Plan Monrovia: City Sets Out New Goals and Priorities

From the City Manager's weekly report:

On February 9, 2013, the City Council came together as part of a special meeting during the Plan Monrovia process to set the City's goals and top priorities over the next five years.

Taking into account all of the resident feedback, the fiscal outlook and each individual Council member's goals, the 2013 budget cycle now has a new set of strategic goals.

Each council member was allocated a set number of votes to be spread across the goals that the City Council identified. Each category could receive no more than 4 votes by a council member. The goals were then tallied and split into three categories: Top Priorities, Other Important Objectives and Priorities, and As Funds Become Available.

And the priorities are:

• LONG-TERM FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY  Continue to demonstrate long-term fiscal responsibility by balancing the budget through revenue generation, wise use of available funds, building adequate resources and leveraging volunteer support; ensuring expenses are carefully considered and kept in line with revenues.
• ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT  Strengthen Monrovia’s economy and tax base through economic development efforts that include proactively retaining and attracting businsses, streamlining permit and plan check processes, and enhancing customer service and a business-friendly reputation.
• INFRASTRUCTURE & FACILITY MAINTENANCE  Catch up to the extent feasible on the deferred maintenance of City facilities and infrastructure, and develop a program for long-term, ongoing maintenance that includes a system for establishing priorities among projects and maintenance services.
• HISTORIC PRESERVATION  Maintain our commitment to historical stewardship by preserving historic homes, structures, sites, and districts with sensitivity to neighborhood context.
• PUBLIC SAFETY  Provide a high level of public safety services through adequate staffing, high-quality personnel, up-to-date technology, and planning in both fire and police departments to assure resources are strategically invested in the highest priority areas.
• ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP  Maintain our commitment to environmental stewardship by improving our energy efficiency, water and air quality, parks and open space, and our urban-wildland interface

OTHER IMPORTANT OBJECTIVES & PRIORITIES:

• COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
• GOLD LINE
• MONROVIA AREA PARTNERSHIP
• QUALITY PROFESSIONAL STAFF
• YOUTH AND SENIOR SERVICES
• HILLSIDE PRESERVE & MANAGEMENT PLAN
• PLANNED DEVELOPMENT ZONE REVIEW

NEXT STEPS:

Monrovia City Staff are currently developing work plans that will help guide the City’s programs and services to support these priorities.  The work plans pull together ideas from resident input and employee feedback and will set the stage for moving forward. All of the work plans will go to the City Council at a special meeting on March 26.

It's not too late to get involved, log on to: www.PlanMonrovia.org today.