Town updates strategic plan process; preservation of Mound House highlighted in community outreach

Tracy Koehler, deputy town manager, told the Cultural and Environmental Learning Center Advisory Board on Oct. 23 that the town’s strategic planning process—facilitated by the University of South Florida and the John Daly Government Institute—has gathered resident surveys, two community forums and staff input over the past roughly 10 months.

Koehler said the consultant team has compiled qualitative input (community forums and resident comments) and quantitative survey results, and will present an aggregated summary to the town council on Nov. 17. A deeper workshop is scheduled for Dec. 3 with council members, followed by a continuation on Jan. 7 to refine themes and goals. Koehler said preservation of the Mound House surfaced repeatedly in community forums and is likely to appear as a townwide goal.

"I'm here today to speak about the strategic plan," Koehler said when introducing the update. She described the process used so far—community forums, an employee focus group and staff surveys—and encouraged advisory committees to start drafting measurable, metric-based objectives that could align with town-level goals. As examples of measureable objectives, Koehler said committees could propose visitor‑growth targets tied to education and outreach programs.

Koehler also told the board the consultant team likely reviewed existing documents, including the town’s comprehensive plan and land development code, and she offered to confirm with the consultant whether earlier board strategic plans were provided as background material. Board members asked that the consultant explicitly review CELCAB’s prior plans so the committee’s earlier work is incorporated into the new plan.

Koehler said next steps include Feb. and March meetings (dates not yet set) and a fall 2026 drafting phase when specific objectives and targets will be crafted based on the consultant’s synthesis.