Hemet council workshop prioritizes city cleanup, public safety and street projects for 2025

Hemet city leaders met March 14 for a goal‑setting workshop that opened the fiscal‑year planning cycle and identified short‑term priorities, placing the highest emphasis on improving neighborhood cleanliness, public safety visibility and street infrastructure.

City Manager Mark opened the workshop by framing the session as the first step in a sequential process to set the organization’s priorities and monitor progress. "This is the day where we're going to begin working on setting priorities for the coming year," he told the council, underscoring that staff will align the final work plan with projected budget constraints.

The council began with a look back at accomplishments from the prior 12 months. Staff reported hiring and retention gains (70 new hires, 47 promotions), completion of seven street capital improvement projects, an inaugural Hemet Beautiful beautification program and growth in outreach—social media followers rose by roughly 3,000 on Instagram and about 7,000 on Facebook. Public safety achievements cited included a new mobile command center, the police aero team and the city’s collaborative ambulance placement with AMR, plus progress on Fire Station 1 remodel and plans for an expanded Station 2.

After the recap, councilmembers placed emphasis on a handful of areas…