Twentynine Palms unveils draft five-year strategic plan, seeks community input

City staff introduced a draft five-year strategic plan at the Twentynine Palms City Council meeting, presenting values, a mission statement and measurable goals intended to guide the city’s priorities over the next five years.

The presenter said the plan identifies six values — community pride, willingness to help, long-term sustainability, diversity, hospitality and access to nature — and breaks those into goals such as financial sustainability, enhancing local character, infrastructure improvements, better access to resources, support for local tourism and increased community engagement. "Our mission of city of 29 Palms is to maintain and improve the quality of life for those who live, work, or visit our city by providing a safe, well planned family atmosphere," the presenter said during the overview.

Council members voiced support for a phased, cost-conscious approach to updating related planning documents. The presenter proposed initial research on parcel ownership inside city limits (including federal land and utility-owned parcels) to reduce consultant costs and then follow with public meetings and targeted technical studies. One council member noted a previous general-plan update had cost about $1 million and backed the strategy to minimize outside consultant work.

Staff also discussed specific strategies, including exploring tax-based measures to fund a replacement animal shelter and outlining metrics, timelines and lead departments for each goal. The presentation emphasized community workshops, one-on-one council interviews and public surveys used to build the draft.

Next steps: staff asked council members to submit suggested edits and said public workshops and further community engagement will be scheduled before formal adoption. The council did not vote to adopt the plan at the meeting; the item was presented for review and discussion.