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Five-Year Strategic Plan Community Engagement Process September 16, 2013 Page 2 DISCUSSION In June 2012, the City embarked in a strategic planning process and engaged Management Partners Inc. to facilitate the project. In April 2013, the process of developing the five-year strategic plan was begun. At that time, a Council Ad-Hoc Strategic Planning Committee composed of Councilmembers Benavides, Martinez and Reyna was established. The Council Committee, with the input and support of a Department Head subcommittee of the Directors of Planning and Building, Parks and Recreation, and Finance Departments, together with the Interim City Manager, Interim Deputy City Manager, and key staff members, have met several times with the consultants to determine the steps of the process and to discuss the community engagement efforts. As a part of the community engagement element of the 5-year strategic planning process, the City conducted a Community Forum on August 10 which was highly successful with approximately 180 participants. Additionally, Management Partners facilitated four focus groups on September 5: two for community participants and two for employees. From the information generated by these community engagement efforts, the consultant will develop a community survey which will be another mechanism for the community to provide input. At the September 10 meeting of the Ad-Hoc Council Committee, the members of the committee reviewed the current schedule (See Exhibit 1) and discussed various options for the community engagement in the process. The Committee members recommended that the following three options be brought to the full Council for discussion and determination: Option 1: Conduct 5 additional Community Forums simultaneously Option 2: Convene a Community Meeting after the survey is completed Option 3: Continue the current plan The committee members then directed staff to develop cost estimates for Options 1 and 2 to be considered as a part of the discussion. Management Partners has provided a proposal (Exhibit 2) for their costs associated with Options 1 and 2. Option 1: Hold Five Concurrent Community Forums This option would involve conducting five additional forums, following the same format as the August 10th forum, to be held in Wards 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 concurrently. Resource Needs: In addition to two Management Partners facilitators per session, the City would need to provide at least nine bi-lingual individuals per session. (The original forum had over 20 City employees in attendance, and a minimum of 18 per session would be preferred.) 65A-2