TITLE:
title
DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ON PROPOSED 2024 STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS AND OBJECTIVES/TACTICS
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DEPARTMENT: CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE
PRESENTED BY: LORI ANN FARRELL HARRISON, CITY MANAGER
CONTACT INFORMATION: LORI ANN FARRELL HARRISON, CITY MANAGER
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Obtain City Council direction on the Proposed 2024 Strategic Plan Goals and Objectives/Tactics.
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BACKGROUND:
The City’s Strategic Plan is composed of a mission statement, core values, goals, and objectives/tactics that help implement the City Council’s major policy priorities. The City conducted a Strategic Planning Workshop on Friday, April 19, 2024, to review and/or update the existing Strategic Plan Goals and revise related objectives accordingly.
The City’s adopted mission statement is:
The City of Costa Mesa serves our residents, businesses, and visitors while promoting a safe, inclusive, and vibrant community.
The City’s adopted core values are:
Integrity Sustainability Innovation
Compassion Inclusion Collaboration
The Strategic Plan Goals outline long-term priorities and initiatives that will guide the City’s efforts to improve service delivery, infrastructure, community engagement, fiscal sustainability, environmental sustainability, and housing development. These goals are structured to ensure sustainable growth and to meet the evolving needs of the community.
The Strategic Plan objectives and tactics serve as short-term, actionable steps that align with the broader mission, core values, and goals of the Strategic Plan. These objectives focus on immediate priorities and projects that can be initiated or completed within the next year, providing a clear roadmap for near-term progress. This structured approach will help with prioritization of key initiatives and facilitate better decision-making and collaboration.
ANALYSIS:
Strategic Planning Workshop
A Strategic Planning Workshop was held on April 19, 2024 and led by Kendall Flint from DKS Associates. The facilitator applied the “SMART” planning methodology, ensuring that the Strategic Plan’s goals and objectives are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant to the City’s focus, and time-bound.
Prior to the workshop, the facilitator prepared a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis she conducted via individual discussions with the City Council and leadership team. The results of the SWOT analysis indicated that the City’s strength is its good fiscal health and leadership. A City's weakness is housing (housing stock and lack of affordable housing). An opportunity for the City is the ability to bolster engagement and customer service. Lastly, a threat to the City is its aging infrastructure and limited funding to upgrade such infrastructure.
In light of this, the City Council identified their top three priorities, which focused on the following: affordable housing, enhancing customer service, improving City facilities and infrastructure, increasing access to open space, long-term fiscal sustainability, and economic development opportunities. Then, the leadership team reported on the City’s accomplishments and existing needs. Finally, both the City Council and leadership team discussed proposed changes to the goals and objectives.
Mission Statement and Core Values
No changes were made to the City’s Mission statement and Core Values.
Strategic Plan Goals
Based on the discussion at the Strategic Planning Workshop, the following updates to the Strategic Plan goals are highlighted below.
• Recruit and retain high-quality staff.
• Strengthen the public’s safety and improve the quality of life.
• Maintain and enhance the City’s infrastructure, facilities, equipment and technology.
• Diversify, stabilize and increase housing to reflect community needs.
• Achieve long-term fiscal sustainability.
• Advance environmental sustainability and climate resiliency.
• Provide outstanding customer service, both internally and externally.
Strategic Objectives and Tactics
The City Council, in collaboration with the City’s leadership team, identified certain key objectives and tactics to implement for the 2024 Strategic Plan. A detailed work plan has been prepared with specific deliverables for each Goal, including specific timeframes for discussion and consideration (Attachment 1). Staff conducted an extensive review of the established work plan and identified and added outstanding objectives to the proposed work plan for 2024-2025. Based on the discussion at the Strategic Planning Workshop, staff recommends the objectives contained within the work plan (Attachment 1).
ALTERNATIVES:
The City Council can provide alternate direction to staff regarding the Strategic Plan, including modifying goals and tactics.
FISCAL REVIEW:
The objectives in the Draft 2024 Strategic Plan can be funded in the Adopted Operating and Capital Budget for FY 2024-2025.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney reviewed and approved this report as to form.
CONCLUSION:
The Strategic Plan will position the City to provide high-quality core public services to the City’s residents, businesses, and visitors. The City Council, in collaboration with the leadership team, established goals and objectives that will guide the necessary actions and budgetary commitments to help meet the City Council priorities and community needs. Staff recommendation is as follows:
1. Obtain City Council direction on the 2024 Strategic Plan - Goals and Objectives/Tactics.