Steamboat Pilot & Today

The city has created and continues to update a map of its priorities and the steps it needs to take to accomplish them.

Known as a Strategic Implementation Plan, the document contains the city's mission statement, goals and an action plan listing steps the city should take to meet its goals.

"It says who we are, here is what we believe in and here is our priority list," City Deputy Manager Wendy DuBord said.

The plan originally was approved in June 2003, and on Tuesday the council approved an update to that plan.

The action items in the plan fall under five goals: serving the community with excellence, providing innovative and high quality leadership, ensuring fiscally responsible resource allocation, fostering effective community stewardship and providing a safe and healthy community.

The action plan lists more than 150 steps the city should take to accomplish these goals. Each action step notes whether money is needed to complete the item, who is assigned the responsibility of completing the item, when the step starts and when it should be completed.

The plan includes long-term and short-term goals, some of which already have been completed and others that are not expected to be finished until 2012.

Examples of action steps within the plan include doing biannual citizen surveys starting in 2005; developing, adopting and implementing master plans for parks, open space and trails starting in January 2005; installing information signs at each bus stop indicating when buses are scheduled to arrive, with a completion date of 2005 and establishing a long-term facility plan for recreation programs, with a due date of 2006.

"The plan is a great way to show these items, who is responsible for them and when they are going to be budgeted," DuBord said.

The goal is to review and update the strategic implementation plan at least annually, DuBord said. The plan likely will need to be updated after the adoption of the Steamboat Springs Area Community Plan Update, which also has a priority list as the city and county implement the plan.

The original plan was created in the spring of 2003 and was based off plans developed by other governments, public institutions, nonprofit organizations and the private sector.

The plan also includes the city's mission statement, values and goals and objectives.

The plan is available at City Hall and can be viewed online at www.ci.steamboat.co.us.

At Tuesday's City Council meeting, Councilwoman Kathy Connell urged the city to make copies of the plan available to the Planning Commission, the Yampa Valley Community Alliance, the Downtown Business Association, the Mountain Business Association and other community groups.

"The more we can give these out, it gives (the groups) a better chance to be educated," Connell said. "I think it will be helpful."

-- To reach Christine Metz call 871-4229

or e-mail cmetz@steamboatpilot.com