Sentinel staff report–
The City of Citrus Heights has published a list of 21 new objectives to accomplish over the next six months, following a May 22 strategic planning session where about a dozen city leaders and council members discussed and determined a specific course of action for the next six months.
Objectives include continued DUI enforcement, completing various streets and infrastructure projects, reaching out to local businesses and implementing online business licensing, launching public safety elective courses at Mesa Verde High School in partnership with the police department, doubling the city’s social media posts, and continuing to implement the city’s new awareness and branding campaign — including a redesign of the city’s website. The plan also calls for presenting a new Rental Housing Inspection Program for the city council to vote on in June, in addition to more than a dozen other objectives.
Leaders also brainstormed a list of 56 strengths or accomplishments over the past six months, including launching the city’s new “Solid Roots, New Growth” branding campaign, beginning another phase of construction on Sunrise Boulevard, being the first city to launch city-wide on-demand transit, and working to implement a drone program for the police department.
Related: City unveils new logo, brand for Citrus Heights: ‘Solid roots. New growth.’
Twice a year, for the past two decades, city leaders have faithfully gathered to brainstorm, set objectives, and assess strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The latest meeting lasted about five hours, with leaders emerging with consensus on a list of short-term objectives to accomplish.
>>See full strategic plan: www.citrusheights.net/159/City-Strategic-Plan
Objectives decided on and published on the city’s website are categorized under a set of three-year goals the city previously identified during their last strategic planning meeting in November. The set of five three-year goals are: maintaining fiscal stability, improving streets and infrastructure, diversifying for a changing economy, enhancing and expanding public safety, and improving community vibrancy and engagement.
The following list of objectives is taken from the city’s latest six-month plan:
Maintain fiscal stability:
- Present to the City Council for consideration options to address operational and capital shortfalls.
- Present a budget status update to the Finance Committee.
- Present options to address PERS funding to the City Council for consideration.
- Present to the City Council an updated 10-Year Budget Model with an emphasis on the next 4-year strategy as part of the ongoing FY 2018-2019 budget process.
Improve streets and infrastructure:
- Advertise for bids for the Highland Avenue Drainage Project.
- Develop a Long-Term Landscape Maintenance and/or Replacement Plan for City-owned landscaping.
- Complete three grant applications, two for Auburn Blvd Phase II and one for Navion/Van Maren intersection.
- Present to the City Council for consideration approval of a Comprehensive Transit Plan.
- Complete the Baird Way Drainage Improvement Project.
- Complete construction on Sunrise Phase 2-A.
Diversify for a changing economy:
- Bring the Mitchell Farms Development to the City Council for action.
- Identify and make contact with 3 key property owners to discuss the future of development.
- Modernize City technology to provide online business license applications and renewal.
- Visit four Citrus Heights businesses, targeting businesses to get feedback and offer assistance.
Enhance and expand public safety:
- Ensure that regular DUI checkpoints or DUI saturation patrols are conducted.
- Launch Public Safety elective courses at Mesa Verde High School.
- Evaluate the consistency and case management of the migratory homeless population and report the findings to the City Council.
Improve community vibrancy and engagement:
- Continue to determine how to implement pathways for graduating high school seniors to enter community college.
- Present to the City Council for consideration a cost-neutral Rental Housing Inspection Program to improve landlord maintenance and rental property upkeep.
- Double the number of the City’s social media posts and expand the City’s presence to include nextdoor.com.
- Implement the City’s Awareness Campaign, including components such as website redesign and creation of new City banners.
City leaders also discussed an idea presented by Mayor Steve Miller for a nonprofit “community council,” based on a model in Rancho Cordova that hosts and sponsors community events and other activities. Consensus to move forward was not reached among the group, but the strategic plan states the idea will be discussed again at the next strategic planning retreat.
The city’s next strategic planning meeting will be held on Oct. 23, 2018, where leaders will again review progress and set new six-month objectives.
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