TITLE
Recommendation to receive and file a presentation on the City of Long Beach Proposed Strategic Vision 2030 (Proposed Vision); and, provide direction to the City Manager on the Proposed Vision and/or adopt Proposed Vision. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
In early 2019, the Mayor and the City Council requested that a Strategic Plan for 2030 be developed. The focus of the Plan was to engage the community to identify actions that will address the challenges we will face decades from now, including climate change, housing affordability, education, jobs, infrastructure, transportation, and other key focus areas. After an assessment and identification of over 30 existing strategic plans and initiatives, the approach of the Plan evolved to design a Strategic Vision (Vision) that would encompass all plans.
In fall of 2019, an internal Strategic Vision Planning Committee was established to lead the development of the Long Beach Strategic Vision, and in early 2020, ARUP was contracted as the consultant to support the research and development of this Vision. In March 2020, the Vision document development process was placed on hold in light of the COVID-19 pandemic response and re-engaged in February 2021.
On May 11, 2021, a City Council study session was held to provide an update on the progress of the Vision including a high-level overview of project goals and themes, a review of the milestones achieved, a high-level synthesis of community and recent feedback, and upcoming engagement and future activities.
The Long Beach Strategic Vision 2030 has been developed utilizing community feedback and insights from the planning processes of more than 30 strategic plans across the City that were completed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic; this included more than 20,000 community member voices on topics including climate change, housing, public safety and violence prevention, education, infrastructure, transportation and much more. With an understanding that priorities may have shifted during the pandemic, additional data was captured in community interviews at vaccine locations, through Fiscal Year 2022 (FY 22) community budget meetings and through the community budget surveys. This process yielded feedback from approximately 1,350 additional people across Long Beach.
The Strategic Vision provides a long-term framework that not only identifies and prioritizes the City’s high-level vision and goals, but also embraces the everchanging climate and weaves the anchors of equity and resilience into the fabric of how we do business for years to come. The Vision document is divided into two parts, focusing on what we seek to accomplish for our Long Beach community as well as focusing on ensuring we have a healthy and thriving government infrastructure because without this infrastructure, we cannot effectively serve our community.
The Vision document includes a focus on the following areas for the community:
• Economic Development
• Digital Divide
• Housing and Homelessness
• Public Safety
• Mobility
• Health
• Education
• Climate and Environmental Sustainability
For our City governmental infrastructure, it focuses on:
• Financial Wellbeing
• City Employees
• Learning Organization
• Technology
• Aligning Expectations with Resources
• Community Engagement
Within these broader themes, there are 48 goals and 247 strategies to guide and prioritize our focus and efforts as we work to build a resilient, equitable, and thriving Long Beach.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Taylor M. Anderson on June 24, 2022 and by Budget Operations and Development Officer Rhutu Amin Gharib on July 1, 2022.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action on this item is not time critical.
FISCAL IMPACT
If City Council adopts the 2030 Strategic Vision and directs the City Manager to implement the policies within, the implementation of these strategies to achieve the goals delineated within the Vision is anticipated to require a substantial investment of City resources, including a significant staffing impact beyond the normal budgeted scope of duties. The departments responsible for elements within the Vision would return to the City Council for approval and request appropriation for items which are currently not budgeted as resources become available over the next several years. Offsets for implementing plan elements have not been identified and may require the use of one-time sources and structural funding in future years. The recommendation to receive and file the 2030 Strategic Vision has no fiscal or local job impact. This recommendation has no staffing impact beyond the normal budgeted scope of duties and is consistent with City Council priorities.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
THOMAS B. MODICA
CITY MANAGER