City of Pleasant Hill Biennial Budget Fiscal Year 24/25 & Fiscal Year 25/26 Background 7
CITY COUNCIL GOALS FISCAL YEARS 2024/2025 AND 2025/2026 GOAL #1: A CITY THAT IS SAFE
OBJECTIVE #1: Ensure there is adequate public safety.
A. Develop strategies and programs to reduce crime and increase public safety. i. Maintain the School Resource Officer.
ii. Effectively deploy police resources, including with focus on priority areas and issues, such as schools and homelessness.
iii. Leverage the Education Commission outreach and contact to the Mt. Diablo Unified School District on issues such as capital improvements and bike and pedestrian safety efforts.
B. Improve traffic safety throughout the City and particularly around schools.
C. Continue and expand community engagement and volunteer opportunities around public safety, including Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) the Chief’s Advisory Panel, and reinvigorating the Neighborhood Watch to enhance communication and promote education.
D. Fully integrate and enhance a comprehensive, resilient suite of emergency communication tools and methods to include the Community Warning System, social media, and Nixle, that are accessible to the entire community, including underrepresented groups.
E. Maintain strong relationships with the Fire District and other public safety organizations and continue to participate in regional public safety activities.
F. Continue to work with the public on reducing property crime.
OBJECTIVE #2: Preserve an infrastructure that is functional and effective.
A. Prioritize and ensure adequate funding for capital projects that prevent health and safety concerns.
B. Continue to aggressively pursue grants and other outside funding sources for capital projects.
OBJECTIVE #3: Maintain an effective disaster preparedness program.
A. Support the CERT Program.
B. Assess disasters of new origins.
C. Utilize the Outlook newsletter, website, and social media to promote disaster preparedness.
D. Continue emergency management and disaster preparedness training for City staff.
E. Improve multi-jurisdictional coordination of disaster preparedness, including with schools, colleges, the Fire District, CERT, the County, and the City.
F. Include the City Council in appropriate Emergency Operations Center exercises.
City of Pleasant Hill Biennial Budget Fiscal Year 24/25 & Fiscal Year 25/26 Background 8
GOAL #2: A CITY THAT IS FINANCIALLY SOUND
OBJECTIVE #1: Set and maintain a balanced budget.
A. Continuously monitor and adjust expenditures, including personnel costs, to conform to funds available.
B. Ensure that the City has sufficient revenue to meet community needs, including through evaluating alternative funding mechanisms for City projects and programs.
C. Maintain reserves for specific purposes and amounts (including unassigned reserves) to meet the City's needs.
D. Ensure American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”) funds are effectively used to meet City and community needs.
E. Move forward with an analysis and audit of Business License Fees.
OBJECTIVE #2: Foster active and effective economic development programs and services.
A. Strengthen the attractiveness of, and connectivity between, commercial areas, such as the businesses along the Monument Corridor.
B. Work with businesses to identify and promote the unique features of each business area.
C. Coordinate infrastructure projects with economic development efforts to efficiently leverage City resources and enhance the vitality of commercial areas.
D. Foster coordination and enhancement of marketing and promotion between hotels, restaurants, and commercial establishments.
E. Utilize the Tourism Improvement District (TID) to increase awareness and visibility of Pleasant Hill and to attract more overnight hotel guests to stay in local hotels.
OBJECTIVE #3: Continue long-term financial planning.
A. Update the Long-Term Financial Plan every two years.
City of Pleasant Hill Biennial Budget Fiscal Year 24/25 & Fiscal Year 25/26 Background 9
GOAL #3: A CITY THAT IS ATTRACTIVE, WELL-PLANNED, AND WELL-MAINTAINED OBJECTIVE #1: Support land use policies and projects that enhance the quality of the City.
A. Maintain land use planning documents that are current and focus on enhancing quality of life, strengthening neighborhoods, incorporating sustainable land use and development principles, and encouraging high-quality economic development.
B. Continually monitor and update other planning-related documents, including the Zoning Ordinance and Citywide Design Guidelines, as necessary.
C. Ensure high-quality development that appropriately considers the surrounding environment, quality of life impacts (including traffic), and the needs of individual neighborhoods, and contributes to the improvement of the City.
D. Incorporate climate change considerations into City planning documents where feasible.
E. Support residential development that will help address the lack of affordable housing.
F. Advocate for state legislation/mandates to be consistent with the City's goals and community interests.
G. Review and update residential objective design standards and zoning ordinance development standards to be consistent with the goals, policies, and programs of the updated Land Use & Housing Element of the General Plan.
OBJECTIVE #2: Maintain the appearance of City facilities in a condition that meets community expectations.
A. Perform recurring maintenance activities, such as landscape maintenance, pothole repair, pavement crack sealing, storm drain cleaning, City vehicle maintenance, and City building maintenance in a cost- effective and timely manner.
B. Maintain the high-quality appearance of City property and facilities.
OBJECTIVE #3: Implement a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that meets the City’s needs.
A. Perform comprehensive assessment on a recurring basis to identify current and future capital needs.
B. Create a long-term plan that prioritizes capital projects and identifies funding adequate to meet capital needs.
C. Maintain arterial and collector roads with a citywide average Pavement Condition Index (PCI) of 70 or better and residential roads with a citywide average PCI of 60 or better.
D. Communicate the impact of Measure K in improving the condition of the City's capital assets, including through a Measure K project information website containing a map of Measure Kfunded projects.
E. Continue to aggressively pursue grants and other outside funding sources for capital projects.
F. Use innovative technologies to minimize costs.
City of Pleasant Hill Biennial Budget Fiscal Year 24/25 & Fiscal Year 25/26 Background 10
OBJECTIVE #3 Continued: Implement a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that meets the City’s needs.
G. Focus projects on priority areas, such as implementing Complete Streets and cost-effective projects to reduce localized flooding.
H. Complete the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.
GOAL #4: A CITY THAT PROVIDES A HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE AND
A SMALL-TOWN ATMOSPHERE FOR ITS RESIDENTS
OBJECTIVE #1: Provide and promote community events.
A. Continue to organize community and cultural events that enhance the quality of life in Pleasant Hill, such as Off the Grid, Community Service Day, Light up the Night, and the Sunset by the Lake Summer Concert Series.
B. Sponsor, support, and promote diverse community and cultural events taking place in the City, organized by other public and private organizations.
C. Provide opportunities for children to interact with the City of Pleasant Hill through activities such as Mock City Council Meetings, Mayor for the Day, and the annual Holiday Tree Trimming and Caroling at City Hall.
D. Provide opportunities for community members to become more familiar with the City organization and its policies and procedures, including through a Local Government Academy program.
E. Perform a communication audit to assess current practices and improve outreach methods to promote community events and activities.
OBJECTIVE #2: Foster collaborations with other community partners.
A. Cultivate cooperation and communication with the Mount Diablo Unified School District and higher education institutions, including Diablo Valley College, to promote quality education and programs that enrich the quality of life in Pleasant Hill.
B. Collaborate with regional government agencies, such as the Fire District and County, to support programs that enrich the quality of life for Pleasant Hill residents.
C. Collaborate with the Pleasant Hill Library to support programs that enrich the quality of life for Pleasant Hill residents.
D. Collaborate with the Recreation and Park District on areas of particular interest to the City, such as the District's master plan and proposed new park adjacent to the new library.
E. Collaborate with civic and community organizations to support programs that enrich the quality of life for Pleasant Hill residents.
City of Pleasant Hill Biennial Budget Fiscal Year 24/25 & Fiscal Year 25/26 Background 11
OBJECTIVE #3: Promote a sustainable and environmentally friendly community.
A. Continue and look for opportunities to expand good environmental practices and policies in the City.
B. Continue community education and outreach focused on good environmental practices.
C. Continue to promote alternative transportation options, such as electric vehicle usage and charging stations, walking, biking, buses, BART, and carpooling.
D. Monitor and pursue state and federal grant funding opportunities that promote local programs and/or regional collaboration dedicated to sustainable practices and procedures.
OBJECTIVE #4: Support and explore opportunities to expand cultural, historical, artistic, and leisure activities and facilities.
A. Collaborate with other Pleasant Hill organizations to display and publicize public art, including at City Hall, the Nelis Nook in the Pleasant Hill Library, as well as in new projects and City facilities.
B. Create a mechanism for recognizing significant cultural milestones and memorializing the contributions of various groups to the City’s history, such as the Chamber of Commerce.
GOAL #5: A CITY THAT PROVIDES EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE PUBLIC SERVICES OBJECTIVE #1: Establish programs and provide resources to enable quality public service.
A. Support quality public service by providing City staff with appropriate training and educational opportunities.
B. Create opportunities for teamwork that crosses departmental lines.
C. Ensure that the City has a high level of transparency by providing training and communications for City staff, Commissioners, and City Council, with regard to the Brown Act, Public Records Act, Political Reform Act, and any additional related state or federal laws.
D. Review and consider changes to the City’s current onboarding practices for Councilmembers and Commissioners.
E. Find ways to assess customer satisfaction with City government and City services and periodically provide updates to the City Council.
F. Use social media to promote and advertise City accomplishments.
G. Continue to look for opportunities to use technological advances to increase transparency and effectiveness and streamline services.