2022 City Commission Annual Retreat - January 12, 2022
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2022 City Commission Annual Retreat
January 12, 2022
Executive Summary At the beginning of each year, the City Commission hosts an annual retreat to review accomplishments, progress towards strategic objectives, and provide focus for the year ahead. This year’s retreat will give the City Commission the latest annual update on the achievements within each of the seven priority areas of the City’s strategic plan including Economic Development, Impact on Poverty, Organizational Effectiveness, Public Infrastructure, Public Safety, Public Trust, and Quality of Life. Staff will provide updates on several of the City Commission’s strategic initiatives, including Southside Action Plan efforts, the results of the Tallahassee Emergency Assessment Mobile (TEAM) unit pilot program, progress on the development of the Clean Energy Plan, and new and emerging industries growing in Tallahassee. This discussion will serve as the second annual review of our 2020-2024 Strategic Plan, providing an opportunity to consider progress towards the City’s strategic goals and five-year targets. Southside Action Plan Efforts At the Commission’s direction during last year’s City Commission retreat, the City initiated the Southside Action Plan (SAP). The SAP seeks to encourage quality land development and redevelopment that improves amenities, services, and the quality of life for the Southside community. This action plan seeks to highlight local assets and organizations, the Southside culture, and residents to move the community forward in a way the community determines. To date, the robust community engagement strategy has input from over 1,400 citizens who live, work, learn, and worship on the Southside. This extensive community engagement has set the course of action currently being taken on beautification and investment, while ensuring the ongoing participation of Southside residents in the execution of projects. Community Resilience The City continues to implement proactive and preventative solutions to ensure the resilience, strength, and safety of the community. Some of these efforts include engaging disconnected youth through the TEMPO program and assisting those with mental health needs through the newly created Tallahassee Emergency Assessment Mobile unit (TEAM) program. Since the creation of the TEMPO program the City has engaged 1,500 of the 7,000 disconnected youth in the City providing a pathway to essential services, vocational education opportunities, and workforce training. With 50% of participants having a previous offense, the program continues to maintain a 0% recidivism rate among participants. Like TEMPO, the TEAM unit has been a success since its activation in March 2021. To date, the unit has assisted over 772 individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. These programs, along with all the City’s community policing efforts, have played a role in reducing the community’s overall crime rate, from the previous year, by 20.4%. Job Creation The City Commission has set a strategic focus on attracting new and emerging industries to Tallahassee as part of the priority of advancing the City as a competitive, innovative, and sustainable regional economic hub. In 2021, Tallahassee attracted over $840 million in project investment, targeted to bring more than 5,000 new jobs to our City. These projects include an Amazon Robotics Fulfillment Center, new hotels, and multiple small and mid-size
projects including residential and commercial development. Additionally, the City continues to
work towards increasing the Tallahassee International Airport’s economic impact on
our community. The City has completed the design for an International Passenger
Processing Facility which will expand the ability to recruit and develop air service. Construction
will begin this year. Additionally, the project moves the City forward in establishing a Foreign
Trade Zone at the Airport, which will position Tallahassee as a global destination for direct
international trade.
Looking Ahead
Fiscal Year 2021 was a year of both progress and immense challenges for the City of
Tallahassee. The City is making significant strides towards its goals and objectives after
only two years of the 2020-2024 Strategic Plan. Some of these accomplishments include:
• Recognized as the #1 Public Utility in America by the American Public Power
Association (APPA).
• Recognized as one of only five cities in the world to achieve a Gold level designation for
LEED certification.
• Attained the National Association of Fleet Administrators’ Government Green Fleet
Award.
• Achieved first place in the Florida Law Enforcement Traffic Safety Challenge for best
overall safety program aimed at reducing traffic crashes, serious injuries and fatalities.
• Completed FAMU Way providing a safe, multi-modal connection from Lake Bradford
Road to Monroe Street. This nearly decade-long project, with an investment of roughly
47.5 million, created a new east-west connection and transformed the corridor into the
most beautiful roadway in Tallahassee.
• Constructed the Weems Road Extension and Weems Road PASS project to eliminate
localized flooding, enhance mobility options and connect area trails.
Staff is pressing forward in the face of global and national challenges. The City of Tallahassee
— a family of nearly 3,000 public servants — has managed many new challenges and is
delivering best-in-class service. Our staff has adapted continuously to find new ways to serve
Tallahassee and remain committed to our mission — to be the national leader in the delivery of
public service.
Full Retreat Materials Outline
Executive Summary
2021 Year in Review
I. Economic Development
a. Job Creation
II. Impact on Poverty
III. Organizational Effectiveness
IV. Public Infrastructure
a. Southside Action Plan Update
b. Clean Energy Plan
V. Public Safety
a. TEAM Unit
VI. Public Trust
VII. Quality of Life
VIII. Appendix
2021 Year in Review I. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Goal: To advance the City of Tallahassee as a competitive, innovative, and sustainable regional economic hub. Significant strides were made in Fiscal Year 2021 to advance the City of Tallahassee as a competitive, innovative and sustainable regional economic hub. The City maintained its competitive posture as a vibrant community for economic investment. Efforts are underway for economic recovery and growth through optimizing the permitting process, strengthening public infrastructure, offering attractive incentive packages, and fostering new private development. These actions are promoting a strong outlook for economic growth and job creation. Job Creation A variety of public and private projects are set to enhance economic development opportunities in Tallahassee. The North Monroe Street landscape is changing as the City of Tallahassee prepares the Northwood Centre site for redevelopment. This site is the future home of the new Public Safety Campus, a key component of the roughly 29.5-acre parcel redevelopment. The site presents opportunities for new green space, community amenities, and other economic development projects. Demolition began in summer 2020, the first step in the evolution of the space to better serve residents. In August, the company Amazon announced plans to locate a new robotics fulfillment center on the east side of our community. According to an economic impact analysis conducted by the FSU Center for Economic Forecasting and Analysis, this project could create a total of 3,600 new jobs, $167.6 million in wages and approximately $451 million in local economic impact for the Tallahassee area. Wages at this facility will start at $15 an hour. The decision by Amazon to locate a distribution and fulfillment center in the Tallahassee region comes after the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency Board approved approximately $2.5 million in incentives through the Office of Economic Vitality’s Targeted Business Program to support the company’s expansion. A month earlier, the City Commission voted to sell two adjacent properties in downtown Tallahassee. The Johns Block on South Duval Street and the Chevron Block on South Bronough Street will each be sold for $4 million, for a total of $8 million. Together, they comprise 5.09 acres. Development plans include building new hotels in two phases, which combined would employ roughly 250 people all earning more than minimum wage. Other achievements this year include $200,000 invested to improve eight commercial properties as part of the Greater Frenchtown/Southside Business Facility Improvement Program, the completion of three brownfield assessments in the South Monroe Corridor area for affordable housing projects, and approval of the PowerTLH pilot program that will create standalone electric vehicle charging stations for commercial use.
Additionally, the City is making progress towards achieving the objectives below.
Objective 1A: Enhance and modernize infrastructure to enable capacity for growth.
• Invested $11.6 million in stormwater capacity enhancements to mitigate flooding and
improve water quality in the urban service area.
• Upgraded 7.7 miles of aging wastewater pipes.
• Supported the development of a 252-space public parking garage in Cascades Park through
the CRA.
• Installed more than 40 electric vehicle (EV) chargers to assist with the City’s growing EV
fleet.
• Approved PowerTLH pilot program for four standalone EV charging stations for
commercial use to be located equitably across the City.
• Completed three brownfield assessments in the South Monroe Corridor and vicinity for
affordable housing projects.
• Invested $200,000 via the Greater Frenchtown/Southside (GFS) Business Facility
Improvement Program in FY20/21 to reduce blight within the CRA district, impacting
eight properties to date.
Objective 1B: Solicit opportunity for new and emerging industries to locate in Tallahassee.
• Allocated $2.6 million in OEV funds to provide a competitive incentive package for the
Amazon Fulfilment Center which is anticipated to create 3,602 jobs and $451.1 million in
economic impact.
o Demonstrated the City’s ample capacity, superior reliability, and competitive utility
rates, resulting in the selection of Tallahassee for the Amazon Fulfilment Center.
• Initiated the purchase and sale agreement of the Chevron and Johns parcels on W. Gaines
Street for future development
o This sale will facilitate the development of two luxury hotels projected to bring 250
jobs to the downtown area all paying above minimum wage.
• Completed all permitting for the $70 million 4Forty North Project on North Monroe Street,
a private, mixed-use development with 247 residential units and 14,000 square feet of retail
space.
o Completion of construction is anticipated for December 2023.
Objective 1C: Increase Tallahassee International Airport’s economic impact on the region.
• TLH airport total passenger traffic increased 23.4 percent and total cargo volume
increased 3.7 percent from 2020 to 2021.
• Total acres leased at TLH from 2020 to 2021 increased by 24 acres for a total of 524
acres leased.
• Completed the design phase and awarded the construction contract for the International
Passenger Processing Facility. Construction on this project is scheduled to commence in
March 2022. This project is a precursor to establishing a nine-county Foreign Trade
Zone, which is anticipated to create more than 1,600 jobs and generate more than $304.7
million annually in economic impact. Additional Airport improvement projects underway
include the following:
o The Terminal Rehabilitation Phase III. Construction is anticipated to begin in
March 2022.
o The Passenger Boarding Bridge Rehabilitation. Construction is anticipated to begin
in March 2022.
o The Perimeter Fence and Gate Rehabilitation, with preconstruction activities
underway.
o The Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Station Improvements, with preconstruction
activities underway.
o The Rental Car Service Facility construction anticipated to begin in FY22.
o The Air Traffic Control Tower Improvements, to be finished in March 2022.
• Implemented new technology for automated aircraft billing and fee collection, which is
projected to generate over $1.4 million in new revenues over the next five years.
II. IMPACT ON POVERTY
Goal: To be a leading community partner that actively connects residents to resources that remove
economic and social barriers.
This year, the City continued to pull together as a community to tackle the impacts of the pandemic
while also remaining relentlessly focused on mitigating the impact of poverty on our residents.
Through the TEMPO and TFLA programs, virtual job fairs, the City’s urban farm, and the
development of new mental health programs, we are actively connecting residents to essential
resources. At the City Commission’s direction, the City also invested significant funding in
addressing housing and human service needs.
Objective 2A: Support education, training, and job readiness for target populations.
• Established the TEMPO Foundation to raise funds that will continue to grow the program.
o There are over 1,500 participants in the TEMPO Program. We are 70% of the way
to our target of connecting 2,100 local disconnected youth
• Accepted a donation in the amount of $12,000 from Prime Meridian Bank to benefit the
Tallahassee Future Leaders’ Academy.
• Hosted virtual job fairs attracting approximately 340 participants.
• Assisted 70 TEMPO participants in obtaining their GED certificates, the largest cohort thus
far. The graduating class included its first married couple and a first-generation Native
American.
• Continued to provide employment opportunities and job training to individuals re-joining
society.
o Hosted over 532 individuals since the inception of the City’s Department of
Corrections Re-Entry Program with a success-completion rate of over 70%.
o Hired 80 past participants to-date for full-time positions across various City
departments.
• Employed and trained local youth through the TFLA program. Ensured the continuation of
the program by facilitating digital participation.
• Created the Student Transportation for Academics and Responsibilities (STAR) Program
to promote, track, and enhance the free bus service to our area’s K-12 students.
Objective 2B: Rehabilitate and enhance the existing housing inventory to reduce the cost of living.
• Allocated more than $6.3 million in ARP funding for down payment assistance grants to
create affordable housing units.
• Awarded $2.8 million in residential and commercial energy efficiency loans to 371
recipients.
• Allocated over $2 million for residential façade improvement grants for 100 homes within
the Greater Bond Neighborhood, up to $17,000 per home.
• Issued over $840,000 in financial assistance through the CARES Housing Assistance
Program and provided 234 residents with homeless prevention in the form of rent/utility
payments and 193 residents with housing and eviction prevention counseling.
• Awarded $111,000 in grants to 283 recipients for ceiling insulation, HVAC, and leak
repairs.
• Awarded 20 down payment assistant grants to homebuyers, helping more families achieve
a pathway to homeownership.
• Provided emergency repairs to 176 homes, which is over one-third of the strategic plan’s
target.
• Impacted 1,400 housing units to-date through rehabilitation and enhancement initiatives.
Objective 2C: Facilitate and encourage the construction of affordable housing units.
• Increased the future stock of affordable housing by 1,036 units, including 700 proposed or
under review, 240 permitted, and 96 under construction.
• Enhanced marketing and outreach efforts since the amendment of the Canopy Inclusionary
Housing Agreement, resulting in a 300% improvement in housing development and sales.
o Prompted the construction and/or sale of all 67 inclusionary housing units and the
development of 10 additional homes.
o Enabled the construction of 29 additional non-inclusionary units and the sale of all
of them below the area’s average sales price, increasing the overall stock of
affordable units.
• Approved the construction of six single-family homes for low-to-moderate income
residents through the City’s New Home Infill Program as directed by the CRA Board.
o Units will be built on City-owned lots in the Greater Frenchtown/Southside District.
• Leveraged $3.5 million in City and CRA funds to secure $57 million in additional financing
for Phase 1 and 2 of the Orange Ave Housing Complex.
• Directed $3.1 million of ARP funds towards homelessness outreach/prevention and legal
services for low-income residents facing evictions, foreclosures, or unemployment
compensation appeals.
• Partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build two three-bedroom, two-bathroom homes
that were presented in June 2021. The City is also sponsoring a third home that will be
finished this fall.
• Completed the inaugural year of the Community Land Trust (CLT) -- established operating
frameworks, obtained training for formal CLT designation, and planned the first initial
projects.
o Held groundbreaking ceremony for the first CLT home – one of nine new single-
family homes, duplexes, and townhomes slated for construction this year.
• Completed the inaugural year of the Affordable Home Construction Loan Program with
seven applications successfully submitted, five approved and awarded, and 18 currently in
progress.
o Of five homes approved/under construction, one is Florida’s first 3D printed house.
Objective 2D: Support community health and wellness initiatives.
• Piloted the City Farm TLH – an urban farm and entrepreneurial training program. The first
cohort had 11 participants.
• Partnered with Second Harvest to distribute food boxes to Southside Farmers Market
patrons and through direct neighborhood outreach distribution.
o Provided more than 22 tons of nutritious food to families in need to-date.
• Allocated over $1.9 million of City/County ARP funding to address food insecurity,
vaccine hesitancy, mental health triage, and coordinate access to free and low-cost service
providers.
• Launched a new Neighborhood-Based Mental Health Pilot Program that provides residents
with three free one-on-one counseling sessions to foster neighborhood resiliency and public
safety.III. ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS
Goal: To be an impact-focused workforce that is inclusive, pioneering, and technology-driven.
The City prevailed in maintaining an excellent level of service during the pandemic thanks to the
work ethic of our employees, our ability to innovate and drive process improvements, and our
consistent performance in strong financial management. We proposed a balanced FY22 budget
with a compensation package responsive to the City Commission’s direction. In a currently tight
labor market, the proposed pay plan will ensure that the City continues to attract and retain the
best talent needed to sustain our mission.
Objective 3A: Attract, develop, and support the best talent.
• Recommended a FY22 Pay Plan aligned with the City’s commitment to ensure our
employees are properly compensated and the City remain well-positioned to attract and
retain top talent.
o Accomplished an 11.7% increase in take-home pay for employees making up to
$31,200 with family health coverage and a 9.0% increase in FlexBucks for all
employees
o Included a 4.5% raise across-the-board with a guaranteed minimum of $2,500
salary increase for all employees earning less than $55,555
o Proposed a move of 93 OPS staff to full-time employment and shifting of all full-
time employees to $15 per hour in FY22 and all temporary employees by FY26.
• Selected as 1 of 12 cities in the world to receive leading global training by Bloomberg
Philanthropies and the Center for Public Impact at no cost for a group of City employees
across the organization.
• Reduced the median amount of time to fill a position, from advertisement to offer, by 4.4
days.
• Achieved the Nation’s Best and Brightest in Wellness Program designation by the National
Association for Business Resources for the City’s innovation in health & wellness
initiatives.
• Hired 60 interns for the 2020-2021 session of the City’s Internship Program.
Objective 3B: Leverage technology to deliver faster, more convenient services.
• Recognized as a 2020 Top 10 Digital City by Government Technology.
• Deployed the first COT web-based chat room on Talgov.com for utility customers to
quickly have their questions answered.
• Automated grantee payments through an online portal structure that streamlines and
automates the payment process.
o Leveraged this new feature to process CARES Rental Assistance Grantee payments
as part of direct relief efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Introduced new “Business to Government” pages on Talgov.com to provide improved and
streamlined information on the City’s Procurement Services Division.• Implemented a self-service Supplier Portal that allows City’s 7,900 suppliers to register
and update their profile information online which eliminates several manual, time-
consuming processes for staff.
• Developed a Fleet Management Dashboard where internal customers can view and analyze
the performance of their fleet vehicle.
Objective 3C: Map, analyze, and improve all work processes.
• Obtained Top 20 status as one of the “100 Best Fleets in the Americas.”
• Named one of the top 50 Leading Fleets by both the Government Fleet Magazine and the
American Public Works Association.
• Received a Blue Seal Certification from the National Institute of Automotive Service
Excellence.
• Implemented an invoice importer tool to route vendor invoices for approval and processing.
All invoices, 3,600 per month, are now received and processed electronically and are
completely paperless.
• Processed CARES Rental Assistance Grantee payments using an online portal structure,
streamlining, and automating the payment process for grant recipients.
• Automated routing and approval of accounting journal entries that were previously
prepared manually. This fully electronic process has resulted in a time savings of
approximately 50%, the cost savings of this new process is roughly $26,000 per year.
Objective 3D: Maintain the City’s strong financial standing and fiscal stewardship practices.
• Awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the
Government Finance Officers Association for the 39th year in the row.
• Honored with the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from GFOA.
• Earned reaffirmation of the City’s financial standing by the national credit rating agencies
with AA bond ratings for our utilities and general government bonds.
• Received an ‘Unmodified Opinion’ on its 2020 Annual Financial Report (AFR), the highest
opinion that auditors can express on an organization’s financial statements.
• Proposed a balanced budget while maintaining the property tax rate at 4.1 mills, the
lowest millage rate of the 25 largest cities in Florida.
• Awarded $82 million in City-wide grants in 2021 as compared to $56 million in the prior
year which far exceeds the Strategic Plan target of 5%.
• Secured a $20,000 grant award by the Florida Association for Career and Technical
Education to construct a gas utility apprentice training facility.
• Awarded $24.1 million in federal funding under CARES, CRRSAA, and ARPA for
StarMetro’s operating and capital assistance.
• Recovered over $14 million in prior storm expenses during FY21.• Secured approximately $1.3 million from the Florida Department of Transportation for the
FY2022 State Public Transit Block Grant.
• Secured $250,000 in state funding to further advance the TEMPO and TFLA programs.
IV. PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE
Goal: To be the leading publicly owned utility that supports a growing and progressive community.
This year, the City of Tallahassee was one of only five cities in the world to achieve the highest
designation for LEED certification and remains the only municipality to have received the best
public electric utility award twice. Maintaining its standing as a leader in the delivery of public
service, the City continues to prioritize sustainability and resilience as our community grows.
In addition to completing and advancing on the projects highlighted below, at the direction of the
City Commission, the City initiated the Southside Action Plan (SAP).
Southside Action Plan Update
The Southside Action Plan (SAP) will ensure Tallahassee’s Southside offers the amenities,
services, and quality of life that the community envisions. With over 37,000 residents,
Tallahassee’s Southside makes up over 22 square miles of established neighborhoods, distinctive
landscape, and active community centers and parks. Located in close proximity to downtown
Tallahassee and the Florida State Capitol, about 81% of its boundary falls within the City limits
and 19% in unincorporated Leon County (see Figure 1).
Figure 1 – Map of SAP Boundary
The SAP is part of the overall Tallahassee-Leon
County Comprehensive Plan, which translates
community values into public policy to guide the
economic, social, physical, and environmental
development of the community. To meet the
objectives of the Southside Action Plan, staff took
a holistic approach to understanding the area by
reviewing past related plans; evaluating its natural
environment; learning about its rich history; and
implementing a robust community engagement
strategy that gathered input from over 1,400
citizens who live, work, learn, and worship on the Southside.
A Vibrant Community
The SAP draws upon the strengths that already exist within the Southside Community. The
Southside has many community assets such as its neighborhoods, businesses, attractions, history,
culture, and community building blocks (e.g., grocery stores, recreation facilities, library, K-12schools). From community leaders to entrepreneurs, FAMU alumni, and multi-generational
families, the Southside has a talent pool with deeply rooted community connections. These
community assets are contributing to moving the Southside forward.
A Shared Vision
After engaging with the Southside community, a collective vision emerged from the feedback
shared by citizens–beautification, investment, and engaged and active citizens. In addition to short-
term relief and long-term development projects underway in the Southside, progress is also being
made through citizens investing their time, energy, and resources into driving community
improvements. Citizen participation is key to shaping the future of the Southside. The SAP seeks
to guide policy while building upon citizen participation to drive meaningful action that aligns
with the needs of the Southside Community.
A Commitment to Action
To continue to activate the Southside, the Southside Action Plan outlines a new approach for
advancing community progress based on an immediate, short-term, and long-term framework. The
concept recognizes that community progress is a balance between providing relief to immediate
needs, and long-term investments, which requires building community trust, and taking short-term,
restorative actions that produce visible results. One key finding from the SAP engagement efforts
was that there is an opportunity to focus on smaller, citizen-initiated rehabilitation projects that
can be implemented quickly to achieve community improvements. While citizen engagement is
essential, the success of these projects will require collaborative investment and full participation
by community stakeholders such as businesses, non-profits, and governing bodies.
Figure 2 - Examples of Short-Term Projects Happening on the Ground Now
Location: Tartary Dr Pond & Trail Location: Perkins Way in Greater Location: Providence Neighborhood
Project: Landscaping & Maintenance Bond Neighborhood Project: Providence Neighborhood
Status: Completed - City UUPI Project: Sidewalk Construction Week
Status: In Progress - Neighborhood Status: Completed – Providence and
Affairs and City UUPI City/County Partners
The next step of the Southside Action Plan is to continue building upon the current relief and
development work happening in the Southside while identifying community rehabilitation projectsthat could be implemented in the future. More information on this Southside Action Plan Update
is available in the enclosed Appendix.
Clean Energy Plan
The City of Tallahassee’s services are guided by our Clean Energy Resolution. Adopted in 2019,
the Resolution formalizes the City’s commitment to energy sustainability and sets aggressive goals
to reinvent Tallahassee's energy future by mid-century, including:
1. City facilities to be 100% renewable by 2035.
2. City-owned, light-duty vehicles and StarMetro mainline busses to be 100% electric by
2035.
Last year, staff continued the development of a Clean Energy Plan (CEP). The CEP is expected
to be completed this year. The City has made significant progress towards transitioning all City
facilities, fleet, and mass transit vehicles to renewable or electric power, including:
• City Solar Energy: The City’s two large solar fields generate 62-megawatts of solar power
and together remain the largest airport-based solar farm in the world. Today, all City
buildings are powered through solar energy. Additionally, the City employs a variety of
alternative energy solutions, including rooftop solar photovoltaic installations and solar
thermal water heaters.
• City Fleet Transition: To date, 9% of the City’s light-duty fleet is electric with 25%
anticipated by 2024.
• StarMetro Transition: The City currently has 21 all-electric buses, positioning FSU as one
of the first universities in the country to be served by all-electric buses.
• Electric Vehicle Charging Stations: The City Commission approved the development of
the PowerTLH electric vehicle (EV) charging station program which will bring public EV
charging stations to multiple locations throughout the City. PowerTLH will focus
on access to low- and moderate-income residents, destination charging, and proximity to
I-10 and evacuation routes.
In 2022, staff will finalize the CEP community outreach and the Energy Integrated Resource
Planning (EIRP) study. The EIRP study will help identify viable technologies and policies
supporting clean energy, specific to the City’s existing infrastructure. The community outreach
informs the results of the EIRP study by defining what approach residents want the City to pursue.
Results from community outreach and EIRP study will shape the City’s Clean Energy Plan
roadmap.
In addition to the Southside Action Plan and Clean Energy Plan, the City has made great
progress on other objectives within the Public Infrastructure priority area.Objective 4A: Be a leader in utility service delivery.
• Awarded the prestigious 2021 E.F. Scattergood System Achievement Award from the
American Public Power Association (APPA) in recognition of the City Utilities.
• Presented 2021 Continued Excellence Award from APPA for outstanding contributions
to the Demonstration of Energy and Efficiency Developments (DEED) program.
• Earned a Diamond-level designation for the second consecutive year – the highest
recognition awarded by the APPA’s Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3) program.
• Placed the first and longest (12-month) moratorium on utility disconnections in the state as
a courtesy to customers to assist during the pandemic.
o Launched an extensive communications campaign to inform customers of
forthcoming disconnections including (but not limited to) the following outreach
efforts:
§ Sent over 200,000 emails, texts, and outbound calls
§ Mailed 14,000 letters
§ Delivered 5,224 doorhangers
§ Disseminated public notices via eight media outlets
o Offered 28,027 residential customers pay plans, extensions, and payment
arrangements.
o Connected over 3,200 customers to more than $3.4 million in available financial
assistance via CACCA, Leon County Cares, and the State’s OUR Florida program.
Objective 4B: Be a leader in environmental stewardship.
• Recognized as a Gold level LEED-certified City by the U.S. Green Building Council for
demonstrated excellence in environmental stewardship, sustainability and resilience.
• Attained the Government Green Fleet Award from the National Association of Fleet
Administrators (NAFA), taking 39th place out of 100 fleets.
• Honored with the 2021 FAC J. Bryan Cooper Environmental Award for the solar farm
development at the Tallahassee International Airport.
• Developed and adopted the Green Building Policy which implements healthy, green,
sustainable, energy efficient, and resilient building standards for new construction.
• Ensured the continued viability of the City’s recycling program by negotiating a new five-
year contract with Marpan Recycling for single-stream recycling services.
• Increased the percentage of electric, hybrid electric, and CNG vehicles within inventory of
City’s Light Duty Fleet to 8%, for a total of 72 vehicles.
• Reduced total greenhouse gas emissions by 69,996 tons of CO2 from 2019 to 2020.
• Continued to reduce Sanitary Sewer Overflows caused by Fats, Roots, Rags, Oils and
Grease (FRROG) in the water waste system to 20 overflows, an 88% decrease over the
past 13 years.• Joined the Apalachee Regional Resilience Collaborative to provide the City an opportunity
to work with its neighboring counties to help move the region toward greater resilience.
• Continued the development of the City’s Clean Energy Plan which included community-
wide public engagement.
o Obtained input from over 2,400 online survey respondents and 300 participants
through virtual information sessions held across the City.
• Conducted seven (7) brownfield assessments and cleanup projects, advancing the
development of FAMU Way, affordable housing units, and the proposed hotels by the
Valencia Hotel Group.
Objective 4C: Ensure safe and clean drinking water.
• Achieved an 86% on time transit performance rate, 4% away from our 90% target.
• Surpassed all water quality regulations established by the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Florida
Department of Health.
• Implemented the automated, real-time water consumption analytics tool to alert utility
account holders of water consumption anomalies.
o In FY21, 4,967 notifications have been sent to 2,933 distinct account holders to-
date via one or more of phone/email/text.
• Developed the 2021 Water Quality Report which informs customers how the City routinely
monitors for over 80 containments and continuously meets all drinking water requirements.
Objective 4D: Enhance the city’s network of roads, bike lanes, and sidewalks.
• Completed the multi-use world class roadway FAMU Way (Phases 1-3) providing a
connection from Lake Bradford Road all the way to the Monroe Street corridor.
• Began the design phase for the Zillah Street Pedestrian and Street Safety (PASS) project
which will improve pedestrian connectivity and create a new sidewalk and multi-use trail.
Construction is expected to begin in the Fall of 2021.
• Contributed to the implementation of street enhancement projects on the Southside,
including $1.1 million in Saxon Street Improvements and a $375,000 in Gamble Street
Improvements.
• Fixed 4,847 trip and fall hazards in FY2021 to date, 51,233 since the program started in
2017.
Objective 4E: Ensure public transit is accessible, efficient, and equitable.
• Implemented Smart Passes, which improve the way StarMetro riders purchase tickets as
these can be reloaded on-line or at an in-person ticket vending machine.
• Installed new Fareboxes and automated passenger counters on all fixed-route buses.• Implemented a Mobile fare application (Moovit) which offers a one-stop approach for
customers to purchase fares and plan their trip.
• Conducted community engagement, environmental analysis, and design of the South City
Transit Center. Construction is slated for completion in 2022.
• Completed a feasibility study for redevelopment of C.K. Steele Plaza as a multi-modal
transportation hub.
• Implemented a safe and highly utilized micro-mobility program resulting in 137,715 e-
scooter rides between October 1, 2020 and August 23, 2021, offering an affordable,
alternate form of transit.
V. PUBLIC SAFETY
Goal: To be a safe, resilient, and inclusive community.
The City’s commitment to community-centered policing, and citizen and youth engagement
continues to boost the public safety of the community. In 2020, City programs, along with all the
City’s community policing efforts, played a role in reducing the community’s overall crime rate,
from the previous year, by 20.4%. This is a testament to the hard work of the Police Department
and first responders as well as proactive and preventative efforts such as the TEMPO program.
Over the past year, the City placed special emphasis on mental health services to better equip first
responders when responding to calls where an individual is experiencing a mental health crisis. As
a result, the Tallahassee Emergency Assessment Mobile unit (TEAM) was created to assist in these
situations. This service frees up personnel to respond to other emergencies. Below is a highlight
of the TEAM unit’s impact.
Tallahassee Emergency Assessment Mobile Unit (TEAM)
The underlying cause of many public health and safety risks can be traced back to what mental
health professionals have termed as adverse childhood/community experiences (ACEs). These
adverse events and stressors can lead to mental illnesses and often send ripple effects that impact
neighborhoods, schools, the workplace, and the broader community. Untreated mental illness can
increase exposure to violent experiences that burden emergency response services and continue
the cycles of trauma.
From June 1, 2020, to June 1, 2021, the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) responded to more
than 1,891 calls for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis, representing a 15.6% increase
from the previous year. While many TPD officers are trained in dealing with individuals
experiencing a mental health crisis, they are not always best equipped to deal with the myriad
service requests that come through the 9-1-1 Consolidated Dispatch Agency.In September 2020, the City Commission directed staff to implement initiatives in response to the emergent mental health needs during the COVID-19 pandemic while advancing the City’s long- term strategic priority of building a safe, resilient, and inclusive community. In March, the pilot Tallahassee Emergency Assessment Mobile unit (TEAM) was launched to redirect calls for nonviolent, mental health crises away from law enforcement to a designated response team of trained first responders and clinicians. The TEAM consists of a licensed mental health professional (LMHP), a Tallahassee Fire Department Paramedic or Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), and a certified Crisis Intervention Trained (CIT) TPD officer in Class D uniform (a less formal uniform consisting of an official polo shirt and khaki pants) dispatched non- violent 9-1-1 calls for service. This multidisciplinary team is capable of immediate mobilization and response comprised of distinct but integrated components, all of which serve a specific function in providing mental health crisis services. The overall goal is to assess the individual and develop a safety or crisis plan. This may include providing or facilitating stabilization services, supportive crisis counseling, education, development of coping skills, linkage to appropriate resources and, if needed, connection to intensive mental health and substance abuse services. Within the first hour of activation, the unit was dispatched to a crisis call. The TEAM unit operates Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to streamline responses to mental health crisis calls while maintaining the police department’s operational capacity to respond to other emergencies. Since the pilot launched, the TEAM unit has responded to 772 individuals experiencing a mental health crisis with the following outcomes summarized below. In October 2021, the City was awarded a $250,000 Department of Justice (DOJ) Community Policing Development grant to expand the crisis intervention team over the next two years. The grant does not require a match from the City and will allow the TEAM Unit to increase coverage of enhanced on-site crisis intervention with two active units at a time. It will also allow the TEAM Unit to expand its operating time to include the weekend, thus increasing the level of response for other public safety calls by freeing up TPD and TFD emergency response units. Staff continues to troubleshoot logistical challenges that will impact the phased expansion, such as the limited availability of licensed professional clinicians, coordination of police and fire overtime personnel across varying shifts, and City-County coordination. The pilot unit has relied on voluntary police and fire roster on overtime shifts. However, similar programs around the country have a dedicated team that trains together and responds together as their full-time responsibility. During the initial implementation, services were dedicated to calls received within the City limits only. The TEAM unit soon encountered situations where individuals in the County limits needed real-time access to mental health intervention services. To avoid confusion with our peer County agencies, and to serve as many residents as possible, TPD and the Leon County Sheriff’s Department have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding allowing the TEAM unit to cross
the City jurisdiction line to respond to individuals experiencing a mental health episode. Following
the City’s pilot, the Sheriff’s Department also launched a mental health crisis response unit in
December 2021. Their program will embed a mental health professional with a certified CIT
deputy to respond together during the deputy’s shift from morning to midnight. City staff continues
to communicate with the Sheriff’s office to collaborate on efforts to enhance mental health services
throughout the community.
In addition to the creation of the TEAM unit, the City has done other important work in
improving Public Safety. Please see below.
Objective 5A: Implement proactive community-based solutions to enhance public safety.
• Piloted a new mental health response unit, the Tallahassee Emergency Assessment Mobile
(TEAM), to provide a multidisciplinary approach to address non-violent 9-1-1 calls.
o Provided critical services to 213 individuals experiencing mental health crisis
within the first four months of its operation.
• Launched the Community Service Technician (CST) program – a team of non-sworn
employees who assist the community and sworn officers with non-priority calls for service.
• Joined the Statewide Handle with Care Program in partnership with Leon County Schools
to provide trauma intervention to students identified by officers at the scene of a significant
event.
o The program is slated to launch at the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year.
• Purchased the Titi Convenience Store at 2021 Holton Street through the CRA to address
crime issues reported by the Bond Neighborhood First Community Action Team.
o Bond residents will be engaged to determine uses that benefit the community.
Objective 5B: Crime prevention through effective policing and public awareness campaigns.
• Reached 1,500 disconnected youth to-date through the TEMPO program, providing a
pathway to essential services, vocational education opportunities, and workforce training.
o Engaged over 300 new TEMPO participants in FY20-21, effectively disrupting the
‘school-to-prison’ pipeline and bringing the City more than halfway to its five-year
goal.
o Maintained 0% recidivism among participants. Of all participants, 50% have a
previous offense, and no active participant has reoffended, offended, or violated
probation
• Executed a proactive joint patrol operation in partnership with the Leon County Sheriff’s
Office, Florida Highway Patrol and Florida State University Police Department.
o Conducted 1,064 traffic stops, issuing 933 warnings and 132 traffic citations.
o Made multiple arrests resulting in 50 felony charges and 61 misdemeanor charges.
o Seized a total of 13 firearms and several illegal narcotics.Objective 5C: Training and readiness of public safety employees.
• Achieved first place in the Florida Law Enforcement Traffic Safety Challenge for best
overall traffic safety program aimed at reducing traffic crashes, serious injuries and
fatalities.
• Implemented and conducted training for TPD officers on responding to calls involving
transgender persons.
• Hosted training for all sworn Department members on Fair and Impartial Policing.
• Applied for a grant to fund advanced de-escalation training for TPD officers and other
agencies in the 13-county region.
• Supported the increased training for TPD officers on cybercrime. TPD officers were able
to assist a federal investigation related to Bitcoin.
Objective 5D: Provide state of the art technology to support public safety initiatives.
• Began implementation of the license plate reader technology which has been instrumental
in developing leads in criminal investigations including for homicide and attempted
homicide cases.
• Expanded the Public Safety Camera System, a neighborhood driven initiative, which has
led to reduced crime and increased sense of community security.
• Selected a vendor for the architecture and engineering of a new 15-acre Fire Station at Lake
Bradford Road.
Objective 5E: Enhance community preparedness initiatives.
• Identified and established partnerships with 13 faith-based centers that will serve as
potential recovery staging sites following a disaster.
• Hosted three workshops and 10 community presentations as a part of the Neighborhood
Plan for Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) program.
o Provided training to 275 PREP participants and distributed over 150 emergency
preparedness buckets to-date.
• Deployed TFD’s Task Force 7 Urban Search and Rescue Team to assist the Surfside
community with the Champlain Towers South recovery efforts.
• Conducted the 2021 Virtual Airport Emergency Response Table-Top Exercise and
Emergency Plan Review.Objective 5F: Create modern facilities to support community engagement and best-in-class public
safety.
• Negotiated a critical early lease termination settlement at Northwood Centre to facilitate
the construction of the new TPD headquarters without delay or incurring additional
demolition costs.
o Construction of the new headquarters will result in almost $27.5 million in one-
time income with an additional $29.1 million in income from indirect and induced
jobs.
o Opened a new TEMPO building, a community-based outreach office on the
Southside, that is expanding the City’s ability to reach more at-risk, unemployed,
and disconnected youth.
VI. PUBLIC TRUST
Goal: To enhance public trust through ethical business practices and transparent governance.
The City continues to work diligently to enable trust through our business practices, transparent
governance, and accountability. Over the past year, the City launched its first-ever Performance
Dashboard, increased virtual access to public meetings given COVID-19 restrictions, and
continued to advance its diversity and inclusion targets. The City also created the Bystander App
that provides greater transparency around police interactions.
Objective 6A: Infuse ethical practices into daily operations.
• Created a Diversity & Inclusion Workforce Data Dashboard to identify areas for improving
internal business practices to ensure City’s workforce composition reflects our community.
• Launched the Bystander App, a newly developed mobile application that allows citizens to
record and report law enforcement interactions to further promote transparency and
community trust.
• Achieved a 99% rate of compliance among full-time employees for the City’s annual ethics
training, an increase from 96% in the prior year.
• Developed new ethics training for City employees to teach updated city codes, ordinances,
and policies.
• Achieved a 96% completion rate for the Workforce Diversity Training of City supervisors.
Roll-out of Diversity Awareness training to non-supervisory employees began August
2021.Objective 6B: Enhance citizens’ access to city government operations and public meetings.
• Debuted the City’s first-ever Performance Dashboard to report progress on the overarching
Five-Year Strategic Plan.
• Streamed over 80 city operational meetings (e.g., Commission meetings, budget
workshops, and CRA meetings), enabling real-time access and viewership by thousands of
citizens participating virtually.
• Created more than 300 videos this year ranging from public meeting coverage to
productions showcasing employees, citizen services, and the quality of life enjoyed by
residents.
• Continued to offer multiple avenues for public comment at City Commission Meetings and
community meetings including virtual, written, and in-person.
• Held the first virtual Neighborhood Leadership Academy, maintaining a high attendance
of over 20 citizen participants.
VII. QUALITY OF LIFE
Goal: To be a creative and inclusive community with beautiful public spaces that protect and
promote resources and culture.
While social interaction has changed since the start of the pandemic, the City has put forward
multiple creative ways to help our community remain active and engaged. The City began by
permitting individuals to participate in sports like golf, swimming, and tennis again through its
recreational facilities, and gradually implemented protocols to safely resume other sports. The City
also broadcasted arts and crafts classes, unveiled new artful infrastructures, and sponsored historic
perseveration initiatives and events.
Objective 7A: Maintain a safe, accessible, well-maintained network of parks, recreational
facilities, greenways, and trails.
• Recognized for Tom Brown Park, which was named Number 1 Disc Golf Course in Florida
for the second year in a row by UDisc online trade blog, Release Point.
• Completed construction of the Greater Bond Linear Park, connecting Speed Spencer
Stephen Park to the Stain Marks Trail Tallahassee Junction.
• Completed 60% of the design phase for the 2nd Senior Center, with the anticipation of
breaking ground by Spring of 2022 and completing full construction by late 2023.
• Completed key renovations at Hilaman and Jake Gaither golf courses. Enhancements
included updated cart paths, landscape and hardscapes; a new pergola; and bathrooms at
Hilaman.
• Supported Blueprint IA in advancing the Skateable Art Project on Capital Cascades Trail,
awarding a $1 million contract to Team Pain, a Florida-based design and construction
company.
• Started construction of the Southeast Park.Objective 7B: Enhance livability and preserve the unique characteristics of neighborhoods.
• Named a top 10 Best City in the South by Southern Living magazine.
• Achieved Tree City USA status for the 29th consecutive year.
• Recognized for Jake Gaither Golf Course, which is being added to the Florida Historic
Golf Trail and nominated to the National Register of Historic Places.
• Supported the construction of 11 sidewalk projects in FY21 totaling 15,745 linear feet.
• Launched the City of Tallahassee Artful Infrastructure program to showcase local art and
deter graffiti on traffic control boxes. Appropriated $22,000 to this City program as seed
funding.
• Expanded and added four new markers along the Frenchtown Heritage Trail for residents
and visitors to enjoy and explore virtually or in-person via self-guided tours.
• Issued $13,200 in funds to seven (7) neighborhood and homeowners associations through
the Vibrant Neighborhoods Grant Program.
o Completed two signage/placemaking projects this year with three more in progress
and two applications pending.
• Adopted Neighborhood Notification, Engagement and Involvement Policy, to keep
informed of city events, programs, and all aspects of the City’s development approval
process
• Established the Commemoration Committee to uncover and preserve unmarked gravesites
located at Capital City Country Club.
• Renamed Gamble Street to Robert and Trudie Perkins Way, in partnership with FAMU, to
honor Robert and Trudie Perkins for their role in Tallahassee’s Civil Rights movement.
• Invested $6.4 million to the implementation of the Greater Bond Neighborhood First Plan.
Objective 7C: Keep residents and visitors informed about events and attractions in Tallahassee.
• Hosted a drive-thru community event – “Show Your Southside Pride” to inform and engage
residents in the Southside Action Plan.
• Held inaugural Race Relations Summit, a virtual event that fostered community dialogue
on racial disparities and social justice issues.
• Launched a new exhibit at the John G. Riley Center and Museum. The “Legacy and
Learning” exhibit showcases the history and cultural traditions of life during the early to
mid-1900s.
• Livestreamed multiple community events including concerts at Cascades Park, the
Celebrate America Fourth of July Celebration, and Senior Games Celebration of Athletes.
• Delivered content to over 2 million site visitors of Talgov.com between September 1, 2020
and August 1, 2021, a 50% increase from the prior year.
• Increased followers and engagement across the City’s 40+ social media accounts,
achieving:o 5.3+ million impressions and 154,643 engagements on Twitter. Followers: 39,634.
o 2.5+ million impressions and 120,139 engagements on Facebook. Fans: 14,782.
o 413,432 impressions and 11,403 engagements on Instagram. Followers: 6,190.
o 174,563 impressions and 7,186 engagements on LinkedIn. Followers: 10,045.
o 2.1 million impressions and 270,397 views on YouTube. Subscribers: 4,458
subscribers.VIII. APPENDIX
Southside Action Plan Update
About the Project
The Southside Action Plan was initiated in 2021, at the direction of the City Commission and the
Board of County Commissioners to encourage quality land development and redevelopment
that improves the amenities, services, and quality of life for the Southside Community. Since its
adoption, staff has been working to better understand the community and the Comprehensive
Plan policies that were previously adopted as the “Southern Strategy Area” (SSA) in 1998 to
determine what impact these had on Southside development and the community.
The Southside Action Plan boundary encompasses approximately 22 square miles in close
proximity to downtown Tallahassee and the Florida State Capitol. Approximately 81% of the
Southside falls within the City limits and about 19% is located in unincorporated Leon County.
Figure 1 - Map of the Southside Action Plan Boundary
To develop the Southside Action Plan, staff focused on understanding the community and its
dynamics, as well as how previous plans affected residential and commercial development
and redevelopment in the area. During this past year, staff conducted a thorough review ofprevious and existing plans and policies. As a key element of the Southside Action Plan, the
Community was engaged at every step to ensure alignment with the vision of those who reside,
work, worship, and play on the Southside. As a result of this approach, staff was able to identify
how the current policies may be better used to move the Southside Community forward in the
focus areas identified by the community: Beautification, Investment, and Engaged and
Activated Citizens.
Community Engagement
The Community Engagement Strategy was approved by the City Commission, and the County
Board of County Commissioners, at the April 13, 2021, Joint City-County Public Hearing. This
allowed staff to launch an in-person and virtual community engagement effort designed to
make public participation more accessible by bringing engagement opportunities to places
where Southside community members frequent. Engagements included surveys, virtual
meetings with interactive media, and in-person events at locations such as the Town South
Shopping Center. The results from the engagement were presented at the September 22, 2021,
City Commission meeting. Below are additional highlights on the engagement efforts:
Traditional Methods
• Community Survey – The Southside Action Plan Survey was shared with community
members over an eight-month period at 17 events in the Southside as well as through
Talgov.com/Southside, the utility customer newsletter Insights, and via other online
media channels.
• Virtual and In-Person Meetings – To ensure maximum participation, staff
created engagement opportunities in places and spaces within the community that
are easily and frequently accessed. Staff held three (3) virtual meetings and attended
others when requested by community groups.
• Email Lists – Staff reached out to over 1,400 Southside community leaders, business
owners, and organizations via email to share information about the project and a direct
link to the survey. Recipients were invited to share the information with their networks.
• Southside Churches - 39
• Human Services Non-Profit Organizations - 116
• Southside Busines Owners – 1,259
Non-Traditional Methods
• Drive-Thru Events – Two drive-thru events were held that provided participants a way
to learn about the SAP initiative from their vehicles. Attendees were able to drive by
booths and interact with multiple staff in a one-on-one setting. These events took
place at Nims Middle School and Town South Shopping Center.You can also read
