Bellflower adopts 2025–27 strategic plan prioritizing public safety, homelessness response, communications and economic development

The Bellflower City Council on Monday adopted the city’s 2025–27 strategic plan, a framework the city manager said will guide budget and capital planning over the next several years.

The plan, approved on a 5‑0 vote, sets five core goals: enhance public safety, modernize city communications and community engagement, invest in a high‑performing municipal workforce, improve quality of life and visual appeal, and pursue strategic economic development including corridor studies and a comprehensive general plan update.

Council members and staff said the plan is grounded in community survey results and an open workshop; City Manager Mr. Smoot told the council that a scientifically valid survey found homelessness and public safety among residents’ top concerns.

“Two thirds of your residents view Bellflower favorably as a place to live,” Mr. Smoot said, summarizing the survey findings. He added that the number of people experiencing homelessness ranked highest among resident priorities and that the city needs to better communicate its ongoing efforts.

Key elements and next steps

Public safety: The plan directs staff to solidify implementation steps from a recent public safety assessment, to evaluate the design and programming of a new public safety building, to identify resources (including Measure A funds) for homelessness‑related programming, and to establish community education and reporting tools tied to safety initiatives.

Communications: The plan calls for a communications assessment and the development of multichannel strategies to reach different generations, connect residents and small businesses to city services, and create a consistent visual and messaging identity across city platforms.

Workforce and systems: The plan directs investments in staffing, training and modernized systems — including ticketing systems for resident requests — and a classification and compensation study to support recruitment and retention. Staff described the effort as central to executing the strategic goals.

Quality of life and economic development: The council asked staff to prioritize maintenance of public areas, explore traffic safety studies, pursue strategies for vacant property activation and to find ways to attract young families. On economic development, the plan recommends targeted corridor studies, continued property acquisitions for strategic redevelopment, and preparing for a comprehensive general plan update.

Council deliberations and amendments

Councilmembers discussed expanding a proposed pilot for rotating “pop‑up” arts and entrepreneurial spaces beyond downtown to other commercial corridors such as Artesia and Woodruff; the council agreed to remove the downtown‑only reference so the item could apply citywide as appropriate.

Council Member Victor Sanchez asked that Measure A and other external funding sources be highlighted as possible revenue streams for housing and homelessness initiatives; staff confirmed the plan will be amended to explicitly include state, county and other funding sources along with Measure A.

Adoption vote

Council Member Wendy Morris moved to approve and adopt the Bellflower 2025–27 Strategic Plan; Mayor Pro Tem Sunny Santinez seconded. The motion passed on a 5‑0 roll call (Council Members Morse, Sanchez, Santinez, Coops and Mayor Dutton voted aye).

What the plan means

City staff said the adopted plan will drive next year’s budget proposals, capital improvement priorities and staffing requests. Several items — including corridor studies, a potential public safety facility, and the general plan update — will require separate funding and project approvals before implementation.

The council directed staff to publish the plan and the tactical steps online and return with implementation timelines and potential funding sources for major initiatives.