Albemarle officials unveil strategic plan presentation to city council

ALBEMARLE — At the Albemarle City Council’s regularly-scheduled meeting on May 2, city officials presented a strategic plan that documented Albemarle’s goals and tactics through a presentation.  

The finalized three-year plan (set for fiscal years 2023-2026) was unveiled by City Manager Michael Ferris, along with Director of Parks and Recreation Lisa Kiser, and was unanimously adopted and approved by the council.  

“What we are excited to present tonight is something that pulls together everything that the city has been doing into a one comprehensive plan,” Ferris said. “It will benefit staff, the city council, and provide a focus for the future. It will also provide something in one comprehensive document that we can share with the public and let them know about what is a priority for the city.” 

With input from the mayor, council, leadership team and citizens, the strategic plan lays out the city’s official vision and mission: “Albemarle will be a place where all people can develop their potential, bringing neighbors together to support a connected community rich in water, air, land and opportunity. The mission of the City of Albemarle is to provide our citizens with a vibrant quality of life based on sound management, transparency and good stewardship of resources.” 

More specifically, the plan manifests itself through five primary goals — the first is that the city will invest in its workforce to enhance city operations and efficiency to better serve the community.  

Secondly, the city aims to enhance resources, improve practices to protect residents, and safeguard the city in order to improve quality of life; Albemarle will also invest in infrastructure needed to ensure reliable and consistent service delivery.  

According to the document, the city will look to guide growth and facilitate economic opportunities in order to benefit all residents and businesses. Lastly, a goal was laid out to enhance community amenities, programs, and services to engage residents of different backgrounds, lifestyles, and generations. 

The plan contains the specific tactics that the city will pursue to achieve the goals and strategies in year one. Each year, the implementation plan will be developed and finalized in parallel to the budget process. 

“Our evaluation approach into our evaluation plan is we’re going to do this annually, so the department directors will be responsible for assessing progress and the impact measures and also identifying challenges,” Kiser said. “The manager will prepare and submit an annual strategic plan evaluation for counsel and seek out recommended changes as needed.” 

The Albemarle City Council will hold its next regular meeting in the Albemarle City Hall Council Chambers on May 16 at 6:30 p.m.