Local planning group members agreed at a Thursday meeting to revise the strategic plan and the economic development implementation plan together and return a single edited package for review by the mayor and the council.

The decision followed a lengthy discussion about missing targets, dates and numeric benchmarks in the draft. Members said the front portion of the strategic plan lacks target dates and percentage goals and that the implementation section needs clearer timing, specific performance targets and references to a reported $17,000,000 commitment noted in earlier drafts.

Why it matters: The strategic plan and the attached implementation strategy will guide local economic development priorities, incentives and housing-related recommendations presented later to the council and mayor. Committee members said the current draft is not complete without concrete targets and dates, which they want inserted before formal submission.

Discussion and recommended changes
Members repeatedly called for numerical placeholders and firm deadlines to replace out-of-date or missing sample dates in the draft. One member suggested using Dec. 31, 2025, as a placeholder deadline for several target items and using a numeric placeholder of 10 for counts or percentage-change metrics to produce a complete document for external review. The group also discussed clarifying language around incentives so readers understand whether incentive language is a guideline subject to council exceptions or a binding cap.

Participants pointed to several specific edits they want before the document moves forward: adding targets and dates to the “key outcome indicators” table on page 12, clarifying whether recommended incentives should be labeled as “guidelines,” and explicitly referencing a previously discussed $17,000,000 commitment so it is visible in the plan’s vision/mission or background sections.

Process, next steps and scheduling
The committee agreed to treat the strategic plan and the implementation plan as a single package for revision. Members directed colleagues to submit edits and suggested revised text to a designated contact ahead of the next meeting. The group set a follow-up meeting for Aug. 22 at 3 p.m. to work through revisions and prepare the consolidated package for mayoral and council review.

Formal action
A motion to revise the entire package (front and implementation sections) and return one consolidated, edited package was seconded and approved by voice vote; the transcript records a voice vote in which the motion passed and individual roll-call votes were not recorded. The motion outcome was recorded as approved.

What was not decided
No numeric targets or final dates were adopted at this meeting; members agreed only on the need to add targets and placeholders and to return with proposed numbers. The committee did not adopt any specific incentive caps or limits; members discussed using guidelines (for example, per-square-foot or percentage-based approaches used by other jurisdictions) but left those details for the revision process and subsequent review by the council.

Background/context
Meeting participants noted the draft contains material drawn from surveys, focus groups and prior retreats; committee members also referenced comparative materials from other jurisdictions (including a broader Green Bay program) as examples to inform revisions. The committee referenced minutes from a prior meeting on June 27 and said a consultant’s earlier draft had been revised but still lacks final targets.

Next steps and outlook
Committee members will submit suggested edits and numeric placeholders before the Aug. 22 meeting. After that meeting the goal is to finalize a single package to forward to the mayor and city council for review and possible adoption.