CC 2020-04-14_11d Supplemental No. 1MEMORANDUM
TO: CITY COUNCIL
FROM: JAMES A. BERGMAN, CITY MANAGER
SUBJECT: SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
AGENDA ITEM 11.d. – APRIL 14, 2020 CITY COUNCIL MEETING
SUBMITTAL OF A DRAFT STRATEGIC PLAN
D ATE: APRIL 13, 2020
Attached is correspondence received regarding the above referenced item.
cc: City Manager
City Attorney
City Clerk
City Website - Agenda Center
From: James Guthrie >
Date: April 12, 2020 at 3:30:31 PM PDT
To: City Jimmy Paulding <jpaulding@arroyogrande.org>, Caren Ray
<crayrussom@arroyogrande.org>, City Lon George
<Lgeorge@arroyogrande.org>, City Kristen Barneich
<kbarneich@arroyogrande.org>, Keith Storton >
Cc: Jim Bergman <jbergman@arroyogrande.org>
Subject: Stragic Plan
Mayor and councilmembers
I have just finished reading the staff report and new Strategic Plan, in fact is read it
twice. Which brings me to my first comment, I found this a difficult read. For
comparison look at the 2007 plan, the list format is clearer and covers more ground. All
the priority (1,2...) assignments make it unduly complicated and give the impression
that all the decisions and priorities have been set before the public outreach program
has even started, exactly the opposite of what the direction indicated at the previous
council discussion. I think (perhaps generously) that this a result of trying to create a
call to action and not be just another plan sitting on the shelf, but it doesn't read that
way to me. In addition, there is some awkward and un clear language in the document.
I recognize some of it is just “committee speak” and “bureau babble” that is inherit in
this kind of a process. I also hear an effort to use some tortured language and logic to
make a few of the goals and objectives fit in with community comments from the Sales
tax survey. I would recommend that when / if you send this out to the public that you
format it like the prior strategic plan. Deleting the completed or no longer relevant
items, highlighting the new ones and refine the ones that are partially complete.
I will probably have some additional comments about the specific goals and objectives
but for now I would limit them to say that I think you have misinterpreted the public
satisfaction with the city operations and their WILLING TO PAY TO MAINTAIN THEM , to
mean that they actually want a raft of new services and growth.
Finally, I know that this was written before CV-19, that changes everything in the near
term. Right now it’s all hands on deck to KEEP WHAT WE HAVE WORKING. Tourism and
hotel development in particular will be a long time coming back and that has knock on
effects for other elements in this plan.
Be safe
Thanks
Jim Guthrie