Hello South Burlington!
Starting this month, the Leadership Team (Department Heads) and I, in partnership with the City Commissions and City Council, will start a three to four-month process to make clear and intentional decisions about the policy priorities of the City and the implementation strategies we will use to achieve this vision. In a council-manager form of government, staff must implement the City Council’s policies and priorities. The goal of this process is to build upon past work to produce a city-wide workplan for the Council, staff, and commissions. I’m thankful for the Council’s support of such a process. It is my hope that by mid-November, the Council will have adopted this clear set of policy priorities and implementation strategies and these decisions will help shape the FY23 Budget process. Annually we will then revisit these priorities and make sure our work continues to be aligned.
Over the next few months, the Leadership Team will put together a set of recommendations for the Council to consider. As we do this we will also take into consideration the following:
- Policy directions provided through past Council Resolutions
- The objectives and strategies outlined in the Comprehensive Plan
- Regulatory requirements we know are on the horizon for specific service areas
- The Annual Workplans developed by the committees and commissions
If you have ideas we should consider as we think about how to implement the policy priorities of the Council, please feel free to reach out to me at jbaker@southburlingtonvt.gov.
Below you will also read about the announcement of our new City Attorney! Pending approval by the City Council on September 7th, Colin McNeil will join our Team on September 13th. You can read about his qualifications below. I’m thrilled that he is joining our Team!
My best,
Jessie