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Savannah GPS strategic-plan engagement draws strong turnout; staff to post results and draft objectives
Summary
City staff reported extensive outreach for Savannah GPS: district meetings, employee sessions and an ongoing survey; nearly 300 attendees at in-person sessions and more than 900 survey responses were reported so far, with staff planning to synthesize feedback into draft objectives for council review in spring 2025.
City staff updated Savannah City Council on March 13 about community and employee engagement for Savannah GPS, the city’s strategic plan. The effort included district-based in-person meetings, a virtual kickoff hosted by the mayor, employee briefings and an online survey that staff said had more than 900 responses at the time of the workshop.
Chief of Staff Daphne Williams and her team described a large outreach push that included distribution of promotional flyers on sanitation containers, targeted invitations to more than 5,000 registered businesses, billboards and neighborhood meetings. Staff reported nearly 1,545 individual comments collected during meetings and nearly 300 in-person attendees across district sessions.
Williams said the engagement approach emphasized open-ended feedback rather than multiple-choice answers so residents could voice priorities in their own words; the online survey and meeting recordings will be posted on the city website for transparency. Staff plan to analyze the external and internal feedback and then present draft objectives and strategies aligned with the six goals council previously established, with an anticipated council review in spring 2025.
Councilors praised the outreach and urged continued promotion of the still-open survey to reach youth and faith communities. Several members asked staff to ensure accessible promotion to residents who could not attend evening sessions.
Ending: Staff said they will continue outreach, post full results on the city website and return with draft objectives and measurable strategies for council adoption in 2025.
