COUNCIL SETS GOALS FOR Results of Council Goal-Setting Workshop on January 24, 2015

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1 City of San Luis Obispo, News Release DATE: January 24, 2015 RELEASE: Immediate CONTACT: Katie Lichtig, City Manager COUNCIL SETS GOALS FOR Results of Council Goal-Setting Workshop on January 24, 2015 The City of San Luis Obispo is in the process of developing the biannual financial plan. A key component of the process is soliciting community input into the priorities for the upcoming two fiscal years. Following extensive community outreach, including advice from all of the City s advisory bodies, nearly 800 survey responses from the City s Community Budget Bulletin, and input from approximately 400 attendees at the January 13, 2015, Community Forum, the Council met all day on Saturday, January 24, 2015, to set goals for In a constrained fiscal environment and multiple competing requests, the City Council s goals emphasize open space protection and maintenance, multi-modal transportation, and housing. The City Council also recognized the importance of addressing other community needs and identified neighborhood wellness, Laguna Lake restoration, fiscal responsibility, and a focus on the downtown as other important objectives to allocate resources to during the financial planning period. The full text of these goals, along with photos of the workshop, are attached. After the session, City Manager Katie Lichtig said, The Council had a difficult job today to distill the broad community input into clear and focused objectives. They have requested City staff develop more detailed work plans, which will be presented to the City Council in April. The deliberation today will be reflected in those plans. I believe they struck a balance by establishing Major City Goals that clearly focused on priorities and core services that are important to the community. The goal setting session followed the January 13, 2015, Community Forum held to solicit input into the direction the City should head in the upcoming fiscal year. The standing room only crowd of over 400 people at the Community Forum provided their thoughts and testimony to the City Council on a variety of topics. The evening concluded with the attendees voting on their top priorities by placing colored dots on the sheets capturing the night s comments. Photos from the forum are attached. The community forum and goal setting workshop are important steps in the City Council s adoption of major city goals. The major city goals guide the development of the The City of San Luis Obispo is committed to including persons with disabilities in all of our services, programs and activities. Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (805)

2 financial plan which is scheduled to come before the City Council in the upcoming June for adoption prior to the beginning of the next fiscal year which begins on July 1. Next Steps. City staff will return with detailed work programs for the Council s consideration in implementing these goals on April 21, The Council will also provide strategic budget direction at that time. This will be followed by issuance of the Preliminary Financial Plan on May 29, For More Information. Please call Katie Lichtig, City Manager, for added information about the goal-setting workshop and the City s budget process at Attached: Photos from 1/13/15 Community Forum, and 1/24/15 Goal Setting Workshop Full Text of the Major City Goals ###

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6 MAJOR CITY GOALS SUMMARY MAJOR CITY GOALS These represent the most important, highest priority goals for the City to accomplish over the next two years, and as such, resources to accomplish them should be included in the Financial Plan. Community Development Open Space Preservation. Protect and maintain open space. Housing. Implement the Housing Element, facilitating workforce, affordable, supportive and transitional housing options, including support for needed infrastructure within the City s fair share. Transportation Multi-Modal Transportation. Prioritize implementation of the Bicycle Master Plan and improve and maintain bicycle, pedestrian, and transit facilities. OTHER IMPORTANT OBJECTIVES Goals in this category are important for the City to accomplish, and resources should be made available in the Financial Plan if possible. Community Development Neighborhood Wellness. Improve neighborhood wellness, work with residents, Cuesta, and Cal Poly; increase public safety, code compliance, and collaborative solutions. Laguna Lake Restoration. Initiate implementation of the Laguna Lake Natural Reserve Conservation Plan. Downtown. Adopt a Downtown Concept Plan, develop a plan for expansion of Mission Plaza, and improve safety, infrastructure, and maintenance in the Downtown. General Government Fiscal Sustainability and Responsibility. Implement the City s Fiscal Responsibility Philosophy with a focus on the reduction of unfunded liabilities.