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County consultant previews draft strategic plan, schedules Sept. 29 public unveiling
Summary
A consultant updating James City County's 2035 strategic plan briefed supervisors on a draft framework, public-engagement findings and a Sept. 29 public workshop to review the full draft and rank capital and operational priorities.
Leanne King, project consultant with Clarion Associates, briefed the James City County Board of Supervisors on July 22 on the draft update to the county's 2035 strategic plan and said the board and public will get a formal unveiling of the full draft at 6 p.m. Sept. 29 at Legacy Hall with follow-up online engagement.
The presentation summarized public engagement conducted last fall (180 participants) and three earlier project phases: interviews with supervisors and staff; a community workshop and online comments; and an inventory and prioritization of capital projects and operational initiatives from plans adopted since the 2016 plan. King said participants voiced strong support for retaining the plan's existing goals and asked for greater emphasis on water supply, water quality, schools, housing and community character.
King presented a recommended framework with mission and values, guiding principles, nine goals and a program of actions. The draft goals include protecting community character and the built environment; collaborating with the James City Service Authority for a sustainable long-term water supply; delivering exceptional public services; recruiting and retaining a skilled workforce; supporting a diverse local economy; collaborating on high-quality education; investing in modern infrastructure and technology; and preserving and supporting attainable housing. King said the draft plan will list near-term and longer-term capital-investment and operational initiatives linked to those goals.
County staff said the strategic plan update is intended to help align the board's policy priorities, departmental workplans and annual budget/CIP decisions. The board discussed plan length and the need to keep the plan actionable; staff said the final deliverables will include a shorter, easily digestible version (a goals-and-principles page or 'card') for internal use and onboarding. The board asked for clearer crosswalks showing how the strategic plan will connect to the comprehensive plan, resiliency and watershed plans.
King said the project team will present the full draft at the Sept. 29 workshop and accept online and in-person feedback on the guiding principles, goals and priority actions. Staff said the draft will be posted to the county website as soon as it is available for those who cannot attend.
The presentation was informational; no board action was required. The board indicated support for the outreach plan and asked staff to deliver a concise version of the plan for internal and public use before the September workshop.
