Assessment: Current Position

This step creates a base and foundation to build upon. A full understanding and analysis of the Town’s current position takes place, identifying where we currently are – the good, the bad, and the ugly.

After the evaluation is complete, two sets of action steps are outlined:

1. Items requiring immediate action
2. Items which require planning to act upon

Financial Standing

This piece assesses how our Town is performing at this very moment. Using our monthly financial reports as the basis, what are our current expenses and revenues to date? How does this compare to our approved Budget? What are deficiencies or under funded balances?

Strains on Town Resources

At a high level, this step is to assess what areas of our current resources - Staff, Infrastructure, Finances, Facilities, Various Department functions, etc. - are currently meeting their limits. This will help to provide an overarching idea as to what are seen as the most important items that may need to be addressed first.

Current Infrastructure Levels

This item assists with understanding the standing of both our Public Works and Enterprise activities. What are our current levels for water, sewer, storm drainage, road capacity, gas, etc.? What is our max capacity for these items, and at what point are we currently projected to max out these resources?

Current Town Staff Resources

Since Town Staff are the individuals who are running the Town's day-to-day operations, this step assesses the resources that are currently available to them. How does our current staffing look? What does resource allocation look like for the various departments - time, expenses, et. al.? What are we currently doing to address these items?

Town Sponsored Projects

With a large number of town projects already underway or about to be started, this provides an inventory of these various items.  What project are currently in-progress? Which projects are about to start? What is the current status and estimated delivery date for these various items? Are the projects currently or expected to meet their budgeted amounts - it not, why?

Active Land Development

This step provides information as to the growth that is occurring to our Town as we speak. Which developments do we currently have applications or agreements for? Which developments are currently in progress? What is the current status of the various developments? What items are still left or remaining to complete these?

Current Agreements & IGA's

Our Town must be sure to honor what we promised, and this step outlines those items. Where and for what items are we contractually obligated to perform related to specific functions? What IGA's are currently extended to other jurisdictional entities? What IGA's are expired or non-existent and require involvement with these parties to address?

Current Staff and Departmental Work Plan

Providing an understanding of what our Town Staff is currently working on, this step outlines what the priorities, projects, and day-to-day functions the various departments are currently or about to be working on.  What are the current priorities and initiatives that each department is working on? What is the status of the various items? What resources are needed to accomplish these items? When is the estimated completion date? What resource availability is there for additional projects/initiatives?

Current Board of Trustees Work Plan

The Board of Trustees' Work Plan outlines the items which they have noted as priorities for the year, so an full understanding of what these items are is important to know if they should be continued or deprioritized. What are the current items on the Boards Work Plan? What is the current status of the various items? Which items are currently in progress? Which items can potentially be removed? Which items are priorities?

Other Miscellaneous Items

This is the "and the kitchen sink" area - for the items that do not fall under one of the other categories. This will round out the full understanding of all current Town activities. These items largely include all of the continuously ongoing initiatives - Sustainable Revenues, Relationship Building, Maximizing Quality of Life.

Preparation: Upcoming Needs

Now that there is an understanding of what is needing to be planned, thought and strategy must go into the next steps taken. The items here will outline the actions which will be taken within the next 3-12 months. The items are then prioritized based on urgent and non-urgent, important and not-important.

Assessment Items Requiring Planning

From the assessment completed previously, all of the items that weren't currently being accomplished, or which may need further attention, are outlined. These items may be ranked, bucketed, or organized based on the importance to the community, as well as the urgency to which they need to be completed.

Town Budget

These are the yearly - or supplemental - budgets that are completed by the Finance team every year. After the various departments place their yearly funding requests and they are submitted into the budget, the new inclusions are discussed and scrutinized to decide on whether funding should be approved. A priority should be placed on reducing expenses so that the Town's reserves can be increased for various upcoming needs.

Capital & Infrastructure Projects

Preparing for what needs to come next, working with various Town departments to understand the projects that need to be completed now, or those that can wait until later. Based on available resources and funding, if it is possible to start projects sooner than initially believed, this is the time to make those decisions.

Town Facilities

The various facilities in Town regularly require maintenance, expansions, or additional capital improvements. Understanding when, at what points these need to occur, will determine timing and costs required.

Town Staff Resource Needs

Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of Town Staff, this item outlines what can be done to assist them with additional resources, or identify where current resource allocations may not be most affective. Based on the findings, a strategy as to when and how to make these adjustments is created.

UDC & Municipal Code Updates

As various items are identified to be concerns, or introduced as new additions from years' past - our Municipal Code and Unified Development Code must reflect our Town's rules, regulations, and laws surrounding the items so there is consistency in the way that our Town functions.

Board & Commission Work Plans

Each body should be delegated greater responsibilities, creating a work plan of the various activities that they might discuss or take on. These items included may be those which would normally have been taken on by a previous Board of Trustees body in years past. Whether the items are directed by the Board of Trustees, or left to the individual bodies to come up with on their own, each body is empowered to “leave an impact” on the Town’s future.

Staff & Departmental Work Plan

After identifying and discussing the various items currently being worked on and planned, direction is provided to the Town Administrator in order to direct the various Departments as to any changes in priorities. While most of the items will probably remain, there are some that could be decided to be moved to a future year, or simply removed.

Board of Trustees Work Plan

Based on all of the items found in the previous step and current step, the priorities of the Board of Trustees come into view. In past years, the lists were extensive - which at times did not provide for the necessary attention to detail. Realistic, yet timely schedules must be created for the various items - without placing a strain on Staff's or the Town's currently available resources.

Other Miscellaneous Items

Just as before, this is the "and the kitchen sink" area - for the items that do not fall under one of the other categories. This will round out all Town activities requiring careful preparation. These items largely include all of the continuously ongoing initiatives - Sustainable Revenues, Relationship Building, Maximizing Quality of Life.

Planning: Future Growth

This is the fun part. This is where the long-range vision is set, and a path becomes clear as to how we will get there. We may be looking at it from a 30,000 foot view overhead, but we can see the starting point and finish line – which provides us with the basis for how to get from where we are to where we are going.

Comprehensive Plan

The Town's Comprehensive Plan provides the vision for the Town. It outlines exactly how we see our Town growing - from the future land use planning map to overarching ideas and concepts as "guiding principles." This document involves a wide array of engagement types with various groups of community members, and will be the guiding document for our Town for years to come. Being that our current Comp Plan is largely just a revision of the one drafted in the early 2000's, a full rework is required.

UDC & Municipal Code Updates

Planning for the future requires us to understand how our municipal code and UDC may need to change as time evolves. While everything might not need to be completed today or in the next 12 months, a running list of potential edits - or additional items not yet though of due to our ever growing and evolving community - should be documented in order to ensure that we are always staying on-top of these items.

Various Additional Town Master Plans

Just like the Comprehensive Plan, our Town has various master plans for additional functions. Once the Comprehensive Plan is updated and adopted, all of the various master plans may need to follow suit in order to align with it. Additionally, these other Master Plans should, like the Comprehensive Plan, be ever evolving to change as our Town continues to evolve.

Infrastructure Needs & Requirements

Based on current levels and future projections - both in terms of our Enterprise activities and Development activity - we can project and forecast roughly when we will require capital improvements. These levels and forecasts should be monitored, then planned accordingly based on scheduling and financial requirements.

Long-Range Financial Planning

To date, we have only been looking at the present financial situation (Monthly Financials), as well as our current year accounting (Budget). In order to stay one-step ahead of whatever might come, we should begin to look at a long-range plan that looks 3 to 5 years out, adjusts based on current or projected trends, so that we can address the various items before they affect the Town.

Home Rule

If our Town is going to move to Home Rule in the next few years, there are many things that are required before then. This includes understanding exactly what Home Rule would mean for us - what are the in's and out's, what are the specific items that we cannot currently do that we would be able to do under Home Rule, and what changes would we need to have at Town Hall to accomplish these items.

Sustainable Revenues

One of three on-going efforts that must be continued at all stages. Economic Development is the key to Erie's future success, which provides a stable and sustainable revenue source.  All of the locations listed below are currently outlined on our Town's Zoning Map and Future Land Use Zoning Map as Commercial or Mixed-Use zoning. Some may be currently in progress, while others are yet to be achieved. A diligent effort must be taken to activate and attain businesses for the various locations below, working with developers and community members to do so.

Nine Mile

CO-7

Town Center

I-25 Gateway

Erie Commons

Old Town

County Line Road

Erie Airport

Highway 52

Westerly

Erie Highlands

Relationship Building

The second of three on-going efforts that must be continued at all stages. To accomplish any of the items noted above - engagement, communication, and involvement must occur with various groups. Transparency and an open dialogue is key to building trust and relationships with those that have an interest in our community.

Residents

The residents are the most important group in Town. To date, transparency and engagement has been limited - which would need to be increased substantially. This will build trust with Town Hall, as well as open a dialogue to discuss various topics which might be needed.

Boards and Commissions

Delegation of duties should be provided to these bodies so that they have a greater role with the community. These individuals are volunteers who step-up to make a difference in the community, but in years past, they have been used as “feel good” or “rubber stamp” committees.

Town Staff

These are the individuals who operate the Town on a day-to-day. Town Staff should feel open to discuss and address various items as they see fit. Sitting down with the department leads and the Staff within is important to create a rapport and provide an "open door" to further discussions about items as necessary.

Business Owners

Our businesses are the lifeblood of the Town. In order understand what their needs or concerns are, the Town should engage with business owners more frequently and on a regular cadence. If the Town is to have any success in creating Economic Vitality, we must also identify and address the exact reasons which are hindering businesses from being able to do business within the Town.

Community Partners

For the other groups and organizations within the Town which provide a dedicated function - including non-profits, business associations, et. al. - the Town must work with them to understand what their needs are too. In certain situations, these partners have a better understanding of specific issue topics, and can provide a guide as to how the Town might be able to support or take-on various action steps to address these items.

Local & Regional Governmental Agencies

The Town should work with other local and regional agencies to mend or strengthen current relationships. When we look at what the Town is trying to achieve, as well as the items which are preventing potential successes - other communities within our region are also experiencing these same issues. Working together to achieve the same goals and discussing what we are each trying to accomplish increases the chances of a win-win for both sides.

Developers

Developers are our partners in the community, and we must continue regular conversations, have open dialogue, and work together to accomplish our mutual goals. The only option for Erie is to work with developers in order to see our Town grow the way that it should – both commercial and residential. Developers become community partners who become our biggest allies to help reach these visions and plans for the Town. These relationships should be equitable for both parties, and not one-sided for either. The Town must ensure equitable relationships with developers, assisting with the Town's needs, and within the vision set by the Town. When possible, the Town must work with the developers to use their resources to build our infrastructure, and then provide them with reimbursements for doing so - working with them so we can "cross two 'Ts' with one stroke of the pen."

Maximize Quality of Life

The third of three on-going efforts that must be continued at all stages. This becomes the culmination of all efforts completed in the various Town aspects above. These items make Erie a great place to work, live, and play - and why we love to call it "home". Whether it is the feeling of safety when you walk out the door, having a place to buy your groceries and other goods, or where you walk your dog - continuous growth in these various areas is paramount - and determines our ultimate "success".

Public Safety

Public Health

Parks & Recreation

Open Spaces

Places to Live

Places to Shop

Employment Opportunities

Sustainability

Other Town Services

*Just a side note to all of the items that I discuss: I am a solutions driven problem solver by nature. I wonder how things work, why they work the way they do, and how to make them better. This means seeking different, outside-the-box methods to figure out solutions to various issues. Accordingly, I am always open to learning new ideas, different ways of doing things, as well as constantly learning from others' experiences to make better decisions. When I see an issue, I view it in a holistic fashion, and then dive into specific areas to remove deficiencies and create efficiencies. If you, who are reading this, have some thoughts or ideas about any of the subjects I discuss, I would be more than happy to speak with you to hear your opinions. Please reach out to me here through my website. Listening, hearing, and understanding different perspectives is the only way that we can all grow and create positive change - by learning from others, and delivering ideas that push the needle to become Forward Thinking.