2012 Priorities for the Tacoma City Council
On February 25 the City Council met to discuss its strategic priorities for 2012. This week’s study session featured a review of that process, the outcomes, and next steps.
Using a list of five criteria:
- Does it improve efficiency?
- Is it sustainable?
- Does it invest in infrastructure (physical and other)?
- Does it have direct impact on community capital and investments?
- Does it generate economic activity and prosperity?
The Council identified a list of 12 priorities for the 2012 year:
- Create and implement an economic development strategy
- Improve the City’s transportation infrastructure and communicate progress to all community stakeholders
- Plan for development along the medical mile on Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, including transportation
- Establish a results-oriented administration
- Develop and maintain healthy neighborhoods and families, including maintaining and expansion of Community Based Services
- Build citywide support for youth success
- Create a customer service culture of “YES”
- Strengthen regional cooperation with military, education and social services partners
- Support and challenge the library system to meet the changing needs of the community
- Continue to implement the Climate Action Plan; and evaluate recommendations from other task forces
- Evaluate city services for fit with the City’s mission, vision and long-term financial sustainability
- Increase tourism and maximize the use of publicly-owned facilities
In order to ensure better communication of and accountability for these priorities, each will be included in standing committee work plans, and regular progress reports will be made at Committee of the Whole and City Council meetings. Furthermore, the priorities will be built into the City Manager’s goal setting and evaluations.
Also included in the Council’s next steps is a promise to continue to seek public input on the priorities; so, what do you think?
It seems so easy when it’s a list on a Powerpoint deck …
Is the list of criteria a good one? How about the priorities? What strikes you as most important for the City to focus on this year? Is anything missing?
Filed under: City-Council
8 comments
D Dylanjo March 15, 2012
I hope these are just typos/redundancies and not actually part of the plan.
“Does it have direct impact on community capital and investments? and investments?”
“Create and implement an economic development development strategy”
“Establish a results-oriented administration administration”
D Derek staff March 15, 2012
The redundancy came from an out-of-control copy paste from Powerpoint. All fixed now … Thank you.
F fredo March 15, 2012
The strategies as stated are a mess. Our council has a very hard time managing even a very modest set of goals/objectives. Better they identify the KEY things the taxpayers expect and budget for these objectives only. Trying to put into effect a huge cornucopia of liberal dreams in the middle of a recession is just a folly.
F fredo March 15, 2012
“Support and challenge the library system”
HAHAHA the council just closed two of our branch libraries.
“…improve efficiency”
HAHAHA the council just gave out huge payroll increases.
“increase tourism”
HAHAHAH council is filling up downtown with parking meters, drainage ditches, parking garages, and increasing the sales tax which drives tourists away.
T tacoma1 March 16, 2012
Yeah. I always check the local tax rate before I go anywhere as a tourist.
This year I plan on vacationing in Somalia since they have no taxes.
F Freddie March 16, 2012
Where’s the “economic” part of the plan that’s going to focus on attracting new businesses that’ll eventually help pay for all the wonderful services listed?
J Jesse March 16, 2012
How about “Get good value from the $80 million Sound Transit match… $160 total funds. Do not accept streetcar at $80 million a mile when everyone else does it for $20 million.”
L laura Hanan March 18, 2012
This list is way too long and each of the items needs to be broken down into actions to accomplish stated priorities.