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Loma Linda council backs consultant-led strategic plan; members debate scope, reporting and capacity
Summary
Councilors agreed to move forward with a consultant-led strategic planning process using community survey data and workshops, directing staff to draft a request for proposals; members debated capacity, performance measures and appropriate reporting cadence.
The Loma Linda City Council discussed moving ahead with a consultant-led strategic planning process on June 27, directing staff to prepare a draft request for proposals and to return to council for review.
Mayor Duper opened the new-business discussion saying he wanted "discussion and direction from the council on development of our Loma Linda strategic plan," incorporating community survey data and workshops. Several council members said they supported hiring outside professionals with experience in local government strategic planning; they cited examples where external facilitators produced measurable goals, clear priorities and accountability.
One council member who has led similar efforts at Omnitrans told colleagues that, when done by experienced facilitators, strategic planning can produce measurable accountability and regular reporting. Another council member cautioned that the city may lack internal capacity to implement the plan without a staff lead or coordinator and recommended weekly reporting from the city manager and fire chief while the plan is developed. A different council member warned against micromanagement and urged that performance indicators be chosen judiciously and measured at appropriate intervals.
The city manager said he would draft a request for proposals and consult with larger neighboring agencies about firms they used, with the goal of returning a draft RFP and survey status to the council by late summer. The fire department representative noted that the department’s strategic plan (2020–2025) is available on the fire department website and can inform city-level planning.
No formal contract award or binding commitment was made at the meeting; councilors directed staff to prepare the RFP and to bring draft materials back for council consideration. Several members emphasized the need for community engagement through workshops and survey data to shape priorities and measurable indicators.
Next steps noted in the meeting record: staff to prepare a draft RFP and updates on the community survey; council will review proposals and consider scheduling workshops and follow-up sessions.
