R2006-032 02-27-06
RESOLUTION NO. R2006-32
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
PEARLAND, TEXAS, APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE GOALS
PROMULGATED DURING THE CITY'S 2006 ANNUAL PLANNING
WORKSHOP.
WHEREAS, the City Council realizes the necessity of identifying primary goals
and priorities to ensure the constant pursuit of improving the quality of life for the
citizens of Pearland; and
WHEREAS, the City Council held a workshop with City staff on January 28,
2006, at which time specific goals and objectives for the City's future were enumerated;
now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PEARLAND, TEXAS:
Section 1. That the City Council hereby adopts and embraces the
2006 City Council's Goals attached hereto as Exhibit "A".
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 27th
Februarv , AD., 2006.
day of
c ~~ {L
TOM REID
MAYOR
ATTEST:
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
()~, k_~
DARRIN M. COKER
CITY ATTORNEY
CITY OF PEARLAND
STRATEGIC PLANNING-2006
****** RETREAT REPORT ******
The Pearl and City Council and executive staff met on Saturday, February
28,2006, at the Westside Events Center, to create a strategic plan for the
period 2006-09. The retreat was facilitated by two University of Texas at
Arlington faculty members, Jim Kunde and David Tees, who were invited back
after facilitating a similar retreat in Pearland the preceding year. The two
facilitators began the process several days before the retreat with 20-30-minute
telephone interviews with the mayor, each council member and selected key staff
members. The information gathered during these interviews was summarized
and the summary statements displayed on large sheets of chart paper for review
by retreat participants
The one-day retreat began with breakfast around 8:00 a.m. The mayor, all
council members, city staff, four citizens and a member of the press attended the
session. After a description of the planned program and brief introductions,
work began with a review of the displayed interview summaries. The review
provided participants with an "environmental scan" of conditions in Pearland
today as they are seen by the interviewees. The summarized result of these
interviews is shown in Appendix A as they appeared on the wall of the meeting
room.
After reviewing the interview summaries, retreat participants were asked to
develop a list of vision elements for Pearland for the year 2009 based on the
assumptions of "reasonable luck, hard work and no miracles." The result is
shown in Appendix B.
After the vision elements were talked through, retreat participants were
asked to develop strategies believed effective for realizing the vision through a
process know as the "Nominal Group Technique" or NGT. Twenty-eight
separate strategies were suggested by retreat participants and these were
thoroughly explained and discussed. A simple" colored dot" weighting system
was then used to weigh the relative value of all strategies identified for vision
attainment. A process was employed to distinguish the weights assigned to
strategies by council members from weights assigned to the same strategies by
staff. The resulting strategies and the council/staff weights assigned to each of
them are as follows:
1. Develop a "step ahead" theme with employees. Weighting: council, 1 pt. staff,
2 pts.
2. Move forward with securing police and fire facilities - identifying funding
sources. Weighting: council, 18 pts. staff, 13 pts.
3. Set up improved city services for the West side. Weighting: council 6 pts. staff,
Opts.
4. Initiate traffic reduction control strategies aimed at volume, flow and
congestion. Weighting: no pts.
5. Develop and finalize a new bond package for May 2007. Weighting: council,
17 pts. staff 20 pts.
6. Secure the first biotech firm in Spectrum. Weighting: council, 1 pt. staff,S pts.
7. Develop a design plan for the grounds for a proposed University of Houston
branch campus. Weighting: council, 13 pts. staff, 4 pts.
8. Establish an enhanced emergency dispatch center. Weighting: council, 0 pts.
staff, 2 pts.
9. Finalize the infrastructure plan for the Southeast quadrant of Route 288 and
the Beltway with a funding mechanism. Weighting: council, 0 pts. staff,S pts.
10. Develop an improved TXDOT relationship strategy. Weighting: council, 0 pts.
staff, 5 pts.
11. <omitted and combined with strategy #13>
12. Develop a feasibility study for a regional multi-purpose center. Weighting:
council, 0 pts. staff, 0 pts.
13. Develop a cleaner, clearer progress reporting system on city projects for
council and the public including financing. Weighting: council, 1 pt. staff, 0
pts.
14. Develop a water supply acquisition plan. Weighting: council, 1 pt. staff, 2 pts.
15. Work with the Pearland EDC to provide a land availability inventory for
development. Weighting: council, 0 pts. staff, 0 pts.
16. Develop a message and marketing plan for Pearland as a 100,000 population
city. Weighting: council, 3 pts. staff, 10 pts.
17. Establish additional venues for communication with citizens. Weighting:
council, 4 pts. staff, 2 pts.
18. Match staff resources with the pace of city growth. Weighting: council, 3 pts.
staff, 2 pts.
19. Position Pearland as a major player in the Houston region. Weighting: council,
5 pts. staff, 3 pts.
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20. Develop a land use plan for "what if's" on the SH 35 corridor. Weighting:
council, 0 pts. staff, 0 pts.
21. Empower a charter review commission to consider council restructuring
before the next scheduled review. Weighting: council, 2 pts. staff, 0 pts.
22. Develop an e-mail version of the city newsletter-city in motion. Weighting:
council, 0 pts. staff, 0 pts.
23. Develop a coalition of North Brazoria County cities to discuss regional needs.
Weighting: council, 5 pts. staff, 3 pts.
24. Expand opportunities for collaboration on capital projects and regional
service needs. Weighting: council, 0 pts. staff, 3 pts.
25. Get the Unified Development Code in place. Weighting: council, 0 pts. staff, 3
pts.
26. Improve the policy alignment between the council and the Planning and
Zoning Commission. Weighting: council, 6 pts. staff, 0 pts.
27. Work with the ISDs in Pearland to coordinate all facility plans. Weighting:
council, 0 pts. staff, 0 pts.
28. <omitted and combined with strategy #16>
Top Weighted Strategies and Implementation Plans
It was agreed that all strategies proposed by retreat participants would be
included in the retreat report. Although participants acknowledged that, as
events change and new challenges arise, some of the currently lower weighted
strategies might rise in priority, it was agreed, that principal retreat attention
would be given to strategies given the highest weight by retreat participants and
actions believed necessary to activate them. Of the thirteen top weighted
strategies, four with especially high ratings were selected for detailed action
planning. Action steps, assignments and timelines were identified for each of
these strategies as shown below.
Strategy #1: Develop and finalize a new bond package
· Action Step #1: Establish a schedule for Mike Hodge
review of projects and timelines.
· Action Step #2: Meet with ISD officials to Mayor Reid
coordinate project needs.
· Action Step #3: Initiate an evaluation and Mike Hodge
priority assessment of various projects
within each construction category for city
council decision before May, 2007 election.
February, 2006
April, 2006
October, 2006
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· Action Step #4: Organize a citizen's political Mike Hodge
action committee to review and gain
public support for the bond package.
Strategy #2: Move forward with plans for securing police and fire facilities
· Action Step #1: Complete a study of Mike Hodge
funding options for facility construction
with certificates of obligation as the likely
funding mechanism.
· Action Step #2: Conduct a city council City Council
workshop to consider space and location
needs for police, fire and emergency
service facilities and to approve a funding
plan.
· Action Step #3: Complete a study of needs Mike Hodge
to be included in the 2007 bond election.
N ovember,2006
February, 2006
February, 2006
August, 2006
Strategy #3: Prepare a design plan for the staged development of a University of Houston
branch campus in Pearland
. Action Step #1: Negotiation of a Memo of Bill Eisen March, 2006
Understanding with university officials
including a schedule and clear expression
of university interest in proceeding with
plans to locate a new campus in Pearland.
. Action Step #2: Develop a proposal for city Bill Eisen April, 2006
participation in campus development
including phased occupancy of campus
space by the city until needed for
university purposes.
. Action Step #3: Secure a formal Bill Eisen Late 2006
commitment from the university to get
underway with campus building and
infrastructure planning.
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Strategy #4: Prepare a marketing plan and message suitable for a city of 100,000 +
population that includes roles for the lSD, chamber of commerce and other institutions
· Action Step #1: Host a meeting to be
attended by all community institutions
with a stake in community promotion for
the purpose of identifying key audiences
for the marketing effort.
· Action Step #2: Select a qualified firm to
develop a marketing plan designed to
meet the expectation of community
stakeholders.
· Action Step #3: Obtain approval for a
marketing plan at a second stakeholder
meeting.
Second Level Weighted Strategies
Fred Welch
March, 2006
Fred Welch
June, 2006
Fred Welch
August, 2006
After the four top weighted strategies were reviewed, action steps identified
and assignments made with timelines, participants turned their attention to the
nine remaining strategies that receiving significant weights (two points or more
each). For each of these strategies, actions and assignments were determined as
follows:
1. Strategy: Develop a coalition of North Brazoria County cities to discuss
regional needs. Action: Mayor Reid will contact the mayors of other area cities
as soon as possible to identify those who are interested in joining a coalition.
The issue will then be placed on the council agenda at a meeting in March,
2006 to decide what to do next.
2. Strategy: Finalize the infrastructure plan with a funding approach for the
Southeast quadrant of the Route 288/Beltway interchange. Action: Fred Welch
and Mike Hodge will review infrastructure requirements and structure an
appropriate agreement for funding.
3. Strategy: Secure the first biotech firm for the Spectrum site. Action: Fred Welch
will take responsibility and attempt to secure a commitment by December,
2006.
4. Strategy: Improve the policy alignment between the city council and the
planning and zoning commission. Action: Nick Finan will take responsibility
to set up a joint workshop in March, 2006 to find common ground.
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5. Strategy: Establish additional venues for communication with citizens. Action:
Nick Finan will take responsibility to set up a procedure to obtain more
effective feedback through e-mail lists of citizens. This will be done by April,
2006.
6. Strategy: Match staff resources with the pace of community growth. Action:
Bill Eisen will ensure that a discussion of staff adjustments is structured into
the next budget presentation.
7. Strategy: Setup improved city services to the West side of the city. Action: Bill
Eisen will take responsibility to develop a plan to increase citizen access to
many public services at the Westside Events Center and later in the proposed
police facility. The plan will be ready by March, 2006.
8. Strategy: Establish an enhanced emergency dispatch center. Action: Paul
Jamison, Chris Doyle and Jeff Sundeth will develop a recommendation for a
"customer friendly" building design by August, 2006.
9. Strategy: Develop a water acquisition plan. Action: Mike Hodges is already
working on this issue and will produce a report for consideration by April,
2006.
The strategies and related action steps are meant to be incorporated into
the work programs of the city's governing body and operating units. Action to
implement these strategies is intended to guide the coordinated efforts of the city
council and the staff as they progress toward the Pearland vision for 2009.
It is believed that the city council and staff will keep these strategies and
related actions on clear display throughout the city facilities and update them as
progress is made. Council and staff members worked together in a sustained and
open dialogue to create these plans. The value of the plans to the city's future
depends on a continued effort by the council and staff to "stay the course" and to
encourage and welcome citizen opinions and concerns as the work proceeds.
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Appendix A: Interview Summaries1
1. What is going well in Pearland? What are the city's best assets as you see them now?
· Growth, leading to a lot of opportunities (6)
· Projects - from bond issue now coming on line (1)
· Location (3)
· A vailability of some land (1)
· Recognition as a destination city
· Reached 70,000 population
· Annexations-positively received
· Development coming that makes us a "complete" community (1)
· Sales tax money increase
· Second major east-west highway coming
· Edge city in Houston (2)
· Mixture of housing and commercial
· Opportunity to still shape the city
· Drainage progress (1)
· Unified Development Code opportunity (2)
· Development interests
· Good town with good people
· Growth adding to the tax base (1)
· Expansion in jobs
· Strong community image
· Staff-quality of people (1)
· Council-very proactive relative to planning for growth
· The way city is dealing with infrastructure
· City doing good job of managing growth
· Excellent job empowering staff to make decisions
· Good job of fostering community support
· Getting a lot of capital projects off the ground
· Parks master plan
· Water and sewer expansion plans
· Good demographics
· Mostly good land use mix
· Improved customer service
· Lower tax impact on homeowners
I The numbers following many of the strategies indicate the number of times the issue was
duplicated by respondents.
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· Good city council/staff leadership
· Departments are on the same page
2. What is not going well? What are the major weaknesses or chief concerns right now?
.
Becoming somewhat bureaucratic
Citizens feel staff has grown and is harder to work through
Ability to get things done-slowed somewhat
Control of growth (1)
Concern over lack of industry-too many housetops
Drainage and flood control (1)
Traffic (2)
Some projects slower than expected
People concerned about losing their "small town"
Losing potential commercial land to schools and housing
Having to deal with multiple school districts
Passing more decisions to council rather than deciding on "front line"
Communication with constituents (1)
Poor communication on UDC delayed its progress
Not keeping up with roads and streets
Too much high density growth
Don't enforce all our ordinances
Proximity to Houston
Too many cars-not enough schools
East-West split (1)
Growth so fast-hard to keep up
Financing-passing bond debt to the future
Traffic-lack of forethought and lack of action
Infrastructure strained due to growth demands
Demand on debt structure for road and drainage improvements (1)
City facilities and space stretched to limit
Challenge to manage East and West Pearland differences
Turf wars between departments -lost efficiency
Staff levels have not kept up with growth
Not enough primary industry employers
Differences between P&Z and city council
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3. What opportunities do you see that the city can or should take advantage of?
.
Get University of Houston campus (2)
Hospital for eastside (1)
Spectrum potential job base-biotech (1)
Better image as a destination city
Develop a meeting place
More major access routes
Promenade shops - similar development may be coming (1)
Medical employed residents who now commute
Arena - hockey team
Change in demographics-bring in new skilled people
Still have some undeveloped land (1)
Optimization of water, sewer and drainage
Less dense development on remaining land
Work with counties and other cities
Develop new leaders from new residents
Master parks plan
Revisit strategic plan-wrap around comprehensive plan
Financing of infrastructure improvements
Partnerships with school districts, other communities
288 corridor-retail opportunity (1)
State highway 355 corridor
Economic development-balance to residential
Getting in line for road funding-size now helps
Distributing more political clout to the north part of the county
Secure water rights through interlocal agreements
Access to Beltway 8, State Highway 288, 1-45
Location in relation to Houston
Growth potential of existing educational institutions
Partnerships and joint agreements with ISD
Publicize school activities through cable access channel and city
web site
Increase communication with newly annexed areas
North end coalition
Communicate with HaAs
Televise council; information grid
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4. What barriers have to be overcome to take advantage of these opportunities?
.
University of Houston - funding for buildings
L&R may not be best partners for Spectrum
Letting research community get the word out
Financial- budget now $40 million - need more full time personnel
Geography-long narrow configuration challenges services
Providing infrastructure and services for rapid growth (2)
Need for up front investment money
Politics -legislature - unfunded mandates
Potential city liabilities in helping financially
Staff seem to lag in understanding where council wants to go
Financed-need creativity in how to handle needs-especially debt (1)
Communication with other political entities
Clear Creek - Corps of Engineers
Developers wanting higher density
Developing a community consensus
Weaving all the separate plans together
Communication between different constituents
In fast growth - mistakes last forever
Time is scarce-especially time with council
Cultural barriers within the community
Competition for high tech facilities
288 corridor-competition for retailers
A lot of competition with political connections
Established political environment
Differing ideological beliefs about growth
Developers view of city regulation as burdensome
Insufficient funding for infrastructure improvements
Willingness of city council and school board to meet to discuss
opportunities
Slow progress of work with TXDOT
Funding limitations for big projects
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5. If you could accomplish one thing at this time, but only one, what would it be?
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Community based hospital (1)
Do something about the traffic (1)
Keep money flowing for basic infrastructure
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· Getting the University of Houston branch
· Construction of east-west thoroughfare
· Follow the comprehensive plan
· Completion of business park in Northwest
· Establish a police facility on the west side
· Strengthen and restructure emergency services
· Adoption of the Unified Development Code
· More roads and drainage improvements
· School district communication-get the word out
· State Highway 35S corridor study
6. Has anything changed significantly in the last 12 months?
. Organization has become more bureaucratic
. Whole lot going on
. Growth has increased significantly (1)
. Promenade shop visibility
. Arena thing
. Long, long council meetings
. Somewhat lame-duck council
. Spectrum and growth on west side
. Homestead exemption
. Probably have grown our staff too fast
. Bailey Road/101 drainage issue opportunity
. Huge turnover of financial staff (1)
. New development opportunities-3 health care and 2 mall
opportunities
. Significant expansion in health care
. University of Houston moving along
. Additional annexations
. Results of bond projects showing
. School district plans expanding-impacting city plans
. A place of dynamic change due to growth
. Level of interest of large retailers in 288 corridor
. Close to necessary infrastructure base for Spectrum
. Traffic has gotten significantly worse
. Potential for departmental friction because of growth
7. Is there anything else we should know?
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· Retreats have been very helpful- helps guide budget proposals
· Parks especially needy-especially meeting places
· West side police station-controversial
· Council turnovers-turning point in community
· Televising council meetings-a concern
· This time more of a council retreat
· Will soon need another bond issue
· City seems to be running very well compared to others
· Positive, professional atmosphere at city hall
· Excellent chamber of commerce relations
· More harmonious relation with developers
· Move the tax base off the backs of homeowners
· Eastside development
Appendix B: Vision, 2009
.
Two additional east-west thoroughfares have been constructed and two
overpasses have been built over the railroad tracks.
A more integrated approach has been developed for working with other
political entities in the Pearland area.
A branch campus of the University of Houston is under construction
within the Pearland city limits.
The citizens of Pearl and have passed another critically needed
infrastructure improvement bond issue.
A major biotech complex is under construction on the Spectrum site.
Pearland has become a recognized destination for visitors to the area
featuring promenade shopping area and high tech industry.
Continued investments in planning are bearing fruit in a variety of
environmentally friendly developments.
Frontage roads for State Highway 288 are now complete.
The second phase of hospital and medical facilities development is well
underway.
Progress is being made with industrial development along the Beltway.
Utilities have been installed southeast of the Beltway/SH 288 intersection.
Pearland has entered a mass transit partnership with Houston Metro in an
effort to reduce traffic congestion.
A second overpass has been built over State Highway 288.
A new public library has been opened to serve the residents of West
Pearland.
Plans are complete for a defined drainage project for the Clear Creek area.
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A third municipal utility district has been annexed into the city.
The average daily traffic loads on city streets have been noticeably
reduced from previous years.
Pearland has become a regional center for innovation, where creative
people come to interact and develop new ideas and businesses.
There is considerably improved management of traffic problems
associated with construction activity, particularly along SH 35S.
Pearland Parkway has been completed from its present terminus to Dixie
Farm Road.
The city has reached an agreement with the U.s. Corps of Engineers on
drainage alternatives on Clear Creek.
Infrastructure projects are initiated more quickly after being approved
and are completed more expeditiously.
The addition of city staff is more directly and appropriately tied to the
growth of the city and demand for services.
The city is served by a fire service consisting of a combination of
volunteers and paid staff.
Updated police and fire facilities now exist to provide public safety
services appropriate for a city of 100,000.
The city's second major life-style center has been opened by CBL.
A bond issue has been approved by the voters of Pearl and for major
drainage and infrastructure improvements.
All of the bond-funded projects approved previously by the voters have
been completed.
More active communication exists between the city and the county as well
as between city residents and their local governments.
There is now a major expansion of the public parks system including
walking and biking trails.
The structure of the city council has been altered to be more consistent
with changes in the community.
Pearland has reached a population of 100,000 giving it greater political
clout within the region.
A major signalization project has been completed on SH 288.
Construction of Dixie Farm Road is now complete.
A number of common city services have been decentralized for the
convenience of citizens with the opening of several city hall annexes.
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