Polson updates its strategic plan

Officials with the city of Polson say that the 2016 strategic plan saw some positive outcomes, although not everything in the document has been immediately completed.

“A strategic plan is a three-to-five-year document…. You’re not going to get everything done the first year,” City Manager Mark Shrives explained.

City commissioners approved an update to the plan Aug. 20.

Some of the carried-out items, or themes, as Shrives said they are called, from the 2016 strategic plan include public outreach.

City Planner Kyle Roberts said one of the themes accomplished was public outreach, with the city launching a new website and city commissioners holding town hall meetings.

Shrive added that each theme has smaller pieces that make each section up.

The city is following the footsteps of the Polson Police Department with how they make their press releases available to the public.

“The city hadn’t been doing that great,” so Jodi O’Sullivan, CPA and executive assistant, has taken to the position as public information officer.

Shrives said that the city website will have press releases added in the future.

Moving forward, officials want to work on an annexation plan and the safety building, the latter of which was included in the 2016 plan.

The annexation plan would look at “pockets” surrounded by city limits and making them part of Polson.

Shrives said that those parcels in question may use city services such as police, water and street maintenance, leading to the decision for officials to ask for the annexations.

City officials are in the process of drafting a timeline for the future of the safety building, which includes a possible bond levy in the summer.

“We’ll be going out and talking to people, explain what’s going on,” Shrives said.

So far, a public needs analysis has been completed.

There aren’t any numbers he could share in regards to funding, but said that information will be forethcoming to the public in the future.

“If you’re going to go out and talk to people you have to have drawings and a site plan, and that’s what we’re working on now,” Shrives said.

Also coming out of the 2016 plan was the economic development council, who worked on the resort tax.

When it got to the commission, Shrives said the tax didn’t move forward with a vote from representatives, “but it’s back on our plans for” the updated plan.

“It’s a matter of priorities, timing and staffing” to implement the plan, Shrives said.

Shrives said he brought the idea of the document to city officials to get city commissioners and staff together, as they usually don’t interact on a regular basis.

“For me, it gives a good road map for the staff. We know what the commissioners want” to accomplish, he said.

Also contributing to updating the document was that new Polson Mayor Paul Briney took office in January, as well as new commissioners.

“We can go back and revisit (the plan), tweak some of it,” Shrives said.

In the next couple of years, Shrives said the city should consider updating the 2018 strategic plan, as “it’s about moving forward and prioritizing” themes.

The strategic plans and press releases can be viewed on the city website at www.cityofpolson.com/mayorcomm or in person at City Hall, 106 First Street East.