CITY OF MENIFEE
SUBJECT: Strategic Plan Update
MEETING DATE: July 16, 2025
TO: Mayor and City Council
PREPARED BY: Jennifer Jackson, Sr. Management Analyst
REVIEWED BY: Rebekah Kramer, Deputy City Manager
APPROVED BY: Armando G. Villa, City Manager
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RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Adopt the City of Menifee’s updated 2023-2028 Strategic Plan; and
2. Receive and file an update on the implementation of the Strategic Plan for the period extending from January 1 to June 30, 2025.
DISCUSSION
The City’s five-year Strategic Plan establishes the City’s vision for the future and sets a roadmap for meeting current and future needs. The 2023-2028 Strategic Plan (Plan) was adopted during the City Council meeting on March 1, 2023. This Plan includes the following five overarching Strategic Priorities:
1.Connectivity and Mobility – Enhance accessibility and link the community with sustainable infrastructure to meet the City’s needs.
2.Unique Identity - Engage in thoughtful and collaborative planning with stakeholders to develop a distinct sense of place that leverages the community's historic and scenic assets and makes the City a highly attractive and desired destination for residents, businesses, and visitors.
3.Community Engagement and Social Infrastructure – Create opportunities to bring people together and enhance communication to amplify accessibility, increase awareness, and proactively deliver information to maintain quality of life and build a strong community.
4.Thriving Economy – Encourage intentional smart growth and support the City’s business community so that residents have access to businesses, housing, employment, and well-paying jobs.
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5.Safe and Vibrant Community – Provide exceptional public safety and maintain the City's attractive look and feel so that Menifee is one of the safest cities where residents and visitors are secure in their neighborhoods and surrounding spaces.
The objectives outlined in the Plan are designed to support the vision for the future and fulfill the City’s strategic priorities and goals. Performance measures are established to monitor progress.
Based on the Plan, specific capital and operational projects are prioritized and included within the City’s Operating and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budgets.
The Plan was reviewed during the March 5, 2025 City Council workshop, with adjustments considered to meet the needs of the City’s growing community and continue to support the overarching strategic priorities established in the Plan. The identified modifications are summarized below and have been integrated into the updated 2023-2028 Plan. 2023-2028 Strategic Plan Updates
Connectivity and Mobility
The objective to create a traffic mitigation plan to reduce congestion on Menifee’s streets and roadways was revised to focus on the implementation of traffic mitigation plans aimed at reducing congestion throughout the city. This modification provides a more clearly defined deliverable with the implementation of existing plans already in place, including the Complete Streets Plan (CSP), the General Plan (GP), and the Active Transportation Plan (ATP).
The objective for the development of a transit mobility plan to identify transportation options within the City was modified to reference the implementation of multimodal transit mobility plans to identify “last mile” opportunities to connect residents to public transportation options within the City. The term “last mile” refers to closing gaps in transportation that occur in growing communities like the City of Menifee. By focusing resources on “last mile” projects, the City will be better positioned to ensure that commuters are able to travel safely and efficiently to their destinations without encountering missing infrastructure.
While staff actively pursue available grant funding that aligns with the City’s operational needs and strategic priorities, the award of grant funding is outside of the City’s control.
It is also important to note that many grants are issued cyclically on a biennial basis rather than annually. As such, the objective to increase grant funding for capital projects year- over-year was updated to state that the City will actively identify and pursue grant funding opportunities for capital projects.
Community Engagement and Social Infrastructure
An objective was added for the development of a "Youth in Government Program" by January 2026 to educate students on municipal governance, encourage civic participation, and provide mentorship and career development opportunities for Menifee’s youth. In October 2023, after consideration of the feasibility of conducting a statistically validated biennial residential satisfaction survey, the City Council elected not to move forward with City of Menifee Staff Report
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initiating this performance measure. In place of conducting a comprehensive residential satisfaction survey, staff will gather community feedback through various plan development initiatives, such as the Placemaking, Unique Identity and Tourism Master Plan.
Thriving Economy
The creation of an Incubator Feasibility Plan and the acquisition of a facility for a Business Incubator Program have been placed on hold pending further evaluation of business development needs and facility priorities.
The Implementation Plan tracks the progress made in executing the goals and objectives established by the Mayor and City Council in the Plan. Implementation Plan updates are provided biannually, with the last update provided on February 5, 2025, for the six-month period extending from July 1 through December 31, 2024. This report summarizes the goals and objectives initiated and/or completed during the last six months of the five-year planning period extending from January 1 through June 30, 2025.
Implementation Plan Highlights
Connectivity and Mobility
CIP Projects: The FY 2024/2025 CIP includes 18 projects which received funding during this reporting period. Several of these projects are intended to mitigate and reduce traffic congestion on the City's streets and roadways based on the Traffic Mitigation Plan (TMP). These projects include, but are not limited to:
1. Bradley Road Bridge over Salt Creek (CIP13-04) - In Construction
2. McCall Blvd/I-25 Interchange (CIP14-01) - In Design
3. Scott Road/Bundy Canyon Road Widening (CIP 20-01) - In Design
4. Garbani Road/I-215 Interchange (CIP 20-05) - In Design
5. Paloma Wash Pedestrian Bridge (CIP20-13) - In Construction
6. McCall Blvd Widening (CIP 22-03) – In Design
7. Goetz Road/Vista Way Traffic Signal (CIP 23-02) – In Design
8. McCall Blvd/Sun City Blvd Left Turn Pocket Extension (24-02) - Closeout
9. Romoland Elementary School - ATP - In Design
10. Harvest Valley Elementary School - ATP - In Design
11. Murrieta Road/Holland Road Intersection Improvements (CIP 25-01) – In Design
12. Murrieta Road Widening – Holland to Newport (CIP 25-03) - In Design
13. Holland Road Widening – Bradley to Haun (CIP 25-04) – In Design
14. Evans Road/Craig Avenue Traffic Signal (CIP 25-05) – In Design
15. Local Roads AC Resurfacing Program (CIP 25-07) – In Design
16. Antelope Road Resurfacing – Holland to Newport (CIP 25-08) – In Design
17. Garbani Road Drainage Improvements (CIP 25-09) – In Design
18. Ethanac Rd/Antelope Rd Intersection Realignment Feasibility Study (CIP26-01) - In Progress
City of Menifee Staff Report
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An update to the City’s Pavement Condition Index (PCI) as part of the Pavement Management Program (PMP) is underway, with the final PMP report and recommendations anticipated by the end of July. Additionally, several maintenance projects commenced in FY 2024/2025 to improve PCI in the most critical areas. This includes four resurfacing projects:
1. FY 24/25 Local AC Resurfacing: 10,000 cubic feet (1.9 centerline miles) – in Bidding phase
2. FY 24/25 Slurry Seal Project: 15,300 cubic feet (2.9 centerline miles) – Crack-sealing in Progress; Slurry Seal in Bidding phase
3. Mapes Road Resurfacing: 2,600 cubic feet (.25 centerline miles) - in Design phase
4. Antelope Road Resurfacing: approximately 6,600 cubic feet (1.25 centerline miles) for a total of 6.3 centerline miles – in Design phase
Unique Identity
The Placemaking, Unique Identity and Tourism Master Plan is underway with community engagement efforts including public meetings and City Council interviews completed in March 2025. To date, over 1,000 community responses have been collected, providing valuable insight to inform the study. The preliminary findings completed in late May will guide the next phase of the project including preparation of recommendations for consideration as part of the City's efforts to establish a unique identity and become a destination city.
Community Engagement and Social Infrastructure
Social Media & Community Alerts: The City continues to improve community awareness by encouraging residents to sign up for City alerts and follow the City on social media. During this reporting period, the City saw a 4.5 percent increase in social media followers, growing from 84,697 to 88,521. This data reflects the growth of our primary City of Menifee accounts, which include Facebook, Instagram, X (previously known as Twitter), LinkedIn, and Nextdoor. The City also maintains social media accounts for Menifee’s Police, Community Services, and Economic Development Departments. Subscriptions to the City website newsflash alerts increased by 2 percent from 2,429 to 2,480.
Menifee TV: The City’s Public Education Government (PEG) channel can be accessed on multiple cable providers: Spectrum (channel 1301), Frontier (channel 25), and Mediacom (channel 595). It is also available on the City’s website at cityofmenifee.us/Menifeetv. Menifee TV aims to deliver quality local programming, public meetings, and service announcements. During this reporting period, 39 original content videos were produced. This includes the creation of the “Menifee in the Works” series, highlighting Public Works Department operations and capital improvement program projects such as the Keller Road grading, stencil truck, street sweeping, and hot mix asphalt.
Website Enhancements: The City’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) website compliance consultant is working with staff in all departments to enhance the website, meet regulatory requirements, and ensure information about city operations and events is accessible to a broad audience. Given the complexity of the work required to meet ADA standards, the deadline for this objective was extended to June 30, 2025, allowing the consultant sufficient time to work with City City of Menifee Staff Report
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staff to address the identified issues. The website remains fully functional while these improvements are being implemented.
Park Amenities/Recreation Program Enhancements: The City is devoted to developing unique park amenities, recreational facilities, and programming to serve the community's diverse needs in alignment with the Parks Master Plan. Several projects are currently underway to help meet those needs.
During this reporting period, the City acquired 19 parcels comprised of approximately 398 acres located on the east side of the City (commonly referred to as Menifee Hills) to be designated as open space for parks, trails and recreational purposes. This investment advances key Strategic Plan goals for the City related to placemaking, social infrastructure, and equitable access to recreational opportunities. It also directly supports the City’s adopted 2023 Parks Master Plan, which identifies open space preservation and land acquisition as essential strategies to meet long- term park and recreation needs. This land acquisition provides opportunities for eco-tourism and active recreational tourism, such as hiking and mountain biking.
Additionally, the design for a 1.94-acre passive park in Sun City – featuring a butterfly garden next to Faith Lutheran Church – has been finalized, and park construction is expected to begin in 2025. City staff are collaborating with Faith Lutheran Church and the grantor, the California Natural Resources Agency, to complete the property purchase and sale agreement. The City Council also approved an agreement with the Canyon Heights Homeowners Association in April for the dedication of 10.45 acres of land for use as a City-maintained park. With a grant award from the National Parks Service administered by the California State Parks Department as part of the Outdoor Legacy Recreation Program (OLRP), staff are now in the process of designing a nature-themed park including a multi-use field, playground and interactive nature trails in the Quail Valley area.
Progress continues at Central Park, with construction underway on the Central Park Amphitheater (CIP 19-15), as well as the Paloma Wash Pedestrian Bridge (CIP 20-13) and Civic Center Parking Lot (CIP 22-24). Upon completion, the culmination of these three projects will result in a vibrant new entertainment venue for the City.
Engagement Opportunities: The City recognizes the importance of providing engagement opportunities for residents to enhance their understanding and participation in City planning and community events. During this reporting period, the City held the Spring 2025 Citizen’s Academy, an eight-week course designed to provide residents and business owners with an opportunity to meet with City leaders and learn about City operations and services. The City also held numerous community workshops and community forums, including:
The Innovation District (Southern Gateway) Design Charrette Visioning Workshop (1/14/25)
Two joint City Council and Parks Recreation and Trials (PRTC) workshops to discuss the design of a new community center planned for the property on La Piedra Road adjacent to the Menifee Public Library (2/13 and 4/29/25)
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The 2023-2028 Strategic Plan City Council Workshop (3/05/25) The Placemaking Master Plan Community Workshop (3/27/25) and Business Workshop (3/25/25)
The Innovation District (Southern Gateway) Alternative Land Use Community Workshop (3/24/25)
The Capital Improvement Program Biennial City Council Budget Workshops (4/02 and 4/16/25)
The City Council Operating and Capital Improvement Program Budget Workshop (5/07/25)
Thriving Economy
Business Development: The City of Menifee is conducting a comprehensive reassessment of its business incubator needs to ensure strategic alignment with current economic conditions, investment opportunities, and long-term return of investment. As part of this effort, we are updating the Menifee Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) to identify key industries, emerging market opportunities, and targeted economic drivers that can inform our approach to business incubation. This data-driven process will allow us to refine our strategies to better support entrepreneurship, attract investment, and enhance sustainable economic growth.
By aligning our initiatives with the evolving needs of the local business community, we aim to optimize resource allocation and maximize positive economic impact for Menifee.
The City has also engaged Urban 3, a consultant specializing in land value economics, to produce a report that will identify a "value per acre" analysis within the City. The results of this report will help identify the tools and incentives that may help to attract development. The Urban 3 study is currently underway, and it is anticipated that the preliminary results will be completed by August 2025.
Safe and Vibrant Community
In its 2025 Safest Cities report, the safety advisory group Safewise named Menifee as one of the safest cities in California (ranked #18) for the second year in a row. The report noted decreases in both property and violent crime in the City over the previous year. This achievement is the result of the City’s ongoing commitment to provide a safe and vibrant community.
Public Education/Training: A total of 408 people participated in the Menifee Life Savers training during this reporting period, with 1,745 people having participated in the program to date.
STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVE
The Strategic Plan update addresses all the Strategic Plan objectives.
City of Menifee Staff Report
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FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with the recommended action. The costs associated with the implementation of each of the Strategic Plan elements are incorporated within the City’s Operating and CIP budgets.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2023-2028 Strategic Plan Update (June 2025)
2. 2023-2028 Strategic Plan Implementation Task Summary – Update (January 1 – June 30, 2025)