Jim Alberque

This document presents the City of Raleigh's Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2026-2029. Developed through a collaborative effort, the plan outlines the city's direction, focusing on key areas including Community Safety, Economic Development & Innovation, Environmental Resilience, Housing, Organizational Excellence, Quality of Life, and Transportation & Transit. The plan serves as a roadmap to foster innovation, drive progress, and address community priorities over the specified timeframe.

The meeting addressed the consent agenda, which included referring case Z3623 to a future meeting for applicant revisions, and directly referring two double-inconsistent rezoning cases (Z4023 and Z5123) to the committee of the whole. Key committee reports focused heavily on Rezoning Case Z9222 and the associated Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA) for the Newburn Station area. The committee recommended approval of Z9222 with amendments after extensive public feedback and review, including removing Raleigh historic landmarks from the TOD and establishing policies for overlap between TODs and NCOD zones. Significant modifications were made to the CPA, such as adding a policy to prioritize neighborhood stabilization projects, clarifying TOD/NCOD overlap, changing the affordable housing target percentage from 60% to 30% for bond funds, and removing the goal of adding affordable housing at the Tar Road Community Center. Street plan amendments for the Newburn area were also reviewed. The commission discussed the need for separate motions for the CPA, the rezoning case, and a recommended text change regarding neighborhood transition standards in TOD zones.

The meeting provided an update on public safety initiatives in the downtown and Glenwood South areas, reporting positive results from interventions implemented since September 2023. Discussions covered crime statistics, noting zero homicides and decreases in aggravated assaults in Glenwood South during the fourth quarter, though disorderly conduct reports increased due to proactive intervention. The committee reviewed efforts to manage juvenile presence and the influx of out-of-town residents. For the business core/Transit mall area, the police noted increased proactive work addressing concealed weapons and drug offenses, despite an influx of unhoused individuals. Specific actions included expanding the Hospitality unit, improving vehicular traffic flow in Glenwood South, enhancing lighting, and conducting joint operations with alcohol law enforcement.

The meeting included significant public comment regarding community issues. Several speakers addressed the need to prioritize and formalize Urban Agriculture and Equitable Food Policy, requesting a community-engaged planning process and adjustments to zoning codes (UDO) to remove barriers for community gardens and urban farms. Another speaker raised concerns about the enforcement of the Fair Housing Act in Raleigh, noting a lack of subpoena power for the relevant board and concerns over potential displacement in Southeast Raleigh. A separate topic involved discussions on managing ongoing public demonstrations and associated First Amendment rights near the bus station, with the council indicating the City Attorney's office is reviewing the complex policy issues. Additionally, one speaker provided input on the future of citizen engagement and task forces, noting past issues with follow-through on previous citizen advisory committees (CACs).

The committee meeting featured discussions focused on supporting the homeless community, specifically concerning healthcare access during the pandemic and solutions for improved service delivery. Dr. Klosner detailed challenges in providing healthcare, noting the high mortality rates among chronically homeless individuals and the critical need for respite care opportunities for those too sick for the streets but too healthy for a hospital. He also discussed the impact of changes in COVID-19 vaccine prioritization tiers, which negatively affected access for homeless patients during the winter months. Separately, Kim Crawford provided an overview of the new Housing Navigation Unit designed to build re-housing infrastructure by addressing the immediate need for housing placements and engaging landlords through incentives and risk mitigation guarantees.