Council accepts final Orange City strategic plan with community center and police staffing among top priorities

The City of Orange City council accepted the final strategic-plan report, which consolidates council priorities from a recent workshop into goals, strategies and objectives.

Why it matters: The plan sets the council’s policy priorities and will guide city work and budget discussions. High-priority items include examining options for a community events center, additional stormwater mitigation, and police‑officer staffing. The plan also recommends organizational improvements such as adding an events coordinator and improving public communications.

What the council accepted: City Manager Dale Arrington presented the final document and staff’s note that the plan combines newly identified priorities with previously retained goals. Arrington said many items in the plan are long‑term initiatives that could take years to complete — for example, creating and building a community center could be a multi‑year (10‑year) effort.

Council discussion: Council members asked how the strategic priorities would intersect with budget constraints. Arrington said staff had included the events coordinator in the recently updated pay plan but that the position is not likely to be funded in the coming fiscal year unless the council reprioritizes budget items. Council members emphasized they wanted the plan to be a guide rather than a promise of immediate hires or construction.

Next steps: The council voted to accept the strategic plan as the city’s guiding document. Staff will use the plan to inform the annual budget process and to provide options showing what would need to be cut or added to fund higher‑priority items.