Normal council hears update on 2023 strategic plan; staff reports progress on 24 of 28 goals

Town staff on Feb. 3, 2025, briefed the Town of Normal Council on progress toward the municipality’s 2023 strategic plan, reporting that 24 of the plan’s 28 goals have recorded activity and that internal dashboards and key performance indicators are being used to track progress.

Mr. Smith, a town staff member, led the presentation and told council the 2023 plan grew out of a 2022 process with the Northern Illinois University Center for Governmental Studies. He summarized the plan’s four primary themes — innovative economic growth, infrastructure and core services, organizational effectiveness, and community engagement and development — and said staff classifies goals by timeline and complexity. On a slide Mr. Smith displayed, staff counted two goals as complete, 15 in progress, four not started and seven ongoing.

When asked by council, Mr. Smith identified the four goals not yet started: Fire Station 3; a special census (timing-dependent); construction of a new public library; and a plan for a new Normal Police Department facility. Mr. Smith said those four items remain on the town’s long-range list and that staff will follow up with council with any additional detail.

Mr. Smith described internal tools staff now use to track the plan, including department-level dashboards and performance indicators intended to draw a direct line between projects and measurable outcomes. He said the town introduced the dashboards in early 2024 and that 92 comments or updates have been entered across goals since their introduction. He also said staff is exploring how to condense and share more of that information with council and the public.

City Manager Reese (as identified in the transcript) told council the town has discussed reengaging the Northern Illinois University Center for Governmental Studies to refresh the strategic plan; staff plans to begin that refresh in fall 2025 with the goal of adopting an updated plan in early 2026. Mr. Smith summarized the approach by saying, "We plan our work and we work our plan."

Council members asked several clarifying questions about timelines, departmental responsibility for goals and use of SMART-like performance frameworks. Staff said each goal has a primary lead department and that the tracking tool (Smartsheet) allows supporting departments to enter updates. Staff also agreed to provide council a condensed dashboard or detailed information about all 28 goals as a follow-up to the Feb. 3 briefing.

The presentation required no council action during the meeting.