Jefferson County consultant outlines two distinct but coordinated city and county strategic plans

Sarah Kendall Wilson, owner of SSW Consulting, told Jefferson County and city staff and residents at a planning workshop that the consultant team will produce two distinct strategic plans — one for the county and one for the city — plus a one‑page summary that highlights shared initiatives.

Wilson said the dual deliverables were intended to make intergovernmental collaboration transparent while avoiding “engagement fatigue” among residents. “We're definitely gonna have two distinct plans,” she said. “You could have maybe, like, a one‑pager for both the city and county that highlights maybe your shared initiatives that are part of your two separate plans.”

The consultant said the project will emphasize practical, usable plans rather than documents that “just sit on the shelf.” She said project sponsors and both city and county staff will be involved throughout the process to help ensure the plans are implemented and used.

Participants and staff raised multiple community priorities during the session. Attendees described a local economy shaped by commuters (about half of residents travel outside the area for work), a large regional visitor draw at the Lake Village Summit (described in the meeting as drawing about 1 million visitors annually), and infrastructure needs including transportation, irrigation/water supply for agriculture, and energy resilience. One participant described existing local industrial and property cost advantages and urged planning that would expand the tax base to support public safety and services.

Workshop remarks also highlighted technology and permitting systems, with a participant noting that online tools for property records and permits are easier to use in Jefferson County than in some other counties. Energy resiliency ideas discussed included community locations with battery backup and solar generation to power phones and critical services for multi‑day outages; participants described battery systems that could provide energy for “three days.”

Speakers noted a recent budget strain tied to a large tax refund that flowed through the state because of a reporting error; the amount was not specified in the session. That refund, attendees said, tightened local budgets and increased uncertainty for municipal and district finances in the most recent budget cycle.

Wilson said community engagement for the planning process will begin in earnest in the fall and that the consultant team will share findings and periodic updates. “When we start to see some things and findings, we'll send out a little update,” she said. The consultant emphasized designing the outreach to avoid duplicative public meetings while ensuring both city and county priorities are captured.

No formal votes or ordinance actions were taken at the workshop. The meeting functioned as an informational and engagement session to gather input and explain the consultant’s proposed approach and deliverables.