Council adopts strategic plan

Talk about it

WORTHINGTON — With the sound of whistling wind nearly drowning out their discussion, Worthington City Council members adopted the 2009 Strategic Plan for the city at their Monday meeting.

The 25-page plan identifies five key “directions” for city staff: supporting education excellence, improving internal and external communications, maintaining positive community growth, supporting and developing community amenities and commitment to best management practices.

“It’s a great document to work from, but it’s too big to use,” Councilman Ron Wood said, suggesting page 10 of the document — which lists 11 more specific goals — be expanded for council’s use and as a document to be presented to the community.

“That would be something that every year we would sit down as a council and say ‘Here are our major things we would like to do that would fit within the goals that we’ve set.’ … I don’t think we want the general citizenship to think that every one of these is going to be built tomorrow,” Wood continued, referring to the many projects identified in the plan.

Last fall’s strategic planning process drew on the input of councilmen, city staff and community members to establish a vision statement and goals for the community.

The council also adopted work plans for a series of priority projects identified in the plan: construction of a new fire station, implementation of the ARMER system for emergency service dispatch, redevelopment of the former Worthington Area YMCA as a community center, design of the U.S. 59 industrial park improvements and an action plan for the sales tax-funded events center complex.

“I think this is a real, tangible document so we can streamline our staff expectations and be more effective,” City Administrator Craig Clark said. The plans should establish a timeline for each project and identify when key decisions will be brought for council discussion.

Alderman Lyle Ten Haken questioned when discussion about project funding sources would occur. Clark said discussion will likely happen while establishing preliminary budgets for each project, though the scope of some projects is still unknown.

“The funding oftentimes is one of the stumbling blocks,” cautioned Ten Haken. “Identifying that earlier in the process rather than later is important to keep moving ahead.”

“A lot of these will be part of continuing discussion we will have on (use of) hospital proceeds,” Mayor Alan Oberloh added.

In other business, the council on Monday:

- Approved the first reading of an ordinance that would allow nonprofit organizations to obtain a temporary on-sale liquor license for an event lasting up to four days.

- Reappointed Steve Berning to a five-year term on the Nominating Committee.

Tags: city council, strategic plan, news, worthington, meeting, direction, education