Brown Deer board approves 2025 goals for village manager, opts for ongoing strategic discussions over a full formal plan

The Village of Brown Deer village board on April 7 approved the 2025 goals for the village manager, modifying two items after discussion: adding a ribbon‑cutting and completion event to the project completion goal and revising the strategic‑planning item to read “initiate strategic discussions.”

Staff presented two approaches for the board’s long‑term planning involvement: an informational approach that brings department heads to board meetings for annual reports and targeted discussions, and a more elaborate formal strategic‑planning process that would create a written, board‑adopted document with broader community and committee engagement. Several trustees expressed concern about creating a large, staff‑intensive new plan given existing documents — the comprehensive plan, capital improvement plan and departmental long‑range plans — and the annual election cycle that may change board membership.

The board largely favored the informational approach. Staff outlined a practical alternative: request concise annual department summaries and a short goals/initiatives summary that would feed into budget discussions and be stored for board reference. Trustees asked that department presentations include goal status and measurable outcomes where possible. The board moved to approve the village manager’s goals as amended: include a ribbon‑cutting objective under project completion (item 2) and change item 11 to emphasize initiating strategic discussions rather than undertaking a full new formal plan. Trustee Thompson moved; Trustee Greaves seconded, and the motion carried unanimously.

Staff said Parks & Recreation Director Danny Mattis will provide an update in May on the ice rink and related park plan progress; staff also said departments will be asked to prepare concise summary pages identifying yearly goals and achievements to make strategic discussions more focused and trackable.