Catherine, the Des Moines City manager, told the Citizens Advisory Committee that the City has posted a request for qualifications for firms to lead a citywide strategic plan and facilitation process, and she asked the committee for initial feedback on community priorities.

Catherine said the City Council unanimously supported moving forward with a strategic plan at a March 6 meeting. She described the RFQ as seeking consultant qualifications — prior municipal clients, sample work products and community-engagement approaches — and said the next steps are selecting a team, agreeing a timeline and defining public engagement. “I anticipate we'll get some good proposals,” she said.

Catherine estimated a consultant-led process would likely cost roughly $50,000 to $75,000 and take six months to a year to complete, depending on the amount of public engagement and depth of deliverables. She said the City has a budget line item to cover the expense but that final costs will depend on the team and scope chosen.

The strategic plan is intended to translate the council’s mission, vision and values into prioritized goals and measurable milestones so the city can direct scarce resources toward agreed objectives. Catherine said the plan can help the council and staff decide where to put limited funds and track progress over time.

Committee members offered initial priorities and concerns they want the plan to address. Communication and outreach topped many participants’ lists; Bettina Jerry said the city needs to “invest in a communications person” and better systems so residents can find RFQs, notices and program information without long searches. Several members described misinformation on social media and urged clearer, proactive city communications.

Economic development and the downtown were repeated priorities. Members urged strategies to turn traffic passing through the city into visits and spending, and to make downtown and the marina area a destination. “Des Moines has to become a destination,” said one member, citing the marina, the boardwalk area and potential events. Several speakers urged exploring transportation connections and “last-mile” options to link neighborhoods, the marina and future light-rail investments.

Members also emphasized inclusion and representation: outreach that reaches younger residents, minority communities and renters, and rotating or flexible terms to welcome new volunteers. Public-safety and family-friendly services were raised as cross-cutting priorities that intersect with events, parks and economic strategies.

Catherine described three broad public-engagement options — light-touch to heavy-touch — and said the council favored robust engagement. She recommended an external facilitator to lead the process, noting that outside teams bring objectivity and experience. She said examples of other cities’ plans (Shoreline, Bothell, Issaquah, Renton) show different approaches and that Des Moines should choose a scope the council can support and the community will trust.

Next steps: staff will evaluate RFQ submissions, present recommended firms and a proposed scope to the City Council, and schedule a council strategic-planning retreat to set final priorities and milestones.

No formal Council vote on a final plan was recorded at the meeting; the RFQ and council support are preparatory steps toward a consultant-led, council-approved strategic plan.