[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6371119,"mediaKeyId","2150346-4aaf1f7d2f4e90f2c309be063879cc25","parentId",2150346,"title","Councilmembers call for recurring ‘big ideas’ forum to shape city’s long-term vision","audioSeconds",305,"startMs",1293000,"endMs",1598000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2150346-4aaf1f7d2f4e90f2c309be063879cc25&start=1293&end=1598","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2150346-4aaf1f7d2f4e90f2c309be063879cc25/thumbnail_1293000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6371119/Raleigh/Wake-County/North-Carolina/Councilmembers-call-for-recurring-big-ideas-forum-to-shape-citys-long-term-vision","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6371119-0b16162909641e1896bd81f313e1951d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197384&Signature=iSu49ij678tMZXLlLPee3i30H5kecR4ex9qDB7k9wbfjAfpp2EVak8k9D1sPw4n5gpKi7K7Hjz6qNzV7Ipax5XEuqVddFcbQNJuPHDZImnZ8PLBh-8o7B7J8cgbo18ilflSbPWB6-T10q1Lbyt7Z3Az4Jmuo0TXVuYZUkeW5ZbwluwVCgifH9xPJmugD~UWrq~NBDMAx4B6vWVOKXcKRFD5xcC3qgZCFxDcIaKLlPfindH5MHRFgLF9Q4e0NCBaXd8~WFQUtjc8d3vivH9ygc-zSHsQ8WOYsJ~9E8YNpzrle~RcD9c0eq7g9ngCxU8mzSgXp-kj4LuAgTVY-aXLFIQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-01-25T19:55:55Z","article","Early in the retreat day, several council members asked for scheduled time to discuss long-range “big ideas” and civic visioning, saying residents respond strongly to aspirational projects and that deliberate conversations about the city’s direction should be recurring.

At the opening discussion, a councilmember described recent public interest in “big ideas” and named concepts that have captured attention in the region: bus rapid transit and potential light-rail corridors, a vision to connect downtown to Dix Park, reimagining Capitol Boulevard as a transit‑oriented corridor, activation of Triangle Town Center, and greenways modeled on regional precedents.

Why it matters: Council members said such conversations can offer a long-range frame for staff work and help residents see a shared civic aspiration even where detailed funding plans are not yet in place. Some council members emphasized the need to balance downtown-focused ideas with investments in neighborhoods across the city and to tie big‑idea forums to community engagement events such as a February “big ideas” meetup that staff noted draws partners and public interest.

Next steps: The facilitator suggested carving a specific forum or recurring time for council to review and set long-range vision topics; council members expressed support for a near-term follow-up to the February community “big ideas” meetup to gather public input.

Ending: Councilmembers said they want the city to present a short menu of potential “big idea” topics that could be considered as recurring agenda items or a special council workshop series in coming months.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Raleigh City Council Annual Retreat - Day 2 - January 25, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Several council members urged a standing opportunity for council to discuss long-term, citywide 'big ideas' such as transit corridors, downtown-to-Dix connections, activation of Triangle Town Center and tree- and creek-protection strategies.","taxTitle","Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina","taxId",4736,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6371124,"Staff gives council an inventory of boards and commissions; council asks for charters and work plans",2758,15197000,17955000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2150346-4aaf1f7d2f4e90f2c309be063879cc25&start=15197&end=17955","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2150346-4aaf1f7d2f4e90f2c309be063879cc25/thumbnail_15197000.jpg","/articles/6371124/Raleigh/Wake-County/North-Carolina/Staff-gives-council-an-inventory-of-boards-and-commissions-council-asks-for-charters-and-work-plans","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6371124-374df7dadb3cf43ec17030eca17f38a8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197384&Signature=oLL12kmX8y3KDgAwHw6hvCrcrQghHXt7q-EAcnmrji~OHyqGU3yBDRwPdJ3NrvLHdKKV0g0Ycogj98XY73A1axZ0BhRX4soQ8GcK3ipmMmqJ5Ry25hJCa3pH2nWD~76a53rcbh2EKNFlHAjAnlH4J7tDB7By7jlrttoBM4M6P1niFCuA1VQFljzu5WVDSRxaNw-XGb9~2Xza3y0AIwl~r1NzDmtp-nBbdk~MoS8scQC79PzChBkZJiwhFEpu9V~ZXTJr2Pa3-geltvoOWFVIbTAG4NKLirj544gSsacPeYeJb~cAmobxS0ZCm-qHYFaulJNAs19M97Ew-91xRekrUg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff presented a department-by-department inventory of boards, commissions and related external bodies and asked the City Council what next steps it wanted to take to make the system more efficient and aligned with council priorities.

Anthony (Assistant City Manager) told the council there are about 29 boards and commissions with active public appointments listed on the public application platform; 20 of them receive staff support through the Department of Community Engagement. He said the department has created a liaison structure, a member onboarding manual, an exit survey for departing members and a public dashboard that tracks vacancies and demographic data.

Why it matters: Council members said volunteer boards are an important advisory channel but raised questions about duplication of effort, inconsistent expectations and variable member support. Several council members proposed a targeted audit of board charters, the mission of each body and overlap between groups such as historical resources and a separate historic-cemeteries advisory group.

Data and staff services: Staff displayed demographic data showing the current membership and applicant pools approximate the city’s diversity for gender and age. Anthony said the Department of Community Engagement convenes liaisons bimonthly, provides a handbook and runs a small social event to foster cross-board connections. Staff also said some boards serve in a quasi-judicial role and are excluded from annual work-plan requirements.

Council directions: The mayor and several council members asked staff to provide the council with board charters, recent annual work plans, meeting schedules and a short note on which boards are statutory, which are advisory and which are externally constituted. Council members expressed interest in potential consolidation where missions overlap and in benchmarking peer cities’ approaches; staff said they would return with requested materials and comparative data.

Ending: Council did not take immediate action, but asked staff to prepare the charters and work-plan materials for a subsequent council discussion on consolidation options and clearer guidance for council liaisons and boards.
","Assistant city manager presented an inventory of the city’s advisory and quasi-judicial boards and commissions, including applicant demographics and staff support levels; council members directed staff to return with board charters, annual work plans and options for consolidation where missions overlap.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6371130,"Planning director warns annexation-driven growth will require new fire, streets and utility investments",1504,8677000,10181000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2150346-4aaf1f7d2f4e90f2c309be063879cc25&start=8677&end=10181","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2150346-4aaf1f7d2f4e90f2c309be063879cc25/thumbnail_8677000.jpg","/articles/6371130/Raleigh/Wake-County/North-Carolina/Planning-director-warns-annexation-driven-growth-will-require-new-fire-streets-and-utility-investments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6371130-5c9e582e600377e25a70feb4e263fdb3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197384&Signature=fa4XjyAFzRgdZKgbXxR4lLxqnxzM0v57nC5REpyDZj1FeCbBm1VvRSHBI-bz9sdcmTCdAEFUsq7NaKMClxvWkRn7Gsjs5gkFoOGvj24KEJW56Xf2aHIY0iLX9b-es~3ccCHd19O4RMjQ~mVJoXwEkzxfic~ha3I8TKMhpH8nDDV7IkEu~C9GzV8Uqsy0oVn7Vvm3f9c-Pv9EGzAKFK-kVdOLo~SrwyLbNmaFmSOnVVGd-jthpiRXovmuMWDuNVRZnHs1lUGU09yaggpDC63OgzdHj24vUwbtb8Fuckh1Prbq85-vb9lWImcL3khbsnH9CtY5cgdVTwYSeIge45ehNg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Planning staff urged the City Council to weigh costs and service implications before approving further annexations, saying growth enabled by utility extensions has outpaced the city’s capacity to provide comparable levels of urban services across the entire jurisdiction.

Pat Young, planning and development director, told the council that state law change in 2011 eliminated involuntary annexation and that, in practice, “the key point here is that this can only be done, except in very limited circumstances, such as city land, through voluntary petition of a landowner or act of the general assembly.” He said that policy and utility-extension practices have encouraged suburban development at the city’s edges and that the resulting pattern increases long-term costs for roads, fire protection and other services.

Why it matters: Staff outlined trade-offs between denser, transit-oriented growth that is more efficient to serve and lower-density suburban development that requires more road upgrades, additional fire stations and other general-fund investments. Young said the southeast and northeast special study areas (NESA and CESA) will need attention as the I‑540 extension and trunk utility lines spur development.

Public-safety and infrastructure implications: Fire Chief Herbert Griffin described operational risks from long response times to newly annexed, lower-density areas, noting faster burn rates in modern lightweight construction and the importance of response-time standards for firefighter safety and property conservation. Young said that meeting adopted response standards will likely require new stations and crews in the long term.

Other departments described impacts: Transportation staff said many arterial roads that new development will use are NCDOT-owned and that the city must coordinate on sidewalks, bike lanes and multimodal improvements; water staff said plant expansions are underway but that long-term water-supply planning (Little River reservoir vs. a Neuse River pipeline) remains an active workstream; solid-waste staff described route and staffing pressure if the service area expands.

Staff recommendations and next steps: Young said planning will change permit practices so council can approve annexation-related development approvals before utilities are connected, hire consultants to estimate cost of services for the CESA/NESA areas, and complete a fire master plan in April to quantify needs. He also proposed categorizing “committed” (already targeted for urban services) and “uncommitted” fringe areas and said the council could choose to pause further annexations or negotiate service-sharing with neighboring jurisdictions.

Ending: Council members asked for clearer fiscal analyses and longer-range (beyond a 10-year) cost projections. Staff agreed to return with a more detailed cost-of-services study, options for service levels and a timeline for potential capital needs including fire stations and transportation upgrades.","Planning staff told council that involuntary annexation laws and expansion of utilities are shaping growth in Northeast and Southeast Raleigh; staff recommended standards and fiscal planning before further annexations to avoid service shortfalls.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6371135,"Council hears data on housing affordability as city highlights Bringing Neighbors Home pilot",4147,2197000,6344000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2150346-4aaf1f7d2f4e90f2c309be063879cc25&start=2197&end=6344","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2150346-4aaf1f7d2f4e90f2c309be063879cc25/thumbnail_2197000.jpg","/articles/6371135/Raleigh/Wake-County/North-Carolina/Council-hears-data-on-housing-affordability-as-city-highlights-Bringing-Neighbors-Home-pilot","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6371135-1c199d10ab22bf42a29a5c7f48def12d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197384&Signature=fv20n6A6hZTAWvAo680EkC7H3aW2N-IyqaD~w7tvqSKfIfLcS427d2tbDBRBs0Qms00O5gnVdpOux5WeH9OilgUFYpSpWDmK8jx7TA9ZMbJ~utj6~JK0hixDTuDg1eZUxTjb-Hm621p89UyQQshaURaukq7vOwRUEj47QaDn-5LUa3NyQVUJgq-45HM~iyMCm1TePFi7gN5gzQI4j2kCTUscFtQ8xyp1zPYuZVF4en~uUpyPVTfKgwk44MwTIoVhvaU23XRlMq-IwE0B0mlD-Ed2q150ekIsnrHz61~us5n9AUUPElKubHj-LYOVApMlw313qOrKyQ1Otv7ygj~8hA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Raleigh city staff told the City Council on the second day of its 2025 retreat that the city faces an affordability crisis driven by high demand, rising land values and construction costs, and that addressing homelessness requires both more housing supply and targeted interventions.

Pat Young, planning and development director, told the council “We have an, housing affordability crisis both in Raleigh and in most metro areas nationally,” and said staff sees three areas of action: increasing overall supply, expanding income-restricted units and scaling evidence-based homelessness responses.

Why it matters: Raleigh is among the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the U.S., and city officials said the market has pushed rents up substantially since 2017. Staff argued that zoning changes and incentives that allowed so-called “missing middle” housing — townhouses, duplexes and small apartment buildings — have already produced new options while bond funding and targeted subsidies are needed to serve households with much lower incomes.

Staff presented examples: the city’s 2020 affordable housing bond of $80 million has supported gap financing, site acquisition and home-repair programs; staff reported about 7,149 affordable units either completed or in the pipeline tied to the city’s recent initiatives. City presentations also described smaller, targeted developments supported with bond funds and nonprofit partnerships, including a Casa-led eight-unit project for youth aging out of foster care that received $700,000 in city bond funds.

On the homelessness front, Emily Sutton, director of Housing and Neighborhoods, described the Bringing Neighbors Home pilot, focused on rapid connections from encampments into housing and paired case management. Sutton said the pilot had enrolled 40 people; “almost everyone is housed,” she reported, and staff said partners including Healing Transitions, Oak City Cares and local health providers helped speed placements.

Staff framed the pilot as part of a larger “system” approach: increase permanent affordable housing supply while using direct assistance, vouchers and case management to move people quickly from street to home. Sutton cited other cities’ experiences — Houston, Dallas and Oklahoma City — where a strong mix of federal ARPA funding, public funds and philanthropy financed intensive street outreach and housing placements.

Council reaction and follow-up: Council members pressed staff for more granular projections of future housing demand and outputs (how many units the city needs and at what incomes), and for schedules showing when pipeline projects will be complete. Staff said they are developing a new affordable housing plan and will return with projections and a production-based forecast tied to the most recent bond-funded performance.

Ending: Staff emphasized that market-rate housing, while often higher-priced when delivered, can have an indirect effect by “filtering” older units into lower income bands over time and that new development and direct subsidies both play roles: “When we build enough housing, the expensive housing of yesterday becomes the cheap housing of today,” a guest presenter in a video segment summarized. The council asked staff to return with the draft affordable housing plan, tighter estimates of the remaining unit and funding gaps, and a fuller readout of the Bringing Neighbors Home pilot results in March.","City staff told the council that Raleigh faces a broad housing-affordability crisis and outlined supply-side reforms, bond-funded projects and a pilot program that has enrolled 40 people experiencing unsheltered homelessness and placed almost all of them into housing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Councilmembers call for recurring ‘big ideas’ forum to shape city’s long-term vision

Staff gives council an inventory of boards and commissions; council asks for charters and work plans

Planning director warns annexation-driven growth will require new fire, streets and utility investments

Council hears data on housing affordability as city highlights Bringing Neighbors Home pilot