04-22-13 Meeting of the La Porte Development Corporation Board of Directors

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Overview On October 27, 2012, the Mayor, City Council, City Manager and key staff of the City of La Porte met together in a retreat planning session. The purpose of that meeting was to establish the Council's Strategic Plan for the next five years. A report was prepared outlining the City Council's Mission, Vision and Core Values, as well as six overall goals. Each goal had identified objectives and strategies, with time lines for beginning and completing the goals. On March 9, 2013, the City Manager and his key staff met. Their purpose was two -fold. First, staff reviewed and discussed the Mission, Vision and Core Values developed by the City Council and created Leadership Statements for the staff to follow to ensure their work is consistent with the value of the City Council. Secondly, staff reviewed and clarified the goals, objectives and strategies identified by the City Council; if necessary identify additional goals consistent with the overall mission, vision and values; and establish the framework for an action plan. The result of their work is documented in this report. The Strategic Plan will provide a blueprint for action over the next five years. When developing the annual budget, staff will be tasked with making sure that expenditures and programs further the goals and Core Values stated in this document. This provides clear direction to the staff as to what priorities are important to the Council and plans can be made accordingly to make sure that resources are allocated towards those ends. Additionally, this plan is an excellent communication tool that the Council and the staff can use when speaking with residents and businesses. Many times, ad hoc requests can derail longer-term plans. The Strategic Plan outlines a framework for receiving, prioritizing, and budgeting for resident requests. All participants, staff and Council, agreed to commit to the success of this plan. A plan only becomes a useful and working document when all the participants (as a whole and as individuals) make a commitment to review it regularly, use it monthly, and modify it as needed. It is a tool that can and should be used regularly to track progress, make notes of variations between expectations and actuals, of timelines and expenses, to help accomplish each goal, and to hold one another accountable for updates and completion. 1