City Manager Bill Horne’s vision statement

© St. Petersburg Times
published May 7, 2002

Mission

To provide a safe, healthy, and vibrant community to the citizens of Clearwater and a stimulating and nurturing environment for Clearwater's business community and tourists.

Vision

The City of Clearwater wishes to exceed its current standards of beauty, safety, and economic development while keeping its quality of life for Clearwater's residents intact. The city plans to accomplish this goal by moving Clearwater's economy, technology, landscape, and culture into the future through the current City Commission's policy priorities.

As the City of Clearwater moves ahead in the next 20 years, we will integrate the current priorities of the City Commission in all of our plans and projects. They are as follows:

1. Public Safety

2. Economic Development

3. Infrastructure Maintenance

4. Quality of Life Issues

5. Human Resource Issues

We realize that each commission will annually reevaluate their priorities and will support them in their policy decisions.

Public Safety

Assumption: Assuming no significant increase over the next 20 years in city population, federal/state mandates, or unknown contingencies; there will be no major increase in public safety personnel or equipment other than ordinary maintenance and previous commitments.

The City of Clearwater wishes to provide excellent public safety to its residents and visitors. It plans on accomplishing this goal by concentrating on three main areas; focusing existing police presence in communities, up-to-date and strategically located fire stations and equipment, and a well thought out action plan in case of natural disasters or terrorist threats. It is extremely important for both the citizens of Clearwater and the City Commission that the city upholds and maintains its current level of public safety.

A significant contributor to public safety is the Clearwater Police Department (CPD). While they currently provide excellent service to the residents of Clearwater, over the next twenty years their role will change in response to emerging needs. The CPD will focus on deterring crime, increasing public perception of safety, and expanding public communication. Through these measures, the CPD will provide a secure atmosphere for both neighborhoods and individuals throughout Clearwater.

Another vital component of public safety lies clearly within the Fire Department. The Fire Task Force created a vision that is still valid and important. The City of Clearwater intends to support the Fire Department in its long-range goals created by the Fire Task Force. These goals consist of building fire stations in under served areas of town, increasing the quality of fire equipment and existing infrastructure, and populating Fire and EMS Trucks with enough firefighters to ensure the safety of both the residents of Clearwater and the firefighters themselves.

The final element of public safety, the provision of safety and security in response to natural disasters and terrorist threats, will involve all departments' cooperation and support. The Fire and Police Departments will play critical roles in implementing and coordinating emergency plans for the entire city, but it will take all departments working as a team to protect the citizens of Clearwater. From the Public Communications Department announcing evacuation directions to increased Airpark and infrastructure security, the City of Clearwater will be prepared to respond to and address citizens' fears of natural disasters or possible terrorist attacks.

Economic Development

Assumption: Well-planned and responsible economic redevelopment of Downtown, the Beach, the commercial corridors and business parks are vital to the entire City of Clearwater. Because Clearwater is a built out community, the only way to increase the City's funds for important resident services is by strengthening our tax base. Since we are expected to manage the millage rate, we must carefully develop and redevelop the land we possess to ensure the greatest return of investment to the citizens in terms of jobs available, revenue for services, and conservation of green spaces.

Responsible economic redevelopment and development is essential to ensure the vitality of Clearwater. The city plans on rejuvenating our economy by focusing on three key priorities within Clearwater. By concentrating on Downtown, the Beaches, and the marketability of existing commercial corridors and business parks, we can revitalize our economy.

Downtown will be redeveloped and become increasingly more marketable through strategic public investment of infrastructure and programs. Infrastructure investment will be lead by the new Bridge, Main Library, Town Lake, Amphitheater, and the Waterfront Bluff Park. Program improvements such as marketing, recruitment, business retention and incentive development will be led by organizations such as the Community Redevelopment Agency, Downtown Development Board, Main Street Program and the Chamber Central Council. Together these groups, the City, and property owners will invite quality investors to bring forward proposals and projects that will encourage both year-round residents and visitors to support new and existing businesses and projects that will increase the overall aesthetics and property values of Clearwater.

Clearwater Beach provides the attraction for a major component of the city's tourist industry, plus offers water-based recreation alternatives to our citizens. The future success of Clearwater Beach relies on the redevelopment of current resorts, the increase of entertainment options, and key public sector investments. The City and the County will provide redevelopment incentives, such as the Beach By Design Resort Unit Bonus Pool, streetscape, and "wayfinding" programs that will provide attractive private and public facilities for our tourists to patronize. Public sector improvements will include construction of the Beachwalk project and the Mandalay streetscape programs. In addition, parking programs will address both north and south beach public parking options as a catalyst for private sector investment and provide parking to the public. A key component of the Beach strategy will be to assess options to deal with the severe "peak period" access during spring break and summer peaks. Clearwater will become known as a high quality entertainment resort destination.

The City's businesses that reside on key commercial corridors or in our limited office and industrial parks will benefit from continued public investment that will create a quality "public realm" and provide an environment that is competitive within our metro business marketplace. Similarly, these businesses will redevelop and improve the overall environment in which they are located. The city will continue to invest in business attraction and retention programs with partners such as the Chambers of Commerce, Tampa Bay Partnership and Pinellas County. We will jointly pursue incentives so that the City's built-out environment is competitive within the greater Tampa Bay area.

Infrastructure Maintenance

Assumption: The City of Clearwater is determined to protect its past and future investments in both equipment and facilities, plus protect its citizens safety and health through its dedication to on-going infrastructure maintenance. Infrastructure maintenance must be addressed if the City wishes to preserve its streets, sidewalks, roads, waterways, and major facilities

Infrastructure maintenance is so basic to a well-run city that it is sometimes overlooked. The City of Clearwater has decided to openly commit itself to the importance of maintaining and improving its' infrastructure. We plan on accomplishing this goal by focusing on asset management, life cycle maintenance, and use of new technology.

In order for Clearwater to fully manage and plan their future infrastructure needs, the full extent of current infrastructure must be measured. Departments will apply asset management techniques to track and catalogue all existing infrastructure. Once this is accomplished, a clearer picture of the city's future needs will emerge.

However, while the research and data compilation is taking place, the city will support its previous commitments to maintenance. We will continue to move forward with projects such as decreasing house flooding and increasing reclaimed water consumption. The combination of building a valid picture of existing infrastructure and ensuring its long-term health leads to the final strategy the city will undertake in the next twenty years to support infrastructure maintenance.

As technology improves over the next twenty years, the city plans on researching and using cost-effective infrastructure that will provide the best possible services to the citizens of Clearwater. An example of such a program would be devising a system that would store reclaimed water in the rainy season to be distributed during the dry season for irrigation purposes. Only by combining asset management, continual improvement, and future technology can the city hope to provide the citizens of Clearwater with the infrastructure and services they deserve.

Quality of Life

Assumption: Quality of Life encompasses almost all services that the City of Clearwater provides for its residents and visitors. It is foremost in our minds as we move forward to make Clearwater an even greater place to live, work and play.

Quality of Life is a phrase that sums up all the reasons to live, play and stay in the City of Clearwater. Accessible beautiful beaches, a responsive city government, and the fun and excitement of seeing a Phillies game in the spring are only a small part of the Quality of Life in Clearwater. It is the intention of the city to uphold our current standards of quality for our residents and visitors, but also to improve upon all the reasons why people visit and live in Clearwater. The city plans to advance Quality of Life by increasing cultural diversity, improving citywide aesthetics and recreational facilities, and providing high quality customer service for the lowest possible cost.

The population of Clearwater is as diverse as it is beautiful. In addition to celebrating this diversity, we must also recognize the differing activites that must take place in order to entertain a wide variety of individuals. Therefore, the City of Clearwater is determined to support a broad array of cultural and musical events within the city. In addition, recreational facilities that meet all residents' needs will be built. Examples of such projects are the new Main Library, North Greenwood Recreational Complex, and the evolution of Coachman Park into a regional venue for entertainment.

In addition to recreation and culture, citizens and visitors need green spaces and beautiful areas to truly have a high quality of life. Therefore, the City of Clearwater will support programs and projects that increase the overall aesthetics of Clearwater, such as neighborhood awards, code enforcement, and adopt-a-street programs. Plus whenever possible, the city will beautify existing roadways, parklands and infrastructure. In addition to expanding recreational opportunities and beautification programs, the City of Clearwater will also concentrate on continually improving our customer service to all citizens.

Over the next twenty years, the City of Clearwater will concentrate on improving traffic patterns, increasing parking in both Downtown and the Beach, making staff more accessible and friendly and providing the highest quality services for the lowest possible cost. Making Clearwater more navigable in roadways, parking, trails, sidewalks, and services are important for a high quality life for all residents and visitors. When the city successfully integrates diversified recreational and cultural events with increased aesthetics and quality customer service, Clearwater will become an even greater place to live, work and play.

Human Resource Issues

Assumption: Just as organizations must manage and maximize their financial and physical capital, they must also manage and maximize their largest investment and most important asset, their human capital. Without competent, dedicated, and talented people the organization cannot operate, cannot add value, cannot generate return on investment for stakeholders, and cannot create or deliver the products and services to achieve its mission, strategic objectives, and vision. Knowledge capital, more than physical or financial capital, is what will distinguish market leaders from market followers in the twenty-first century.

Public and private sector organizations are experiencing the impact of several important changes, to include the emergence of a knowledgeÐbased economy, dramatic advances in technology, and the increased expectations of our stakeholders to create and deliver cost-effective and value-added products and services. When coupled with changes in the competitiveness of the economy, as evidenced by new forms of competition - outsourcing/privatization, the evolving work/life needs of employees, the growing competition for talent, limited financial resources, and the demographic and social impact of a highly mobile, aging, culturally diverse, and multi-generational workforce (i.e., Matures, Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and Gen Yers). The City workforce is also dramatically changing - over fifty percent of our employees will be eligible to retire in the next ten years. Moreover, employees expect greater work/life flexibility and balance, personal and professional opportunities for learning and development, empowerment, and security.

Human resources is the critical point where each of these changes converge. Our human resources enterprise is being redefined. Our challenge and mission is to optimize the City's work force competence and organizational capabilities by developing strategies to attract, retain, develop, manage, and reward a skilled, motivated, productive, and diverse workforce in this environment of limited financial resources and rapid cultural, demographic, economic, global, social, and technological change. To that end, we will focus our resources and actions on the following key strategic goals.

• Strategic Alignment. Align human resources policies and programs to support the accomplishment of the City's mission, strategic priorities, and vision.
• Talent. Grow the talent pool by recruiting, hiring, developing, managing, and retaining employees with the strategic and operational competencies to accomplish the City's mission, strategic priorities, and vision.
• Leadership. Invest in leadership competencies that inspire, motivate, and guide employees towards organizational goals, and models high standards of honesty, integrity, trust, openness, and respect for individuals.
• Performance-driven culture. Create a performance-driven culture that motivates employees to high performance standards and accountability to meet these standards and provides for differential performance rewards and consequences.
• Continuous learning and development. Promote a knowledge-sharing culture and an environment of continuous learning and improvement that supports employee engagement and builds work force competence and organizational capability.
• Technological capabilities. Invest in technological capabilities that enhance human resources organizational capabilities, efficiency, effectiveness, and decision-making.
• Cost containment and cost sharing. Develop cost containment and cost sharing strategies that explore alternative or redesigned compensation and benefit programs, and a holistic way to manage and improve employee productivity, and health care/disability cost.

Conclusion

The City of Clearwater intends to provide a safe, healthy, and vibrant community to the citizens of Clearwater and a stimulating and nurturing environment for Clearwater's business community and tourists by integrating the five strategic priorities of the Commission into our initiatives and projects. This document captures the essence of our plans to rejuvenate Clearwater over the next twenty years.

However, while the City of Clearwater would like to provide every service and amenity that its citizen's desire, we live in a world of finite resources. Due to the desire to continually improve the quality of life, coupled with September 11th and the recent recession, we will have to make tougher choices about the programs and projects we wish to support and how they will be funded. We have an array of choices in front of us; reducing or eliminating services, raising the millage rate or user charges, pursuing grants or other outside funding sources, or issuing debt to pay for needed capital projects (coupled with funding for the annual debt and operating costs). These considerations and strategies will have to be pondered as we move forward in our strategic planning and implementation of the City Commissions five policy priorities.

While choices are still ahead of us, with unknown consequences, we are confident in the City of Clearwater and its citizens. Together we can lead Clearwater into a bright future. We ask you to support Clearwater as we make our city an even greater place to live, work and play.

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