Blythewood council outlines master plan, revenue and government-review as top strategic priorities

BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. — Blythewood elected officials on March 3 participated in a facilitated strategic goal-planning session that identified a comprehensive Town Master Plan, new and expanded revenue streams, and a review of the town’s form of government as the council’s primary priorities for the coming year.

Mayor S. Griffin opened the meeting and described the session’s aim "to review and refine the Town’s strategic goals, ensuring they align with the vision for Blythewood’s future," framing the discussion as a step toward defining measurable objectives for town development.

Charlie Barrineau, field services manager with the Municipal Association of South Carolina, said the session was intended to "serve as a foundation for the upcoming budget process" and urged council members to balance ambition with Blythewood’s resource constraints. He recommended structuring goals into "Must Do, Should Do and Could Do" categories and tying each goal to measurable outcomes to be assessed annually.

During the facilitated discussion, council members identified three top priorities: developing a holistic Town Master Plan covering infrastructure, housing, economic development, recreation and annexation; finding sustainable new revenue sources to support growth; and assessing whether Blythewood’s current Mayor-Council form of government remains the best structure or whether a Council-Manager model should be considered.

Council also listed secondary priorities, including retail and restaurant recruitment, expanded community engagement and recreation access, town beautification and an annexation strategy. The council discussed the need for stable town administration and prioritized filling the Town Administrator position to ensure execution of strategic goals.

Barrineau told the council he would compile the session’s findings into a formal report for review and recommended future meetings and training on forms of government to help the council evaluate potential structural changes. Chairman Moseley of the Planning Commission recommended holding workshops to educate both the commission and the public on annexation procedures and emphasized transparency in that process.

The meeting included routine procedural motions: the council voted 5-0 to enter an executive session at 7:03 p.m. to discuss employment and contract negotiations related to an interim Town Administrator and a professional search consultant, reconvened at 7:57 p.m. by a 5-0 vote, and adjourned at 8:00 p.m. by a 5-0 vote. No votes on agenda items were taken in open session.

The facilitator’s written compilation of the session will be provided to staff for incorporation into the budget process and a future meeting was scheduled to refine and adopt the final strategic plan.