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Discussion of issues relating to the 2019 Strategic Plan strategy prioritization process and results.
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Summary:
On February 21, 2019, Ron Cox (Ron Cox Consulting) conducted a pre-retreat conference with the City Manager and his key staff to review past accomplishments and challenges and opportunities for Council to consider in their March 7, 2019 session.
On March 7, 2019, Mr. Cox conducted a session with the Mayor, Council, and City Manager focusing on a review of the Council’s governance model including the development of a Leadership Model and Guiding Principles, Vision and Mission.
Also on March 7, 2019, Mr. Cox, City Council, Administration and the City’s Directors began working to develop a new, five-year Strategic Plan. The group met to brainstorm new goals for the next five-year period, organize them under existing areas of emphasis, and ultimately create a new area of emphasis. Following the meeting, Mr. Cox organized the ideas presented during the session for presentation to staff.
On May 17, 2019, Mr. Cox facilitated a session with Administration and the Directors gathered to review the goals, finalize policy statements for each section and update the plan’s quality policy statements to reflect current philosophies on leadership, communications, core values and expectations.
On June 18, 2019, Mr. Cox attended the Council Workshop and presented the 2019 Strategic Planning process final report, which contains six areas of emphasis - Leadership/Governance, Quality of Life/Image, Comprehensive Planning, Economic Development, Public Safety and Organizational Excellence.
Also, on June 18, 2019, staff explained the two-part survey system that would be utilized to assess Council’s priorities in each area of emphasis as well as for the plan as a whole.
Between July 8 - August 25, 2019 the two-part survey was administered and results tabulated as follows:
1. Each Council member completed a survey prioritizing goals within each of the six areas of emphasis, comparing “apples to apples.”
2. After Council members completed the first survey, the strategies that fell within the top 40% based on average scores advanced to the second stage of the survey, whereby Council members ranked the highest-rated strategies from each area as part of a single pool, establishing over-arching priorities from all areas of emphasis.
Out of a 38 total strategies, a total of 20 ranked highly enough by the Council as a whole to move onto the overall prioritization phase (Phase 2). In the final survey, the 10 strategies that met or exceeded the majority quotient were as follows, ranked from top score down:
1. (2.86 rating) - Establish a master plan for City facilities for maintenance and/or replacement of all city facilities including but not limited to: A new Activity Center (to include a tourism center); a new Community Center; the Deer Park Public Library; the Avon and Kingsdale Centers; the replacement of Fire Stations #1 and #2; a review of the facilities maintenance program, with an eye toward consolidation and centralization.
2. (3.14 rating) - Upgrade Drainage Plan and establish implementation plan.
3. (4.71 rating) - Complete Type B projects and evaluate needs for its continuation and operations.
4. (6.86 rating) - Develop a public meeting format to address specific issues.
5. (8.43 rating) - Improve emergency operations center and disaster recovery for critical function capabilities to include both expansion and/or relocation.
6. (8.86 rating) - Review, revise and enforce code enforcement policies/ordinances including animal control.
7. (9.43 rating) - Update community warning systems.
8. (10.14 rating) - Develop plan for volunteer firefighter recruitment and retention, including increasing pension benefits, applying response stipends and preparing/promoting a recruitment video.
9. (10.29 rating) - Harden critical infrastructure facilities.
10. (10.57 rating) - Promote quality of life as a component of economic development and tourism.
The attached PowerPoint summarizes the strategy prioritization process and results.
Fiscal/Budgetary Impact:
Recommended action
Discuss the strategic plan strategy prioritization process and results.