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Demorest council retreat yields 2025 work plan prioritizing parks, communication and infrastructure
Summary
At a March 8 strategic retreat facilitated by Civic Enhancement Strategies, Demorest leaders compiled a 2025 work plan that prioritizes park upgrades, a marketing and engagement push, facility optimization and major water-capacity projects; the report recommends grant applications and an annexation study but records no formal council vote on adoption.
The Demorest City Council met in a strategic planning retreat on March 8, 2025, and with facilitation from Civic Enhancement Strategies produced a detailed 2025 work plan that emphasizes parks, communications, facilities optimization and infrastructure upgrades. The retreat was opened by Mayor Jerry Harkness and ran from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Civic Enhancement Strategies (CES) summarized community outreach—two town halls and an online survey that drew 77 responses—and used those inputs in a visioning exercise for 2035 and a SWOT analysis. The consultant recommended near-term priorities including pocket parks and playground upgrades, a City Hall event space, expanded water capacity, sidewalk and parking improvements, and a marketing plan to improve public engagement. Jessie Owensby of CES presented the report and the compiled 2025 action list.
The work plan assigns team leads, tentative budgets where available, and sequencing for grant applications. Several smaller capital items are earmarked with rough estimates: a downtown pocket park (~$6,000), a fenced dog-park enclosure (~$10,000), interactive park features (potentially ~$15,000), and façade/event-space improvements for City Hall (approximate façade work listed at $20,000). The document emphasizes pursuing federal, state and private grants and using consultants and grant writers to pursue available funding.
The retreat also included a facility-optimization strand that recommends relocating City Hall, moving the police department into the current City Hall building, and pursuing a USPS lease renewal to generate revenue. Visual renderings and a public “Future Vision” town hall were recommended to illustrate proposals to residents.
CES cautioned that the plan is aspirational and will require substantial time commitments from staff, appointed boards and elected officials; the retreat materials do not record a formal council vote adopting the plan. Next steps identified in the report include preparing grant applications, developing design and engineering scopes where required, completing public engagement steps, and returning to council with implementation timelines and funding requests.
