The 49th Mayor of the City of Erie, Daria Devlin and her transition team have officially released a 50 page transition report.<\/p>\n
The team set out to identify what is working well in the city, where Erie is falling short, how City Hall can better serve the residents of the city and how to improve and clarify systems.<\/p>\n
The transition report outlines recommendations that are expected to serve as a starting point to shape priorities and early action by the Devlin administration.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis Transition Team brought experience, dedication, and heart to this effort, helping move Erie forward,\u201d said Mayor Devlin. \u201cTheir recommendations aren\u2019t\u00a0just ideas on paper \u2014 they\u2019re\u00a0a roadmap for action.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are building a City Hall that is responsive, effective, and prepared for the challenges and opportunities ahead. This report is a key part of Erie\u2019s next chapter, and I am so grateful for my Transition Team\u2019s work.\u201d<\/p>\n
The transition team focused its research, study and recommendations around five issue areas that shape daily life in Erie and the long-term health of the city.<\/p>\n
Housing and Neighborhood Development\u00a0<\/p>\n
Youth\u00a0<\/p>\n
Workforce and Economic Development<\/p>\n
Budget and Financial Sustainability\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leadership, Culture, and Service Delivery<\/p>\n
The report lays out specific short, medium and long term action items to help build long-term resilience allowing for a safer, more efficient, and vibrant community.<\/p>\n
Erie\u2019s well-documented housing crisis, and the importance of creating hope and a strong future for Erie\u2019s youth are two key areas that were emphasized in community conversations.<\/p>\n
But so is building on the contribution of New Americans, according to Wujdan Ahmad, a transition team member now tapped to serve as Erie\u2019s New American Affairs Coordinator: “I feel like with the work we’re doing in highlighting their contributions to Erie and all the positivity they bring, I feel like we can make Erie greater for all because Erie is, and the country is, a nation of immigrants.<\/p>\n
\u201cErie is full of talent, pride, and exciting momentum,\u00a0and now is the time to meet the moment\u00a0head on,\u201d said Jenessa Norton, Transition Team member.\u00a0\u201cAcross each area of focus, we observed\u00a0significant overlap around the need for better communication, clearer processes, and more coordinated collaboration to improve responsiveness and effectiveness. This report is a guide to turn that potential into real results\u00a0for the community.\u201d Norton said there is plenty of optimism around the transition team work. “I think everyone can agree that this is long overdue and I think the momentum is not only seen, it’s felt –and with the right leader we can get the work done.”<\/p>\n
Mayor Devlin is promising that this 50 page transition team report won’t just be a strategy that sits on a shelf. That’s why she’s bringing all city hall employees here to Gannon university next Friday for a retreat to talk department by department about how they’ll put it into action. \u201cI think that the key is taking it to the departments, because this is where the work actually happens right?\u201d Devlin said. \u201cIf I held onto that plan in the mayor’s office, I could hope for things to get done, but I really wouldn’t know how it was being executed. So taking it to the departments, at this kind of daylong retreat, that’s the way we make sure their everyday work is aligned to the goals,\u201d the mayor added.<\/p>\n