PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The City of Peoria is inviting residents to review its draft five-year strategic plan during virtual community forums on Sept. 28.
Two sessions are offered for residents to share their opinions on the plan, which was developed through a three-month process that gauged the needs and priorities of the community from residents themselves. Those priorities include safe neighborhoods, affordable housing, vibrant downtown development, business growth and infrastructure.
Now, residents have one last chance to offer input.
“They are going to have an opportunity to look at that plan, we’re going to walk it through looking at the mission, the vision, the value statements…and the objectives,” said Kimberly Richardson, assistant city manager of Peoria.
Richardson said more than 1,000 people from ages 14 to 80+ participated in the community-informed process, which included community meetings, forums and online surveys.
“What this allowed the community really is to inform as a collective, not individual subsets of a community…People want to be a part of this process. They were very happy to be invited to be a part of it,” said Richardson.
Development of the strategic plan began in earnest in June during a two-day kickoff that drew more than 300 participants. During June and July, community members could participate in community events, forums and surveys to provide Peoria City Council with data points when they drafted the plan in August.
“The community-informed plan allows for the council to say that they are reflecting the needs and priorities of the community, not just of the current council that sits around the horseshoe,” said Richardson.
Feedback from the virtual forums on Sept. 28 will be shared with city council members. The goal is for Peoria City Council to adopt the strategic plan at its October meeting.
The hour-long sessions are offered at 12 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 28.
