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10.  Strategic Initiatives

 

Statement of Issue: 

This section presents for the Board’s consideration a list of potential Strategic Initiatives that align with the County’s current Strategic Priority areas and their proposed directional statements. During this portion of the Retreat, the Board may wish to amend or add to the list of potential Strategic Initiatives.  

Staff Recommendation:

1. Consider proposed new or amended Strategic Initiatives.

(New or amended Strategic Initiatives require a super majority vote to be included in the FY 2022-FY 2026 Strategic Plan)

 

Background:

The final building blocks of an organizational strategic plan are Strategic Initiatives.  For Leon County, Strategic Initiatives are program- or area-specific projects that align with the County’s Strategic Priorities. Strategic initiatives ensure that the optimized resources of the County are aligned to address the community’s most pressing issues, achieve top priorities, and realize the vision of a community that is safe, healthy, and vibrant.

 

Historically, at the start of a new strategic planning cycle, the Board will adopt a moderate set of Initiatives   that represent major programs and projects that will advance the County’s Strategic Priorities over the next five (5) years.  In subsequent years, the Board renews the Strategic Plan by revising or adding new Strategic Initiatives. As a result, the Plan grows to include a large number of Initiatives by the end of the five-year cycle.  For example the current Strategic Plan started with 44 Initiatives adopted by the Board during the December 2016 Retreat.  This total grew to 104 Strategic Initiatives by the end of 2021 as the Board revised or added between 13 to 17 Initiatives at each annual Retreat.

 

Analysis

At this point in the Retreat the Board will discuss establishing the preliminary list of Strategic Initiatives for the County’s new FY 2022 – FY 2026 Strategic Plan.  Initiatives are specific actions that can be accomplished over the next five (5) years to advance the County’s Strategic Priorities and may reflect the County’s response to new opportunities or changing conditions that have taken place or are anticipated. Initiatives are also intended to be at a level that warrants Board direction or places an emphasis on a specific issue the Board wishes to highlight.   If a Strategic Initiative does not align with any Strategic Priority’s directional statement, then it would be appropriate at this point to discuss adding a new directional statement. 

In addition to new Strategic Initiatives identified by the Board at the Retreat for inclusion in the FY 2022-FY 2026 plan, staff has identified several potential Strategic Initiatives (included on the following page) for the Board to consider.  This potential list of Strategic Initiatives represents the next steps in advancing a number of existing efforts the Board has recently provided guidance on that rise to the level of being considered a Strategic Initiative.  Some are recommended based on the results of the community survey, environmental scan, and SWOT analysis. Others included in the list are ongoing Initiatives from the existing FY 2017 – FY 2021 Strategic Plan.  As part of the strategic planning process, some of the Initiatives have been updated and/or combined.

Subsequent to the Board approval of new Strategic Initiatives, the County Administrator will assign to the appropriate department staff or identify any interdepartmental or external partnerships necessary to fulfill the specific initiative.  Staff will develop the appropriate assignments and work plans to proceed with implementing the Board’s direction.  Staff will also prepare a formal updated Strategic Plan for the Board to consider in February 2022 which incorporates the direction received at the Retreat.  Throughout the year, agenda items will continue to note when specific action is being requested of the Board in advancing a Strategic Initiative. Additionally, the Board will continue to receive biannual progress updates on Initiatives as part of the June Budget Workshop and Annual Retreat.

 

Potential Strategic Initiatives for Board Consideration

Economy

To be an effective leader and a reliable partner in our continuous efforts to make Leon County a place which attracts and retains talent, to grow and diversify our local economy, and to realize our full economic vitality. (EC)

• (EC1) Do well-designed public infrastructure which supports business, attracts private investment, and has long term economic benefits.
• (EC2) Support programs, policies and initiatives to attract, create, and promote expansion of business, entrepreneurship, job creation, workforce development, economic equity and mobility.
• (EC3) Leverage university and community partnerships to increase entrepreneurial, technology transfer and commercialization opportunities.
• (EC4) Grow our tourism economy, its diversity, competitiveness, and economic impact.

 

Strategic Initiatives:

• Continue to implement catalytic public infrastructure projects through Blueprint and the County’s five-year CIP that provide connectivity and leverage public and private investments.  (EC1)

• Implement the Economic Development Strategic Plan as adopted and revised by the Intergovernmental Agency. (EC2) 

• Implement the recommendations from the joint County/City disparity study to be completed in FY 2022. (EC2)
• Continue to support the Magnetic Technologies Task Force in growing the cluster of research and businesses in the magnetic technologies industry. (EC3) 
• Implement the Division of Tourism’s Strategic Plan. (EC4) 

• Continue to build upon the reputation of Apalachee Regional Park as a destination venue for cross country athletes by securing state, regional and national competitions. (EC4) 

• To further promote Leon County as a biking community, pursue the State’s “Trail Town” designation and continue to coordinate with the City, Blueprint, State, and U.S. Forest Service to leverage capital improvements in pursuit of the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) designation. (EC4) 

• Maximize the leveraging of the $1.0 trillion federal infrastructure bill to fund County projects. (EC1)

Environment

To be a responsible steward of our precious natural resources in our continuous efforts to make Leon County a place which values our environment and natural beauty as a vital component of our community’s health, economic strength, and social offerings. (EN)

• (EN1) Protect the quality and supply of our water.
• (EN2) Conserve and protect environmentally sensitive lands and our natural ecosystems.
• (EN3) Promote orderly growth and sustainable practices.
• (EN4) Reduce our carbon footprint.

 

Strategic Initiatives:

• Continue to work with the state to seek matching grants to convert septic to sewer systems.  (EN1)
• Evaluate requiring advanced wastewater treatment (AWT) for new construction.* (EN2)
• Complete a comprehensive review and revision to the Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan.* (EN3)               
• Complete an evaluation of transportation fee alternatives to replace the existing concurrency management system of mobility fees.*  (EN3)
• Enact the County’s Integrated Sustainability Action Plan to further reduce the County Government’s carbon footprint. (EN4)

 

Quality of Life

To be a provider of essential services which promote the well-being of our citizens and the livability of our community in our continuous efforts to make Leon County a place where people are healthy, safe, and connected to their community. (Q)

• (Q1) Maintain and enhance our parks and recreational offerings and green spaces.
• (Q2) Provide relevant and essential offerings thorough our libraries and community centers which promote literacy, life-long learning, and social equity.
• (Q3) Provide essential public safety infrastructure and services while supporting early intervention and prevention strategies.
• (Q4) Support and promote access to basic healthcare, mental health, affordable housing, and homeless prevention services to our community members most in need.
• (Q5) Promote livability, health and sense of community by supporting strong neighborhoods, enhancing mobility, encouraging human scale development, and creating public spaces for people of all ages.
• (Q6) Assist local veterans and their dependents with securing entitled benefits and advocating their interests.
• (Q7) Build, sustain and improve resilience to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to and recover from man-made and natural disasters.

 

Strategic Initiatives:

• Implement the Tallahassee-Leon County Greenways Master Plan.  (Q1)

• Implement the Leon County Essential Libraries Initiative. (Q2)   

• Continue to evaluate emergency medical response strategies to improve medical outcomes and survival rates. (Q3)    

• Identify and evaluate pretrial alternatives to incarceration for low level and non-violent offenders and support reentry through regional partnerships and state and national efforts. (Q3)
• Continue County support of primary healthcare through participation in Carenet in order to increase access to affordable healthcare for those in need.  (Q4)  
• In coordination with the Leon County Health Department, work to identify an operator for a local Syringe Exchange Program.* (Q4)          

• Continue to work with the Florida Department of Transportation for safety improvements on State and County roadways to include accessibility enhancements, street lighting installations, sidewalk additions, safety audits, and intersection improvements. (Q5)  

• Continue coordination of local COVID-19 response and recovery including leveraging State and federal funds to support individual and business assistance as well as vaccination and testing efforts. (Q7)      
   

Governance

To be a model for local governance with innovative, competent, and responsible public servants, committed to promoting integrity, creating meaningful opportunities for citizen engagement and co-creation, and ensuring fiscal stewardship. (G)

• (G1) Sustain a culture of transparency, accessibility, accountability, civility, and the highest standards of public service.
• (G2) Sustain a culture of performance, and deliver effective, efficient services that exceed expectations and demonstrate value.
• (G3) Inform and engage citizens through multiple outreach platforms to ensure consistent, high-value, transparent communication on our most important issues.
• (G4) Retain and attract a highly skilled, diverse and innovative County workforce, which exemplifies the County’s Core Practices.
• (G5) Exercise responsible stewardship of County resources, sound financial management, and ensure that the provision of services and community enhancements are done in a fair and equitable manner.

 

Strategic Initiatives:

• Alongside The Village Square, the Knight Creative Communities Institute (KCCI), and other community partners, continue to engage citizens of diverse backgrounds with innovative programs like Created Equal, the Citizen Engagement Series, Build Your Bucket, and so much more.  (G1)

• Continue to set the benchmark for local governments everywhere by earning national, state and local awards for County programs, hosting Florida Association of Counties events like Innovation Day, and sharing best practices with peers, all while remaining committed to learning and improving as an organization.  (G2)  

• Launch the internationally recognized Zencity communications platform to address social media misinformation, proactively address citizen concerns, and increase transparency and accountability.  (G3)               

• Continue to invest in the professional development of County staff including participation in Certified Public Manager training and enhancements to the County’s Management Training.  (G4)
• Continue to pursue cost savings through the County’s Innovator & Inspirator (I²) Program. (G5) 

* This Initiative is currently being worked on; however, it was not completed during the FY 2017 – FY 2021 plan cycle and is being recommended for inclusion in the next five-year plan.

 

Options:

1. Consider proposed new or amended Strategic Initiatives.

(New or amended Strategic Initiatives require a super majority vote to be included in the FY 2022-FY 2026 Strategic Plan)

 

Recommendation:

Option #1