City Council Approves New Five-Year Strategic Plan for the City of St. Charles

A new five-year Strategic Plan for the City of St. Charles officially was approved by the City Council at its Feb. 1 meeting. The Plan outlines a vision for the City’s future and identifies long- and short-term goals. The Strategic Plan Summary Report is available on the Strategic Planning page of our website, www.stcharlesil.gov/planning.

The plan outlines a new mission statement for the City of St. Charles that focuses on four main areas of concentration: Heritage. Community. Service. Opportunity. These four areas sum up who we are as a City, where we are headed and where we’ve been. For the next five years, all that we do as a City organization will be viewed through the lens of our city’s heritage, community, service and opportunities. Our Guiding Principles remain the same: to operate with respect, engagement, a sense of community, accountability and excellence.

In October 2014, the City began the process of updating its 2008-2014 Strategic Plan. Working with Sikich LLP, input was gathered from nearly 200 community stakeholders, City staff and elected officials. This feedback helped shape the long- and short-term goals and priorities for the City. Information was collected from:

1. Data from the City’s 2013 National Citizen’s Survey

2. 18 interviews with key community stakeholders and City leaders

3. 8 focus groups with individuals from the community, business, schools and City

4. 2 community workshops

“We received valuable feedback and appreciate the effort of all who participated in the strategic planning process,” said City Administrator Mark Koenen. “The Strategic Plan serves as our North Star, helping us shape our community’s future and navigate to our future successes.”

Mayor Raymond Rogina is appreciative of the community involvement regarding the plan: “On behalf of our elected officials and staff, I want to compliment all of these individuals for their time, effort, ideas, and desire to share. I sincerely thank them for making this process a holistic approach in defining what our community is and what it can be.”

About the City of St. Charles

Friendly neighborhoods, diverse retailers, international employers, innovative schools, beautiful parks, varied cultural amenities, and unique architecture have earned St. Charles its reputation as the Pride of the Fox. Located in both DuPage and Kane counties, the City of St. Charles is 35 miles west of downtown Chicago, and has a population of approximately 33,000. Over 2,100 businesses, consisting of a balanced mix of retailers, restaurants and manufacturing facilities, employ more than 18,000 people. The City of St. Charles was named the #1 City for Families by Family Circle® magazine in 2011; one of the “150 Great Places in Illinois,” by the AIA Illinois; and one of the “Top 10 Towns To Live In” by West Suburban Living magazine. www.stcharlesil.gov

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