Appendix E

Goals, Objectives, and Tactics—Three Examples

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Strategic Direction No. 1

Ensure that all planning and development considers and responds to the City’s environmental, transportation, economic, social, and civic needs

Team Leader: Jennifer Russel

Contributing Members: Dave Humpton, Fred Felton, and the Urban Design Team

Background (Why)

• The City has adopted a Smart Growth Policy as a broad guidance document that relates to many facets of City government. This Strategic Direction is primarily focused on planning, zoning, and development issues. The Mayor and City Council have determined that these issues are paramount in maintaining and establishing the high quality of life the City enjoys.
• Many residents and businesses of the City have expressed great interest in land use decisions, and these decisions can have significant impact on their lives.
• It is essential that the City’s remaining vacant land be developed in a high quality manner.

Approach (How)

General Philosophy

• The impact on transportation, schools, and other public facilities must be considered when approving new development and redevelopments.
• The Urban Design team, within the Planning and Code Administration, is the primary group responsible for carrying out actions related to this Strategic Direction.
• The City will expand its current methods of gathering information from its residents and businesses in order to provide more usable baseline data.
• Public participation should be all-inclusive by involving all of the major interest groups in the City.
• The City will work closely with the State of Maryland, Montgomery County, the Board of Education, and the State Highway Administration in a partnership to address transportation, open space, and school capacity issues.
• Utilize effective methods of educating participants on the issues at hand using appropriate visionary and graphic techniques and advanced technology tools.
• Utilize creative tools for presenting proposed ideas so that citizens, staff, and appointed/elected officials can easily envision the existing and future state of the City.
• Address broad areas of concern such as: future fiscal health of the City; future housing mix and demographic makeup of the City; future of the City’s transportation network; and quality of life issues (i.e., health of aging neighborhoods and businesses).

Goals (When)

FY 2002 and Beyond

Master Plan Update:

1. Seek feedback from the general public regarding the City’s vision in preparation for the Master Plan update. Completed. Two public visioning meetings were held in the fall of 2001 to obtain important data from citizens to assist in the preparation of the Master Plan update.
2. Complete technical updates of the existing map designations in the six current planning neighborhoods. In progress. Each member of the Urban Design Team has been assigned a number of map designations to review.
3. Invite the Montgomery County Planning Board, the Board of Education, and the State Highway Administration to attend work sessions to discuss Master Plan update.
4. Identify appropriate themes for Master Plan that will guide the land use decisions.
5. Identify appropriate parcels to be designated as special study areas for detailed review during the Master Plan process.

Other Significant Planning and Zoning Initiatives:

1. Consider proposed amendments to the City’s Sign Ordinance. Staff needs guidance from Mayor and City Council on the amortization issue.
2. Develop Smart Growth Project Designation Matrix and Design Manual.
3. Adopt Thoroughfare Design Code. Will be ready for public hearing in early summer of 2002.
4. Rezone appropriate properties along the Frederick Avenue Corridor to the newly created Corridor Development Zone. Completed. Ninety properties rezoned.
5. Pursue annexation of appropriate parcels. Annexation of EZ Storage site on South Frederick Avenue and the 4.19 acre Crown parcel recently acquired by the City are pending. The South Frederick Avenue Casey annexation is on hold due to issues with the property owner.
6. Amend zoning ordinance to allow the Mayor and City Council to defer approval of residential development while the Master Plan is updated. Completed. Enabling legislation adopted on January 7, 2002.
7. Implement residential approval deferment. Resolution scheduled for adoption on January 22, 2002.
8. Consider appointing an Alternate Planning Commissioner or amending the zoning ordinance to eliminate this position.
9. Consider text amendment to address citizen concerns with accessory structures.
10. Redesign public hearing notices to make them more informative for citizens not familiar with the development process.

FY 2003 and beyond

Master Plan Update:

1. Complete updates and formally amend Master Plan.
2. Publish and distribute revised Master Plan.

Other Significant Planning and Zoning Initiatives:

1. Continue to pursue appropriate annexations.

Critical Measures

• Level of citizen involvement in the Master Plan process. Twenty-five people attended the September 25, 2001, Visioning Meeting. Thirty-five people attended the October 9, 2001, Visioning Meeting.
• Number of properties redeveloped along the Frederick Avenue Corridor. Redevelopments have been approved for Maryland Carpet and Tile, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Yi’s Interior.
• Level of citizen satisfaction with the City’s land use policies as identified by a survey.

Los Angeles County, California

Strategic Plan: Goals, Strategies and Objectives

Table of Contents

Organizational Goals

GOAL 1:

SERVICE EXCELLENCE: Provide the public with easy access to quality information and services that are both beneficial and responsive

GOAL 2:

WORKFORCE EXCELLENCE: Enhance the quality and productivity of the County workforce

GOAL 3:

ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS: Ensure that service delivery systems are efficient, effective, and goal-oriented

GOAL 4:

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY: Strengthen the County’s fiscal capacity

Programmatic Goals

GOAL 5:

CHILDREN AND FAMILIES’ WELL-BEING: Improve the well-being of children and families in Los Angeles County as measured by the achievements in the five outcome areas adopted by the Board: good health; economic well-being; safety and survival; social and emotional well-being; and education/workforce readiness

GOAL 6:

COMMUNITY SERVICES: Improve the quality of life for the residents of Los Angeles County’s Unincorporated communities by offering a wide range of department coordinated services responsive to each community’s specific needs

GOAL 7:

HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH: Implement a client-centered, information-based health and mental health services delivery system that provides cost-effective and quality services across County departments

GOAL 8:

PUBLIC SAFETY: Increase the safety and security of all residents in Los Angeles County through well-coordinated, comprehensive response and recovery plans for terrorist incidents

[The following is an excerpt of a specific goal.]

GOAL 3: ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS:

Ensure that service delivery systems are efficient, effective, and goal-oriented.

Strategy 1: By June 30, 2004, implement a countywide framework for performance measurement.

Objective1:By June 30, 2003, complete four performance measurement pilots with departments representative of the range of services provided by County departments.

Objective2:By June 30, 2004, expand the countywide performance measurement framework to all departments, incorporating lessons learned during the pilot.

Strategy 2: By December 31, 2007, design and implement common systems architecture for countywide administrative systems.

Objective1:By March 31, 2003, determine the financial feasibility of implementing the Los Angeles County Administrative System (LACAS). If found feasible, obtain Board approval to initiate contract negotiations and finalize a contract for Board approval by June 30, 2003.

Objective2:By December 31, 2005, complete implementation of Phase I of the LACAS project; by December 31, 2007, complete implementation of Phase II.

Or,

Objective3:By September 30, 2003, if economic constraints prohibit full achievement of Objective 3.2.1 by June 30, 2003, develop a strategy for proceeding to develop new/replacement systems to meet countywide administrative system requirements within available funds to include: 1) prioritization of administrative systems needs, replacement plans, and sources of funding by a committee of chief deputies/departments heads; and 2) establishment of standards for administrative systems development or replacement to be adhered to by all County departments for applications they develop within their own agency.

Strategy 3: By February 28, 2003, develop a plan to convey a simple message that highlights to the public and county employees the positive impact the county is having.

Objective1:By February 28, 2003, develop a simple message that captures the essence of the new County Mission.

Objective2:By February 28, 2003, develop a County employee outreach program with the following components: countywide recruitment and community fairs; departmental recruitment; employee orientation; and County employee training.

Objective3:By February 28, 2003, design and produce County Ambassador tool kits for distribution to each County employee; tool kits to consist of Ambassador lapel pins, pocket mini-brochure and laminated information cards.

Objective4:By February 28, 2003, develop and implement a County Ambassador Intranet Website and Los Angeles County portal plan to enhance the use of the Internet and Intranet as tools to communicate with County employees about Board actions, current issues, policies and County services that employees must be informed about in order to function as County Ambassadors and community liaisons.

Objective5:By April 30, 2003, implement, on a pilot basis, a “County Channel” that will broadcast on cable television public information on County services and facilities, as well as major County issues, activities, and events.

Strategy 4: By June 30, 2004, recommend options for effective alternative support services models to maximize the ability of departments to focus on their core missions.

Objective1:By March 31, 2003, prepare policies to govern service agreements among departments.

Objective2:By June 30, 2003, prepare performance standards for select support services functions.

Objective3:By June 30, 2003, determine departments’ needs for improving the quality of support services and implement three to five pilots.

Objective4:By June 30, 2004, evaluate results of pilot projects and adopt appropriate changes in the provision of support services countywide.

Strategy 5: By July 1, 2003, redesign the process and communications between the Chief Administrative Office, Department of Human Resources and departments on classification, compensation, and collective bargaining.

Objective1:By December 31, 2002, establish a joint Human Resources Executive Management Committee composed of Department of Human Resources/Classification and Chief Administrative Office/Compensation and Employee Relations senior management staff empowered to jointly and rapidly resolve high priority departmental classification, compensation, and employee relations issues requiring collaboration of two or more of the responsible entities. The line department’s senior representative will be included in Team deliberations.

Objective2:By December 31, 2002, develop and implement a process to provide training/education for department management on the collective bargaining process, including the basic process with time frames and responsibilities, in preparation for each negotiation cycle.

Objective3:By December 31, 2002, establish a procedure to provide feedback to departmental management after negotiations to identify and discuss changes to Memoranda of Understanding, including information regarding why certain requests were not accommodated.

Objective4:By March 31, 2003, recommend to the Guiding Coalition a County Philosophy to guide compensation and Classification activities, information sharing, and decisions.

Objective5:By March 31, 2003, 1) develop and implement a process to designate and include a “lead” department in the bargaining process for common classes to represent the divergent positions and solutions of all affected departments and 2) develop a process for obtaining departmental input and synthesizing an overall “management” strategy.

Objective6:By August 31, 2003, complete analysis of alternative classification models; develop recommendations to improve the County’s classification structure.

Worcester, Massachusetts

The Priorities

GOAL: PROVIDE SAFE, CLEAN, ATTRACTIVE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE CITIZENS CAN WORK, LIVE, AND CONDUCT BUSINESS.

Direct Neighborhood Support Services

Direct neighborhood support services include municipal services from several City departments. The primary citizen concerns expressed about service to neighborhoods related to “curb appeal” such as cleanliness, elimination of graffiti and litter, improved lighting, parking, and general public safety issues.

OBJECTIVE #1 – Provide increased municipal resources to improve Worcester’s neighborhoods.

STRATEGIES

• Through the newly established Executive Office of Neighborhood Services, work directly with the Worcester Municipal Research Bureau and its grant-funded ComNET program to catalogue neighborhood conditions. During the first year of implementation, four priority neighborhoods will participate in this project, based upon size, scope, and availability of resources.
• Inventory and assess needs and priorities for each of the selected neighborhoods in partnership with the Worcester Municipal Research Bureau.
• Provide recommendations for funding and technical assistance.
• Provide staff support and funding to neighborhood centers, community development corporations, and neighborhood improvement projects.

Assess and Address Environmental Concerns

Environmental concerns include a wide variety of neighborhood conditions. Abandoned buildings, vacant lots, debris, green space and trees, and parks were all cited as issues to be considered to improve the livability of Worcester’s neighborhoods.

OBJECTIVE #2 – Reduce the number of abandoned buildings, vehicles, and vacant lots.

STRATEGIES

• Continue to identify, inventory, and prioritize all vacant and abandoned buildings in need of immediate attention and continue remediation efforts.
• Identify, inventory, and prioritize removal of abandoned vehicles in targeted neighborhoods and continue remediation efforts.
• Identify, inventory, and prioritize vacant lots in need of immediate attention, with emphasis on the four neighborhoods included in the Worcester Municipal Research Bureau Project.

Continue to Support and Develop Affordable and Market Rate Housing

Increased population, escalating real estate values, and aging housing stock continue to impede housing affordability and accessibility in the City.

OBJECTIVE #3 – Provide funding and incentives for home ownership and rehabilitation.

STRATEGIES

• Work with local nonprofit and private organizations to complete construction or rehabilitation of a minimum of 50 units of affordable housing in each of the next five years.
• Work with state and local community-based agencies to assist a minimum of 100 low-to-moderate income, first-time homebuyers in each of the next five years, and provide post-purchase counseling to a minimum of 50 low-to-moderate income, first-time homeowners.
• Work with local community organizations to identify and assist “senior” homeowners who encounter the barriers that prevent them from renting their vacant units.
• Continue to address housing needs for target audiences—elders, youth, hospice care, persons with disabilities

Address Public Safety Improvements

Public safety concerns include street and sidewalk repair, community policing, and control of illicit behavior (drug trafficking, prostitution).