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Takoma Park council debates two-year Community Connectors pilot amid concerns about sustainability and measurement
Summary
The council reviewed a National League of Cities-supported Community Connectors program and a proposed two-year contracted community engagement specialist funded at $75,000/year. Councilmembers pressed staff for metrics, clearer role scope, and transition plans should the pilot end.
National League of Cities presenter Lourdes Aceves told the Takoma Park City Council that the Community Engagement Academy work has identified a gap between occasional outreach and embedded, consistent engagement. NLC advised that cities lacking dedicated capacity often benefit from a staff coordinator to translate plans into sustained practice.
“Someone has to own that for it to happen,” Aceves said, arguing a dedicated community engagement position can help build internal procedures, close feedback loops, and coordinate cross-departmental engagement practices.
Staff proposed hiring a community engagement specialist on an initial two-year contract funded at $75,000 per year, drawing on $150,000 the council previously budgeted. Ryan Kelly (communications and community engagement) described the program’s four objectives—internal alignment, regular community visits, building a community organization network, and civic education—and a work plan for the pilot.
Public commenters who attended the meeting urged both caution and support: Randy Gibson criticized past engagement during the rent stabilization review and pressed for authentic, sustained outreach; Karen Elridge (Community Vision) asked the council to protect petition signatories; Adrienne Tilton (Tommy’s Pantry) voiced support, reporting positive experience with the NLC cohort.
Council debate focused on three central concerns: whether a temporary two-year contract can produce durable change, how to measure progress, and what exactly the contracted specialist should do. Mayor Searcy, and several council members, emphasized that the consultant must prioritize building SOPs, training, and tools that permanent staff can sustain if funding is not continued.
Council members asked staff to return with clearer metrics that would demonstrate progress in two years (for example, measures of bidirectional input that influence staff decisions), a plan for knowledge transfer to departments, and clarification of how the proposed position would coordinate with existing committees and staff (economic development, HCD, public works, recreation). Several councilmembers also suggested the role be reframed as a change-management or technical-assistance role rather than solely an outward-facing ambassador.
Staff said recruitment could begin on council direction and recommended carrying the $150,000 into FY27 to fund the initial two-year effort; they also proposed another work session the following week and a resolution for council consideration. The council scheduled additional discussion and asked for edits to the work plan before a possible July 29 vote on a draft resolution.
