Southern BRT Station Area Planning Community Leaders Group 

The City of Raleigh is recruiting 12-15 volunteers and two Community Connectors for the Southern BRT Station Area Plan. The Southern BRT Station Area Plan covers the area along South Wilmington Street, from downtown Raleigh to the Walmart Supercenter in Garner. The people selected to volunteer their time will represent the people that live or work along the corridor. Projects like this couldn’t be done without our dedicated volunteers. Due to limited funding, there are only two paid Community Connectors position for the Southern BRT Station Area Planning Community Leaders group.

Are you interested in serving as a Community Leader? Apply now through April 5. Complete the form online.

Community Leaders Group

The group will help to ensure that the final Station Area Plans and the planning process reflect the needs and goals of the community. The Community Leaders will:

• Provide feedback on engagement, education strategies, and materials for public meetings.
• Confirm that the results of the study reflect the everyday experience of living, working, worshiping, shopping, and playing in the community.
• Help spread the word about the study and reinforce the message that we want to hear from the community.

Members of the Community Leaders group will need to contribute at least two hours a month, over the next 11 months, with approximately 8-10 group meetings. The commitment begins in April 2023 and runs through December 2023 and includes:

• Attending 8 to 10 Community Leader group meetings at various times, including evening and weekends.
• Attending and participating in public meetings and events at various times, including evenings and weekends.
• Providing engagement support and material review.

Community Connector

Two paid Community Connectors are being recruited to assist with the Southern BRT Station Area Planning effort and will serve as a member of the Community Leader group as a paid liaison between residents and business owners along the corridor and city staff. In addition to the activities listed above for Community Leaders, Connectors should expect will be asked to attend additional meetings and engagement events with neighbors and business owners. Connectors should expect at least a 20 hour a month commitment, with approximately 12-15 group meetings, from April 2023 to December 2023. 

The key roles will include:

• Sharing information with the South Wilmington Street community to increase the understanding of the Southern BRT Station Area Planning project and process.
• Partnering with city staff to develop effective outreach strategies.
• Gathering information from residents and discussing key issues that are important for the community.
• Reinforcing the message that our study is only as strong as the level of community participation we have.

Selection Process

City staff will evaluate the applications received using the following criteria to ensure a broad and diverse selection of candidates:

• Interest
• Background (age, race, gender)
• Geographic distribution 

While it is not required that you live or work in the study area, applicants who do will be prioritized. Once the selections are made, City Council will receive a staff recommendation for 12-15 members of the Southern BRT Station Area Planning Community Leader Group. Two alternates will also be recommended for each group. City Council will also receive a list of all applicants and a report of the demographics of the study area. City Council action will be required to appoint all members of each group.