By City Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox
The heart of a city is its people, which is why it’s vital for local government to involve residents in decisions. By listening, asking questions and developing solutions together, we can create a community that reflects our shared values and vision.
As a City Commissioner, helping to cultivate a culture of engagement is a major focus. We want to hear from you, and we are exploring opportunities that will make it easier for residents to stay continually involved.
For example, the City Commissioners recently hosted two town hall meetings about the proposed Public Safety Campus. This single-issue meeting approach allowed us to hear directly from residents. This effort provided new insight for the future of the project; and as a result, we voted to have staff develop a process for the site selection of a new Tallahassee Police Department headquarters. A discussion will take place on Wednesday, March 6, during the regular City Commission meeting, which begins at 4 p.m. in the Commission Chambers at City Hall, 300 South Adams Street.
While City Hall is centrally located, some have suggested that holding meetings out in the community would be beneficial, which is why the Commission voted earlier this year to hold at least two of its regular meetings off-site during the coming year. By taking government to the people, we hope to enhance engagement.
In addition to the town halls that were hosted outside of City Hall in mid-February, the City has hosted other meetings in the community to get citizen feedback. For instance, the Midtown parking meeting engaged residents, providing opportunities to share ideas. It is my hope that residents will remain engaged, not just for those issues that interest them but in the entirety of their municipal government. Your voice has impact.
Recently, the joint City of Tallahassee / Leon County Planning department began another series of meetings related to Land Use and Mobility elements of the Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan), which provides the blueprint for our community’s growth and development. This series offers six open houses that focus on the major takeaways of the Comp Plan update’s proposed Goals and Objectives. It also includes five deep dive workshops, one for each of the goals. If you’re interested in how our community grows, I’d encourage you to learn more about the series or take the Digital Workshop survey at Talgov.com/LandUseUpdate.
Your City Commission is working hard to ensure every voice is provided an opportunity to be heard. As someone who loves Tallahassee and all of the people who call it home, I’m proud of the trust placed in me to help lead us collectively toward a brighter tomorrow. We must, however, get there together. I look forward to working with you.