City Commission Adopts Four-Year Strategic Plan
Grand Rapids, MI. – At its regular meeting, Tuesday, The City Commission voted unanimously to adopt a four - year strategic plan for the City of Grand Rapids.
The strategic plan covers Fiscal Years 2020 to 2023 and includes the organization's values, vision and mission. It is a first for the City.
The plan outlines outcomes, objectives, strategies and metrics in six priority areas:
Governmental Excellence Economic Prosperity And Affordability
Engaged And Connected Community
Health And Environment
Mobility And Safe Community
The plan also includes an equity statement that affirms the City's commitment to embed equity into all of its decisions, policies and procedures.
"It's exciting to have a plan that brings together the needs of our community with City operations," Mayor Rosalynn Bliss said. "This is an important tool to advance equitable opportunities for everyone in our community."
Among objectives for the priorities are:
• Embed equity throughout government operations
•Support a resilient business environment by optimizing processes and regulations for property development and business - related permitting and approval processes and regulations
• Enhance communication with the public
• Reduce carbon emissions and increase climate resiliency
• Create an accessible multi-modal transportation experience and reduce singleoccupant vehicle travel
• Develop knowledge and skills across City departments to better prepare for emergencies with a particular focus on our ability to deliver safety services to vulnerable and historically marginalized populations
City Manager Mark Washington is using the strategic plan to prioritize budget and funding decisions in the FY2020 Preliminary Fiscal Plan. The City's fiscal year begins July 1.
In the new plan, the City's values are: accountability, collaboration, customer service, equity, innovation and sustainability The City's vision is: Grand Rapids will be nationally recognized as an equitable, welcoming, innovative and collaborative city with a robust economy, safe and healthy community, and the opportunity for a high quality of life for all. Its mission is to elevate quality of life through excellent City services.
Washington initiated the plan in November. He then worked with City staff and the City Commission over the next five months to determine the elements of the plan, which will serve as the organization's operational roadmap. It also will align with the City's future master plan and drive budget and fiscal planning.
"Through our planning process, we worked to determine who we are, where we want to go, how we reach our goals and, most importantly, how we measure our success over time," Washington said. "This plan is the community playbook for aligning initiatives, resources, goals, department operations, projects and investments with a transparent and trackable timeline.
"It's important that we continue to collaborate with the community and that it holds us accountable. With the community's help, we can achieve the outcomes laid out in this plan."
"While the City has engaged in many planning efforts in the past, this plan aligns the vision with strategic priorities, operational goals and metrics," Washington said. "It will have direct influence on the annual budget and funding considerations.
"I intend to use the plan as more than literary reference. It will serve as guidance for operational decisions on strategy, funding, resources and personnel."
With the Commission's approval of the plan, City staff will turn its focus to creating an implementation process.
Washington called the strategic plan "a living, breathing document" that would require updates. He said he was committed to being transparent about the updates.
"Together, our collective planning and implementation efforts will advance our community journey in becoming one of the best cities in the country," Washington said.
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