The meeting focused on the declaration, public comments and economic development
By YUENJO FAN — city@theaggie.org
The Davis City Council met on Feb. 7 and discussed various topics, ranging from economic development to Black History Month.
The meeting kicked off with a ceremonial presentation recognizing February as Black History and Black Futures Month. Amy Higgins-Boyd, a behavioral specialist from Marguerite Montgomery Elementary, addressed the council to discuss the importance of this proclamation.
“As we reflect on the history of our nation, we honor the legacies of those who fought with courage and resilience for change,” Higgins-Boyd said. “However, this is not merely a time to look back but a moment to celebrate the powerful Bblack voices who are shaping our world today: those who are challenging injustice, those who are advocating for equality and creating pathways for future generations. We must recognize that we are walking in the footprints of all who came before us, and now it is our turn to advance the work they started.”
Furthermore, Higgins-Boyd explained the meaning of the commemorative month’s new component: Black Futures Month.
“This year, we also honor Black Futures Month, a vision of what is possible where Black individuals can thrive despite the weight of historical oppression,” Higgins-Boyd said.
Following the ceremonial presentation, the city council turned to public comments, where attendees could take to the podium for up to two minutes and address council members with comments or concerns.
The topics brought up ranged from the recent rise in traffic accidents to Davis’ lack of music venues to the city’s recent ordinance to add a framework to the down payment assistance program. Davis resident Elaine Roberts-Musser was one of the speakers who voiced her concern about the recent down payment assistance program.
“The ordinance is premature,” Roberts-Musser said. “One, what are the costs to administer this program? Two, where is the money coming from to take care of the down payment assistance? Three, why should we put the city at financial risk when the city is in dire financial straits? We can’t manage to pay for pothole repairs in the roads, but somehow we can afford to help people pay for houses?”
Passed in January 2025 as Davis’ newest piece of legislation, the ordinance to the down payment assistance program plans to provide loans and grants to new homeowners. However, the fiscal requirement of upholding such a framework has not yet been made clear and has left unanswered questions for Davis community members.
To wrap up the meeting, the city council addressed the issue of economic development. Intended to provide both vision and direction to stimulate growth, Davis’ strategic plan for economic development was presented to the council by Katie Yancey, the economic development director for the city of Davis. She explained to the city council how the plan intends to initiate strategies to help launch new opportunities in Davis that can create economic benefits.
“The city council adopted goals in 2024-25 that contained direction to develop an economic development strategy,” Yancey said. “It would demonstrate economic opportunities for the city and provide an action plan that will enhance the jobs to housing balance in this city, encourage growth in areas consistent with the city’s vision and planning documents and result in stronger ties to the business community while all increasing fiscal stability.”
The economic development strategy also included proposals for living wage standards, targeting specific industry sectors and business retention and expansion programs. After the presentation, Davis Vice Mayor Donna Neville gave her view on the development plan.
“I think we all know there are some things we’d love to get started on right now, and I think we all feel that there are certain things that we can right away get moving forward on,” Neville said. “But, in terms of our overall strategy, I do think there is somewhat more analysis that’s needed to really help us better understand which specific strategies or approaches are really going to work. I do want to know what is the actual deliverable we’re going to get from that strategy. What’s the timeline, what’s the cost, who are the players? That is really going to inform our decision-making.”
With the economic development strategy plan still in its early stages, many of the details will still be in discussion.
The next Davis City Council meeting will be on Feb. 18 at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Chambers in the City Hall. Agendas will be posted prior to the meeting’s commencement on the city of Davis’ website.
Written By Yuenjo Fan — city@theaggie.org
