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It is envisioned that the process above will become a cycle that continually seeks information, assesses priorities and resources available, and implements services and programs that continue to meet the long range vision and daily needs of the community. As applied in years to come, the process will help City Council and community to better plan for the services, programs or facility improvements desired, and make necessary adjustments to meet our goals. To that end, staff has prepared department strategic plans that will help guide their operations and planning for the next few years. This part of the process focuses attention on the next phase of our planning and budgeting cycle - the next 5 years. Simultaneously, staff is also preparing a 10 year Capital Improvement Plan that we will be bringing to the Council next month. Staff will present a brief review of those plans for your information. The focus of the effort at this time is the overall organizational preparation of strategic plans as a part of the overall Performance Management Program. Several departments have previously developed strategic plans, and have used them to guide decisions. This current planning process has caused all departments to develop a strategic plan, with consistent elements and format. The strength of these plans is that they have involved virtually our entire staff, in all departments. Such an interactive process can only improve our information regarding our current and future needs, and improve our ability to accurately assess our capacity to fulfill goals. The strategic plans will be used to develop department budget requests and capital planning efforts. As we embark on this overall program and process, I want to emphasize that this is a beginning of a cultural change in our financial planning process, and will continue to be refined as we become more experienced and understanding of expectations. I think we need to acknowledge that the plans are not going to be perfect, may have some particulars that we may not all embrace, but that they are not cast in stone, and do not commit the City Council to an endorsement of a program at this time, nor commit the City Council to appropriate any funds. As we continue to work with this new process, I believe we will find that through the use of strategic planning and subsequent feedback and performance measurement, and reassessment based on that performance input, that the City's efforts will be more aligned with the community desires and expectations. REQUESTED COUNCIL ACTION Motion to receive the 2009 -2013 Strategic Plans. Prepared by: William J. Malinen, City Manager Page 2 of 2