Advisory committee plans slide deck to brief new council members on pedestrian and bike projects

Committee members discussed preparing a slide deck to educate new City Council members about pedestrian and bicycle projects that could be at risk during a tight budget year. The Chair said staff and volunteers will draft an initial deck for the September meeting, with the goal of presenting final materials to Council at the October quarterly update so that councilors understand longstanding projects and the work behind them.

Members recommended prioritizing projects rather than labeling everything as critical, suggesting tiered buckets (high/medium/low) so Council can focus on the most essential projects. Examples mentioned for top priority included the Mascoma River Greenway extension, while projects like the Hanover Street roundabout were suggested as lower priority in the event of cuts.