In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (562) 804-1424, extension 2220 or [email protected]. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.
Agenda Items are on file in the Office of the City Clerk and are available for public inspection during normal business hours. For your convenience, the Agenda is also posted on the City’s Website at www.bellflower.org with links to each Agenda Item (unless they are too lengthy or unavailable at the time of posting). Any supplemental material distributed to a majority of the members of the City Council after the posting of this Agenda will be made available for public inspection during normal business hours in the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall, 16600 Civic Center Drive, Bellflower. (Privileged documents and Closed Session documents are exempted.)
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BELLFLOWER CITY COUNCIL
THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2025
9:00 A.M. – THE MAYNE EVENTS CENTER
16400 BELLFLOWER BLVD., BELLFLOWER, CA 90706
1 CALL TO ORDER
2 ROLL CALL: Mayor Ray Dunton
Mayor Pro Tem Sonny R. Santa Ines
Council Member Dan Koops
Council Member Wendi Morse
Council Member Victor A. Sanchez
3 PUBLIC COMMENTS
Pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.3(a), the public may address the City Council ONLY on matters listed on the Agenda. Those wishing to speak on a listed item should come to the podium, be recognized by the Mayor, and state your name for the record. Each speaker will be given three (3) minutes to address the City Council.
AGENDA
T h e C i t y o f B e l l f l o w e r
Families. Businesses. Futures.
16600 Civic Center Drive, Bellflower, CA 90706
Tel 562.804.1424 Fax 562.925.8660 www.bellflower.org
Bellflower City Council Special Meeting Agenda
January 16, 2025
4 STUDY SESSION: CITY COUNCIL STRATEGIC PLANNING
A Consideration and possible action to conduct a Strategic Planning Session regarding City Council goals and objectives. This is a City Council workshop to prioritize the City’s legislative and project agenda. It is anticipated that the workshop will not result in the City Council taking any particular action.
Instead, City Council Members and key staff members will be reviewing the City Council’s existing plans; updating them; and providing direction to the City Manager. Topics may include, without limitation, infrastructure improvements; revenue enhancement; land use challenges; sus tainability efforts; redevelopment; community engagement and outreach; and municipal property needs assessment. Any direction provided by the City Council will appear on future meeting agendas.
Recommendation to the City Council: 1) Open the Strategic Planning Session for staff presentation and discussion; take no formal action; or 2) Alternatively, discuss and take other action related to this item.
5 ADJOURNMENT
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) SS
CITY OF BELLFLOWER )
I, Dakota Wallace, Management Assistant, of the City of Bellflower, do hereby declare under penalty of perjury, that the Agenda for the Special Meeting of the Bellflower City Council to be held on Thursday, January 16, 2025, at 9:00 a.m., was posted Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at the following locations in the City of Bellflower:
City Hall Lobby and Doors, 16600 Civic Center Drive
City Website at www.bellflower.orq
Clifton M. Brakensiek Library
Executed this 14th of January 2025 at Bellflower, California. allace, Management Assistant
SPEAKER SIGN -IN SHEET
(Voluntary)
BELLFLOWER CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING
January 16, 2025
PLEASE PRINT LEGIBLY
NAME
ORGANIZATION
(if applicable)
Strategic Planning
Workshop
Thursday, January 16, 2025
Agenda for Today
January 16, 2025 | 9am-1pm
Strategic Planning Overview
Common Areas
Discussion on Goals
Next Steps
Strategic Planning
Overview
What is strategic planning?
A process where the City Council
sets shared goals and objectives to
help direct City staff on how to focus
their efforts and City resources.
Terminology
Goals: Broad, overarching
outcomes/achievements the community
will experience.
Objectives: The steps we take to make
each goal possible.
Bellflower Mission Statement
"To protect and enrich the
quality of life, to make
Bellflower an excellent place
to live, work and play."
Strategic Planning Process
DateStep in the Process
OctoberKick-off call with City Manager
October/NovemberCity Council questionnaire
November1-on-1 meetings with City Council
Thursday, January 16Strategic planning workshop with City Council Late January/
Early FebruaryMeeting with City Staff to discuss programmatic objectives FebruaryCity Council meeting to adopt Strategic Plan
Common Areas
“Bellflower will be…”
“Bellflower will be…”
A Safe and Secure City
An Open and Connected City that Tells Its Story
A City that Wisely Invests in Its Future and Builds
A City that Demands High Performance and Excellence
and Sets a Model for Other Communities
Goals for
Consideration
Goal #1
Enhance Public Safety
•Strengthen partnership between the City and the County Sheriff
•Improve community education and transparency in relation to public safety efforts
•Encourage resident awareness and reporting
A Safe and Secure City
Goal #2:
Increase Public, Outreach, Education and
Connection
•Explore communication methods that reach multi-generations with focus on most effective methods
•Explore tools for connecting residents to each other and to the City
•Establish communication channels to engage with smaller businesses
An Open and Connected City that Tells Its Story
Goal #3:
Continue Investing in a High-Performing and
Efficient Team at City Hall
•Improve communication and collaboration between departments •Improve technology resources
–Finalize the online permitting process.
–Invest in technology resources for staff
–Modernize systems
A City that Wisely Invests in Its Future and Builds on Its Strengths
Goal #4:
Improve Quality of Life & Visual Appeal in the City
•Implement the Parks Master Plan
•Improve QUALITY of maintenance of public areas
•Raise standards of private property maintenance
requirements
A City that Demands High Performance and Excellence and Sets a Model for Other Communities
Additional Objectives for Consideration
Associated Common AreaObjective for Consideration
(1) Enhance Public SafetyDetermine final location for permanent public safety facility. (1) Enhance Public SafetyFinalize and implement public safety assessment recommendations.
(2) Increase Public Outreach, Education and
Connection
Conduct communications assessment on platforms and
processes.
(3) Continue Investing in a High-Performing and
Efficient Team at City HallInvest in training and career development for employees. (3) Continue Investing in a High-Performing and
Efficient Team at City HallConduct a full classification and compensation study. (3) Continue Investing in a High-Performing and
Efficient Team at City HallBalance city hall staffing with strategic contracting for services. (3) Continue Investing in a High-Performing and
Efficient Team at City Hall
Implement procedures for fielding resident requests in a timely manner.
Additional Objectives for Consideration
Associated GoalObjective for Consideration
(4) Improve Quality of Life & Visual Appeal in the
City
Develop QUALITY focused maintenance and upkeep plans for infrastructure, including parks, buildings, fountains, etc. (4) Improve Quality of Life & Visual Appeal in the
CityActivate public spaces to connect residents.
(4) Improve Quality of Life & Visual Appeal in the
CityAllocate resources for traffic safety improvement studies. (4) Improve Quality of Life & Visual Appeal in the
CityExplore ways to attract young families as residents. (4) Improve Quality of Life & Visual Appeal in the
City
Explore strategies to address developed and undeveloped vacant properties.
(4) Improve Quality of Life & Visual Appeal in the
CityExpand cultural in non-traditional locations to activate public space. (4) Improve Quality of Life & Visual Appeal in the
City
Solidify vision and plan for the future of Downtown (more residential units, parking, complimentary business types).
Additional Objectives for Consideration
Associated GoalObjective for Consideration
(5) Strengthen Economic DevelopmentContinue strategic and creative property “acquisitions.” (5) Strengthen Economic DevelopmentAddress challenges stemming from absentee property owners and vacant properties.
(5) Strengthen Economic DevelopmentExecute on City-controlled property to make real impacts in the community.
(5) Strengthen Economic DevelopmentFinalize planning for recently acquired properties in Downtown. (6) Address Fiscal SustainabilityAnalyze allocation of resources. (6) Address Fiscal SustainabilityEvaluate reserve policy and prepare for rainy days. (7) Strengthen Community Institution
CollaborationImprove collaboration and relationship with school district.
Discussion
Next Steps
TimelineNext Steps
Late January /
Early February
City Staff and Tripepi Smith will meet to review the goals affirmed by the City Council and discuss programmatic
objectives and metrics.
FebruaryTripepi Smith will assemble a report that includes goals, objectives and metrics.
FebruaryCity Council will review and consider adoption of a final report affirming goals, objectives and metrics.
April-June (based on
approved budget
calendar)
Formal Budget Study Sessions based on affirmed goals
City of Bellflower Strategic Planning
Workshop
Common Areas
“Bellflower will be…”
1. A Safe and Secure City
2. An Open and Connected City that Tells Its Story
3. A City that Wisely Invests in Its Future and Builds on its Strengths
4. A City that Demands High Performance and Excellence and Sets a Model for Other Communities
Goals for Consideration/Discussion
Goal #1: Enhance Public Safety
Bellflower will be a Safe and Secure City
● Strengthen partnership between the City and the County Sheriff ○ See the implementation of Prop 36 and impact of a new LA DA ○ Devise a crime response plan that speaks to the unique demands of each area in the City
● Improve community education and transparency in relation to public safety efforts ● Encourage resident awareness and reporting to help them be partners in addressing crime, disaster preparation and blight issues
● Determine the location, design, programming and execution of a new public safety building
● Finalize and implement public safety assessment recommendations. Devise a prioritization of funding and recommendations to implement this plan ● Build a reputation through communication and action that Bellflower is tougher on crime than peer cities.
● Develop a list of community resources for addressing addiction and related challenges and better engage with partnership to offer a spectrum of solution for crime elements. ● Set a direction to tap into Measure A funds to support programming that addresses homelessness challenges in the city
● Aggressively work to address homeless population areas in the City, including spaces outside city jurisdiction to reduce the homeless population in the city ● Solidify emergency preparedness training among staff, ensure a degree of self-reliance after a disaster and communicate plan to the public
____________________________________________________
Goal #2: Increase Public Outreach, Education and
Connection
Bellflower will be an Open and Connected City that Tells Its Story
● Explore communication methods that reach multi-generations with focus on most effective methods
● Explore tools for connecting residents to each other and to the City ● Establish communication channels to engage with smaller businesses ● Develop a strategy to leverage video, digital and paper communications to balance reaching across the community.
● Bring a unified, consistent and strategically chosen voice and visual presence to communications across City channels and platforms
● Conduct communications assessment on platforms and processes. ● Improve collaboration and relationship with school district. ____________________________________________________
Goal #3: Continue Investing in a High-Performing and
Efficient Team at City Hall
Bellflower will be a City that Wisely Invests in Its Future and Builds on its Strengths
● Improve communication and collaboration between departments ● Invest in technology resources for staff
● Modernize systems to support resident feedback, online permitting, graffiti and bulky item removal requests, execution on fiber optic to city hall, financial management system, payroll
○ Finalize the online permitting process
● Invest in training and career development for employees. ● Conduct a full classification and compensation study.
● Build organizational capacity through staff hiring and strategic contract for services that yield productivity enhancements.
● Modernize city policies that are ineffective or inefficient as currently written. ● Implement procedures for fielding and following up on resident requests in a timely manner.
____________________________________________________
Goal #4: Improve Quality of Life & Visual Appeal in the City Bellflower will be a City that Demands High Performance and Excellence and Sets a Model for Other Communities
● Implement the Parks Master Plan
● Improve QUALITY of maintenance of public areas
● Raise standards of private property maintenance requirements ○ Commercial, multi-family and single family residential ○ Identify strategies that leverage carrots and sticks in encouraging smart choices ● Develop QUALITY focused maintenance and upkeep plans for infrastructure, including parks, buildings, fountains, etc.
● Activate public spaces to connect residents.
● Allocate resources for traffic safety improvement studies. ● Explore ways to attract young families as residents.
● Explore strategies to address developed and undeveloped vacant properties. ● Expand cultural events in non-traditional locations to activate public space. ● Solidify vision and plan for the future of Downtown (more residential units, parking, complimentary business types).
____________________________________________________
Goal #5 – Strengthen Economic Development
● Continue strategic and creative property “acquisitions.” ● Address challenges stemming from absentee property owners and vacant properties. ● Execute on City-controlled property to make impacts in the community. ○ Finalize planning for recently acquired properties in Downtown. ● Analyze allocation of resources.
● Explore an economic development plan that aligns areas in Bellflower with focused economic development themes, industries and related land use strategy. ● Review General Plan, recent plan evolution and options for a full revision with a focus on corridors
● Revisit cannabis policy, licensing and industry activity in Bellflower ● Evaluate alternative revenue sources and land use measures