Pacific Grove council adopts structured goal‑setting process to guide 2025 work plan

The Pacific Grove City Council unanimously approved a structured goal‑setting process Wednesday to guide development of the city’s work plan and budget for the coming year.

City Manager Paul Peralta told the council the process is designed to produce specific, achievable focus areas and goals that will inform the budget. Peralta recommended limiting focus areas to four or five and using a building‑block approach that ties goals to the city’s mission and value statements.

Peralta outlined a calendar for the process: a midyear budget report on March 5, submission of candidate goal statements to staff by March 12, a draft work plan review on March 19, and a prioritization session on April 2 that would set direction for the FY 2025–26 budget. "I will be asking you to identify your focus areas," Peralta said, adding that public input should be collected at every step.

Council members who spoke during the discussion generally praised the structure and said the timeline and repeated public input opportunities were useful. Several members emphasized the city’s limited staff capacity and urged the council to prioritize initiatives it can implement within available resources.

Mayor Bertram made the motion to adopt the process and Council member Morrell seconded it. Council members voted by voice; the motion passed unanimously.

The approved process directs staff to return with draft goal statements and milestones for public review and to use the finalized work plan as the framework for the upcoming budget, with progress checks built into routine budget reviews. The council also received an informational presentation on the existing 2023–25 work plan and department assessments as background for the new cycle.

The council took the action during a special goal‑setting meeting that began at 6 p.m. and included public comment on the process and on program priorities.