[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6427261,"mediaKeyId","5905378-2891a911c34e6db4e1b266ec65042aef","parentId",5905378,"title","Garner launches strategic‑plan refresh to set five‑year priorities; public engagement planned","audioSeconds",1169,"startMs",3207000,"endMs",4376000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5905378-2891a911c34e6db4e1b266ec65042aef&start=3207&end=4376","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5905378-2891a911c34e6db4e1b266ec65042aef/thumbnail_3207000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6427261/Garner/Wake-County/North-Carolina/Garner-launches-strategicplan-refresh-to-set-fiveyear-priorities-public-engagement-planned","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6427261-3df1a770c40a465e89293c2045adaa9c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770928708&Signature=l86zp24RymASy0z3gwjv~kEXgzIoYNIHYUfTzk6Vwb-vqOvmbgYUFvHOirOO3rXfzyj78rgWPKl-nw4YZJQGMyaD8aCRkNlf7pTmUSK9aXyKJSr~ha99Myf~6WcDvYI~secuOrXV5OQ2iWzlHOpQJRLksBMX4KX60sCuzeB3pWEV5ZOaP~BhP2iIJrqUVk1AFXsXyKIt3A2aRLhUz7tx3lu1ZqZYp-oJQBthKzdOFryZykwzDnwAV0wAOv8Y-Tk4nDtk-R2iTDmGiWBK-dQHCqe5bFNLrPTJxF1Y-a1p0WOOZi~TPx4NPjIi5aGpFKmjMX24enGkHUaPxoNZGvnlhw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Garner","date","2025-10-08T11:34:24Z","article","Town staff outlined a framework for a 2026 strategic‑plan refresh, saying the update will shape budgets, clarify priorities and include substantial public engagement.

Assistant Town Manager Matt Pullen presented the timeline and process, telling council that the effort will collect background documents, conduct multiple SOAR analyses (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, Results), re‑survey the community and convene a strategic planning committee composed of council, staff and citizen representatives. Pullen said the last plan dated to 2016 and that municipal strategic plans are typically five‑year documents rather than the older 10‑year approach.

Staff plans to repeat the National Community Survey — a community‑opinion benchmark used in 2024 — later this year and use that data in early‑2026 engagement. Pullen said the update will aim to produce five to seven SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time‑bound) strategic priorities and that the manager’s office will propose a monitoring and accountability system so the plan does not “sit on a shelf.”

Councilmembers praised the approach and stressed two recurring challenges: obtaining broad public and partner engagement (schools, NCDOT and other government partners) and establishing a system to monitor progress. Several councilmembers urged candid performance measurement and frequent reporting so the plan can meaningfully guide the CIP and policy decisions.

Pullen said staff will draft the refresh, engage communications for rollout, and seek council adoption in 2026. No formal council action was required at the Oct. 7 meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town Council Meeting for October 7, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Assistant town manager outlined a framework to refresh Garner’s strategic plan, with public workshops, a new community survey and a goal of producing five to seven SMART priorities for 2026–2031.","taxTitle","Garner, Wake County, North Carolina","taxId",55441,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6427268,"Garner selects consultant for transportation plan update; council to consider contract Oct. 21",843,1587000,2430000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5905378-2891a911c34e6db4e1b266ec65042aef&start=1587&end=2430","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5905378-2891a911c34e6db4e1b266ec65042aef/thumbnail_1587000.jpg","/articles/6427268/Garner/Wake-County/North-Carolina/Garner-selects-consultant-for-transportation-plan-update-council-to-consider-contract-Oct-21","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6427268-5d8ea36c03c2f30855f0a037a45aef52/orig.mp4?Expires=1770928708&Signature=GbWfzYpyRpUvmRQHjkaEOTPwvWqHvXrwInjjVI3F50iDum3fEKYuZI6o5wf5CftTxUeQsylCo2ez6R0J1cPBhojx1PBTJhWueLf3mxK1lnYNeuLiCzzBlmElpsY46VnLjCHABg~3n2kIaYZPInb2ZqMWe9tb7h0GWJSJTnHfbb1QXErJXys6GxVfbQvgc6YFufuWJ1s2f-MVQ2eCQ0dnTjdVdIXBFviWCq720DDjfKl1AzNR9p7O6OCDa9BiBd7Vys84xxFFrPTrhuYmLChIgngAc-iQnfZxSYjQdOOn3puLKNNFqfl68QMCJwBDoeIV-pg41lYlwsWY0xti7NS2rA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Garner officials presented a draft scope of work and the recommended consultant for the town’s long‑overdue transportation plan update, with council expected to consider a contract on Oct. 21.

The recommendation comes from Julian Griffey, the town’s senior planner, who told the council the request for qualifications drew four submissions and that a multi‑department interview panel selected Bolton & Menk as the most qualified firm. Griffey said the draft scope focuses on community engagement, a data‑heavy origin‑and‑destination analysis, policy review and recommendations, and identification of funding opportunities including grant assistance.

The update will replace elements of the town’s 2010 plan and the 2018 update and is intended to feed into Garner’s 2023 comprehensive plan. Griffey said locally adopted, up‑to‑date transportation plans improve a project’s chances for regional and federal funding because the Metropolitan Planning Organization evaluates consistency with its MTP and prioritized project lists.

The scope presented to council includes public workshops (in‑person and digital), creation of advisory and stakeholder groups, a data inventory and analysis component aimed at clarifying where residents and commuters travel, and network‑level recommendations such as microtransit, BRT or roadway cross‑section changes. The consultant was selected in part because staff said the firm will assist with grant writing for at least one project that emerges from the plan.

Councilmembers asked for specifics about timeline and funding. Griffey said the town is aiming for adoption in December 2026. He said the consultant selection and scope assume a close coordination with department budget staff so that plan recommendations can be aligned with Garner’s emerging capital improvement program (CIP).

Councilmember questions ranged from corridor‑level analysis — including New Bethel Church Road, Benson/White Oak and the Jones Sausage Road/Wilmington Road area — to whether the plan would separate pass‑through traffic from locally generated trips. Griffey said the origin‑and‑destination analysis is intended to do exactly that: distinguish through traffic from trips that begin or end in Garner and to refine capacity and project recommendations accordingly.

Mayor Pro Tem Elmo Vance and others described the update as overdue and urged council colleagues to continue substantive review and dialogue before the Oct. 21 decision. No contract vote was taken at the Oct. 7 meeting.

Votes at a glance

No formal vote on the transportation contract occurred on Oct. 7; council was scheduled to consider the matter at its Oct. 21 meeting.

What happens next

Staff will bring the draft contract and scope back to council on Oct. 21 for formal action. If approved, the consultant will begin the data collection, stakeholder outreach and drafting phases that staff and council said would inform priorities, funding strategies and project phasing.","Town staff recommended hiring Bolton & Menk to update Garner's transportation element; scope emphasizes origin‑and‑destination data, regional coordination and grant assistance, with adoption targeted for December 2026.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6427248,"Residents press Garner council for full‑time affordable‑housing staff; task force resumes work",866,872000,5688,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5905378-2891a911c34e6db4e1b266ec65042aef&start=872&end=5","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5905378-2891a911c34e6db4e1b266ec65042aef/thumbnail_872000.jpg","/articles/6427248/Garner/Wake-County/North-Carolina/Residents-press-Garner-council-for-fulltime-affordablehousing-staff-task-force-resumes-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6427248-6f48a2985e9059f820432c264172f7a4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770928708&Signature=ntISghIFlKjDnAWW55foqU~Nx7l6S6epPd7ff9EO1cnW9uxq0wZT-WffNUt2OUFHUkF3aqldTYeKhJrTbYyxsjVf4rwcX2pDn-X7iKKo6AEs6H417~zGTvSViJ-m0mMrNkWhUj78zil2B8U0uoXgtVg13FE0ybguikS7wNw9f2Bak9qB3fqtXhkm1nLr9CDB-6-r6iQbQ2hIxMWxn6x7Qu9ZGUHitOHkUW9Ux46utn3SC-Gf2GPf8pQ5VuRZt~2mUIpMJoSbLNv~~l7TdT04aWxffieu9QSGqie9TifnzmEWJS7lg1xJYp-l6C08qaPGqJ4GKZPwsda7SJwivcgz1A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Speakers during the petitions and comments period urged Garner’s council to act on affordable housing, and council members said the town’s newly reconvened affordable housing task force is working toward recommendations.

Katie Danaherdekarthanas (spelled as in the meeting record), a resident and former member of Garner’s affordable housing task force, told council she spent seven months on the task force and later was disappointed when the council declined to add a full‑time affordable housing staff position to the budget. She said she now serves with local housing providers and invited council to a county‑wide candidate education event on affordable housing planned for the coming Friday.

Mary Bridal, a Garner resident and longtime home health social worker, described residents who are ‘‘too wealthy to qualify for assistance, but not wealthy enough to pay bills’’ after rapid home‑value increases in town. Bridal described the strain on middle‑income seniors, retail workers earning low wages, and adults with disabilities, and asked the council to act to keep those residents in Garner.

Separately, Councilmember Elmo Vance reported that the town’s affordable housing task force met Oct. 6 and formed subcommittees focused on resource investments, partnerships/collaborations and community engagement. Vance said the task force intends to brief council more frequently and provide work‑session updates rather than “dump” a large packet at once.

Councilmember Dellinger (name as recorded) asked when the council would vote on adding the housing position after staff and the task force produced information the council had requested. Assistant Town Manager and task force staff said subcommittees would develop deliverables and bring recommendations to the full task force for consensus before returning to council.

Councilmember Singleton said he would place an item on the Oct. 21 agenda to discuss adding an affordable housing staff position. Singleton requested the recommendation come formally from the task force; other councilmembers said staff and task‑force work would continue through the fall. No formal council action to add a position occurred Oct. 7.

What happens next

The task‑force subcommittees will continue work this fall and return recommendations to the full task force and to council. Councilmember Singleton said he would place a discussion of a housing staff position on the Oct. 21 agenda.","Public commenters urged council to create a full‑time affordable housing staff position. The town’s affordable housing task force reconvened, formed subcommittees and plans to return recommendations; a council member said he would place a housing‑position item on the Oct. 21 agenda.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6427242,"Garner council adopts agenda, approves consent items and minutes; consent item on playground bid discussion noted",3686,1327000,5013000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5905378-2891a911c34e6db4e1b266ec65042aef&start=1327&end=5013","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5905378-2891a911c34e6db4e1b266ec65042aef/thumbnail_1327000.jpg","/articles/6427242/Garner/Wake-County/North-Carolina/Garner-council-adopts-agenda-approves-consent-items-and-minutes-consent-item-on-playground-bid-discussion-noted","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6427242-16df189e4eea12eed855b21f67fd92dd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770928708&Signature=BmdfyCemxTGrexBndOjrxa-xGbBVNzhO5CjlG8fbuowxbhHqLAmOFl1mhlINZ7iV9D5jEZbaeLh9ZRdAf8L3T~VqvZ9Ej-LixLtvrAOp4-EpJiIe8z1wwayYHt8dG7KWZQcOvgtb1SeBHQ3KJ~9Q9-pptLYpKUnhCIDwJmniwNVAp9fcZcr9ubDan5nV7zvn5DR1-o-auSAki5NMx0sygsX5RBH~-F0VS7J1IB10H6cGo9iMEKEnTUPpEFcu2SjnX4Dcyggv0KuhzDtaPMNVTMNumZ7l-jlNvK65bINTEVmVSl0F4TQZWAMgbScEOyoFe92gw7s0wbP4TQq5BMuf2w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Town of Garner Council took routine procedural actions at its Oct. 7 meeting, adopting the night’s agenda and approving the consent agenda with one item pulled for separate consideration.

Councilmember Matthews moved to adopt the agenda; Mayor Pro Tem Elmo Vance seconded the motion and council adopted it by voice vote. The consent agenda was approved with items 1–7 adopted; item 8 (past minutes) was pulled for discussion.

During the consent discussion a councilmember asked about a bid for White Deer Park/Cloosier Playground. Staff responded that if the bid were awarded that night the town would finalize a contract, and the vendor typically has about 60 days to begin construction; staff said the project should be ready in 2026.

Council later returned to item 8 (minutes) and approved the pulled meeting minutes by voice vote with no opposition. The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn, moved by Councilmember Behringer and seconded by Councilmember Matthews; the adjournment carried unanimously.

Votes at a glance

- Adopt agenda — Motion by Councilmember Matthews; second by Mayor Pro Tem Elmo Vance. Outcome: adopted by voice vote.
- Approve consent agenda (items 1–7) — Mover/second not specified in transcript; Outcome: approved by voice vote; item 8 pulled for separate action.
- Approve minutes (consent item 8, pulled) — Motion and second recorded in the meeting; Outcome: approved unanimously by voice vote.
- Adjournment — Motion by Councilmember Behringer; second by Councilmember Matthews. Outcome: adopted unanimously.

Clarifying detail

Staff said playground construction (if contract awarded) typically begins within about 60 days of contract execution and the project is expected to be ready in 2026.","At its Oct. 7 meeting the Garner Town Council adopted the meeting agenda, approved consent agenda items 1–7, and later approved previously pulled minutes (item 8) unanimously. Council discussed a playground bid timeline for White Deer Park/Cloosier Playground.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Garner launches strategic‑plan refresh to set five‑year priorities; public engagement planned

Garner selects consultant for transportation plan update; council to consider contract Oct. 21

Residents press Garner council for full‑time affordable‑housing staff; task force resumes work

Garner council adopts agenda, approves consent items and minutes; consent item on playground bid discussion noted