East Dundee trustees begin strategic-planning process; consultants cite riverfront, infrastructure and staffing as top community priorities

East Dundee trustees and village staff opened a four-hour strategic-planning workshop Sept. 16 to review stakeholder feedback and begin setting short- and long-term priorities for the village.

Consultants from the Center for Governmental Studies led the session, saying the outreach included three in-person focus groups, leadership interviews and an online survey that produced 272 responses. The consultant summarized coded themes and asked trustees and staff to set 1–3 short-term goals (1–3 years) and longer-term objectives (4–8 years).

Why it matters: The workshop is intended to align the village’s strategic plan with the ongoing comprehensive-plan process and to produce a prioritized list of goals that the board can use when deciding where to allocate limited resources.

What the consultants presented and trustees discussed: Consultant-led analysis grouped feedback into top themes — downtown and riverfront revitalization, infrastructure and community beautification, and economic development. Officials emphasized improving walkability and bicycle connections, cleaning and lighting the riverfront, and programming to draw visitors and residents. The consultant noted some projects are already underway, including a Fox River Trail grant that will fund a dock and other first-phase amenities.

On staffing and operations, internal interviews and staff focus groups repeatedly raised recruitment and retention as challenges for a small municipality, especially for public works and public safety. The consultant said compensation is a limiting factor for a town the size of East Dundee and urged attention to nonwage retention steps and shared-service options.

Hager property, infrastructure and budget constraints: Trustees and staff discussed the Hager property under the economic-development theme. Village staff said an RFP for Hager had been issued and that responses are due in October. Trustees said they plan public engagement once developer proposals are available. Speakers also flagged aging infrastructure and lead service lines as high priorities; one trustee noted the village is pursuing state funds and intends to move on lead-line remediation in the 1–3 year horizon.

Survey and outreach: The consultant reiterated that the survey was not statistically representative but reflected residents’ views: walkability and bike infrastructure scored highly, and natural resources and downtown character were frequent mentions. The consultant said the team will send the presentation slides and the detailed stakeholder feedback to the board and include an executive summary for public distribution.

How goals will be finalized: The consultant described next steps: transcribing workshop notes, consolidating and de-duplicating goals, running a short goal-ranking survey (SurveyMonkey) so the public and leaders can score priorities, and returning a final report and executive summary. The firm will also offer an ‘‘action-planning launch’’ with the leadership team to assign responsibilities, timelines and likely funding sources.

Votes at a glance: The meeting approved the consent agenda (motion moved by a trustee and seconded; trustees present voiced approval). The board moved and seconded adjournment at the close of the meeting; no separate formal roll-call vote on adjournment was recorded.

What’s next: The consultant will produce the consolidated report and the goal-ranking survey within a few weeks; trustees and staff will then use the ranked goals to guide budgeting, grant pursuit and follow-up actions.