City Beat
Sustainable Vision and Strategic Priorities
By Maureen Tobin, Communications & Engagement Manager
E
very year the Morgan Hill City Council meets to
review the past year and set priorities for the year
ahead. The priorities that are determined guide the
budget development and guide the decisions made
throughout the year. Additionally, the priorities focus the
work activities of all City Teammates.
In early 2017 the Morgan Hill City Council adopted the
Strategic Morgan Hill Vision as the lens that would guide all
future priorities and decision making for the City. At their
2018 Annual Goal Setting Workshop, the Morgan Hill City
Council perfected the vision and the ongoing priorities and
established the 2018 Strategic Priorities.
MORGAN HILL CITY COUNCIL
ONGOING PRIORITIES
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Enhancing public safety
Protecting the environment
Maintaining fiscal responsibility
Supporting our youth, seniors and entire community
Fostering a positive organizational culture
Preserving and cultivating public trust
Preserving our cultural heritage
Enhancing diversity and inclusiveness
MORGAN HILL
2018 STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
Community Engagement and Messaging
The City of Morgan Hill will tell our story through outreach
and by working closely with our community in presenting
our vision, priorities, and financial needs, and by engaging
citizens and business owners to find affordable and sustainable
solutions. The City’s communications, services, public spaces,
and projects will embrace all community members as partners,
encouraging public participation.
Economic Development and Telecommunications
The Economic Blueprint will continue to be implemented,
with a primary goal of attracting jobs and investment into
our community. The City will collaborate with the private
sector to explore ways to provide fast, reliable access and
wireless connectivity for residents and businesses. The 2016
Telecommunications Infrastructure and Economic Blueprint
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GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
reports will be the foundation for continuing discussions with
broadband providers, public utilities, and other infrastructure
service providers in developing an implementation plan for
growing our telecommunications infrastructure with private
sector partnerships. The plan will be used to signal Morgan
Hill’s support for business expansion.
Financial Stewardship
We will be financial stewards of the City’s assets to ensure
long-term fiscal sustainability. New revenue sources, including
a possible tax measure, will be considered to fund increasing
costs to deliver services and complete infrastructure projects.
The City will closely manage its expenditures to maintain its
general fund reserve. The labor contracts will be negotiated
using the City’s adopted Employee Compensation Guiding
Principles.
Infrastructure
The City will review its streets, parks, and public facilities
infrastructure needs to quantify the funding gap. We will
identify potential funding options, as ongoing revenue is
insufficient to fund our vital community assets at a sustainable
level without significantly impacting existing service levels that
our community has come to expect. Morgan Hill will actively
work with the Valley Transportation Agency, the County, and
the State to secure funding for transportation projects and road
maintenance. For High Speed Rail, we will strongly advocate
for the route with the least impact on Morgan Hill.
Regional Initiatives
City Council and staff will focus on influencing regional
decisions that benefit Morgan Hill. A regional approach will
be employed to address many priorities, including but not
limited to, homelessness, animal services, teen suicide, High
Speed Rail, and land use (Catholic High School, Outdoor
Sports Center, agricultural preservation, and city limits). This
regional involvement will include partnering with the League
of California Cities, Valley Transportation Authority, Caltrain,
Santa Clara Valley Water District, Cities Association of Santa
Clara County, the City of Gilroy, Santa Clara County, Morgan
Hill Unified School District, the Local Agency Formation
Commission, the Open Space Authority, and Silicon Valley
Clean Energy to advance projects that further Sustainable
Morgan Hill.
JUNE/JULY 2018
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