BACKGROUND:
On January 27, 2024, the City’s leadership team and City Council met together for a daylong workshop to review the City’s Five-Year Strategic Plan and to set goals for the next year. This was the second full update provided to the City Council since the plan was adopted on April 12, 2023.
During the workshop, the City Council received a financial overview of the City’s midyear fiscal position, particularly the significant costs due to damage and debris removal resulting from Tropical Storm Hilary. After the fiscal update, the City Manager and executive team members provided the City Council updates on their efforts on meeting the Strategic Plan goals and objectives, guided by the following questions:
•Over the past year, what has your department accomplished that you and your team are most proud of? What factors contributed to your success? •What has challenged your department the most? What were the biggest internal or external factors that impeded your department from achieving your goals and objectives?
•What key initiatives will be the focus of your department over the next year? Do they still align with the goals/objectives outlined in the Strategic Plan or do they need to shift? If a change is proposed, what is the proposed change and timeline for implementation?
After the staff’s presentations, the City Council provided their response to the same questions, which led to a discussion of future goals.
DISCUSSION:
The continued engagement between the City Council, staff, and the community in the creation and implementation of the strategic plan is commendable. Such collaboration fosters transparency, accountability and ownership which are essential for the successful execution of any strategic initiative. By remaining aligned and committed to the goals outlined in the Strategic Plan, the City can better navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and ultimately thrive in the future.
There were some changes discussed during the goal setting workshop that are incorporated into this update. The City Council accepted the recommendations from a resident advisory committee to secure ongoing revenues to allow Cathedral City to enter the Desert Recreation District and develop a community center, address capital improvements in the City’s roads and infrastructure, and improve Fire department responses to increasing numbers of medical calls for service. Staff have incorporated the support for the funding initiative in the update.
The City’s new Development Services Director outlined resource needs to address a strategic plan objective of completing the comprehensive update to the City’s zoning and business regulations codes. Much of the City’s zoning code is severely outdated and almost obsolete. To create a development process that is facilitative, predictable, and streamlined, a large overhaul of the code will be necessary. In addition, pursuant to AB 1332, the City must develop a program for the preapproval of accessory dwelling unit plans by January 1, 2025. Staff are working to identify potential funding for these initiatives to begin later this year. Mayor emphasized the need for resources to further economic development of the City.
New initiatives were introduced by the Mayor and Councilmembers. Mayor Carnevale asked for prioritization of resources to support Economic Development. Mayor Pro Tem Ross asked staff to explore annual or bi-annual joint meetings or 2 x 2 meetings between the City Council and Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, working with the Historical Society to digitize and preserve historic photos and documents, and commission a survey of historic properties in the City. Councilmember Gutierrez requested that staff explore the use of volunteers by Code Enforcement and research prior goal setting documents to provide a review of accomplishments. Councilmember Gregory requested that residential parking standards, including parking in front of mailboxes, be prioritized in the zoning code updates and asked that staff work with community organizations to identify a cooling center within Cathedral City for the summer. Councilmember Lamb echoed staff’s support of resources to update the City’s zoning code and the importance of the City joining the Desert Recreation District to provide programming for the community. These initiatives reflect a range of priorities including community engagement, historical preservation, and efficiency improvements.
Some initiatives, while still important, had to be delayed to the financial impact of Tropical Storm Hilary. These initiatives did not have budget appropriations previously and were recommended to be deferred and reassessed in the next biennial budget.
These included:
•Facilities Master Plan, Facilities Condition Assessment Implementation •Facilities Master Plan (Phase II - Policies, Procedures) •Annual Allocation to Facilities Fund (614)
•Equipment Replacement Fund (611) Allocation
•Entryway Monument Study
•IT Master Plan Recommendations
•Compensation and Classification Study
FISCAL IMPACT:
Staff will bring back items that need budget adjustments or will include non-budgeted items in the budget request in the next biennial budget.
Attachments:
Updated Five-Year Strategic Plan
PowerPoint Presentation from 1/27/24 Goal Setting Session