The City of Valparaiso has completed a new strategic plan as a roadmap to move the city forward, announced Valparaiso Mayor Matt Murphy at the City Council meeting on Jan. 10, 2022. “A strategic plan is a valuable tool to help us align our priorities and resources to ensure we’re working toward common goals,“ he said. “I look forward to navigating the road ahead with this map to guide us on the journey ahead.” The plan was created after reviewing previous plans and studies and then reaching out to the community for input through interactive Zoom meetings and an online survey, inspiring 560 community-wide responses.
From this input, seven priorities emerged, including Public Safety, Infrastructure, Quality of Life, Recreation, Fiscal Health, Operational Improvements, and Business. The plan includes action steps to address these priorities. The public can view a PowerPoint overview of the plan as well as the entire plan at the city’s website at Valpo.us.
The strategic plan also provides ways for the City’s leadership team and community to evaluate progress, with many action steps already in progress. “Certainly, we have been moving forward and making bold steps already since 2020. While the pandemic has tested our team and our city, I’m proud to say that we’ve weathered this challenge together. Not only have services continued uninterrupted, but we’ve kept moving forward. Last year saw record roadway improvements, we merged our Public Works and Utilities departments to create a unified and efficient City Services department and we advanced our city’s safety resources. This strategic plan helps us to continue on our positive path,” said Murphy.