Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Strategic Planning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Gervais officials begin strategic goal-setting to guide staff work and grant bids
Summary
City leaders and a regional presenter held a goal-setting workshop to align council priorities, staff work and grant readiness; participants agreed to pursue a short list of objectives (TSP, budget analysis, code enforcement, succession planning) and follow up with targeted studies and a second session.
A regional presenter led the Gervais City Council through a strategic goal-setting workshop intended to align council priorities, staff resources and grant applications for the next 18–36 months.
The presenter, Susan, told the council that a clear set of goals and SMART objectives helps keep council and staff working in concert and improves the city’s chances for competitive grants. “Goal setting also works as a way to communicate to the public,” Susan said, adding that an adopted Transportation Systems Plan and an updated list of prioritized projects make grant requests more credible to funders.
Council members and staff reviewed the city’s previous goals and a community survey the presenter conducted. Survey highlights included strong positive feedback about public works staff and local parks, while the top concerns were public safety, code enforcement, financial management and pedestrian accessibility.
The group agreed to develop a shorter list of measurable objectives beneath broader goals and to rate those objectives by urgency and timing. Specific near-term items discussed included completing a budget analysis and reconciliations, pursuing an SDC (system development charge) study and evaluating water and utility rates.
Next steps: staff will draft an objectives list for council review, pursue targeted grant opportunities that require planning documents (notably a TSP), and schedule follow-up work sessions to translate goals into budgets and project timelines.
