Town of Chapel Hill header
File #: [23-0246]    Version: 1 Name:
Type: Information Items Status: Filed
File created: 3/3/2023 In control: Town Council
On agenda: 3/22/2023 Final action: 3/22/2023
Title: Receive Report and Recommendations from the Gaps Analysis and Engagement Study.
Attachments: 1. Engagement Study Summary Report - March 2023
Related files: [19-0939], [19-0755], [23-0433]


title
Receive Report and Recommendations from the Gaps Analysis and Engagement Study.
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Staff:
Department:
Sarah Vinas, Director
Affordable Housing and Community Connections
Rebecca Buzzard, Community Connections Manager



Overview: This item provides an overview of the results of a Gaps Analysis and Engagement Study, a multi-phased process that engaged residents, community partners, and Town departments. The Study explores who is missing from Town engagement and identifies barriers to engagement. The Study also includes recommendation for how the Town can strengthen engagement efforts to align with the Town's equity goals and long-standing Council commitment to creating a vibrant and inclusive community. Following this information item, staff plan to return to Council in May for a work session discussion.


Recommendation(s):
That the Council receive this report in advance of a work session scheduled for May.

Overview of the Gaps Analysis and Engagement Study
Making meaningful progress towards the Town's goal of creating a vibrant and inclusive community requires that the Town center the voices of residents most impacted by Town decisions and engage historically marginalized populations in decision-making processes. Conducting a Gaps Analysis to identify populations that are under-engaged with the Town and completing an Engagement Study to deepen the Town's understanding of the reasons for under-engagement aligns with Town Council Goals, as well as our Community Connections Strategy, the Town's framework for equitable community engagement.

The Gaps Analysis and Engagement Study aims to identify populations in Chapel Hill that the Town is not reaching, deepen our understanding behind this historical lack of engagement, and identify recommendations for community engagement for the future, consistent with our equity and inclusion goals.

What We Learned
Through this Study, the project team identified populations that have been under-engaged by the Tow...

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