Following approval by the Indianola City Council on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, the City of Indianola is excited to share an updated strategic plan designed to better serve residents, businesses and the overall community and provide operational direction for departments to meet future opportunities and needs.
Throughout 2024-27, Indianola will focus on the following strategic priorities:
- Our Welcoming Hometown: The City of Indianola will provide exceptional City services and facilities that enhance the quality of life for our residents. We will focus on investing in modern and sustainable infrastructure and technology to ensure seamless delivery of City services. Our ultimate goal is to create a welcoming community, with housing options to fit every need, second to non, in terms of livability, comfort and satisfaction.
- Thriving Hub of Economic Development and Innovation: We will cultivate a thriving business community that promotes economic growth and prosperity for our City. By leveraging our City's unique strengths and resources, we will create an environment that encourages business growth and investment.
- Resource Optimization: Through efficient and effective utilization of the City's financial, human and material resources, we will empower our teams to achieve our strategic goals and objectives, building a more resilient, dynamic and sustainable City that meets the needs of all our residents and stakeholders.
- Protect & Promote Public Health and Safety: We place ensuring the safety and well-being of our citizens, staff and visitors as a top priority, and we are committed to protecting it every day. By prioritizing safety and well-being, we create a secure, inclusive and prosperous City for everyone.
"Those are the four main pillars that the Council has laid out for us to work on," City Manager Benjamin Reeves said during Tuesday's regular City Council meeting. "It's great now to have individual departments aligning their tactical plans and operational daily plans behind the vision the Council is setting forth."
The creation of the 2024-27 strategic plan was assisted by Cassandra Halls of 2 THE TOP.
To view the 2024-27 strategic plan, as well as past strategic plans for the City of Indianola, please visit www.indianolaiowa.gov/strategic-plan.
Additionally on Tuesday, Reeves announced a series of leadership changes as part of a staff reorganization to help align the efforts from City staff in support of the 2024-27 strategic plan. The following individuals have assumed new positions and titles:
- Charlie Dissell, Deputy City Manager–Development & Operations
- Doug Bylund, Chief of Culture & Recreation
- Jason Holder, Chief of Innovation & Internal Services
- Jackie Raffety, Assistant to the City Manager, Assistance Finance Director & City Clerk
"What we have now are logical groupings for all of our Operations in the field from day to day, all of our Internal Service offerings and how we support our front-line works to ensure we're giving them the tools and resources that they need, our Fire and Police already have their large organizations that help enable and take care of the City and then all of our quality of life initiatives under our new Culture and Recreational functional area," Reeves said. "It's a nice, well-rounded structure to make sure we are taking the Council's initiatives and putting it in our day-to-day operations and supporting our community."