Capitola council reviews draft strategic plan, votes to release it for two-week public review

CAPITOLA, Calif. — The Capitola City Council on Feb. 4 reviewed a draft five-year strategic plan and voted unanimously to release the document for public review, the council decided at the end of a multi-hour workshop.

Consultants and city staff presented proposed mission and vision statements, six draft value statements and six strategic priorities — sustainable infrastructure; community safety; attainable housing; economic opportunity; healthy families, community and environment; and accountable government — then walked the council through specific objectives under each priority. After edits and clarifying discussion, the council authorized staff to post the revised draft for public comment and outreach for about two weeks using Social Pinpoint and a citywide mailer before it returns to the council for possible adoption in March 2025.

Why it matters: The plan is intended to be a five-year “north star” to guide policy choices and budget priorities across city departments. Staff and the consultants emphasized the plan will include a later implementation schedule with measurable performance targets and an action spreadsheet for monitoring…