The City of Sparks is a full service city, incorporated by the State of Nevada for the purposes of providing local governance to the residents, businesses, and visitors.

The management tools providing policy direction from the City Council to the City Manager include, but are not limited to, the Strategic Plan; Annual Fiscal Budget; the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP); and the Employee Complement.

The Council provides the City Manager policy direction for the purpose of providing operational guidelines to meet the city’s vision, mission, and motto statements. Those statements are:

• Vision:  Be the city of choice for residents, businesses, and visitors.

• Mission: BY establishing fiscal stability and an effective work environment, the City of Sparks provides a safe environment, economic development, special events, cost-effective sustainable services, and opportunities for citizen involvement.

• Motto: City of Promise.

The Council’s Strategic Goals for the Fiscal Years 2014-2019 were:

Core Goal A – Financial Stability: Maintain fiscal policies to ensure a prosperous, sustainable city.

Core Goals B – Employee Relations: Provide a successful and effective work environment.

Strategic Goal #1: Promote the safety of our residents, businesses, and visitors.

Strategic Goal #2: Explore and promote opportunities for economic development and special events.

Strategic Goal #3: Manage resources to keep pace with technology, infrastructure, and sustainability needs.

Strategic Goal #4: Encourage citizens to interact with their city government and build strong alliances with other government entities.

Strategic Goals #5: Improve and Promote Quality of Life in the City of Sparks.

The Mayor and Council utilize the city’s Strategic Plan as a planning tool providing policy direction for the City Manager providing for the daily operation needs of the city and to shape resources for the future.

The City Manager engages in a planning process annually to review with the city’s senior management team the Strategic Plan approved by the Council to determine accomplishments, areas of concern, and opportunities to modify the Strategic Plan for the city.

In May of 2014, the City Manager and Senior Staff gathered for a workshop to discuss the city’s Strategic Plan for the Fiscal Years 2014-2019 as approved by the Council in late 2013. The intent of this annual review was to engage in an operational discussion on the city’s current operating issues and discuss the future use of city resources for the accomplishment of the Council’s Strategic Goals and Objectives.

Staff discussion evolved around the Council’s policies and priorities and an edit of the Strategic Plan for the next planning cycle proposes to focus on internal and external strategic goals and objectives. The new focus emphasizes the need for three internal uses of resources for the purpose of having an efficient, effective governmental operation providing services the employees of the city to assist in the three external major services functions being provided to the city’s residents, businesses, and visitors.

The proposed Strategic Goals for the Fiscal Years 2016-2021 are:

1. Fiscal Stability: Maintain fiscal policies to ensure a prosperous, sustainable city.
2. Employee Relations: Provide a successful and efficient work environment.
3. Infrastructure and Technology: Manage resources to keep pace with technology, infrastructure and sustainability needs.
4. Public Safety: Promote the safety of our residents, businesses and visitors.
5. Economic Development: Explore and promote opportunities for economic development and special events.
6. Citizen Engagement: Encourage our stakeholders to interact with their city government and build strong alliances with other government entities.

On Tuesday, October 28^th, the City Manager and senior staff convened to discuss the Council’s comments, suggested changes, and direction on the Strategic Plan draft.

The attached version of the Strategic Plan, Fiscal Year[s] 2016-2021 include the changes directed by the Council and some minor modification of language to clarify or better-define the City Objectives within the six Strategic Goals.

1. The Council may approve the Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2015-2021 as presented by staff.

2. The Council may not approve the Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2015-2021 as presented by staff, keeping the current Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2014-2019 in place.

3. The Council may not approve the Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2015-2021 as presented by staff and provide other direction to the City Manager.

“I move to approve the City of Sparks’ Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2015 through 2021 as presented by staff.”