On Saturday, February 24, 2024, City Council met for a Strategic Visioning Retreat with a third-party facilitator, Patrick Ibarra of the Mejorando Group, alongside the City Manager’s Office, City Attorney, and department directors. FY23 accomplishments were reviewed in addition to what is in progress for FY24, Councilmembers were invited to share their desired legacy for their time on Council, existing strategic priority milestones were reviewed in addition to a robust discussion on the Whole Community strategic priority.

Each strategic priority was reviewed as part of the retreat, which included the elimination or realigning of certain milestones, grouping similar milestones together, and the creation of a few new milestones. Additionally, no consensus was reached during the discussion on Whole Community. Staff was tasked with generating some options for this strategic priority, which are introduced below.

The City Council adopted Strategic Priorities and Milestones to create a clear connection between community priorities, the budget, and the daily operations of the City of Pearland. As we begin planning for the FY25 budget year, departmental initiatives and supplemental requests will be linked to Strategic Priorities and associated milestones. 

Strategic Priority Updates

As part of the conversation during the retreat, a different perspective emerged in context of viewing the Strategic Priorities in relation to the service delivery of the City of Pearland – the how, the what, and the why. These distinctions are important in considering that many of the things that we provide as a City fall under more than one priority in addition to their contributions to making Pearland “The Community of Choice”, which was the official tag line adopted after the conclusion of the 2021 City Council Retreat. 

“How” we deliver the services are realized through the foundational strategic priorities of Resilient Finances and Trusted Government. “What” we deliver can be seen through the Safe Community, Strong Economy, Sustainable Infrastructure, and Connected Community strategic priorities. These all fall under the “Why”, which is the overarching theme of the Strategic Priorities – the reasoning behind the services we deliver, to intentionally create The Community of Choice.

Organized below by Strategic Priority, the updated milestones underneath are inclusive of the recommended changes discussed at the recent Strategic Visioning Retreat. New milestones are indicated with an asterisk (*). Milestones that have been moved from one priority to another are called out with a double asterisk (**).

1. Trusted Government: Delivering transparent, high-quality, and accessible city services by developing cutting edge solutions, engaging with the community, and continuously improving our capabilities
   1. Continuation of interconnected historical data.
   2. Continue to develop proactive, accessible communication that is intentional and consistent – related to decisions and initiatives, for both internal and external audiences.
2. Strong Economy: Developing and investing in an attractive community that allows talent, entrepreneurs, and business to thrive for generations to come by supporting stable, steady growth, and unending opportunities.
   1.  Attract new investments from businesses, driving increased sales and property tax.
   2. Driving future growth through redevelopment and reinvestment in older areas of community
   3. Engaging employers and education partners on workforce issues, increasing the number of residents who work in Pearland.
   4. Continue work with governmental partners to secure state and federal funding. Examples include grants, including the community development block grant (CDBG) and Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP), which drive growth from neighboring communities by developing the North/South corridors.Completion of the update to the Comprehensive Plan  and the. Pearland Prosperity Plan . .**moved from Whole Community
3. Safe Community: Making Pearland a welcoming place by ensuring a safe environment and providing efficient and effective Public Safety services for residents, businesses, and visitors.
   1. Fire
      1. Develop staff/equipment plans.
      2. Large apparatus replacement.
      3. Evaluation of the effectiveness of coverage.
         1. Exploration of a joint dispatch center for Pearland Police and Pearland Fire.
         2. Evaluate the need for Fire Station #6
   2. Police
      1. Completion of the PSB renovation project.
      2. Development of the gun range/driving track.
      3. Expansion of the automated license plate reader (ALPR) flock cameras.
      4. Implementation of the Real Time Crime Center. 
   3. Emergency Management
      1. Continuation of the Emergency Supply Warehouse project.
      2. Continuation of training/drills.
      3. Evaluate and consider Incident Management Team (IMT) certification pay implementation.
      4. Development of the Pearland Recovery Committee* – coordinated community planning for disaster preparedness and recovery.
4. Sustainable Infrastructure: Building quality of life on a well-planned and maintained foundation of essential water, transportation, and flooding infrastructure, appealing amenities, and long-term value.
   1. Policies and programs to manage each of the areas below, including schedules.
   2. The financial program behind each of the areas below to support implementation.
   3. Long term neighborhood revitalization program. *
      1. Streets & Sidewalks
      2. Water/sewer
      3. Motor pool
      4. Facilities
      5. Information Technology
      6. Drainage **moved from Safe Community
         1. Complete 2023 bond projects as outlined in the proposed schedule.
         2. Evaluation of the drainage maintenance team after two complete years of maintenance.
5. Resilient Finances:  Providing long-term community value through trusted stewardship and responsible financial management.
   1. Implement recommended changes in staffing and support current positions.
   2. Continue development of the Internal Service Fund policies.
   3. Develop mid-range (3-5 years) financial planning*. 
6. Connected Community: Fostering a sense of belonging and encouraging opportunities to connect through multifaceted events, services, amenities, and gathering spaces.
   1. Implementation of projects from the 2023 Bond Program:
      1. Hickory Slough Sportsplex Phase II
      2. Independence Park Phase II
   2. Continue the Train Depot Renovation, Phase II.
   3. Completion of the Cultural Arts Master Plan*.
      1. Explore development of annual regional event/evaluate current special events held in Pearland.
   4. Connecting with the Community - Implementation of organization-wide Customer Experience Management framework (formerly known as 311 Call Center). **moved from Trusted Government
      1. Development of customer service standards*. 

Council adopted the updated strategic priorities and milestones during the March 25th regular meeting.