Salisbury, North Carolina September 5,2023  SPECIAL MEETING  PRESENT: Mayor Karen K. Alexander, Presiding; Mayor Pro Tem Tamara Sheffield, Council  Members Harry McLaughlin, David Post, and Anthony Smith; City Manager Jim Greene, Jr., City Clerk Connie B. Snyder; and City Attorney J. Graham Corriher.  ABSENT: None.  Salisbury City Council met in Council Chambers in City Hall located at 217 South Main Street. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Alexander at 5:00 p.m. A: moment of silence  was taken.  ADOPTION OFTHE AGENDA  Thereupon, Mayor Pro Tem Sheffield made a motion to adopt the Agenda as presented. Mayor Alexander, Mayor Pro Tem Sheffield, Councilmembers McLaughlin, Post, and Smith voted  AYE. (5-0)  UPDATE- STRATEGIC PLAN  City Manager Jim Greene noted at its Retreat in January, Council discussed a strategic plan for the City. He explained a strategic plan is a vision of where Council wants to go over the next three to five years. He asked Budget Manager Tracey Keyes and Raftelis Senior Manager  Catherine Carter toj provide an update on the City's Strategic Plan.  Ms. Keyes stated a strategic plan was one of Council's] priorities for FY2023-2024 and it has al budget of$75,000. She indicated al Request for Proposals was posted on the City's website, the North Carolina Interactive Purchasing site, and the North Carolina HUB site. She added the City received 16 proposals and a City-wide team of employees selected two firms for interviews  and ultimately chose to contract with Raftelis.  Salisbury City Council  September 5, 2023  Page 1    Ms. Carter stated Raftelis is working with the City to answer three questions:  What do we. know tol be true today What do we. hope will be true in the future  What needs to go well in order to make that preferred future ai reality  Ms. Carter pointed out many components go into a strategic planning process. She explained ane engagement process will take place whichi includess staffinterviews, listening sessions with Board and Commission Chairs, and an employee survey. She stated thei information gathered is used to create a community profile or environmental scan. She added community and employee input will be used as a context for decisions Council will be asked to make regarding its vision for the strategic plan over the next three to five years. She indicated once the overarching vision is determined Raftelis will work with staff to create an implementation plan that will help the City  achieve its vision.  Ms. Carter stated as strategic plan exists in the larger context of other work the City is doing including the Forward 2040 Comprehensive Plan, Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and Master Plans. She pointed out the strategic plan is a tool to help implement the comprehensive plan, and she explained the strategic plan includes elements that are not included in the comprehensive plan. Shei indicated strategic planning exists between long range comprehensiver plans and annual budget  cycles.  Ms. Carter pointed out the goal is to develop a three to five-year City-wide strategic plan and to combine goals, objectives, and strategies into existing work plans throughout the organization. She stated many organizations struggle to tell their story, and she noted the strategic plan and the implementation plan provide ways to communicate progress and to hold the City  accountable.  Ms. Carter explained the strategic plan will produce two documents with overlapping contents, a brochure that will share the strategic plan with internal and external stakeholders and the implementation plan that includes specifics such as who is responsible for specific tasks and a  timeline for completion.  Ms. Carter noted the kick-off meeting with thel Management Team and Project Lead' Team and the listening sessions with Board and Commission Chairs have been conducted. She added a draft of the employee survey has been completed, individual interviews with Councilmembers have been scheduled and the information collected will be used for the environmental scan that  will be introduced to Council on October 6, 2023.  Mayor Alexander stated it is important to have a link between studies and plans that have been completed throughout the City and to make sure the Forward 2040 Comprehensive Plan is  used in combination with the strategic plan. Ms. Carter agreed.  Councimember Post asked for an example of a strategic plan completed for another City. Ms. Keyes noted staff will provide the information. Mr. Post asked ift the anticipated time line is  Salisbury City Council  September 5, 2023  Page2    four to five months. Ms. Clark noted it will take four to five months to get to the plan stage and it  will take years to implement the plan.  Mr. Greene commented the City has gone through changes, and this is a good time tol look ati its vision and strategy. He indicated with the coming growthi iti is important to look at Council's vision for the City. He noted the goal is to at least have a draft to Council ati its annual Retreat. He stated the strategic plan is Council's plan that provides direction for staff, a vision for the community, and serves as the foundation for programs and capital investment for future budgets. Councimember Smith asked how equity conversations will be included in the strategic planning processes. Ms. Clark stated the goal is to have broad and deep engagement at the beginning of the process sO as many voices as possible are included in the conversation. She pointed out the work and public engagement fromi the Forward 2040 Comprehensive Plan is recent and transferable to the strategic process. Mr. Smith then asked about the challenges in implementing this kind ofproject. Ms. Carter explained the surveys and public engagement asked broad questions to allow issues including diversity, equity, and inclusion issues to come to the  forefront.  Mr. Greene stated as strategies and performance indicators are. developed staff will look intentionally through the equity lens and ask questions such as who is benefiting and what are the  unintended consequences.  Mayor Pro Tem Sheffield referenced the employee survey, and she asked how the survey will be executed. Ms. Carter noted she meet with the Management Team and the Project Lead Team and the goal is tol have ambassadors for the survey. She noted staff will have multiple ways to access the online survey, and she indicated the survey format ensures everyone has an opportunity to participate. She commented it is important to leverage the enthusiasm of the leadership team to get employees to take the survey and take it seriously. Ms. Clark stated 30% to 40% ofe employee participation throughout the organization is considered healthy participation. She commented the goal is for employees to: feel ownership oft the mission and values.  Councilmember McLaughlin pointed out it can be difficult to get citizen participation, and he asked what measures will be taken to ensure participation within the community and what is a success rate for community involvement. Ms. Carter explained direct community involvement is fairly limited, and she pointed out the community engagement from the Forward 2040  Comprehensive Plan will be leveraged and used as a starting point.  Mayor Alexander thanked Ms. Clark and Ms. Keyes for their presentation.  Salisbury City Council  September. 5, 2023  Page 3    ADJOURNMENT  Motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Councilmember Post. Mayor Alexander, Mayor Pro Tem Sheffield and Councilmembers McLaughlin, Post and Smith voted AYE. (5-0)  The meeting was adjourned at 5:43 p.m.  KLL  Karen Alexander, Mayor  Couui B boupi Connie B. Snyder, City Clerk  Salisbury City Council  September 5,2023  Page 4