The City Council met in a special study session on January 9, 2016 to develop goals for the year. They spent about six hours discussing their vision for the City and developing goals statements, which were subsequently adopted by resolution on January 27, 2016. This is one of the most important things that a City Council does, laying out the road map for staff to follow during the year. Any organization is most effective when where is clear direction provided on goals and priorities and then everyone pulls in the same direction.
Department heads and managers then met in a planning session on January 28, 2016 to begin developing strategies to implement the goals adopted by Council. The entire group reviewed the goals together and then broke into departmental work teams to develop specific departmental plans.
Following is the resolution adopted by Council laying out the goals for 2016:
RESOLUTION NO. 2016-05
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CATHEDRAL CITY, CALIFORNIA, ESTABLISHING GOALS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BY THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FISCAL YEAR 2016/2017
WHEREAS, on January 9, 2016 the City Council held a Planning and Goal Setting Workshop to establish goals for Fiscal Year 2016/2017; and
WHEREAS, many of the goals identified by the City Council can be achieved with existing resources, however, in those cases where additional resources are required, the need will be addressed through the development of the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CATHEDRAL CITY, DOES HEREBY RESOLVE, DETERMINE AND ORDER AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The City Council has identified the following items, by category, as their Goals for Fiscal Year 2016/2017:
1. Economic and Community Development
- Promote and assist efforts by property owners to develop in the North City and Extended North City planning areas including assistance in establishing an assessment district to provide necessary infrastructure
- Make downtown development a priority
- Explore a longer term arrangement with the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
- Use revenues resulting from increased solar permit fees to add a Permit Tech position to insure excellent service
- Use expedited plan check fees to add contract plan review services to provide an accelerated review schedule
- Nurture positive relationships with the auto dealers
- Complete the medical cannabis ordinance revisions and implement the resulting permit processes
- Complete the review process for the mountain side re-zoning to potentially remove the residential designation
- Expand marketing and tourism options with our sister city of Tequila, Jalisco
- Continue discussions with College of the Desert regarding options available to the College in Cathedral City
- Identify and reach out to developers who specialize in reinventing outdated retail spaces
- Develop and adopt criteria for evaluating incentive requests
- Develop a contract for design services related to potential Perez Road improvements
2. Public Safety
- Complete and adopt strategic plans for Police and Fire
- Explore grant funding opportunities to increase staffing in Police and Fire
- Apply for six firefighters through the SAFER grant
- Prepare a fiscal year-end report on the status of and plans for staffing in Police
- Prepare a fiscal year-end report on the status of and plans for staffing in Fire
- Focus efforts on reducing property crime
- Continue efforts to promote pedestrian safety
- Create a Crime Analyst position using existing Police department resources
- Use video cameras and other technology as practical to assist with policing efforts
- Look at longer term disaster recovery plans
3. Community Engagement and Community Relations
- Continue City Hall at Your Corner to offer opportunities for residents to interact with Council
- Continue to provide opportunities for youth members on city Commissions
- Work with various community partners on a possible holiday event for the needy
- Continue efforts to embrace diversity including using Commission appointments to do so
- Evaluate the options, costs and benefits of potentially expanding City Hall hours to include Fridays
- Develop plans to observe the Lalo Guerrero 100th birthday
- Provide a financial and general City update to the Thousand Palms community
- Market our successes
- Continue to support the Cathedral City Senior Center and explore options for multi-use lease space
4. Infrastructure
- Advocate for Cathedral City interests on bridges and overpasses with CVAG, Caltrans and other local, regional and state agencies
- Be aggressive in monitoring activities and supporting Cathedral City positions with intergovernmental agencies
- Evaluate options to provide indoor community space
- Explore the viability of options for revenue producing enterprises
- Evaluate the costs and benefits of adding solar production to City facilities
5. Governance
- Continue to explore the possibility of joining the Desert Recreation District
- Work with the Health Care District on park grant opportunities
- Move the Charter question to the ballot and start engaging various community groups
- Offer opportunities to staff to learn basic Spanish
- Foster a culture open to viewing things differently as a means to achieve constant improvement
6. Financial Strength
- Complete the selection and installation of new financial software
- Explore opportunities to obtain Public Safety grants to supplement IT staff
SECTION 2. By adoption of this Resolution, the City Council is establishing the aforementioned as the Goals for the City for Fiscal Year 2016/2017 and directs staff to move forward with implementation and completion of these goals as feasible.
SECTION 4. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Cathedral City held on this 27th day of January, 2016, by the following vote:
Ayes: 5
Noes: 0
