Stakeholder questionnaire finds gaps in downtown public‑space governance; two‑month working group proposed

Laura Phillips Edgecomb presented a stakeholder‑driven review of downtown public‑space stewardship and urged the committee to authorize a two‑month working period for participating organizations to develop coordinated governance, funding and activation recommendations.

Edgecomb said the questionnaire, sent to city departments, nonprofit stewards, venue operators and public safety agencies, identified three primary gaps: unclear role definitions and overlapping responsibilities, insufficient baseline funding and capacity for operations and maintenance, and insufficient coordinated marketing and activation to sustain consistent downtown vibrancy. "The key gaps we identified... was that there was a lack of clear role definition," Edgecomb told the committee.

She proposed a focused two‑month effort in which participating organizations would meet to build a shared 'who does what' model, propose a unified marketing and activation strategy, and identify sustainable funding and capacity solutions. Edgecomb invited additional organizations not on the initial list to participate.

Council members reacted positively: Councilmember Matt Carlucci called the initiative "one of the best things this committee will have done in a long time," and the chair asked staff to work with Edgecomb and return with proposed solutions at the committee’s March meeting. Committee members emphasized the need for an accountable operational lead and earlier attention from public safety and maintenance partners so the framework is actionable rather than purely conceptual.

Next steps: staff will convene the proposed working group, Edgecomb will lead stakeholder engagement, and the committee expects recommendations after the two‑month period for review and potential committee action.