Council sets vision, goals, and strategies

The Georgetown City Council confirmed a new vision statement for the city and developed five goals and nine strategies to support that vision as a result of a two-month process in 2017.

“Georgetown: A caring community honoring our past and innovating for the future” was approved by the City Council as the new vision statement to express the city’s identity and aspirations.

The vision statement was developed by the City Council in goal setting meetings in November last year. Ideas and input for the vision statement came from residents in two community surveys conducted last September and October. The vision statement helps to align the community’s future direction and serves as a building block for updating the City’s comprehensive plan, future branding initiatives, and City Council goal-setting.

In addition to approving the vision statement, the City Council set five goals and nine strategies to advance those goals.

Council goals

The City Council affirmed five broad goals in support of the overall vision for Georgetown. Those goals, which create a framework for all facets of city operations, include the following:

Cultural: Georgetown is a truly diverse, vibrant, innovative, inclusive, and socially dynamic city where everyone has the opportunity to participate in, and benefit from, our economic, political, and social activities.

Employee: Our outstanding City employees work diligently to bring the vision of council to life and deliver exceptional services to our customers while exemplifying our Core Values.

Internal Business Processes: Our policies and procedures are easy to understand and consistently and professionally applied. Our internal processes are effective, efficient, fair, inventive, and transparent and make us a desired destination for residents and businesses.

Customer: Anyone interacting with the City will have such a positive experience that they will tell everyone about it.

Financial: We maintain a fiscal environment conducive to attaining the goals of the City.

Council strategies

In support of broad goals and the overall mission, the City Council also developed nine strategies to advance the vision and goals. The nine strategies represent a refinement of 14 strategies set by the council in 2015, several of which have been fully accomplished. The new list of strategies serves to establish a direction for city programs and operations. The strategies include:

1. Become a destination for unique experiences
2. Create a strategy to increase mobility
3. Promote greater diversity in our population and our businesses
4. Create and maintain outstanding aesthetics and a welcoming appearance and spirit
5. Refine an annexation and MUD strategy
6. Monitor, promote, and communicate a long-term water and utilities plan and strategy
7. Expand on our reputation as a City of Innovation
8. Increase our influence with state government
9. Expand our role to develop collaborative strategies with Georgetown ISD, Southwestern University, and other entities

The vision, goals, and strategies approved by the City Council serve as a starting point for an update to the City’s comprehensive plan, which is now underway. They also serve as a framework for future projects, programs, budgets, and other initiatives by the City of Georgetown.