Jamestown City Council holds a work session on October 5, 2026
A local law to abolish the Strategic Planning and Partnerships Commission is moving forward.
Public Safety Chair Jeremy Engquist said that at this point he still is unsure how he’d vote on the floor.
Two citizens spoke on the law during open session, including City Council candidate Jason Sample, who asked if Council members understands issues and challenges facing stakeholders in Jamestown and what is needed from local government to help address that, “If the answer is yes, then perhaps you do not need the commission or process for conducting strategic planning. But if the answer is no, I think you risk for changing yourselves by eliminating an advisory board designed to bring those perspectives to you. The commission can provide information and insight into issues where city government can play a role, even when an issue falls outside the city’s direct authority. It can provide a public forum for discussions and collaboration, while creating greater awareness of what is being done and what more could be done.”
Citizen Doug Champ spoke at open session and suggested that Council has three options they could consider if they decide to abolish the commission. He said those options include creating a new organization that advises council, that Council could meet quarterly to discuss needs and interests of the community outside its regular agenda; and the third option is have the Planning Commission take on strategic planning responsibilities.
Jamestown Mayor Kim Ecklund said the rules in the Charter for the Strategic Planning and Partnerships Commission, especially when it comes to the city budget, have not been followed since the late 1990s. She said Jamestown is very different from when the commission was created in the 90s, “We had the staff of much more volume than we have today. We had a different downtown. We had a different business dynamic, and we compare it to where we’re at today. I think things have changed. The state has also put in a whole bunch of mandates and rules about budgeting and things like that. That was part of the strategic planning. One thing that always bothered me about that is to have a budget in June for the next year is mission impossible. That’s setting yourself up for failure. “
Ecklund added that she’s a firm believer in having items in the Charter that are attainable and realistic.
The City Council Public Safety Committee voted to move the law to the full council. It will be read into the record at the October 26 voting session, but not voted on by the full council until the November voting session.
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