City strategic plan continues; next meetings set for late May
Public input and the City’s vision, mission and values statements were among the items discussed last week during a project team meeting focused on the City of Bartlesville Strategic Plan Project.
The plan got underway last month, when meetings for the public, the City Council, and City employees were held to obtain ideas about the organization’s direction over the next three to five years. In addition to the public meetings, an online survey was launched in April, drawing nearly 600 respondents over a two-week period.
The plan is being facilitated by consultant Patrick Ibarra of Mejorando Group, an Arizona-based company. Ibarra led the City project team, which consists of Mayor Dale Copeland, City Manager Mike Bailey and five City department directors, in a series of workshop sessions held April 28-29.
“We had what was essentially a two-day brainstorming session that resulted in a very preliminary draft of what will ultimately define the City’s vision, mission and values as they relate to the strategic plan,” said Bailey. “These sessions included in-depth discussion of the input obtained from the public and others throughout this process, as well as the strengths and the challenges we face, both as an organization and as a community.”
Bailey said several themes became apparent based on the input.
“I can’t say we were surprised to learn that residents love many things about Bartlesville — the friendliness of the people, the small-town feel with big-city amenities, City parks and Pathfinder Parkway,” Bailey said. “But it really helped clarify the degree to which some of these things, such as the Pathfinder trail system, are considered a very high priority to a large percentage of the respondents.
“Regarding upcoming challenges, it was clear that many citizens desire more entertainment options and would like the City to continue to address this through economic development. Other hot topics were streets, parks, and housing. There was also a recognition that Bartlesville is a great place to raise a family, and we should keep that in mind as we make policy decisions.”
Bailey said while some of the items named fall outside the City’s purview, that doesn’t mean they won’t be addressed.
“We spent quite a bit of time discussing non-traditional roles that the City may need to assume as part of overcoming challenges in our community,” he said. “While the City has not traditionally been involved in homelessness or child care, the group explored ways for the City to advocate for and possibly collaborate on solutions to these and other challenges in our community.”
The themes will be used in drafting the City’s vision, mission and values statements, which will be finalized during the next session, set for May 24-25. The entire process is expected to wrap up by June 22 with possible council consideration for adoption during its July 5 meeting.