HomeMy WebLinkAbout02 Strategic Vision-compressed
FY2016 Annual Budget
STRATEGIC VISION
Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center under construction 19
FY2016 Annual Budget
STRATEGIC VISION
Strategic Planning in Georgetown ............. 21
Strategic Goals ........................................... 23
City Council Focus Areas ............................ 24
Master Plans .............................................. 27
Budget Process .......................................... 28
Budget Calendar ........................................ 30
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FY2016 Annual Budget
Vision
•2030 Plan
•Council Vision
•Citizen Input
Strategic
Goals
•Quality of Life
•Sustainable Development
•Balanced Transportation
•Effective Governance
Focus Areas
•Economic Development
•Public Safety
•Signature Destination
•Transportation
•Utilities
•Crosscutting Themes
Master Plans
•Parks & Recreation Master Plan
•Downtown Master Plan
•Electric Utility Master Plan
•Water Services Master Plan
•Transportation Master Plan
•Facilities Master Plan
Annual
Budget
•Five-year Financial Plans
•Capital Improvement Projects
•Strategies
STRATEGIC VISIONING IN GEORGETOWN
COMMUNITY VISION AND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
Section 213.002 of the Texas Local Government Code grants
municipalities the authority to “adopt a comprehensive plan for
the long-range development of the municipality.” Georgetown
has a long and successful history of community involvement in
the development of a comprehensive plan to guide growth
within the community. As early as 1964, the citizens of
Georgetown realized the importance of such a plan in shaping
the long-term growth of the City. In 1986, voters approved a
City Charter amendment requiring a comprehensive plan. This
amendment committed the City to plan as a “continuous and
ongoing governmental function,” with the common goal of
maintaining and enhancing a high quality of life for the City’s
residents. The Charter establishes that the comprehensive plan
must contain the “Council's policies for growth, development,
and beautification of the land within the corporate limits and
the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City, or for geographic
portions thereof including neighborhood, community or area-
wide plans.” The City adopted its first comprehensive plan in
1988 and updated it in 2006.
The first component of the process is the strategic thinking and
visioning by the City Council, typically through a visioning and
priority-setting workshop. This Council workshop serves an
integral role in linking the long-term vision and plans to the
ongoing and current needs of the community. Using Council’s
priorities, biennial citizen survey feedback and growth
assumptions, five-year comprehensive CIP and business plans
are prepared. These plans are reviewed and adjusted by staff
and Council, and serve as the basis for the annual budget
preparation
GEORGETOWN 2030 PLAN
The comprehensive plan for the City is the Georgetown 2030 Plan. The process to update the City’s comprehensive
plan began in 2006 and used a broad cross-section of citizens that provided input and ideas throughout the
process. Meetings were held that allowed citizens and stakeholders the opportunity to voice their ideas and
concerns about community growth over the next 20 years. The Georgetown 2030 Comprehensive Plan is the
product of a careful design process that incrementally built consensus on the desired future of the City and the
means to achieve that future. The 2030 Plan was adopted by City Council in 2008.
The 2030 Comprehensive Plan builds on the foundation created by the 1988 Plan and advances the planning for
the City’s future by establishing a Vision Statement that reflects the shared values and aspirations of citizens.
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FY2016 Annual Budget
2030 Vision Statement
In 2030, Georgetown is a growing city, recognized throughout the region and the nation as a
premier community of choice by virtue of its exceptional livability; proud historic heritage;
welcoming, engaging people; safe neighborhoods; variety of well-paying jobs; excellent public
schools; vibrant arts and cultural offerings; and well-planned infrastructure, transportation, and
public facilities.
We have taken advantage of our strategic location by embracing sound, managed growth, and
harnessing and guiding it to deliberately shape Georgetown as we choose it to be. In embracing
sound growth and encouraging a variety of densities and architectural styles, we have promoted
sustainable development patterns that are compatible with our natural resources and historic
character. We have encouraged innovation in development practices, raised quality standards for
new development, re-invested in downtown and historic neighborhoods, and revitalized areas in
transition. We have achieved greater economic autonomy by attracting quality employment and
an array of local retail and commercial services to grow our tax base, safeguard our fiscal health
and retain our talented youth. All of our neighborhoods are safe and thriving, and offer quality,
affordable housing to households of all ages, lifestyles and economic means.
We have achieved our Vision by exercising leadership and by mobilizing citizens, civic and
neighborhood organizations, local businesses and institutions to work together in partnership
with the City of Georgetown, its elected and appointed leaders and staff.
We have crafted our Vision to articulate community values and aspirations, structured into the
following four major themes:
Quality of Life Balanced Transportation / Efficient Mobility
Sustainable Development Effective Governance
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FY2016 Annual Budget
STRATEGIC GOALS
To meet the challenges set forth by the 2030 Plan, the City adopted a new process in preparation for the FY2013
annual budget. With guidance from Council, staff developed a framework for a strategic guidance from the Council
that directs a more detailed business planning process at the staff level. At the Council level, the focus is strategic
thinking and visioning that sets policies and direction for the City Manager and staff.
The 2030 Comprehensive Plan has four major themes listed below that frame the budget process.
QUALITY OF LIFE: Focuses on Community Character, the People,
Educational and Cultural Opportunities, and Public Safety.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: Attract a desired balanced
development, support homegrown businesses, promote
development compatible with safe and efficient traffic
movement, prevent incompatible development, and deliver
utility services to meet the needs of the community.
BALANCED TRANSPORTATION: Progress towards functional, well-
integrated, multi-modal transportation system that
implements improvements to the local road and traffic
controls and enhance traffic flow & safety.
EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE: Maintain our City government’s
reputation for providing a high level of responsiveness to
citizens and exercise visionary leadership in planning and
investing for the future.
Council also developed strategic focus areas to help tie the annual budget process back to the 2030 plan. From
these major themes, Council has defined six Council Focus Areas that guide the budget process.
Economic Development
Public Safety
Signature Destination
Transportation
Utilities
Crosscutting Themes
These areas prioritize the four broad policy principles outlined in the 2030 plan and provide clear direction to staff
for further develop annual strategies for the budget.
QUALITY
OF LIFE
BALANCED
TRANSPORTATION
SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
EFFECTIVE
GOVERNANCE
STRATEGIC GOALS
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FY2016 Annual Budget
CITY COUNCIL FOCUS AREAS
Developed as part of the FY2013 Budget process, the City Council identified the following strategic focus areas –
Economic Development, Public Safety, Signature Destination, Transportation, Utilities, and Crosscutting Themes in
their visioning process. These goals have been developed to help guide both the annual budget and long term
planning processes.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (E)
PUBLIC SAFETY (P)
1. Maintain competitive pay and benefits for all City personnel by conducting triggered bi-
annual compensation studies and review of established comparable cities, pay steps, pay
structure, and pay grades.
2. Create a defined plan for a fire-based paramedic program, including strategies, costs,
revenue resources, and implementation and timeline.
3. Create Action Plans for Public Safety staff diversification, including strategies for
recruiting, mentoring, testing, and hiring minorities and females.
4. Develop a plan to create a Narcotic Division within the Police Department to include
proposed expenditures, revenues, staffing, resources, and other logistics, working in
concert with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and others.
5. Study best practices in the Public Safety field to examine and identify new funding
sources, fees, and charges for service, and other potential revenues.
6. Establish a study of how many training hours are being spent on police/fire personnel in
relation to how much they are actually working in the community and compare this data
to accepted public safety best practices.
7. Transition EMS from County based operations to City service.
1. Diversify the City’s tax base by recruiting and developing industries such as medical,
health, bio-science, data centers, and manufacturing that create quality jobs and will be
long-term corporate citizens of the community.
2. Develop a plan for Workforce Training in partnership with local Higher Education
Institutions, Georgetown Independent School District, Austin Community College, and
the private sector.
3. Continue balanced efforts of Affordable Workforce Housing to meet workforce and
housing demand in the area.
4. Create a plan for the retention of existing businesses, including outreach efforts of
surveys, meetings, and various methods of contacts to identify current and future needs
of existing local businesses
5. Identify and define at least four Major Gateways into the community and develop a plan
for these targeted areas to proactively install required infrastructure to attract business.
6. Develop a Study and Plan of the Operations and Ownership of Lake Georgetown as a
viable economic asset to the community.
7. Implement and utilize the City’s adopted review process of the Unified Development
Code to ensure that it is user friendly and stakeholders, staff, committees, and the
elected body review any perceived impediments.
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FY2016 Annual Budget
SIGNATURE DESTINATION (S)
TRANSPORTATION (T)
1. Pursue the necessary steps to implement the updated Downtown Master Plan, including
the pursuit of a Downtown Civic Center concept, and increased parking opportunities
and parking facilities.
2. Identify prioritized projects from the Downtown Master Plan and implement through
the Annual Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and Downtown Tax Incremental
Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) and identify on an annual basis the resources to maintain and
expand the Downtown.
3. Establish priorities of our major parks for San Gabriel Park, Garey Park, and the Westside
Park by developing detailed business plans that include financial and development
timelines.
4. Continue to focus on the maintenance of parks and trails by establishing ongoing
maintenance schedules, equipment replacement schedules, and improvements to
existing facilities.
5. Conduct a comprehensive review and feasibility report of the impact of current
ordinance regulations Downtown, as well as recommended changes to improve the
access and appearance of the Central Business District.
6. As part of an Overall Transit Plan, examine the potential implementation of a Trolley
Transit System that would connect the Downtown to other key visitor and economic
assets in the community.
7. Work with the County and Development Builders on the connection of trails consistent
with the City’s adopted Trail Master Plan Program.
8. Conduct annual surveys and outreach to users on the role, interaction, and their
experience with the Historical and Architectural Review Commission (HARC) in the
Central Business District.
9. Work collaboratively with the private sector to increase the retail and finish out the
adopted Rivery concept.
1. Enhance current efforts in public education and outreach related to the status of
planning and implementation for all transportation/maintenance projects.
2. Review the possibility of a Road Bond to include only the highest road project priorities
to fully enhance the City’s Road System and Transportation Network.
3. Develop a comprehensive plan for a public transit plan both locally and regionally
(CARTS, Project Connect), that utilizes acceptable best practices, including private
business/financial participation.
4. Explore feasibility of a Trolley to Historic Downtown for shopping, dining, and
entertainment, including financing options.
5. Complete the citywide Sidewalk Master Plan to increase pedestrian access from
neighborhood to neighborhood, medical facilities, schools, parks and local service retail.
6. Conduct and complete a clear and concise Airport Master Plan update that reviews long
term uses, revenues, of the Airport, including relocation and integration with other
intermodal transportation assets operations in the area.
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FY2016 Annual Budget
UTILITIES (U)
CROSSCUTTING THEMES (C)
1. Develop recommended conservation measures for water and present to the public and
polity making body for review and possible adoption.
2. Identify targeted areas of City where it makes sense to add water and wastewater in
proactive and not reactive manner
3. Examine any internal and external cost savings associated with the CTSUD merger
4. Promote wind energy and expand the utility’s energy portfolio to include more wind
energy where and when available.
5. Analyze the utility’s goal to expand utility service area(s) to increase Return on
Investment (ROI) as profit to the utility, and a funding source to the General Fund.
6. Increase Marketing and Public Relations of the Utility System to inform businesses,
economic development prospects, ratepayers, and public of the positive impacts of the
utility on the tax rate, overall utility rates, and the use of green energy to the
community.
7. Promote and seek out new opportunities and consumers of our electric energy.
1. Human Resource issues should be addressed across the board, including updates on
health insurance and benefits, performance evaluations and succession planning within
the leadership team.
2. Proactive planning, making use of lessons learned and best practices to stay ahead of
the curve with infrastructure, safety, transportation, destination amenities and
opportunities for economic development.
3. Maintaining customer-focus, by using survey results and other methodologies to listen
to the voice of the customer.
4. Marketing/promoting Georgetown as a premiere community in all of the major Focus
Areas.
5. Developing matrices for each Focus Area and create dashboards to report on regular
performance.
6. Create Training Programs for the City’s Boards & Commissions Liaisons, and other city
staff to ensure all parties understand their mission, roles and responsibilities relating to
the processes established in accordance with the Council Policies.
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FY2016 Annual Budget
MASTER PLANS
While the City of Georgetown 2030 Comprehensive Plan is a policy document, the goals and actions identified in it
will only become a reality by concerted and consistent implementation efforts. This requires that the City
administration, departments, and City Council actively uses the 2030 Comprehensive Plan as a key reference for all
decisions and actions. The 2030 Plan identifies elements, or master plans, needed to frame the strategic planning
and multi-year budgeting process. These master plans serve as a platform to secure input and consensus regarding
strategies to achieve the goals outlined in the 2030 Plan.
The intent is to update master plans decennially, pending Council funding and direction, to provide a sustainable
and manageable business planning process update. Detailed master plans drive capital infrastructure programs
and departmental strategic plans. Brief descriptions of each of the City’s master plans are below. Copies of most of
these master plans are available on the City’s website (https://files.georgetown.org/category/master-plans/).
1. Airport Master Plan: Provides a long-range plan to guide current and future activity at the Airport.
2. Arts and Culture Strategic Plan: Helps guide the City’s planning for the cultural district for the next 3 to 5
years.
3. Citizen Participation Plan: Seeks to establish and coordinate procedures for the City to effectively and
efficiently communicate relevant information and its effects to the public. Additionally, this plan seeks to
proactively solicit feedback, improve community outreach, and provide opportunities for public
participation in the City’s decision-making process.
4. Downtown Master Plan: Sets the vision for Downtown and guides strategic decisions about future
developments and enhancements.
5. Future Land Use Plan: Lays out land use throughout the City and ETJ. This plan is intended to convey the
direction that the City is seeking in terms of its impact on established growth patterns, transportation, and
open space.
6. Housing Plan: Guides the City in the development of affordable housing.
7. Information Technology Master Plan: Utilized by the IT Steering Committee (ITSC), this plan identifies
software projects that may be needed over a five-year horizon. The intent of the plan is to ensure that
resources expended on software are invested wisely and that the risks presented by those projects are
minimized.
8. Land Use Plan: Provides an outline for new and ongoing elements pertaining to growth and development in
the City.
9. Library Strategic Plan: Helps guide the City’s planning for the Library for the next 3 to 5 years.
10. Parks and Recreation Master Plan: Provides an assessment of the current system, to allow the citizens the
opportunity to voice their desires and concerns, and to provide recommended priorities that will guide
staff and elected officials on how to plan for future parks and recreation needs.
11. Public Safety Plan: Acts as an outline for four long-term strategic priorities: enhancing public safety,
organizing development, advancing teamwork and partnerships, and emergency management.
12. Sidewalk Master Plan: Inventories existing pedestrian infrastructure, identifies design deficiencies,
evaluates future sidewalk requirements, and develops an implementation plan.
13. Trails Master Plan: Identifies key trail corridors and guides the creation of a citywide trail network.
14. Transportation Master Plan: Guides future roadway improvements, construction of new facilities, and
outlines the City’s transportation goals.
15. Utility Master Plan: Oversees the City in planning for long-term expansion and development of the water,
wastewater, and electric utilities.
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FY2016 Annual Budget
FY2016 ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS
The Budget process is an essential element of the financial planning, control, and evaluation process of municipal
government. The annual budget includes all of the operating departments of the general fund, proprietary funds,
debt service funds, special revenue funds, as well as the City’s five-year capital improvement plan. The puzzle
diagram shows each of the key steps in our budget process and provides a visual as to how all the pieces fit
together.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
The Georgetown 2030 Plan is the City’s comprehensive plan as required by the City of Georgetown Charter (Section
1.08) to preserve, promote, and protect public health and general welfare, prevent overcrowding, ensure adequate
transportation, availability of necessary utilities and services, and conserve and protect the City’s natural resources.
The 2030 Plan is the City’s Master Plan. The City’s Annual Budget is designed to further implement the 2030 Plan.
CITY CHARTER REQUIREMENTS
The Charter (Section 6.02) requires “a proposed budget prepared by the City Manager and submitted to the City
Council at least thirty days prior to the end of the fiscal year. The budget shall be adopted not later than the
twenty-seventh day of the last month of the fiscal year. No budget will be adopted or appropriations made unless
the total estimated revenues, income and funds available shall be equal to or in excess of such budget or
appropriations, except otherwise provided.” Therefore, the budget will be presented to the City Council no later
than the 1st day of August to provide the City Council time to adopt the budget in the required time frame.
PREPARATION
The City’s budget process begins each year with the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) planning process during
January and February. CIP budgets are prepared on five-year planning horizons and factor different variables
relating to population trends, development patterns, and projected growth. Revenue estimates for utility
operations, as well as development impact fees, are also prepared to forecast the ability of the rate base to fund
needed capital maintenance, upgrades, and expansions. Five-year pro-forma models for each utility are prepared,
DEBT
OVERVIEW
FOCUS AREA:
SIGNATURE
DEST. & CIP
FIVE YEAR PLAN
UPDATE
COMPENSATION,
BENEFITS, &
SELF-INSURANCE
FOCUS AREA:
UTILITY & CIP
BUDGET
PARKING LOT
FOCUS AREA:
TRANSPORTATION
& CIP
FOCUS AREA:
CROSSCUTTING
THEMES
ANNUAL
BUDGET
PRESENTATION
FOCUS AREA:
ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
& CIP
FISCAL & BUDGETARY
POLICY
BUDGET
PUBLIC
HEARINGS
FOCUS AREA:
PUBLIC SAFETY
GENERAL
CAPITAL
PROJECTS
BUDGET
ADOPTION
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FY2016 Annual Budget
as well as a five-year general fund and property tax model, which is prepared to determine the impact of general
infrastructure and facilities improvements on future property tax rates.
During the budget process, the City Manager and the Management Team hold budget review meetings to evaluate
the one-year annual operating budget needs against the priorities and available resources. The budget is reviewed
in public workshops with the City Council in June and July. The City Manager prepares the Proposed Budget,
allocating resources to best meet the goals needed to execute the priority areas to further the implementation of
the 2030 Vision Statement.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
The budget review process includes City Council participation in the development of each segment, while allowing
for sufficient time to address policy and fiscal issues. The City Council holds “Budget Workshops” to allow the
public to provide comment and feedback on the City Manager’s Proposed Budget. A copy of the City Manager’s
Proposed Budget is filed with the City Secretary and a copy is also available at the Georgetown Public Library for
citizen review. Budget information is also posted to the City’s website.
ADOPTION
Once budget appropriations are finalized, Council will hold a public hearing, and subsequently adopt, by Ordinance,
the final proposed budget as amended. The budget will be effective for the fiscal year beginning October 1st.
APPROPRIATIONS
Budget control is at the department level budget for all funds. The budget is adopted by personnel, operations and
capital (POC) totals within departments. Total appropriations are presented by Funds/by Divisions on page 58 and
by Funds/by POC on page 60. POC detail by department is also included on each division summary page, as well as,
within each department’s budget pages. The Charter (Section 6.030.) provides that any transfer of appropriation
between funds must be approved by the City Council. The City Manager may transfer, without City Council
approval, appropriations between departments within the same operational division and fund. The City Manager
may also authorize transfer of salary adjustment monies between funds that are budgeted in a citywide account.
BUDGET AMENDMENTS
The Charter (Section 6.04) provides a method for budget amendments and emergency appropriations. The City
Council may authorize with a majority plus one vote, an emergency expenditure as an amendment to the original
budget. This may be done in cases of grave public necessity or to meet an unusual and unforeseen condition that
was not known at the time the budget was adopted. In practice, this has been interpreted to include revenue-
related expenses within the enterprise funds and timing differences on capital improvement projects.
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FY2016 Annual Budget
FY2016 ANNUAL BUDGET CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Budget process schedule set.
Capital Improvement Program (CIP) internal department meetings to discuss proposed projects, including 5-year model update.
City Council reviews Five Focus Areas and recommends priorities for FY2016.
Internal Service Funds (ISF) meet with each division for FY2016 needs.
FTE counts and initial personnel projections.
ISF allocations are prepared.
Preliminary revenue projections: sales tax, utilities, fees for service charges, and development fees.
FY2016 Base Budgets, Service Level Improvements and new Program Requests are completed.
Five-year General Fund financial model is developed.
Annual review and update of Fiscal and Budgetary Policy.
Base Budgets are reviewed by Finance in detail.
Service Level Improvements and Program Requests are reviewed by the Executive Team.
Preliminary assessed value and property tax revenue projected.
Departmental narratives and performance measures are submitted.
FY2016 CIP presentation to Council and Boards.
Budget Team assembles a workbook that includes all Service Level Improvement and Program requests for City Manager review.
These requests are all linked to long-term goals from the City’s comprehensive plan.
Revenue and expenditure projections are monitored and updated.
Five-year CIP presented to Council.
FY2016 City Manager’s Preliminary Budget is presented to Council.
Tax roll finalized.
Property tax rate and revenue projections finalized.
Finalize FY2016 New Programs.
Finalize FY2016 proposed tax rate.
Certified tax roll is accepted by Council.
Final recommendations and Budget Summary distributed to Council and public.
Public hearings on proposed budget and tax rate are held.
Budget and tax rate ordinances presented to and adopted by Council.
Implement FY2016 Annual Budget.
Budget amendments may be made during the year in accordance with state law and City Charter. See detailed requirement in the Budget
and Fiscal Policies included in the Reference Section. Typically, budget amendments are proposed to Council as part of the Mid-Year
Annual Budget Review in May of each year and at Fiscal Year-End.
JANUARY - FEBRUARY
MARCH - APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST - SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
BUDGET AMENDMENTS
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