Deputy city manager previews Hampton strategic plan update, council asks for measurable tracking

Deputy City Manager Brian De Profio told the Hampton City Council at a work session that the city’s draft strategic plan updates a five- to seven-year vision shaped by stakeholder groups and resident engagement.

De Profio outlined the plan’s seven priority areas — economic growth, educated citizenry, excellence in government, family resilience and economic empowerment, living with water, placemaking, and safe and clean community — and said staff will present the plan to residents at an upcoming community checkpoint meeting. He emphasized that "the city is not the sole solution provider," saying implementation will rely on partnerships with businesses, nonprofits, faith groups and other institutions. The presentation noted several past successes tied to earlier plans, including downtown investments and increased youth engagement.

Council members asked whether parts of the plan are aspirational or currently actionable and requested clearer success metrics. City Manager Mary DeManchin and staff said some strategies are already underway and described a process for staff to identify performance measures after adoption. Staff recommended quarterly quantitative reporting and annual deep dives on each priority area to allow the council and the public to track progress.

The presentation included a proposed timeline: staff will collect community feedback at the checkpoint meeting and aim to return the plan to council for final adoption on Feb. 25. The slide deck referenced a community meeting on January 22 in one place and January 26 in another; staff directed residents to hampton.gov/strategicplan for details and said they will confirm the meeting date and time in public notices.