The Greensboro City Council spent a good bit of time developing a new “city vision” and new priorities at the two-day work session at Revolution Mill on Thursday, Feb. 2 and Friday, Feb. 3.
The brand new “city vision” is: “Greensboro will be a community with endless economic opportunities and an exceptional quality of life.”
The priorities are:
“1. Safest city
“2. Most skilled workforce (in targeted industries)
“3. Youth Sports capital in the SE
“4. Easiest place to do business
“5. Most connected city
“6. Entertainment and recreation hub (amenitized)
“7. Adequate supply of attainable housing options”
After it appeared the City Council was finished with it list of priorities with six, City Manager Tai Jaiyeoba asked, “Which of these six items address homelessness and affordable housing.”
Before the meeting, the City Council had often listed having an adequate supply of affordable housing as its top priority, but as Jaiyeoba noted, it was entirely left off the list of priorities the City Council was about to approve.
At that point the City Council decided to have seven priorities. Councilmember Sharon Hightower said, “Seven is the number of completion.”
So, the City Council decided to have seven priorities rather than six, and number seven started out as “Ample attainable housing.” That became “Abundant attainable housing.” Then “adequate,” “accessible” and “plentiful” were considered instead of “abundant.”
And that became, “Array of obtainable housing options.”
Finally Councilmember Tammi Thurm suggested, “An adequate supply of attainable housing options.” After some discussion the decision was made to drop the “An” and the City Council had its six priorities plus one.
Jaiyeoba said, “I can definitely see if this is what we agree on to have a framed picture of this in every city facility so that every city employee knows that this is what is expected of them a City of Greensboro employee.”
Do you have an action plan or is this a wish list?
Oh! Of course you’ll want more of our money to achieve these lofty (objectives?) (wishes?)
Attainable housing options? For whom? Those people from out-of-state that are vying for jobs that our residents who are looking for affordable housing.? Where many tenants (especially our elderly who are on fixed income, and those whose living wages is not substantial enough to afford the deposit and first month’s rent) are being gentrified by property management and private landlords. By claiming to make repairs and upgrades to inflate, as well as, raising rents as much as 75%. Well, here we go again…the “bend over era.”
So true. The way we treat our elders is embarrassing. Currently we corral them into a 400 sq. ft. apartment which might be one or two rooms. They’re fed wrongful information like not being able to paint their cinderblock walls a different color and blame everything on HUD.
As for landlords, they have free rein to charge whatever they want essentially evicting a tenant without actually filing eviction papers. They need to be held accountable for their dictator-like actions.
Already feeling better? You think you are in good hands?
Goals are supposed to be measureable!
They left out the word “Equitable”. Go back to the drawing board.
1. Equitably safe neighborhoods.
2. Most skilled workforce compared to who? And what “targeted industries”? How do they know who may be interested in coming here in the future?
All students should be equitably skilled in all areas, especially in how to use “—-” and write clear sentences.
3. SE Youth Sports Center with equitable bathroom/changing facilities.
4. MWBE Equity Business Model for the World.
5. Connected to what? Equitable tech/IT connections; business connections; financial connections; political connections; government connections; service, infrastructure, and transportation connections; entertainment and recreation connections (there, fixed your issue with 6 points).
6. Equitable housing.
(easy peasy)
Help me out here. How is giving taxpayer money to help mostly government employees buy houses help make housing more affordable for non-government employed consumers at-large?
It will decrease supply & let sellers know they can ask for more due to this taxpayer funded mortgage assistance. The seller then having wiggle room to decrease a price if it is not a local government employee.
These do not seem like things that will help make housing more affordable overall.
The only one of the seven priorities listed that City Council has a direct impact on is #1. Fund the police department and allow the department to do what police departments should do, take criminals off the streets. Since the department is understaffed, City Council has failed the number one priority that it set for itself. Oh, the irony. All the other priorities are priorities without measure, pie in the sky.
” Seven is the number of completion .”
And on the seventh point council rested, and saw it was good.
The “art” says it all.