Public workshop and surveys helped develop community vision and Council goals
PASO ROBLES — The Paso Robles City Council held a community visioning and goal-setting workshop on Feb. 20, in preparation for setting budget priorities for the next fiscal budget and to get a feel for what residents would like the City Council to focus on for the next 12-18 months.
The workshop was held in two parts – an interactive morning Visioning session attended by 50 community members, Councilmembers, and City staff, and an afternoon Goal Setting session that allowed Councilmembers to use the input gathered in the morning session to focus in on targeted goals prior to adopting the City’s next budget in June.
Council and participants received a presentation that included a review of 2018-2020 goals and accomplishments; an overview of evolving trends and changing context due to the pandemic, updated local data on housing, crime, response times, and more; a snapshot of the City’s 10-year financial forecast; COVID-19 impacts and more.
Participants were polled about what they love most about Paso Robles, how they feel about the future of Paso Robles, and a headline they would like to see about Paso Robles in 2024.
Workshop participants were then separated into breakout groups and asked to list three words or phrases to describe their vision for Paso Robles in 10 years and how that vision may have been influenced by recent events.
City Council did not participate in the breakout sessions but did get to hear first-hand from residents throughout the morning session to help inform their decision-making in the afternoon.
During the afternoon session, the City Council followed its regular meeting format, aired live on YouTube with an opportunity for residents to call in with public comment prior to the work session. Council and the public received a presentation that reviewed reflections on the morning session and proposed areas of focus for City Council to address in the next two years, including:
• Community Health and Economic Recovery (COVID-19)
• Infrastructure
• Public Safety
• Housing and Homelessness
• Quality of Life Amenities and Programs
• Governance and Community Partnership
Councilmembers then provided specific items of focus they would each like to see added to the list and will adopt their final goals for the rest of 2021-2022 on Mar. 2.
Two recurring themes throughout both sessions was maintaining Paso’s sense of community and improving diversity – described in terms of ethnic and gender diversity in City leadership, economic diversity in job creation, and a diverse mix of housing options for all income levels.
The results of the workshop will be presented at the Mar. 2, 2021 City Council Regular Meeting, along with a graphic recording (illustration) of the discussions that took place during both sessions of the workshop. To view the session on YouTube and see the presentations, polls, and survey results, go to the City Council Goal Setting page.
City Council is expected to adopt the next budget at its Jun. 15 meeting, and will consider various elements of the budget at meetings leading up to June.
