In 2002, the Prior Lake City Council adopted a set of city goals, among which was the need to update the city's strategic plan in order to guide the city's growth and development into the year 2020.
Consultant Carl Neu was hired to lead a committee of over 60 community volunteers, representing a broad range of interests, through the long-range planning process. The committee included representation from many areas of the community: residents, businesses, developers, education, senior citizens, youth, arts, athletics, faith-based organizations, civic organizations, adjoining townships, county officials, SMSC representatives, police, fire and other city staff.
The committee met four times, investing over 1,000 collective hours, and identified the critical issues facing the city. The issues identified included:
n Growth and Land Use Management, including growth/land use annexation, and relationship between downtown and the lake.
n Economic Vitality, including commercial development, financial resources, economic base and downtown redevelopment.
n City/Community Quality and Amenities, including youth and senior citizen activities, trails, general amenities, housing stock and city aesthetics.
n City Services and Assets, including infrastructure and public safety.
n Preservation of Natural Resources, including environment and water quality.
n Intergovernmental Cooperation and Partnering.
n Community Leadership and Involvement.
On June 12, 2002, the committee crafted the initial version of this strategic planning document to help guide the city into 2020. The purpose of the plan is two-fold. First, the plan creates a vision that will lead the community over the next 20 years. Second, the plan is intended to initiate lasting partnerships. At the same time, the process created community advocates to help the governing body and staff make this vision into a reality. The plan was adopted officially by the City Council in August 2002.
On Oct. 8, 2003, a group of nearly 70 community representatives met to review, discuss and update the document focusing on the mission statement, vision, and vision elements. The city staff then met to refine the tactical action plans for 2004-08 and incorporated the modifications into this document.
On April 12 and May 24, 2005, over 110 stakeholders again met to review and update the plan with the assistance of Consultant Neu. The Strategic Plan has been extended through the year 2030 to coincide with the planning horizon established by the Metropolitan Council for Prior Lake's updated Comprehensive Plan. Vision elements were added and consolidated to better focus upon community priorities as identified in the 2005 residential survey. Five year tactical action plans were renamed, "2005-2006 Performance Objectives" to provide better benchmarks of progress toward plan implementation. The result of this ongoing process is a plan that not only identifies strategic direction for our community, but one that encourages excitement and motivation for everyone to participate in the implementation of this vision for Prior Lake.
On Tuesday, February 13, 2007 the Long-range Planning Committee met at the Wilds to again update the plan. More than 115 Prior Lake stakeholders participated and a good 75% of the committee
members were Prior Lake residents. The assembled committee heard from City staff about the progress our community has made over the last four plus years under the direction of the 2030 Vision and Strategic Plan.
The key focus was groups of 10 to 12 Long-range Planning Committee representatives reviewing each of the plan’s nine vision elements and reporting their findings to the whole. A new vision element entitled, “Safe and Healthy Community” has been added recognizing that for Prior Lake to be a Wonderful Place to Call Home, citizens must feel safe and participate in efforts to make themselves and others safe.
