Bloomington Begins Strategic Planning Process with the Community

The City of Bloomington is initiating a strategic planning effort that will involve the community in planning Bloomington’s future. The initiative “Bloomington. Tomorrow. Together.” asks residents to volunteer to help design a strategic plan. City representatives will work in partnership with members of the community at every stage of the process, from the initial stages of understanding who and what Bloomington is; through creation of a mission statement and strategic objectives; to planning the priorities for implementation; to identifying the measurements for success.

“The difference between this and other strategic planning processes is that this is being done in partnership with the community,” City Manager Jamie Verbrugge said. “We want the community’s voice reflected in this strategic plan.”

Strategic Planning Committees

There are several opportunities for the community to get involved, including:

• Core Planning Team – Members will provide input and recommendations on the development of a strategic plan and actively encourage implementation. (Meetings will be scheduled December 2021/January 2022.)
   
• Action Planning Team – Members will break down the strategic plan’s objectives into specific and measurable action steps after the Core Planning Team has completed its work. (Meetings will be scheduled January 2022.)
   
• Measurement Team – Members will monitor the activity associated with the work plans, encourage implementation of actions and initiatives, and track key outcomes. (Meetings will be scheduled December 2021/January 2022.)

All community members are welcome to apply. Applications will be accepted through September 30. For more information on each team, position descriptions or to submit an application, visit blm.mn/BTT.

Community Cafés

The first phase of the strategic planning process includes an invitation for community members to provide significant and meaningful input to help develop a common understanding of Bloomington. This information is gathered through a series of “community cafés” that give people an opportunity to explore and share what it is they value about the places where they live, work, or spend time. The cafes will help draw out the hopes and desires that people have for the future, provide constructive avenues for expressing concerns and fears, identify challenges and barriers to progress, and celebrate the strengths that make Bloomington great.

Council Action

The City Manager will be making recommendations regarding the strategic plan to the City Council in early 2022. For more information about “Bloomington. Tomorrow. Together.” and the strategic planning process, visit blm.mn/BTT.