 | Original Document: 
Reference Documents:
Text of Document: City of Fayetteville
Strategic Plan
October, 2011
Facilitated by:
Ron Darden & Dana Deem
Municipal Management Consultants
The University of Tennessee’s
Municipal Technical Advisory Service
“MTAS”
City of Fayetteville
Strategic Plan
October, 2011
Vision for the Future
Where tradition meets tomorrow
Mission
The City of Fayetteville shall provide the municipal services to maintain and grow the city in a fiscally responsible way for the benefit of our citizens.
Introduction
The board of mayor and aldermen and the city administrator met with MTAS consultants on October 15, 2011 in identifying community strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as part of the strategic planning process; outlining specific prioritized goals and objectives; and in developing mission and vision statements for the city. This report summarizes the prioritized goals and objectives developed from the SWOT analysis and the mission and vision statements of the city. A council working together to accomplish the prioritized goals and objectives should feel a sense of enormous satisfaction as the objectives are achieved and implemented.
Strategic thinking and planning is one of the most critical elements of public management. Its purpose is to establish long-term goals, annual objectives, and detailed actions/strategies that address issues related to performance, productivity, required statutory services, and community and personal well-being. Because its focus must be on identifying the most critical factors affecting the community or client base and on seeking the most effective and efficient means to address them, it is one of the key factors in any successful organization.
If it is successful, the strategic planning process will:
- Accelerate the city’s ability to solve identified issues and challenges.
- Encourage creativity and innovation.
- Ensure a more efficient use of resources.
- Develop a greater degree of cooperation and collaboration.
- Create a sense of team and mutual accomplishment.
- Reduce confusion about roles, responsibilities, and accountability.
- Serve as a basis for evaluating employees and municipal services.
- Serve as the basis for funding requests and the allocation process.
- Clarify and showcase an agency’s intent and use of funds.
The group identified and discussed community strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as part of the strategic planning process; outlined specific prioritized goals and objectives; and developed a mission and vision for the city. After reviewing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT analysis) of the community, the board identified the following goals and objectives:
Goals and Objectives
1. Increase Revenue
Specific Objectives:
a. Increase the quality and quantity of grants.
b. Sell surplus property (by July 2012).
c. Increase fees for selected city services (within 6 months).
d. Increase property taxes.
e. Implement automated garbage pick-up (within 18 months).
2. Improve Sidewalks and Streets
Specific Objectives:
a. Develop 10-year improvement program.
b. Secure grants and loans.
c. Funds from surplus property sales.
d. STP funds.
3. Vehicle and Equipment Replacement Program
Specific Objectives:
a. Have MTAS develop a replacement schedule within 6 months.
4. Increase Library Maintenance of Effort
Specific Objectives:
a. Pursue additional city and county funding.
b. Use new “Friends of Library” to raise funds.
5. Replace Recreation Center Pool
Specific Objectives:
a. Request County assistance.
b. Pursue grants.
c. Increase user fees.
d. Solicit private contributions.
e. Increase swim activities and participation.
f. Bond issue.
g. Sales tax referendum dedication.
6. Encourage High Tech Development in the Southern part of the City
Specific Objectives:
a. Support and encourage Industrial Development Board initiatives.
b. Hold informal meetings with Industrial Development Board and others.
Additional Identified Goals-Non Prioritized
After completing the SWOT analysis, the board identified the following additional goals in a non- prioritized format:
1. Update Municipal Code
2. Provide Sewer in the Industrial Park
3. Clean up Public and Private Property
4. Salary Survey/Compensation Study
5. Continue Retail Development
6. Improve Relations with Boards and Agencies
7. Automated Residential Garbage Service
8. Improve Property Management
9. Improve Industrial and Retail Development
10. Improve Recreation Services
Summary of SWOT Analysis
A SWOT analysis is a viable tool to identify:
- Current indicators that will support change and growth;
- Issues that may hinder or threaten future change initiatives;
- Identification of undiscovered or untapped opportunities for a sound financial future; and
- Unresolved problems or current barriers that might thwart successful implementation for future growth or implementation of necessary changes in city infrastructure.
The board conducted a SWOT analysis of the community and identified the following strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Strengths
- Central location to Southern Middle Tennessee with good highways.
- Nearness to local and regional airport.
- Strong utility system, internet, cable, water, natural gas and private cable company.
- Low unemployment.
- Excellent education system, city, county and private schools.
- Motlow State Community College.
- Abundance of available property.
- Community Health System, county-owned skilled care facility, good hospital.
- New library.
- Historic downtown.
- Diverse museum.
- Lincoln County Fair.
- Elk River.
- Good finances with adequate reserves.
- Adequate utility capacity.
- City employees.
- Low crime rate.
- Good climate.
- Historic homes.
- Lincoln Theater.
- Strong church community.
- Civic clubs.
- Governing Board.
- Proactive Industrial Board, good commercial recruitment.
- Good Chamber of Commerce, Christmas event, pageant events, public events.
- Excellent recreation programs.
- 3-Star Certification.
- Senior Citizens program with public transportation.
- Proximity to Tims Ford Lake.
- Relationship with county government.
- Main Street program.
- Public Housing.
- Adequate affordable housing.
- Liquor by the drink.
- Proactive Planning Board.
- ISO rating of 5.
- Low property tax rate. (26 years without an increase.)
- Good retirement community.
- Aesthetic community.
- Friendly community.
- Proximity to Jack Daniels Distillery.
- Recycling program.
- River port approximately 50 miles away.
Weaknesses
- Streets and sidewalks in need of repair.
- Loss of population in the last census.
- Low income.
- Sewer moratorium, system is old and needs repair.
- Low available, qualified workforce.
- No rail service.
- Illegal alien population.
- Need new and additional restaurants, retail and grocery stores.
- TN sales tax versus Alabama sales tax.
- Traffic on the Huntsville Highway.
- Activities for youth.
- Lack of affordable land.
- Availability of grant funds.
- Blighted areas, especially in the city’s west end.
- Junk cars/trash.
- Unincorporated areas south of the city.
- Loss of young people, no opportunities.
- Retail leakage to Alabama.
- Lack of money/capital.
Opportunities
- Expand use of grants.
- Sell excess city property.
- Expand recycling program.
- Purchase property for future use.
- Expand training opportunities.
- Megatronics opportunity.
- Quarterly meetings with the county.
- Expand use of libraries.
- Encourage vacant retail building use.
- Expand uses of 100-acre industrial park.
- Build Spec building.
- Expand incentives to recruit industries.
- Improve access roads.
Threats
- Loss of more population.
- Exhausting reserve funds.
- Down size in existing industry.
- Fringe area growth, especially to the South.
- Recreational competition.
- Reduced funding. (State and Local)
- CDBG funding.
- Retail moving to Alabama.
- Major downtown fire.
- Tornado or flood.
- Drug use (especially METH).
Summary
It has been a pleasure to serve the City of Fayetteville’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen, its city administrator and the residents of Fayetteville as its leaders move forward with bold and innovative development that will assure a bright future for the city. We recommend that the board update the goals and objectives on an annual basis and make the one page summary available at each board meeting. Following is the city’s vision and mission statements for the future, and prioritized goals of the city.
Vision
Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow
Mission Statement
The City of Fayetteville shall provide the municipal services to maintain and grow the city in a fiscally responsible way for the benefit of our citizens.
Prioritized Goals of the City
1. Increase Revenue.
2. Improve Sidewalks and Streets.
3. Vehicle Equipment Replacement Program.
4. Increase Library Maintenance of Effort.
5. Replace Recreation Center Pool.
6. Encourage High-Tech Development in The Southern part of the City. |