AGENDA CAPTION:
Title
Provide an update on the new City Hall and Hopkins Redevelopment Project, and discuss the creation and appointment process of a Hopkins City Center Steering Committee; and provide direction to Staff.
Body
Meeting date: September 17, 2024
Department: City Manager’s Office
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Background Information:
At the September 3, 2024 City Council meeting, Council received an update on the New City Hall project, and discussed the possible formation of a Hopkins City Center/ New City Hall Steering Committee. At that meeting, the Council asked for additional information regarding best practices for the creation of a committee, and to ensure the process and committee itself would be as inclusive as possible. This agenda item provides additional background and recommendations for Council to consider.
Hopkins City Center/ New City Hall Committee
Committee Purpose: Like other temporary steering committees, the Council has utilized before such as the Bond Committee ahead of the 2017 General Obligation (GO) Bond election, this group will serve in an advisory capacity and provide guidance and feedback to staff.
The role of the members of the Steering Committee include:
•Act as an advisory body to staff offering guidance, recommendations and feedback to staff as the project progresses
•Input should be provided throughout the process to share constructive feedback, representing individual perspectives as well as any groups
•Finally, as the project moves into the public engagement phase, members will be asked to promote the project and share their experiences within various community groups to which they belong
Please note that the Steering Committee is advisory only and does not replace the critical role the City Council plays in ultimately setting vision and making final decisions at key milestones of the project.
Committee Membership: The Hopkins City Center/ New City Hall project should benefit the whole community, as such the committee should be diverse and reflective of the residents of San Marcos. The ideal committee member should be invested in the future success of San Marcos, have the time to commit to attending regularly scheduled meetings on the project, and have sincere interest and participatory experience in projects of this nature.
Time Commitment: Committee input will be most valuable during the concept development phase of the project, which is anticipated to last 12-18 months. During this period, the group will meet every other month. Members are encouraged to attend public engagement meetings and events such as site visits associated with the project. Once the project concept has been fully developed, Committee members may be asked to assist with future efforts to generate community awareness and support for the project.
Recommended Committee Makeup: Based on City Council discussion at the September 3 meeting, the Council may wish to appoint two members per Councilmember, plus the addition of two Councilmember representatives, one of which may be the Mayor.
Staff recommends Council consider representation from the following groups:
• Residents of San Marcos who specifically live in the surrounding neighborhood (Rio Vista)
• Residents of San Marcos reflective of the community who may be underrepresented in the City’s engagement and outreach processes.
• Community Partner groups such as (but not limited to) Chamber of Commerce, Texas State University, San Marcos River Foundation, etc.
• Business leaders or member of the Downtown Association
• Member of the Planning & Zoning Commission
At the September 17 meeting, staff will provide more detailed recommendations for the committee composition to ensure equitable and inclusive representation.
Applicant Recruitment & Appointment Process: In addition to the traditional methods the City uses to recruit new board members and volunteers, Staff is recommending additional outreach tactics be utilized to ensure the recruitment is very intentional and attracts all members of the community, including those from groups who may not have been part of city decision-making in the past.
Staff recommends the application process be no shorter than 30 days to allow adequate time for the community at-large to be aware of the opportunity, and have time to prepare an application. Staff will work with the City Clerk’s office to ensure the application is in multiple languages and may be modified so that interested applicants can provide information if they self-identify as one of the groups addressed earlier in this document.
Committee Role & Process and General Public Engagement: The Committee will play an important role in providing guidance and feedback as the overall project concept is developed. However, a large and comprehensive general public engagement process is also planned. Staff will provide a brief overview of the preliminary plan for the general public engagement so that the distinction between the two processes can be clearer.
Council Committee, Board/Commission Action:
n/a
Alternatives:
n/a
Recommendation:
The Council is asked to provide direction to staff regarding the committee makeup and appointment process. Council may choose to make appointments later this fall.