Columbia government officials met on Friday for the first of a two-day retreat.
Columbia city council members and department staff brainstormed ideas for a vision statement and set goals that are expected to last for the next three years. Public Health and Human Services director Stephanie Browning says planning is key.
“Our resources are limited, we want to serve our residents, we want to, you know, provide the right kind of services with the resources we have. And so, by taking the time to do some planning and to think very strategically, we can figure out how to do that best.”
Browning says the retreat offers more room for discussion.
“If you think about how a normal city council meeting is, the staff come up and make a presentation and get a yay or a nay on what they’re doing, but we are really having an opportunity to communicate, and I think that is very beneficial.”
The retreat happens every year, but Browning says this is the first time strategic planning has been the focus.