Miramar commission approves $204,000 contract with White House Group to develop first citywide strategic plan

The Miramar City Commission on March 4 approved a project agreement with the White House Group to produce the city's first formal five-year strategic plan, authorizing up to $204,000 for the eighteen- to twenty-four-month process.

Cassandra Carvallo Lindsey, chief of staff, told commissioners the work will proceed in three phases: development of the strategic plan, an action plan that assigns departmental responsibilities and timelines, and a maintenance program with a committee and performance dashboard to track progress. She said the outreach plan includes a commission retreat, a management retreat, surveys available in English, Spanish and Creole, and two public outreach meetings (one east, one west) before a draft returns for commission approval, targeted for November 2026. "This would be the city's first strategic plan," Lindsey said.

Commissioners asked questions about the prior visioning session that informed the consultant's scope. Commissioner Sherazard said she was "extremely underwhelmed" by the visioning session and questioned whether the public sample was sufficient; she said she believed staff and residents were underrepresented at the earlier workshop. Lindsey and staff responded that the visioning session was intended as a catalyst and that the next phases will include broader community engagement, surveys and two scheduled public outreach meetings to solicit resident input.

Vice Mayor Yvette Colburn and other commissioners spoke in favor of a formal strategic plan, saying it will align city operations and provide measurable priorities. The motion to approve the agreement carried on recorded votes with Commissioners Chambers, Sherazard, Vice Mayor Colburn, Commissioner Edwards and Mayor Wayne Messam voting yes.

Next steps: staff will schedule the commission retreat, begin the survey distribution in multiple languages and advertise the public outreach meetings. Funding for the contract is available in non-departmental accounts and will be split across two budget cycles, as presented to the commission.