Nearly 10 months after Decatur’s commission accepted a 21-page community action plan, the city officially named the Better Together Advisor Board that’s charged with carrying out that plan.
“We interviewed all these people,” said Commissioner Fred Boykin, “and we liked them so much we decided to name them all.”
The board has 13 members including co-chairs Christy Amador and Sara Shay Sullivan. The primary staff liaison is Linda Harris, assistant director for community and economic development.
The action plan incorporates 60 action points covering differences in, among others, culture, race, age, politics and economic resources.
Harris said the group will meet initially in October and begin ironing out a structure. Meetings will likely be monthly, lasting about 90 minutes, with board members serving three-year terms.
Board members will determine the timeline and priority for tackling the 60 tasks, work that’s expected to take three years. But Harris indicated the board’s actual lifespan could extend well beyond that.
“I think this is something that’s ongoing,” she said. “There will always be opportunities to be equitable, inclusive and engaging.”
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