a lot of difficulties just

1:04:20getting it approved to do simple things.

1:04:23Uh just improvements.

1:04:25>> lighting. Can't even put extra

1:04:28decorative lighting.

1:04:29>> And it's all because it's part of the

1:04:31route.

1:04:32Uh state route.

1:04:33>> So [snorts] in a dream situation, what

1:04:37would

1:04:39I mean, I think growing up here we've

1:04:40always wondered

1:04:42when the trucks are coming Say I know

1:04:44they're coming sometimes from Masontown,

1:04:47I believe. Um

1:04:49could we not Or maybe it's not this

1:04:52body, but an entity build an alternative

1:04:56route that would take those trucks over

1:04:59to the river road side?

1:05:02And then come in that way.

1:05:03>> Like

1:05:04>> The The alternative route that was

1:05:05suggested quite a while ago was actually

1:05:08um

1:05:09after they reached the Saberton

1:05:11intersection there with uh Greenbag.

1:05:13That's really not Greenbag, but

1:05:15it turns into Greenbag eventually. That

1:05:18intersection there That was the

1:05:19recommended route for trucks. And I

1:05:22don't know what happened with that. I

1:05:24think at this point, now that the

1:05:26intersection has been kind of altered

1:05:28and changed a little bit, I think it

1:05:29makes it a little bit easier for them to

1:05:31access that route. But I think time is a

1:05:34as a factor. You're dealing with

1:05:36independent contracting truckers that

1:05:38are

1:05:39interested in time.

1:05:42And how long

1:05:43>> Councilor Taylor, we ran a lot of those

1:05:45scenarios. The main reason they're using

1:05:47that route is because, you know, they

1:05:48get per payload and that's the shortest

1:05:51route from where they're starting and

1:05:52where they're ending.

1:05:53>> Yeah.

1:05:53>> A lot of that is going to their

1:05:55offloading facility that is

1:05:58down behind Seneca Center.

1:06:01>> Yeah.

1:06:01>> It's it's the shortest route and they

1:06:02get paid each time they drop a payload.

1:06:05That's why they don't get paid to take

1:06:06the longest

1:06:08route.

1:06:09>> [laughter]

1:06:09>> They're not paid by the hour.

1:06:13>> Yeah, but that's that's sort of the

1:06:14history behind that.

1:06:16We've we've

1:06:17We've tried We've gone down that road.

1:06:20>> [laughter]

1:06:20>> So from the original longer list and and

1:06:24looking at this list,

1:06:27does council feel that there is a kind

1:06:29of public safety initiative? Again, this

1:06:32could be

1:06:33infrastructure, this could be policing

1:06:35or enforcement,

1:06:38kind of public health. Are there things

1:06:40that would fall under this public safety

1:06:41realm? And again, you have that survey

1:06:43of what the original options were that

1:06:45you feel like should be on this list,

1:06:47but maybe aren't.

1:06:51>> I just quickly want to say, you know,

1:06:53we're talking about a

1:06:55a third party that's not in the room,

1:06:57which is the trucking and the industry

1:06:59people. And if they would like to come

1:07:01to city council and talk to us about how

1:07:04they do their job and what their ideas

1:07:07on public safety and

1:07:09right away are about, I'd love I'm sure

1:07:13we'd all love to hear their

1:07:14presentation.

1:07:15So they should feel welcome to do that.

1:07:20>> I'm all for it.

1:07:21betting you.

1:07:22>> you, Chief.

1:07:24So, anything to to Emily, any anything

1:07:26that you all see that you think is

1:07:28missing from this list that's glaring to

1:07:31you all? Understanding that there were a

1:07:32lot of other things that came up.

1:07:34Anything that's glaring that's missing

1:07:36to you all?

1:07:39>> With respect to most of these items,

1:07:43um

1:07:44one of the things that I'd like to do as

1:07:46we work through this is

1:07:49um

1:07:50steer this more towards outcomes

1:07:53that we'd like to see

1:07:55in the the requisite areas because, you

1:07:58know,

1:08:00right public right of way cleanliness

1:08:02could mean I mean that's probably but

1:08:04traffic and pedestrian safety could mean

1:08:06a lot of different things

1:08:07[clears throat] to a lot of different

1:08:09people.

1:08:10And like it could

1:08:12can include we could jump down to

1:08:15um infrastructure and it could do roads

1:08:17and paving, right? And so,

1:08:20um

1:08:22so that's kind of like as we work

1:08:24through the process and we got to start

1:08:26high level and keep it at

1:08:27>> And and that's what I would say

1:08:28certainly tonight, you know, it is to,

1:08:31you know, we can't

1:08:32>> Thank you, Chief.

1:08:33>> deep dive into all of 100, right? And

1:08:36so, I think that's the the goal and

1:08:38intent is once we come up with a

1:08:40consensus of these are the areas we

1:08:41really want to focus on, that would be

1:08:43that next step is going what what's that

1:08:45deep dive look like? What do we mean

1:08:46when we say that? What, you know, what

1:08:48projects, what programs, what are we

1:08:50currently doing? What service levels are

1:08:52we providing and what do we aspire to

1:08:55provide on those?

1:08:57>> So, um as budget items and

1:09:00keeping in mind um making them

1:09:03actionable,

1:09:04uh some of them you could have,

1:09:07you know, a certain number per year or

1:09:09something like that. Um

1:09:11and and other ones could be like the

1:09:14right of way could be um

1:09:17you know, in the main in the main

1:09:18corridors [snorts]

1:09:19or

1:09:22a a pilot program in two main corridors

1:09:24or something like that and um then we

1:09:27have items like

1:09:29uh the fire the new fire station

1:09:31completion which um

1:09:35is one of those things there's things

1:09:36that are

1:09:38um

1:09:39needed and important but then there are

1:09:41also things that are kind of time-bound

1:09:44and I would say that's a type of thing

1:09:46that's time-bound because we have

1:09:48um half of the money assembled for that

1:09:51and we have a need for that and we

1:09:53wouldn't want to

1:09:55not work on that just because it's

1:09:57time-bound.

1:09:57>> Mhm.

1:09:58>> So and and nobody here has ever

1:10:00suggested that we not work on that. I'm

1:10:01just saying

1:10:03um

1:10:03that was something that I bet most

1:10:05council people kind of assumed because

1:10:07it's already kind of half completed.

1:10:09>> Sure.

1:10:10>> Um

1:10:11so it's going [cough] to be tricky to do

1:10:14things just on how

1:10:17people vote for things that are top most

1:10:20of mind but then some things are

1:10:21time-bound.

1:10:22>> And I think that's um when Jamie

1:10:24mentioned like some of these things will

1:10:26still be moving forward even if they're

1:10:28not those priorities that require extra

1:10:30attention or extra funding. So for

1:10:32example

1:10:34the fire station, right? We we just had

1:10:36our 50% design meeting.

1:10:38>> Yeah.

1:10:39>> At [clears throat] some point this will

1:10:40come forward to city council just you

1:10:41know

1:10:42to make that decision on on next steps,

1:10:44right? Even if that's not listed in your

1:10:46top three to five, it's still going to

1:10:49come forward to you and ultimately

1:10:51council will make that decision. Um but

1:10:55those things will still keep coming even

1:10:56if it's not that priority.

1:10:58>> I just wanted to point out to the public

1:11:00that probably some people would feel

1:11:02like that was something that was already

1:11:03half done so they wouldn't go oh let's

1:11:05put that as a priority because

1:11:07it already has been a priority.

1:11:08>> Mhm.

1:11:09>> I think uh one of the things that I

1:11:11wanted

1:11:12when I'm looking at this I just want to

1:11:13make sure that I'm not misinterpreting

1:11:14it wrong is we had on here uh education

1:11:18and awareness campaigns and every one of

1:11:21these items should have an education

1:11:23awareness campaign tied to it.

1:11:25>> Mhm.

1:11:26>> Um like I didn't vote for that for the

1:11:27simple fact that I would hope that all

1:11:30of this would like bring awareness part

1:11:32to it, but I just

1:11:34I would have felt remiss if I didn't at

1:11:35least verbalize that.

1:11:37>> Absolutely.

1:11:37>> That request to make sure that no matter

1:11:39what it is we're doing, we're making

1:11:41sure the public is

1:11:42well aware and well cuz a lot of this

1:11:44could be alleviated with more

1:11:47>> Mhm.

1:11:47>> just awareness.

1:11:51>> I can't quite determine if you have

1:11:54added this one item that's on this

1:11:57list that I'm looking at here

1:11:59>> [laughter]

1:11:59>> under the priorities, but

1:12:01I was thinking about this when Council

1:12:04member Michael referenced Beechers

1:12:07Avenue. And

1:12:09this would be this topic of

1:12:11redevelopment

1:12:12of underutilized properties.

1:12:16>> Yeah, and so this this is just the first

1:12:19big we have five categories to work

1:12:22through. So this is just the first one

1:12:23so that would be on a future category as

1:12:26a potential.

1:12:27>> Give us a couple of slides and we'll get

1:12:28there.

1:12:29>> Okay.

1:12:32All right, so

1:12:33>> With that, why don't we move on to the

1:12:34next category?

1:12:35>> Uh, so the next area or cat main

1:12:38category is economic vitality and

1:12:40development. You can see the items that

1:12:44received votes on this as well. The

1:12:47items that I would highlight that come

1:12:49to the top based on consensus from

1:12:52Council is airport development and

1:12:54expansion and zoning reform. Um, again,

1:12:59you know, as mentioned there are likely

1:13:01when we ask So we currently have 51

1:13:04items that I'm going to talk about right

1:13:05here and and the goal is to get down to

1:13:07three to five, right? So there are going

1:13:09to be a lot of very important things

1:13:11that that maybe doesn't get a consensus

1:13:14and a vote on, but want to re-emphasize

1:13:16that doesn't mean we're not going to do

1:13:17anything on them. This is just helps us

1:13:19focus on where we put our most level of

1:13:23effort.

1:13:25So seeing this list here,

1:13:28two questions would be one, is there

1:13:30anything that stands out to you that

1:13:31you're very surprised didn't make it on

1:13:33this list that you think is missing?

1:13:36And then two,

1:13:38the other question I would have is are

1:13:39you surprised by the things that there's

1:13:41already kind of a shared consensus

1:13:42amongst council on?

1:13:44>> [clears throat]

1:13:46>> I'm not surprised.

1:13:51>> Once again, East End development

1:13:53project, I think we would all be in

1:13:55favor of because but because it's

1:13:57already an ongoing project, it probably

1:14:00didn't

1:14:00reach [cough] the level once again of

1:14:03like we're just assuming that that keeps

1:14:05going.

1:14:06>> And a few of these that didn't have

1:14:08votes, I would lump in with what was

1:14:10voted.

1:14:11>> Yeah, we had a limited limited number of

1:14:13votes, right?

1:14:13>> Correct.

1:14:15>> Yep.

1:14:15>> It was intended to be a little bit hard

1:14:18to narrow it.

1:14:19>> Pardon? I said it was intended to be a

1:14:20little bit difficult to narrow it.

1:14:22>> Forced choice.

1:14:23>> Forced choice.

1:14:23>> We were forced choice. You guys did

1:14:24great.

1:14:25>> [snorts]

1:14:27>> Okay.

1:14:28>> [clears throat]

1:14:29>> Uh the next topic is effective

1:14:32government and fiscal stewardship.

1:14:35Uh the items that came out the the

1:14:38number one item that came out was

1:14:40revenue compliance from a shared

1:14:42consensus. I think

1:14:44that is an item that we've been talking

1:14:46about pretty heavily for, so we we do

1:14:49see council consensus there, but there

1:14:51are several items including revenue

1:14:53diversification, employee recruitment

1:14:55and retention, uh new revenue sources

1:14:58and partner collaborations that uh did

1:15:00receive that next kind of tier down of

1:15:03two um people. Similar questions, is

1:15:06there anything in this category that

1:15:08you're really surprised not to see that

1:15:11you thought you would have seen? Um

1:15:13and are you surprised by the shared

1:15:16consensus of the revenue diversification

1:15:19or compliance at top?

1:15:23>> [cough]

1:15:24>> It seems like there's a category that

1:15:27got one vote out of six of a bunch of

1:15:29things that are semi-related.

1:15:32So, um they're all kind of

1:15:35things that we can do out of City Hall

1:15:37to make decision-making better or to

1:15:39make services better. So, it's the

1:15:42customer service, the expense control,

1:15:45the data-driven decision-making,

1:15:47the process continuity, knowledge

1:15:49transfers. So, those are all things that

1:15:51kind of emanate out of City Hall and

1:15:54make

1:15:55processes work better and

1:15:58those might be considered

1:16:00kind of a

1:16:02category together that's important.

1:16:06>> I'm a little surprised we don't have

1:16:07budget transparency on here.

1:16:11Like, I think that would be

1:16:13>> Budget what?

1:16:13>> Transparency.

1:16:15>> Yeah.

1:16:15>> You know.

1:16:16Letting the community know not just like

1:16:18what like our departments are using the

1:16:21money on, but like what is council

1:16:22spending money on, too. Like, how much

1:16:24money are we using?

1:16:26Um

1:16:27for things like trips and stuff like

1:16:28that. I think that's important that the

1:16:30public knows about that stuff, too.

1:16:33>> Okay. That's good.

1:16:34>> May we get held to the same level of

1:16:36accountability?

1:16:40>> For me in this one,

1:16:42uh I was a little surprised that expense

1:16:44considering where we are from a revenue

1:16:46standpoint and um

1:16:48you know, I

1:16:50balancing our budget standpoint, I'm a

1:16:52little I was a little surprised that

1:16:54expense control measures didn't get

1:16:57um

1:16:57more attention.

1:16:59But, um

1:17:01I

1:17:02I also understand it's never popular to

1:17:04to to to cut the budget, so.

1:17:07>> [cough and clears throat]

1:17:10>> So, so when you have a competent

1:17:12administration, then you sort of figure

1:17:14they're doing that because we're in that

1:17:16situation?

1:17:19It doesn't mean it's not important.

1:17:22>> We spent [snorts] $9 million more than

1:17:24we took in in 2025.

1:17:27So.

1:17:29I

1:17:31I don't think that that

1:17:33that thing

1:17:33>> No, you're

1:17:35That is a valid thing to request.

1:17:37>> Yeah.

1:17:41>> It's just when there when it's first

1:17:42choice and there's a number of other

1:17:44choices

1:17:44>> I understand.

1:17:45>> that

1:17:45>> I understand.

1:17:46>> may not be the first one.

1:17:49But we can tell that at least one person

1:17:51put it down and felt it was

1:17:53a good

1:17:54and I have no idea who that could be.

1:17:56>> that?

1:17:58>> [laughter]

1:18:00>> All right. Thanks.

1:18:01>> And and just so you know how we're doing

1:18:03this live

1:18:05Joe since you

1:18:07brought up budget transparency that has

1:18:09been added to your list of things you

1:18:10can vote on. So

1:18:12There'll be one expanded thing on that

1:18:14list.

1:18:16So now you can pick from 52 items.

1:18:18>> That's right.

1:18:19>> Thanks.

1:18:21>> [laughter]

1:18:23>> It helps us track too.

1:18:25>> Absolutely.

1:18:27So the next category that we had

1:18:29identified as a major category is

1:18:31infrastructure and asset management

1:18:33summary

1:18:34with the the top item gaining consensus

1:18:36related to road maintenance and paving

1:18:39as well as a follow on of sidewalk

1:18:41construction and repair riverfront

1:18:44Decker Creek activation and public

1:18:45restrooms access was

1:18:48kind of some of the major items. Similar

1:18:50dialogue and questions for you all

1:18:52related to infrastructure and asset

1:18:54management.

1:19:02>> Who wants to start?

1:19:03>> I'm going to.

1:19:04>> Good.

1:19:05>> Okay.

1:19:07>> Okay. All the things.

1:19:09>> Mhm.

1:19:11That's the hard part. It's they're all

1:19:12good things that we want to get done,

1:19:13right?

1:19:14>> Uh

1:19:14>> Well, and some of them are similar

1:19:16enough

1:19:20that

1:19:21they fall into categories.

1:19:23>> Mhm.

1:19:24>> And some of them I think we can just ask

1:19:26some of our partners to uh

1:19:27try to help us out with.

1:19:29Like public water fountains. Only we had

1:19:32someone on Bob's board.

1:19:37If only.

1:19:40>> We, you know, that's a really

1:19:42interesting point because

1:19:44we just had our mug tour today. That was

1:19:46great. But, um

1:19:49water fountains, drinking fountains,

1:19:52fount- water features

1:19:54could go under quality of life,

1:19:56community well-being.

1:19:58You know.

1:20:01And we have so many

1:20:03>> [cough]

1:20:05>> you know,

1:20:07wonderful

1:20:08potential

1:20:10spaces that we could

1:20:12utilize.

1:20:18>> [snorts]

1:20:18>> So, that does bring us to the the final

1:20:20main category.

1:20:23It which is the quality of life and

1:20:24community well-being.

1:20:26Uh with the items that rose to the top

1:20:29was parks and recreation improvement and

1:20:31historic preservation received the most

1:20:32consensus.

1:20:35You do have the list there. Again,

1:20:36similar questions.

1:20:38you feel is left off this list? Is there

1:20:39anything that surprises you about this

1:20:42list?

1:20:43Is there any questions you may have on

1:20:44these topics?

1:20:54>> What is What's been the discussion

1:20:56relat- related to new and expanded

1:21:00public library?

1:21:03>> Uh the public library has recently

1:21:05completed a um study where they have

1:21:09looked at all of their facilities and

1:21:11what facilities they will have a future

1:21:13need for. Um and so, the library is a

1:21:17strong partner with the city and I think

1:21:20that they'd be looking to

1:21:22um consider

1:21:23where a new facility or expanded

1:21:25facility are they in the right location?

1:21:28Do they need renovations?

1:21:30Um so, as far as and certainly council

1:21:31can weigh in, but uh when we discussed

1:21:34this at the workshop, we had a lot of

1:21:35discussions around uh creating a working

1:21:38group but

1:21:39to putting together potential funding

1:21:42opportunities related to arts and

1:21:43culture in the library and in looking at

1:21:45those type of projects of how can we

1:21:47help with potentially looking to move

1:21:49that initiative forward. Council, would

1:21:52you

1:21:53add anything to that?

1:21:54>> I I think that's

1:21:57an accurate characterization of those of

1:21:59of where we were in is in the context of

1:22:02the museum and the library, arts and

1:22:04culture kind of under that um umbrella.

1:22:08>> And once again, I'm not sure that the

1:22:11surveys

1:22:13reflect that forced choice and I would

1:22:15say

1:22:17that the museum expansion and the new

1:22:20and expanded library

1:22:22probably

1:22:26don't show as well right here, but

1:22:29um

1:22:31I think they're

1:22:32>> [clears throat]

1:22:32>> very important.

1:22:36>> [snorts]

1:22:38>> Just for

1:22:41Yeah.

1:22:43You know

1:22:43>> What is you just see there?

1:22:45>> Yeah.

1:22:49And I'm wondering under quality of life,

1:22:51community well-being

1:22:54if

1:22:56something

1:22:58to something to address people's need

1:23:00and desire for

1:23:03employment

1:23:05um exists in this plan at all. I was

1:23:08reading an article about Baltimore. The

1:23:09city of Baltimore has

1:23:11created Baltimore jobs

1:23:15something like that

1:23:17where they've actually vetted

1:23:20um employers, people who want to employ

1:23:23people in the city. They've

1:23:26ostensibly interviewed them, vetted them

1:23:29kind of

1:23:30determined whether or not they're paying

1:23:32a livable wage

1:23:34and to what degree.

1:23:36Not I might you know, and then

1:23:38making recommendations on their jobs

1:23:40board run by the city

1:23:43um for people to then go and look at the

1:23:45city jobs board and apply to these jobs.

1:23:47And I'm wondering if we're doing

1:23:49anything similar to that. Are we letting

1:23:52the

1:23:54employers who can you

1:23:57work with people who live in Morgantown

1:23:59and in

1:24:01surrounding areas

1:24:02um, to see

1:24:04are we even asking people who are

1:24:06employed what they're making, if they're

1:24:09happy

1:24:10with their current wages?

1:24:12>> So, it's like a survey?

1:24:14>> Yeah, a survey

1:24:15um, of their experience living and

1:24:18working in Morgantown.

1:24:20But, centered on quality of life and

1:24:24I wonder if we could add something like

1:24:25that.

1:24:28>> I think there were some uh, employment

1:24:30related

1:24:31uh, questions under the economic

1:24:34vitality and development options. So,

1:24:36that can absolutely be something if if

1:24:38you want to have employment added to uh,

1:24:41our list of choices. And then just

1:24:43wanted to follow up. I I had to check

1:24:44with our

1:24:45Shannon here. Uh, water fountains and

1:24:47fill stations is one of the options that

1:24:49you'll be out of that that magic 50 now

1:24:52two um, and maybe now 53 if you add

1:24:55employment. But, that it is in there.

1:24:57So, I just wanted to follow up cuz I

1:24:58thought I remembered seeing it, but I

1:25:00wanted to check.

1:25:01>> Okay, great. Great.

1:25:02>> Yeah, workforce development initiatives

1:25:05was under employee economic vitality and

1:25:08development.

1:25:11>> Yeah, making it like

1:25:14I I understand the the need for

1:25:16workforce development initiatives and

1:25:18then having a reciprocal conversation

1:25:21that's focused [clears throat]

1:25:23from the point of view of the employee.

1:25:25>> Mhm.

1:25:26>> Or the worker.

1:25:31>> If you don't mind moving to the next

1:25:32slide. So, what we have highlighted here

1:25:36um, because we've taken you through the

1:25:39results of the council survey based on

1:25:41the the five different broken down

1:25:43categories. Uh, these are all of the

1:25:46topics that received three or more

1:25:49um, votes from council across all of the

1:25:51five categories. [cough and laughter]

1:25:52So, these are the areas that we would

1:25:54say

1:25:55across all the categories if we

1:25:57currently said here's eight things that

1:26:00had the most consensus from council.

1:26:03These were are the eight that stood out.

1:26:06This list here is not to say this has to

1:26:08be your eight list, but was provided to

1:26:10show you all based on just the initial

1:26:12survey and consensus what kind of came

1:26:15to the top of the list.

1:26:19So, for

1:26:21>> [snorts]

1:26:21>> the the rest of

1:26:24today's session if it pleases council to

1:26:27start to dive into

1:26:29from there. One of the things that we

1:26:31considered it is the original survey we

1:26:34asked you all to complete, took those

1:26:36five categories and said you only get to

1:26:38pick a couple of things from those five

1:26:40categories. It helped us narrow it down

1:26:43to that list of 51, one, two, or three.

1:26:45Um,

1:26:46but as we look forward

1:26:49some of you may say

1:26:52when we're trying to get down to a list

1:26:54of, you know, three to five to eight

1:26:57all of mine are related to economic

1:27:00development. I don't want to only have

1:27:02to be able to pick a couple of economic

1:27:04development and spread that out. You may

1:27:05want to pick from your list that goes

1:27:07across all categories. So, some of the

1:27:10next activities are designed to say now

1:27:13we're just going to take that whole list

1:27:15of 51 across all categories and start to

1:27:18do some prioritization of trying to

1:27:21whittle down and see if if consensus

1:27:23comes there definitely. So, I I do

1:27:26wanted to pause and kind of get an

1:27:28initial thought of what you all, if you

1:27:31go back to the original list, what you

1:27:33all see here,

1:27:34what you're thinking there, if if you'd

1:27:36like to continue in next steps tonight

1:27:38about discussing anything further.

1:27:41You would really like to go through some

1:27:43of the exercises related to additional

1:27:46voting.

1:27:51>> Personally, uh personally I'd like to

1:27:53digest this information a little more

1:27:55and we're also miss missing we're down

1:27:58two counselors tonight. So,

1:28:01my my preference would be to to hold off

1:28:05on any more refinement until we have a

1:28:08full complement of our of our council.

1:28:12And and

1:28:14>> I would like to ask I would like to ask

1:28:16I would like to do that. I would like to

1:28:18ask a little bit more about what these

1:28:20exercises are so I'm more prepared.

1:28:22>> Sure.

1:28:23>> Um

1:28:24>> That's fair.

1:28:24>> But then I would

1:28:25be [cough] in favor of holding off on

1:28:27the voting portion until we had everyone

1:28:29here.

1:28:30>> Sure, cuz I think we can take this in a

1:28:32couple of um future steps. They don't

1:28:34have to be it necessarily in a workshop.

1:28:36We can incorporate these into the next

1:28:38couple of meetings. Uh but what we would

1:28:41envision it is the next step would say

1:28:44you're taking this list of 53

1:28:47um and working to narrow it down to, you

1:28:50know, five or 10 of your priorities. And

1:28:52and even if each one of you only pick

1:28:54five, uh you are you aren't going to

1:28:56pick the same five so we're we're going

1:28:58to then still have a a list of probably

1:29:0220 that needs to be

1:29:04further peeled down. Um

1:29:06so, the next step would be taking that

1:29:08list of 53 uh just based on the way the

1:29:11system is built up, we would take those

1:29:13in chunks of, you know, probably

1:29:16you know, half and half cuz the system

1:29:18the way the system's built

1:29:20uh

1:29:21you can only upload so many options. So,

1:29:23so we would say here's the next half.

1:29:25Like, pick five that you like of these.

1:29:27Here's the next half, pick five of you

1:29:29like of these. And we would then compile

1:29:31lists from council down from there.

1:29:33>> So, 10 out of the 53.

1:29:37>> I think we'd set it up for 10 [snorts]

1:29:38on each list.

1:29:40Five on each list.

1:29:43You're good to pick 20 out of 51.

1:29:45>> Yes, 20 out of 51.

1:29:46>> So, the goal the goal would be 20 out of

1:29:4951. Uh

1:29:51>> And then we would maybe take the top 20

1:29:53out of everyone's.

1:29:54>> Right. Not everything that got a one

1:29:56vote would go on to the next list,

1:29:58right? We would then say cut off like,

1:30:00"Okay, it needs at least two or three

1:30:03consensus to make it to the next round

1:30:04of voting." And we would chop that list

1:30:06down further.

1:30:08Um, so then we would envision that we

1:30:09would we'd have conversations on that

1:30:11list and then do another round of voting

1:30:14to continue to try to chop that list to

1:30:17say, "Okay, of this list of 25 30 that

1:30:20comes up, you know, let let's bring that

1:30:22down further again to see what comes up

1:30:24at the top with the goal to just keep

1:30:26pulling them down and discussing it."

1:30:28>> How does that compare to

1:30:31These It's It's tricky because some

1:30:33things are

1:30:35categories.

1:30:37And some things are

1:30:39projects. So, you have historic

1:30:41preservation and then you have expansion

1:30:43of the museum.

1:30:44>> [snorts]

1:30:45>> You have

1:30:46um

1:30:48public right-of-way and cleanliness.

1:30:49Then you have traffic pedestrian safety

1:30:51improvements. So, out of

1:30:53traffic and pedestrian safety

1:30:55improvements, there's lots of individual

1:30:58>> Yeah.

1:30:58>> pieces. So, it's hard to compare

1:31:02expand the library to

1:31:05improve housing because it's so

1:31:09general. It's not a project or

1:31:13other things [clears throat] that are

1:31:14very small but important and then other

1:31:17things that are large categories that

1:31:19your neighborhood wants. That's hard to

1:31:21say like we have we have we have this

1:31:24list. Why wouldn't we use this list?

1:31:26>> And you absolutely can. So, this is

1:31:28where we want to start as the base,

1:31:29[laughter] right?

1:31:30>> No, not necessarily. But

1:31:33so, how does this next technique work

1:31:37with this

1:31:39top priorities?

1:31:41>> I would say this list is set as an

1:31:43example to show what came to the top

1:31:46originally

1:31:47segmented by categories.

1:31:49The thought is if council felt that was

1:31:52too constrained and they wanted to vote

1:31:55for more in one category over the other,

1:31:58this would just show a different look,

1:32:00right? And And you may very well end up

1:32:02at the same place because I think if we

1:32:05look at these categories based on

1:32:06conversations and dialogue with council

1:32:08members,

1:32:09I think a lot of you would say these are

1:32:11the things that we do talk about. Like

1:32:13the

1:32:14I wasn't very surprised by most of these

1:32:16things coming to the top of the list.

1:32:18You know, so you may go through these

1:32:20exercises and end up at the same place,

1:32:23but we're just trying to

1:32:25have an opportunity where

1:32:28we can assist council in it's a it is a

1:32:31difficult task, right? When you're

1:32:32taking a lot of things you want to get

1:32:34done and trying to narrow it.

1:32:36>> It's narrow and broad items.

1:32:38>> Sure.

1:32:39>> And then we're narrowing them down and

1:32:40then some things might get left off that

1:32:43actually were quite important. [snorts]

1:32:45So, I think that's probably what you're

1:32:46trying to do when you're taking the

1:32:4953 and giving us

1:32:5220 is

1:32:54I I get it that you're having us look at

1:32:56it sideways, but it it's um

1:33:00it's just tricky because

1:33:02some things are very important, but

1:33:04they're like

1:33:06an individual task or a large project

1:33:09versus category that's really important

1:33:11to people.

1:33:13>> More specific activity.

1:33:15Right?

1:33:15>> Right.

1:33:16>> Like you know,

1:33:18and in terms of traffic and pedestrian

1:33:20safety improvements, there I could have

1:33:23something that's important to me in that

1:33:25category and you could have something

1:33:26different that's important to you in

1:33:27that category.

1:33:28>> that could But that could all be

1:33:31>> To your point. To To your point though,

1:33:33I think it's important that we start to

1:33:36tease that stuff out.

1:33:38>> [clears throat]

1:33:38>> Well, if we

1:33:39like the history, like we're interested

1:33:42in historic preservation, but the

1:33:44project is expanding the museum.

1:33:47>> Mhm.

1:33:47>> But that

1:33:49the larger category in this situation is

1:33:52what comes out, but then

1:33:54we're not going to be for historic

1:33:56preservation yet not have expand the

1:33:59museum on here and then say, well,

1:34:02people didn't vote for expanding the

1:34:03museum, so we're going to work on

1:34:05historic preservation from some other

1:34:06angle.

1:34:07>> No, I and I don't think that's the goal

1:34:08and intent and we've talked about those

1:34:10likely things that will continue to get

1:34:12done and I think that is a great example

1:34:14that the museum,

1:34:15you know, relocation expansion or

1:34:17whatever the case may be would fit

1:34:19nicely as a project under that main

1:34:22topic that would move forward. So,

1:34:24>> So, as council people,

1:34:27we're likely to do this, but when you're

1:34:29making a budget item, you really need

1:34:32how to operationalize it.

1:34:33>> Right, which goes back to that,

1:34:35you know, pyramid that was shown is like

1:34:37we we really it's difficult cuz we

1:34:39really are up here at this level and

1:34:41there's a lot of work

1:34:42left to do to get down to the level of

1:34:45here.

1:34:46>> And if I can maybe just kind of add

1:34:49maybe something a little bit more near

1:34:50and dear. One of the first strategic

1:34:52plans I was involved with at the city,

1:34:55um, identified arts and culture as a

1:34:57strategic priority area. And there's a

1:35:00number of things in there, uh, and this

1:35:02was circa 2020. We were all at the

1:35:04Marriott spread 6 ft apart. Um, and that

1:35:06was identified as a priority area. Fast

1:35:09forward to 2024,

1:35:12council felt pretty good about where

1:35:14things were at there, right?

1:35:16>> Right.

1:35:16>> The the

1:35:17I don't want to say the takeover of the

1:35:18museum, but kind of

1:35:20overhauling how we do the museum,

1:35:23approaching them at a little bit of a

1:35:24different way, you know, the creation of

1:35:27all the, uh, stuff happening at the Ruby

1:35:29Amphitheater, partnering with Main

1:35:31Street on some of the mural projects.

1:35:33So,

1:35:34because that was a strategic priority

1:35:36area, um, it was a kind of a wide swath

1:35:39of what we had. We wrapped a lot of the

1:35:40utility boxes downtown. So, it was a

1:35:43very wide area of like what arts and

1:35:46culture meant. Fast forward to 2024,

1:35:49when we felt good about how it was

1:35:50doing, we said, okay, let's shift our

1:35:53attention to something else. So, we kind

1:35:55of shifted in in arts and culture fell

1:35:58off of a strategic priority area for the

1:36:02city.

1:36:03That didn't mean we stopped as an

1:36:05organization kind of keeping that focus.

1:36:08It's just

1:36:09we kind of

1:36:11>> set it aside and said, "Okay,

1:36:13keep doing the good work that we're

1:36:15that you're doing,

1:36:17but maybe Jamie and I or Ryan or if we

1:36:20need to kind of funnel some funds or

1:36:22focus our attention to, you know, put

1:36:26all hands on deck on something else.

1:36:28We kind of shifted our focus to

1:36:31something else. It didn't mean that that

1:36:32stopped happening.

1:36:34Um and so, that's why I want to make

1:36:36sure, you know, it can both things can

1:36:38be true.

1:36:39>> What we're talking about here to me are

1:36:41change exercises, right? We're not that

1:36:45we're I mean, we're going to keep doing

1:36:47things that we do kind of at a baseline

1:36:50level.

1:36:51>> That's right.

1:36:51>> But, we've got so much organizational

1:36:53capacity for change. It's not it it's

1:36:56not infinite, right? We've got a finite

1:36:58amount. And And where do we want to

1:37:01exert that organizational capacity for

1:37:03change?

1:37:05Um

1:37:06so, I think that's that's what we need

1:37:08to think about.

1:37:09>> That's That's exactly right. Cuz it

1:37:10can't be on 51 things, right? And I

1:37:12think that's what we found is

1:37:14these are all valuable things and these

1:37:15are all things we do want to accomplish

1:37:17and these are all worthwhile tasks.

1:37:20Uh but when we're trying to do a little

1:37:22bit of everything, you know, we end up

1:37:24not really doing anything really well.

1:37:26So, I I think that is appropriate to go

1:37:28where where do we focus? I I find that

1:37:30change efforts where we want to raise

1:37:32the bar on something.

1:37:33>> Right.

1:37:34>> And where's the most important place to

1:37:36start raising that bar? We want to raise

1:37:37the bar across the board.

1:37:38>> Absolutely.

1:37:39>> Can I Can I interrupt real quick for a

1:37:40second? Um

1:37:42I'm not trying to be mean,

1:37:44but there for those that are that are

1:37:46watching at home, we have members of our

1:37:47staff here in the audience.

1:37:48>> [cough]

1:37:49>> Are we going to need to Are we going to

1:37:51be needing to ask them any questions? I

1:37:53mean, they've had long days.

1:37:56We're I

1:37:57Cuz I don't need to

1:37:59I don't need to ask them.

1:38:00>> Considerate of you. I'm I'm good.

1:38:02>> All right.

1:38:03>> I have one strange question.

1:38:04>> It's up to the city manager. It's the

1:38:06city manager's call.

1:38:08>> Can I ask you and Davis one question?

1:38:12Just one.

1:38:12>> It's just cuz we're getting into the

1:38:13semantics of this process.

1:38:14>> And it was voluntary. It was voluntary

1:38:16for them to be here tonight.

1:38:18>> Yes.

1:38:18>> I know that. [laughter]

1:38:19>> We always like coming to see you.

1:38:20>> It's it's a it's a particular street.

1:38:22I'm very sorry.

1:38:23>> Yeah.

1:38:24>> Um

1:38:25so I have a neighbor who very nicely

1:38:27talks to me

1:38:29about um a street in front of her and

1:38:32that I believe she calls monthly to

1:38:35check on it. And it got torn up last

1:38:38couple days and then put back together

1:38:39again. So now there's sort of another

1:38:41little rough patch on it. And it's

1:38:43Kenmore.

1:38:44And I have no idea where it is on the

1:38:46paving list the next couple years. And

1:38:48you don't even have to answer

1:38:49>> Yeah, I'll have to look and see. Yeah, I

1:38:51don't I don't know what part

1:38:52>> I just love to know in the future

1:38:53[clears throat]

1:38:54because it's gotten

1:38:56torn up quite a bit over the years and

1:38:58um and I have people asking, so.

1:39:01>> Yeah. Yeah, I'll look into it. I'll look

1:39:03into

1:39:03>> I was going to call and ask you another

1:39:04[cough] time, but I thought, "Hey,

1:39:05you're right here and I could ask you."

1:39:07And then just tell me whenever and if

1:39:09you don't know now, you don't have to

1:39:10tell me now, but

1:39:12>> Yeah, I can't I don't know off the top

1:39:13of my head, but I'll I'll send you the

1:39:14answer out tomorrow.

1:39:16>> And I'm in favor of grouping streets. So

1:39:19if we're not part of the group next year

1:39:21and it's the year after, she's going to

1:39:22ring my neck. Um that's great, but I

1:39:25just would love to know where it is on

1:39:27the list.

1:39:27>> I think they are moving to

1:39:29>> And if it's Sun

1:39:30>> Sun Crest area.

1:39:32>> Different parts.

1:39:34>> But I'm not sure. Yeah, I'll find out

1:39:35where Kenmore's at on the list and I'll

1:39:37let you know.

1:39:37>> Yep.

1:39:40>> I wasn't trying to step on any toes.

1:39:41>> No, you're fine.

1:39:42>> But I know that we started we were

1:39:43debating at this point the process of

1:39:45elimination and

1:39:47I understand how these can be long, so

1:39:49that's

1:39:50>> No, they they are certainly free to go

1:39:52if they if they'd like.

1:39:53>> You had a long day.

1:39:54>> Yeah.

1:39:55>> By the way, you all do a great work.

1:39:56>> So

1:39:57so when we're looking at this the next

1:39:59time, can we keep this as something that

1:40:02you all look at as our

1:40:06overall list of what's important to us

1:40:09and then

1:40:10have the next go around

1:40:13like for me, I'd be looking at

1:40:16um

1:40:16riverfront planning, museum, library

1:40:19expansion, fire station, like like more

1:40:21of the

1:40:23individual budgetable items under it or

1:40:26if somebody has a specific

1:40:29spot they'd like to see improved.

1:40:32The traffic and pedestrian safety. I

1:40:34don't know, but it somehow it would be

1:40:36nice to drill down to some of the other

1:40:39things that didn't necessarily get

1:40:42noticed because

1:40:44we were looking at the overall important

1:40:46categories.

1:40:48I [cough and clears throat] don't know

1:40:49what the strategy is for you all doing

1:40:51this.

1:40:51>> Yeah, I I I think the goal is to narrow

1:40:54the list, you know, so I I I guess I

1:40:57would say

1:40:58we can move forward how council would

1:41:02prefer to move forward. I I think some

1:41:03of the things I come to my mind is a

1:41:06couple of options of the way we we could

1:41:08move forward it is you could take this

1:41:11top priority list and say

1:41:13we all feel good that maybe these are

1:41:15our

1:41:16focus areas. Let's start peeling back

1:41:18the onions on these and having further

1:41:20discussions on on

1:41:22identifying what falls underneath each

1:41:24one of those.

1:41:26If you don't know if you feel like this

1:41:28captures the consensus of council of the

1:41:30things you guys want to focus on

1:41:33I would say that we should go through

1:41:34the exercise of of saying, "Okay, let's

1:41:36let's redo some voting and just

1:41:38iteratively trying to get to that

1:41:40narrowed list."

1:41:43Um but

1:41:44to the pleasure of council.

1:41:47>> Why don't we think about it?

1:41:50>> Yeah.

1:41:52>> Uh you all think about it, too. I mean,

1:41:54we've all had a

1:41:56an active discussion about this and and

1:41:59and I'd like to I'd like to hear the

1:42:00opinions of Danielle and Jody

1:42:03as well

1:42:05before making a decision personally.

1:42:08>> Some of these things

1:42:14um

1:42:16some of these things might end up being

1:42:17spread over a couple of years as well.

1:42:20>> Oh, absolutely. Most of these things

1:42:22will be several years.

1:42:24>> So,

1:42:25some of them need to get

1:42:28planned. I think what we've learned over

1:42:29the years is that

1:42:32the things that we have planned, then

1:42:34when money becomes available over time,

1:42:37be it donation or city money or federal

1:42:40money,

1:42:41that if we have plans for things,

1:42:44then and we're ready, then when

1:42:46opportunities come with

1:42:48money,

1:42:50then we're ready. And the same with

1:42:53things like the fire station that's

1:42:55nicely already in the works,

1:42:57that when you have part funding and then

1:42:59you complete your funding, then you show

1:43:01that we're

1:43:02um

1:43:04serious about what we start and we're

1:43:07serious about finishing and then we

1:43:10So, we have some things in planning

1:43:11stages and some things in the

1:43:13get the rest of the funding and building

1:43:15stages.

1:43:21So, scheduling those things over time.

1:43:24>> So, we'll think about it and

1:43:26Council

1:43:27>> Pardon?

1:43:27>> I said so we'll think about it and

1:43:28Council will think about it and then

1:43:30we'll uh hear from Council how you'd

1:43:32like us to move forward.

1:43:33>> Mhm.

1:43:36>> Sounds good.

1:43:36>> Sounds good.

1:43:37>> Okay.

1:43:38>> Great. Thank you.

1:43:40>> Okay.

1:43:40>> Thank you.

1:43:41Um

1:43:46>> All right, we have no executive session,

1:43:48so

1:43:50uh consider this adjourned.

1:43:52>> And just as a reminder, our meeting

1:43:56cycle, so our next meeting is November

1:43:5810th.

1:43:58>> November 10th.

1:43:59>> Yeah.

1:44:00>> Cuz we're going to be voting.

1:44:01>> We are going to be voting.

1:44:14>> Mhm.