Florence council adopts five‑year strategic plan, directs staff to track implementation

Florence — The Florence Town Council unanimously approved a five‑year strategic plan on Feb. 3, 2026, adopting a framework that sets the town’s vision, mission, core values and four high‑level goal areas: reliable infrastructure; economic development and vitality; cultivating a high‑performance government; and strengthening community character and sense of place.

Nancy Hedrick of Reftellus presented the plan to the council, summarizing nearly a year of engagement that included a May kickoff, focus groups, interviews with council and staff, community “champions” and an employee survey. Hedrick said the plan’s vision is “where heritage and progress meet” and described specific objectives and initiatives intended to guide the town’s work over the next four to five years.

Mayor Eaton and multiple council members praised the outreach and urged a focus on execution rather than treating the document as a shelf item. Vice mayor Adam, who moved approval, and others stressed that the plan is a framework that must be paired with implementation tools and accountability measures. Town Manager Bruce Walls described internal tracking tools staff will use: assignment of project teams, outcome and performance measures, completion dates, weekly updates to the town manager and bimonthly management reviews; staff will return in the fall to review unfinished projects and recommend next steps.

Council members pressed for public‑facing progress reporting. Vice mayor Adam asked for a simple, graphic dashboard (red/yellow/green and timeline) so residents can follow the status of initiatives. Walls said staff will prepare implementation materials and bring the council into work sessions where priorities, budgets and staffing needs can be refined.

The motion to approve the strategic plan “as presented” passed on a reverse roll call with Mayor Eaton, Vice mayor Adam and Council members Neal, Bucielato, Maldonado, Bensina and Bedford all recorded as voting yes. The council instructed staff to translate the plan into a project‑level implementation and reporting schedule and to return to the council for work sessions on prioritization and budgeting.

Next steps: staff will prepare the implementation documentation, establish project teams and performance metrics, and bring budget and staffing implications to the council in upcoming work sessions and regular reports.