Town Hall Forums Coming Soon! Citizens Encouraged to Discuss the Possibilities
Durham County residents are encouraged to attend one of four upcoming Town Hall forums to offer feedback on early portions of the County’s Strategic Plan. The forums will give citizens an opportunity to see draft goals of the Strategic Plan and weigh in with comments. County staff and consultants are working hard to draft the plan, which will include goals, objectives, measures and initiatives to prioritize County activities and provide the best possible services to residents....
The Strategic Plan Town Hall Forums will be held at these times and locations:
· Monday, Nov. 7
7 p.m.-9 p.m.
NORTH FORUM at Northern High School auditorium, 110 Tom Wilkinson Road
· Thursday, Nov. 10
1 p.m.-3 p.m.
DOWNTOWN FORUM at Durham Convention Center, 301 W. Morgan Street
· Thursday, Nov. 10
7 p.m.- 9 p.m.
SOUTH FORUM at Parkwood Elementary School gymnasium, 5207 Revere Road
· Monday, Nov. 21
7 p.m.- 9 p.m.
EAST FORUM at East Regional Library meeting room, 211 Lick Creek Lane
County staff and consultants are in the process of actively engaging local youth in focus groups to better gauge their feedback on goals and priorities for the community.
Community Input and Information Gathering
This summer, hundreds of residents offered their insights on how Durham County should craft its priorities in upcoming years. Citizens and employees completed surveys, attended focus groups and participated in stakeholder interviews. The information shared in this phase of the Strategic Planning Process has been summarized in an organizational analysis report.
To view the organizational analysis, click HERE.
Here’s a look at community input, by the numbers:
· 1,686 citizen surveys completed
· 964 employee surveys completed
· 28 interviews with community leaders
· 8 focus groups with a total of roughly 70 participants
· 45 responses to Spanish-language citizen survey
On the November 2011 airing of “In Touch with Durham County Government,” seen on Durham Cable Access Channel 8, Dr. Tyrone Baines, consultant for the County’s Strategic Planning Process, and Michael Davis, assistant to the County Manager, give hosts Chairman Michael Page and Deborah Craig-Ray, assistant county manager for Communications, a progress report on the initiative.
To watch the interview beginning November 1, 2011, visit the County’s Live and Archived Media Library Web page.
Drafting the Plan
Staff teams met in September and October to draft and review various components of the Strategic Plan. They are currently writing and revising overarching Strategic Plan goals, plus specific objectives and measures that will fall under each of those goals. Later this fall, staff will draft specific initiatives that will be part of the plan.
Next Steps:
· November-December: Staff continue to draft and revise plan
· January 2012: Staff work to prepare plan for BOCC adoption
· February 2012: Board of County Commissioners to adopts plan
Overview of Strategic Planning Process
In late 2010, the Durham Board of County Commissioners began working with local consultant Dr. Tyrone Baines to establish plans for the future of Durham County. While planning, the BOCC molded a new mission and vision for the County and agreed that the adoption of a Strategic Plan for the organization is necessary to optimize Durham County Government services for our residents. Durham County Government has hired Zelos, Inc. of Midlothian, VA to guide the methodology and timeline of the Strategic Planning Process. Michael Palmer, former interim deputy county manager, is now serving as a consultant for the process.
The Strategic Planning Process is allowing elected officials, employees and citizens to give input through surveys, town hall meetings and other forums. The final product will be a specific plan with key goals and objectives, as well as specific initiatives that will be carried out with the end goal of improving how Durham County serves the community.
The process will culminate in February 2012 with a Strategic Plan adoption by the Board of County Commissioners. Between now and then, the Board of County Commissioners, citizens, county employees and countless stakeholders will be working to shape a plan that will help guide Durham County forward in the years to come.
