$92,000 Clayton Contract to Fund 20-Year Strategic Plan

A consulting group will use $92,000 to help develop a strategic plan governing the city's next 20 years.

At a meeting March 13, the Board of Aldermen with The Novak Consulting Group, based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The city budgeted $100,000 for the project.

The work will include a detailed implementation plan for the next five years, a March 13 memo from Owens to Mayor Linda Goldstein and the aldermen states. Novak will be responsible for doing the following:

• conducting an environmental scan

• soliciting broad public engagement

• developing a plan including responsible parties, timelines, steps and measurable indicators of progress

A section of the city's contract with the company describes the work this way:

"Novak agrees to assist Clayton in the development of a long-range strategic plan for the City for the next 20 year timeframe and a plan for implementation of the first five years of the plan’s timeframe utilizing a 'Search Conference' methodology which 'brings people together to achieve breakthrough innovation, empowerment, shared vision and collaborative action' in accord with principles articulated in the book Discovering Common Ground, by Marvin R. Weisbord, 1992."

The city solicited proposals for the work in December. Clayton staff, elected officials and community members identified the company through a competitive selection process, the memo states.

Novak is expected to receive payments along the way as work on various tasks wraps up.

The company has performed strategic planning for cities such as Aurora, CO; Dublin, OH; and Murray, UT, its website states.