07 Mar Setting Goals - City Council Annual Retreat
A few weeks ago, the City Council had our annual two day planning retreat using the wonderful St Helena Island Library as a get a way from daily concerns to think about the future.
The principal operating rule for the retreat was that we were not going to consider any new ideas. Rather, we would focus on established and agreed upon goals and to complete what is already in motion.
For a dreamer like me I must say, it was a difficult two days as I have new ideas every minute. But for the council, of course myself included, it was a very good exercise and will reap rewards and achieve progress over the next year to year and a half. The focus is on five goals.
- Encourage sustainable economic growth through new businesses and expansions of existing ones to achieve diversification of tax base and new career paths into or beyond middle income through targeted recruitment of businesses in technology, knowledge management and emerging sectors.
- Create and maintain a comprehensive, proactive communication plan to ensure clearer understanding between the city and our residents.
- To, through focused tourism promotion, attract those who wish to relocate their offices and businesses here by further enhancing and marketing our special quality of life.
- Initiative a plan to accommodate significant growth through infill and redevelopment with the City.
- Create opportunities for affordable housing within the city.
For each of these goals, there are assignments for specific council members and staff along with a six month review to check progress and make sure we remain on target.