July 2025 City Manager's Newsletter Message

Happy Summer!

With June-uary complete, I’m excited for summer light, warmth, and events to fill July. I’m also gearing up for the actual January, as City Council, Department Directors, and I meet for an all-day workshop on July 14 to look ahead and firm up the City’s 2026 strategic workplan. 

Why do this in July?  Things do change over the course of six months between the workshop and January, but planning ahead gives us time to proactively consider the whole picture, work through trade-offs and challenges, and set strategic priorities. It also allows us to build a budget in the fall that gives life to those priorities, so we are ready to deliver as soon as January arrives.

While it’s always a fun and dynamic day, it’s not an easy one.  There’s always more to do than we have resources for – and that’ll probably be the case no matter what the budget or staffing levels are.  As I’ve noted before, we’re playing catch-up on decades of deferred maintenance (and deferred decisions), so building back requires an odd mix of ambition, patience, and strategic savvy.  That’s why the foundation of our 2026 strategic workplan will include continuing to strengthen our financial position – we’ve come a long way in just a few years – and to integrate the annual workplan with the 20-year Comp Plan.

The meeting is open to everyone, so you are welcome to join and observe City Councilmembers and City staff work together to plan for a successful 2026.  The meeting will be held all day, from 9-5 at the Port Pavilion building at 355 Hudson Street.  More information and agenda will be posted here.

I’d also like to invite you to a special event on July 7^th at 4pm at the Rose Theater.  The City will be hosting a watch party for a series of short videos we have produced to explain how to navigate the permitting process.  While permitting might be complicated (or even worse!), the videos are funny, concise, and informative.  I think you’ll like them – plus, there’ll be popcorn!  City Council, Planning Commission, City staff, our housing partners, and others will be there and you are welcome to join us. If you can’t be there, you can watch them at our YouTube page here.