Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the State Of The Penny topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee seeks direction on "State of the Penny" outline; staff to circulate plan after TPAC discussion had no quorum
Summary
Committee members discussed a staff-proposed outline for the 2024 "State of the Penny" presentation, asked for clearer direction on council involvement and timeline and requested staff circulate the outline and supporting materials; TPAC discussed the outline but did not take formal action because it lacked a quorum.
Members of the Transportation and Health Committee reviewed staff recommendations for the 2024 "State of the Penny" outline and discussed next steps for council involvement, public engagement and scheduling.
County staff told the committee they recommended following last year's format and inviting the same stakeholders, including the Department of Transportation, Richland County Economic Development, OSBO, The COMET and the Transportation Penny program. Staff said the Transportation Program Advisory Committee (TPAC) discussed the outline but did not have a quorum and therefore did not take a formal action or recommendation. "We did not have a quorum. We did not have a quorum for actionable items," a county staff member said. "It was discussed, but there was no action taken for a formal recommendation."
Why it matters: the "State of the Penny" event is a public-facing review of transportation investments funded by the county's transportation penny; how the county frames and times the presentation affects community outreach, stakeholder participation and communications work.
Committee concerns and next steps
Committee members said they want to be actively involved in planning the event and that council previously signaled a desire for more direct interaction with TPAC and stakeholders. Staff said communications has drafted an outline and shared it with TPAC for feedback but that the TPAC deadline passed without receiving substantive input. Staff warned that delaying direction could affect communications-production timelines and the feasibility of holding the event in February.
Committee members asked staff to circulate the full packet and the TPAC-facing outline so members could review and provide direction in February. Councilmember Mackie asked staff to send "the full report, the 2024 state of the penny outline that was shared with TPAC." Staff and the committee agreed that the committee would discuss a recommended approach in February and that the committee or full council could adopt a plan if desired.
No formal vote or adoption occurred at this meeting on the State of the Penny schedule or outline; the item remained a guidance-and-direction discussion.
Ending
Staff will circulate the communications outline and related packet materials to council offices. The committee will resume discussion in February to determine final event timing and the committee's role in stakeholder invitations and messaging.
