For the second straight year, Crestwood aldermen have proposed an extensive list of goals for the city as part of strategic planning.

Proposed goals from this year’s sessions, which took place Sept. 26 and Sept. 27, were developed by Mayor Roy Robinson, City Administrator Frank Myers and all but two aldermen. Ward 1 Alderman Mac McGee and Ward 3 Alderman Jerry Miguel were excused from both evenings due to illness.

The sessions were facilitated by strategic-planning consultant Bob Saunders of Organization Consultants.

Aldermen voted in June to pay just less than $3,000 to Saunders for another round of strategic planning that began last year, when the city employed Lyle Sumek of Sumek Industries for more than $9,000.

While last year’s strategic-planning sessions resulted in 25 one-year “action items” for the city, this year’s sessions produced a slightly higher number of proposed goals.

Five overarching goals set in last year’s strategic-planning sessions were reaffirmed last week. Those goals are:

• A financially sustainable and responsible city government.

• Upgraded city infrastructure and facilities.

• Livable neighborhoods with quality homes.

• Development of “Historic Route 66” along Watson Road as the heart of Crestwood.

• Crestwood being a good place to live and a community of choice.

As for new goals proposed by elected officials and City Administrator Frank Myers in last week’s strategic-planning sessions, they include:

• Educating citizens on the use of tax incentives.

• Communicating accomplishments and goals in a crisp, bullet-point method.

• Building a sense of ownership of the city in citizens through activities and more involvement.

• Determining what the city can control.

• Encouraging people to shop Crestwood.

• Providing adequate senior-citizen residences.

• Redeveloping residential areas for new housing.

• Making objectives for the city’s overall business picture.

• Using the city’s Web site to list all existing businesses by category.

• Using the city’s Web site to list prospective businesses that the city would like to attract.

• Possibly reinvesting sales-tax revenue to help business.

• Determining the city’s role in the real-estate market and possibly considering a rental tax.

• Calculating the exact cost of running the city over the next five years.

• Analyzing what revenue streams are available.

• Developing a three-year budget across 2009, 2010 and 2011.

• Maintaining a budget for city services.

• Evaluating those services in light of the city’s finances.

• Informing citizens of the city’s financial situation.

• Continuing to work in the long term to improve the Westfield Shoppingtown Crestwood.

• Establishing a financial reserve target and policy.

• Forming a committee to study an employee pay plan.

• Upgrading and maintaining housing through new strategies and a committee.

• Improving citizen communication through recommendations of a committee, upgrading the city’s newsletter and Web site, and possibly developing a calendar of events.

• Communicating the city’s strategic-planning goals to the public.

• Encouraging community activities at the Westfield Shoppingtown Crestwood.

• Re-examining the city’s comprehensive plan for Watson Road, including its street-scape plan, use of medians and quality of construction.

• Moving forward on establishing a new communications system for police.

Saunders, a former city administrator in the Kansas City-area cities of Belton and Liberty, was expected to gather information from last week’s sessions and send a final report of goals this week to the city.

Last year’s strategic-planning sessions resulted in 25 one-year priorities — which the Board of Aldermen approved in October 2006 as a resolution — five-year goals and a 15-year vision for Crestwood.

The city is expected to report its finalized version of goals from this year’s strategic-planning sessions during an upcoming Board of Aldermen meeting.

The city also formed multi-departmental teams for each of last year’s 25 one-year goals, and those task forces have continued to meet.

Strategic-planning teams have continued to study a five-year street program, a cash-flow reporting policy, the best use of the Sappington House, a five-year maintenance plan for parks and centers, reconstruction of the Pardee Road bridge, fleet management, an employee-retention program and a city-marketing program.

As for the development of committees for this year’s proposed goals, Myers last week proposed committees for goals like improving the city’s communication with the public, studying an employee pay plan and finding options for new housing in the city.

The Call will further report on Crestwood’s Sept. 26 and Sept. 27 strategic-planning sessions in future issues.