Writer: Staff Reports
Published March 7, 2023
Douglas County Sentinel
Mayor Rochelle Robinson and the Douglasville City Council held their annual strategic planning sessions on Jan. 26-27 to discuss 2023 goals and objectives.
The Georgia Municipal Association hosted the meetings at their Atlanta offices at no cost to the city. The sessions were moderated by Mara Shaw of the University of Georgia's Carl Vinson Institute of Government.
During the two-day meeting, mayor and council received departmental reports from city staff and outside entities that included information on city facilities, the City of Douglasville's financial outlook, employment outlook, public safety, and other topics, city spokesman Jason Post said.
Post said the presentations allowed the mayor and council to get updates on current projects happening within the city limits and look at where Douglasville is headed in the near future. It provided the mayor and council the opportunity to ask specific questions needed to help them craft their goals and objectives for the year.
"Each year staff works hard to assist the Mayor and Council with goal setting," said City Manager Marcia Hampton. "These discussions are vital to the operation of the city. They provide staff with direction not only for 2023, but for the next 5 to 10 years and beyond."
2022 goals that have been completed include: adopt a debt management policy to reflect the City's current processes, successfully complete the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) renegotiations with the County and submit the new LOST certificate in compliance with the deadline of December 31, 2022; successfully negotiate the new SPLOST intergovernmental agreement with the county in preparation for the referendum held in November 2022; and implement regular and consistent updates to the City's land-use map.
"This is an exciting time for our city and our citizens," said Mayor Rochelle Robinson. "The strategic planning session is always a great time for senior staff and council members to come together and focus on past goals and come up with a viable plan for the next year. I am honored to be a part of this elected body at such a pivotal time in Douglasville's history. I can't wait to see where we are headed in the future."
To conclude the retreat, the mayor and council constructed their goals for 2023 by utilizing the information provided to them by community partners and city staff.
The highlights of this year's goals and objectives include beginning design and construction of a City recycling center, with a proposed final completion date of August 2024. With staffing shortages making it difficult for the city to provide curbside recycling service, this project will offer the community additional options for recycling drop off.
Additionally, the mayor and council would like to complete the concept phase of the proposed new City Hall project, Post said. This project will provide the staff with the conceptual designs and background information needed for proper long-term planning as Douglasville continues to grow and develop.
Finally, staff will complete the analysis of properties for acquisition to construct parks in Ward 1 and Ward 5, bringing a recommendation back to the mayor and council for consideration, according to Post.
Regular City Council meetings are held on the first and third Mondays of each month, while their Legislative Work sessions are on the Thursday before the Regular meeting. To view future City Council meeting agenda and dates, visit the City's website at www.douglasvillega.gov/agendas.
