To create a strategic plan that is bold in its vision for the future but also grounded in a realistic assessment of staff and resource constraints, we knew we needed to facilitate careful deliberation by the City Council and meaningful engagement by the community and City staff.
Our process layered engagements with various stakeholder groups to build toward the vision, priorities, and action plan.
After an initial study session with city council to understand their needs and desired outcomes, we hosted two online community workshops and several focus groups (in Spanish and Mandarin) where residents shared their hopes for the future of the city and identified the most important priorities to achieve that future.
Following a second city council study session, we engaged staff across departments to review Council’s list of projects in accordance with department capacity and clarify any outstanding questions.
Once a city council approved a draft vision statement and list of strategic priorities and projects, we went back to the community with an online survey to confirm alignment.