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Marin supervisors authorize $215,000 contract amendment to launch countywide strategic plan and accept draft public engagement framework
Summary
The Board approved a $215,000 amendment to expand work with the Center for Organizational Effectiveness to lead a year‑long county strategic planning process and accepted a draft public engagement playbook to guide outreach. Staff outlined a 5–10 year visioning timeline, community workshops, and a new digital tool called “Engage Marin.”
The Marin County Board of Supervisors voted June 23 to authorize a contract amendment that will fund expanded community engagement and development of a county strategic plan. The board approved an increase of $215,000 to the existing agreement with the Center for Organizational Effectiveness to support planning, community workshops, implementation tools and a public dashboard.
County Executive Derek Johnson described the initiative as "more than just a contract amendment" — a coordinated effort to align policy direction, operations, budget and capital planning around measurable priorities for the next five to 10 years. Assistant County Executive Josh Wedberg and deputy Lynn Walsh outlined a timeline that includes initial organizational readiness, fall community engagement, draft plan review targeted for February 2027 and ongoing implementation and reporting cycles.
Staff said the process will use multiple engagement methods — in‑person workshops, focus groups, and digital outreach — and introduced a county digital platform called "Engage Marin" that officials expect to use to gather ideas and feedback online. Deputy Executive Crosby Burns said the team aims to reach at least 10% of residents through an online and in‑person strategy.
Supervisors asked detailed questions about how the plan will remain flexible, how it will coordinate with other ongoing initiatives (economic vitality plan, West Marin visioning, LAMP) and how outreach will reach underrepresented communities. Staff said the strategic plan will be macro in scope and can then be complemented by more tactical plans such as an economic vitality strategy, and that the engagement process will rely on trusted partners to reach people who are not digitally connected.
Separately, the board accepted — as a draft foundational framework — a county public engagement playbook presented by the communications office. The playbook is designed to standardize when and how staff engage the public, to set expectations about when input can influence outcomes, to emphasize equity and to provide practical tools for departments. The board directed the county executive to refine the engagement plan and lead its implementation across departments.
The board approved both the contract amendment and the acceptance of the draft public engagement framework by recorded vote; staff will return with implementation details and training plans. "This will be a living document," the county executive said, and staff asked supervisors to provide ongoing feedback as the plan is operationalized.
