In adopting the Community Sustainability Element as part of its Comprehensive Plan, the City of Edmonds intended to provide a positive conceptual framework for coordinating and assessing the community's progress toward sustainability. For that to happen, there must be a tie between long-range comprehensive planning, mid-range strategic planning, and short-term implementation decisions embodied in budgeting and operations.
In particular, the Community Sustainability Element identifies a number of key principles to apply:
- Engage and educate. Connect with the community and provide ways to access and share information and ideas.
- Integrate. Be holistic in approach, recognizing linkages and seeking to expand problemsolving and solutions beyond traditional or institutional boundaries.
- Innovate. Go beyond conventional approaches; be experimental.
- Be adaptive. Be flexible, discarding or modifying approaches that don’t work and shifting resources where or when needed. Rigid rules will not always work or result in the most effective solution.
- Be strategic. Target and prioritize actions to be effective and gain community support and momentum. Acknowledge limitations, but be creative and persistent in seeking solutions.
- Be a leader. Lead by example, and by forming partnerships that effect decision-making while providing ways to address differing views and perspectives.
- Measure and assess. Set benchmarks to monitor progress and provide feedback to policy development and decision-making.
Clearly, strategic planning plays a critical role in identifying priorities and linking short-term and long-term decision-making. This portion of the City's website is devoted to strategic planning: the process, the goals and priorities, and their implementation.
(Click on the graphic to enlarge)
Strategic Plan Material 2011-2012
Identifying Strategic Planning as a priority
The following summarizes the steps leading up to the 2011-2012 strategic planning process.
June 2, 2009 — the Edmonds City Council passed Ordinance 3735, which amended the Edmonds City Code, Title 10, adding a new Chapter 10.75 Citizens Economic Development Commission.
December, 2009 — The Edmonds City Council adopted the first Community Sustainability Element as part of the Comprehensive Plan. A key to implementing sustainability was identified as making a "tie between long-range comprehensive planning, mid-range strategic planning, and short-term implementation decisions embodied in budgeting and operations."
January 19, 2010 — A Combined Economic Development Commission and Planning Board 2009 Annual Report was submitted to the City Council and presentations were given by the Edmonds Economic Development Commission and Planning Board Chairs during the City Council meeting. The combined report contained six recommended higher priority initial proposals as part of a multi-faceted approach to economic development; as no single proposed strategy, policy, or program can assure success for the community or fix its problems. One of the proposals was for the “City Council to commit to developing a strategic plan, then reviewing/updating every year, ideally corresponding to the City Council’s annual retreat; this includes setting goals and continually assessing progress metrics.”
March 16, 2010 — The Edmonds City Council approved Resolution 1224, which expressed support for the Edmonds Economic Development Commission (EDC) and Planning Board to move forward with their six higher priority recommendations. One of the proposals was for the “City Council to commit to developing a strategic plan, then reviewing/updating every year, ideally corresponding to the City Council’s annual retreat; this includes setting goals and continually assessing progress metrics” and to “develop a community vision that addresses a balance between quality of life and growth objectives while furthering Edmonds’ “green” initiatives”.
December 21, 2010 — The Edmonds City Council voted to approve funding to pay for a strategic planning process and plan as part of the 2011 budget.
April 5, 2011 — The Edmonds City Council voted to authorize City staff to advertise/issue Request for Proposal (RFP) for a Strategic Plan.
April 20, 2011 — Request for Proposals issued.
June 21, 2011 — A Strategic Planning Review/Interview Committee consisting of two City Council members, two Planning Board members, two Economic Development Commission members and five City staff submitted the top two consulting teams for review by the City Council. The Edmonds City Council voted to enter into a contract with Beckwith Consulting Group to prepare a strategic plan.
July 12, 2011 — The City Council Finance Committee voted to forward a recommendation to the full City Council supporting authorizing the Mayor to sign the Professional Services Agreement and to place the draft agreement on the July 19, 2011 City Council Agenda as an action item.
July 19, 2011 — The City Council authorized the Mayor to sign a Professional Services Agreement with Beckwith Consulting Group for Strategic Planning and Visioning Consulting Services.
Introduction & Overview
Budget - Scope - Process Introduction
- August 26, 2011 Press Release - City of Edmonds Kicks Off City-wide Strategic Planning Process.
- City of Edmonds Strategic Plan Request For Proposal – Issued April 20, 2011.
- Strategic Planning and Visioning Process – Professional Services Agreement.
- Edmonds Economic Development Commission Strategic Planning Subgroup Report.
The document "Strategic Planning and Visioning Process – Professional Services Agreement" contains Exhibit A, Statement of Services and Scope of Work, which describes tasks and deliverables related to completing the process and plan. This document also contains a timeframe for the overall process.
The overall process is described by the following graphic (click on the graphic to enlarge):
Retreat #1 (Task #1) September 14, 2011 – Strategic Planning and Visioning Kickoff – City Council, Planning Board and Economic Development Commission
Information Scan
Scan results (Task 2)
- The consultant team is examining a variety of data and trends; information will be posted here as it becomes available following Retreat #2 (see below).
Stakeholder and/or Focus Group Interviews (Task 3)
Retreat #2 (Task 4)
Public Opinion / Input
Mail-back surveys (Task 5)
Student surveys (Task 6)
Internet surveys (Task 7)
- Adult Survey Results
- Employee Survey Results (anyone who works in Edmonds)
Retreat #3 (Task 8)
May 3, 2012 Open House (Task 16)
Visioning / Charrette
Recruit Charrette Delegates/Distribute Materials (Task 9)
Conduct Charrette with Delegates (Task 10)
Analysis of Charrette Results (Task 11)
Conduct Retreat #4 (Task 12)
Strategic Plan Development
Develop Draft Strategic Plan (Task 13)
Conduct Public Forum(s) with Delegates and Public (Task 14)
Retreat #5, May 22, 2012 (Task 15)
♦Actions, Responsibilities, and Performance Measures May 3, 2012 Open House
♦Rating Sheet & Survey Results May 3, 2012 Open House
Strategic Plan Testing
Conduct Phone Controlled Internet Survey of Voter Households (Task 16)
Public Forum (Task 17)
Retreat #6 (Task 18)
Strategic Plan Adoption