Title
Healthy City, Healthy Region (The Rusk Report): An Update - Ten Years Later - January, 2007 (B)
This is a referral from the Community Development Committee to the City Commission regarding the adoption of proposed action items flowing from the Committee's review of the Rusk Report.
Explanation
The recent 2007 Update Report sponsored by the City of Gainesville represents a ten year update of the Healthy City, Healthy Region Report jointly sponsored by Alachua County and the City of Gainesville in 1997. The 2007 Update Report provides an executive summary and information on four issues: land use and residential patterns; regional economic growth; adult education levels; and, racial economic segregation. Finally, the 2007 Update Report then offers six overall recommendations as follows:
(1) City and County explore a jointly appointed corporate limits council as a mechanism to support the City's annexation policy
(2) City and County explore "density" as a method of signaling or requiring annexation of urban areas
(3) City Commission and staff should build a close working relationship with the Alachua School Board on planning/capital projects
(4) City Commission should appoint a Task Force on inclusionary zoning to develop an inclusionary zoning law; this should be a joint undertaking with the County
(5) City Commission should encourage amendment of the County Comprehensive Plan to establish a more rigorous standard for agricultural zoning to help promote infill development
(6) City Commission should initiate discussions with the County Commission with respect to joint planning coordination resulting in a joint planning Commission.
Review of the 2007 Update Report's conclusions and recommendations was referred to the Community Development Committee and at its recent June 24th meeting, the Committee voted out the following recommendations that are roughly in sync with the 2007 Update Report's recommendations:
(1) The City Commission endorse the Countywide Visioning and Planning Committee's efforts at joint planning;
(2) The City Commission direct the City Manager and/or designee to report to the City Commission on all Alachua County large scale comprehensive plan amendments and residential development in the urban reserve area that crosses a staff recommended impact threshold;
(3) The City Commission direct the City Manager and/or designee to schedule a Commission Workshop on the topic of actions that can be pursued by the City to ensure the proper education of children;
(4) The City Commission endorse the efforts of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee to address issues of affordable housing with presentation back to the City Commission;
(5) The City Commission include in the development of its future Strategic Plan/Vision goals regarding: 1) attraction and retention of City residents with higher incomes; and, 2) a balanced concern for the plight of families that are struggling to earn a decent wage;
(6) The City Commission direct the City Manager and/or designee to request a report from Alachua County Plan staff on the status of their EAR and to indicate the City Commission favors a more rigorous standard for agricultural zoning within the County.
Fiscal Note
No fiscal impact anticipated at this time.
Recommendation
Recommended Motion: Community Development Committee to City Commission: 1) hear a brief presentation on the Rusk Report; 2) adopt the Community Development Committee's recommendations regarding implementation of the 2007 Update Report's conclusions and recommendations.