Council OK’s revamping strategic plan
CALEXICO — The Calexico City Council on Wednesday gave direction to the city manager to schedule a meeting later this month with a third party facilitator to help the city review and update its previously approved strategic plan.
Several council members indicated that the goals identified in a strategic plan from 2015 will likely remain the same, but may need to be reorganized to reflect the city’s current circumstances.
That 2015 strategic plan appears to have languished and was never fully implemented, partly as a result of pushback from the some parts of the community, city officials said.
Councilwoman Maritza Hurtado reminded her colleagues that they will need to take a firm stance on the city’s strategic goals and not waver from its intentions.
City Manager Armando Villa said he is hoping to be able to schedule a meeting later this month with the third party facilitator who helped draft the 2015 strategic plan to help the current council revise the strategic plan.
Areas of focus that had previously been identified in the 2015 strategic plan included improving the city’s image, beautification efforts and providing additional recreational opportunities for the city’s youth.
Several councilmembers also stressed the need for the revamped strategic plan to place more of an emphasis on identifying potential revenue streams.
Councilman Jesus Eduardo Escobar, who has repeatedly called for such a strategic planning session since being elected to the council, said he was “cautiously optimistic” that a revamped plan will be significantly different from the prior plan and the city’s attempted implementation.
Mayor Armando Real expressed some reluctance to spend additional funds on a strategy session involving an outside consultant, but was assured by Villa and Hurtado that the consultant in question is highly experienced in such matters and strongly invested in Calexico’s well-being.
On Wednesday, several community members also spoke during the public comment session about the need for the city to better maintain and manage its parks and retention basins that serve as sports fields.
The individuals expressed frustration with parks and basins that are often flooded after rains, as well as lighting that doesn’t seem to have a set schedule, forcing youth sports leagues to cancel games or play in unwelcome conditions.
Following the public’s comments, several council members also shared similar concerns about the condition of the city’s parks and expressed a desire to have city officials address the issues as a priority going forward.
The public was also reminded of the city’s current financial constraints and how that may restrict the city’s response to the issues.
Villa also told the council that they will soon have an opportunity to give direction to city staff about how revenues should be spent during the upcoming fiscal year 2017-2018 budget workshop.
“I’m hearing very loudly and clearly that recreation is an important component,” Villa said.