Decatur’s commission “accepted” a 21-page community action plan Monday night, which incorporates 60 action points covering differences ranging from, among other things, culture, to race, age, politics and economic resources.
The commission, however, didn’t vote on the document, and the difference between “acceptance” and the typically unanimous votes on most commission action items wasn’t immediately clear.
Two commissioners, Fred Boykin and Bill Bolling, used similar language in pointing out that while accepting they were against taking a vote, with Boykin adding, “My acceptance doesn’t mean I whole heartedly accept every issue of the plan.”
The lengthy discussion and ultimate acceptance of the diversity plan occurred before a standing- room only City Hall crowd. The majority—though certainly not all—expressed enthusiasm for both the plan and the year-long series of round-table discussions and online surveys preceding it.
According to a report issued last year, from 1990 to 2010 the city’s white population grew from 60 percent to 73.5 percent giving Decatur one of the least racially diverse populations for a metro Atlanta city.
Linda Harris, assistant director for community and economic development, and the city’s point person on the community plan, said this was the second largest planning process in the last 15 years, second only to the 2010 strategic plan.
The next step, Harris said, is making the document easier to read including the addition of graphics. The action points will be divided into specific individual, organizational and the governmental tasks.
“This is what I call a ‘living document,’ “ Bolling said. “There is still plenty to do and talk about. The real proof is in what we do next. Hopefully we can come back a year from now and evaluate how much progress we’ve made.”
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