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Takoma Park to pursue National League of Cities community engagement academy before full Community Connectors rollout
Summary
City staff said Takoma Park was accepted to the National League of Cities Community Engagement Academy and will use the 12‑month program to craft a plan for the Community Connectors initiative; staff recommended delaying full implementation until NLC completes a work plan and possible pilot.
City staff told the Takoma Park City Council that the city was accepted into the National League of Cities (NLC) Community Engagement Academy—one of six selected municipalities—and outlined a 12‑month program that will run through September 2026. Ryan Kelly, director of communications and the city’s NLC team lead, said the city had allocated $200,000 in ARPA funds to launch the initiative and included $150,000 in the FY26 general fund budget for next steps.
Kelly said the city had previously engaged a nonprofit partner, Impact Silver Spring, but that organization withdrew. The NLC program and a technical assistance partner (Cocellians Group) will help Takoma Park complete a landscape assessment, collect qualitative and quantitative data, and develop a community engagement strategy and implementation plan. The stated aims include building durable communication practices and repairing trust with historically underrepresented residents.
Councilmembers asked whether the program will prioritize resident connectors in multifamily buildings or focus on strengthening external organizations; staff said the NLC process is expected to clarify the best structure and could recommend a combination. Council also discussed whether to pilot a smaller piece of the program sooner and asked staff to confirm fiscal‑year timing for using the $150,000 allocation. Kelly said staff hopes to bring a city resolution on Oct. 29 to memorialize the council’s commitment to the NLC process and to seek direction on funding use and timing.
