The City of Fayetteville is on an exciting trajectory of growth and prosperity! People from all over our nation, and even internationally, are recognizing our City as a desirable location to live, work, play, raise a family, and retire. More and more, entrepreneurs are learning that Fayetteville is a great place to start a business, while many existing business leaders are looking at our community as a prime place for relocation.
The City’s residents are also benefitting from these developments as infrastructure improvement projects are coming online, and more dining, shopping, and entertainment options are closer to home than ever before. There is more to come!
We didn’t find ourselves here without a strategy. We must continue to sharpen our vision and plan appropriately to maintain and build upon our current course. --
Ed Johnson
The 2018 Strategic Plan was our roadmap as the City advanced on landmark initiatives such as the new City Hall, City Center Park, and the Whitewater Creek Water Pollution Control Plant upgrade. It also has helped guide less tangible, but no less important, projects such as public safety enhancement initiatives, economic development visioning, personnel development, and financial accountability.
In the pages to follow, we are excited to present the new 2023 Strategic Plan. This further builds upon the 2018 Plan to ensure we continue to work together as a community to plan for Fayetteville’s best possible future.
Thank you for being a part of the journey thus far and your continued commitment to our journey forward.
-- Ray GibsonFAYETTEVILLE SHALL BE A CITY OF INNOVATION, OPPORTUNITY, AND UNIQUENESS THAT FOSTERS A VIBRANT AND WELCOMING COMMUNITY FOR ALL.
Ed Johnson Mayor
Joe Clark Council Member
Rich Hoffman Council Member
Scott Stacy Council Member
Niyah Glover Council Member
TO PROVIDE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE MUNICIPAL SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH A CULTURE OF TRANSPARENT LEADERSHIP, EXCELLENCE, AND TEAMWORK.
The Harwood Institute in their landmark “Community Rhythms” report identifies what they call “Five Stages of Community Life: The Waiting Place, Impasse, Catalytic, Growth, and Sustain/Renew.” Many of us at the City of Fayetteville believe our community would probably be somewhere between the Catalytic and Growth stages.
We as City leaders and community members have identified many opportunities in Fayetteville to ensure continued growth in the ways of economic development and quality of life, but some of these opportunities involve investment and calculated risk. We are seeing residents, business owners, and other community leaders embrace those opportunities, which will be the catalyst for bringing about continued growth and a more prosperous future for our community.
STAGE STAGE STAGE STAGE STAGE
1 2 3 4 5 CATALYTIC
IMPASSE GROWTH SUSTAIN & RENEW
This icon symbolizes the theme, NO LIMITS ON IMAGINATION. Our journey isn’t a linear path. From small beginnings, our unified efforts and diverse community are propelling us to positive developments and growth in every direction.
This 2023 Strategic Plan was written to serve as a guide for the planning and development of the City of Fayetteville over a three-year time period.
It was written for citizens, businesses, administrative staff, community organizations, elected officials, and neighborhood groups so that there is a clear sense of direction and focus for the City for the next few years.
The City of Fayetteville is well into a phase of continued growth precipitated by the development of Trilith Studios and Trilith Mixed-Use Development, the construction of Fayetteville City Hall & City Center Park, and now the development of QTS, which will be one of the country’s largest data center campuses upon its completion. The impact of these developments and other new developments and businesses, along with the inherent charm of Fayetteville, is the impetus for the City to clearly define its near-term strategic direction.
The three-year strategic focus areas for Fayetteville are largely in response to the spoken needs of our growing community. We want to ensure that City infrastructure and quality of life are protected and maintained so that further development can take place in a high-quality and orderly manner.
The City has and will continue to expend extra resources, time, and focus on the following five key strategic areas:
Residents and business owners in 2018 and 2021 participated in two focused surveys dealing with their overall quality of life in Fayetteville. Over the last several years, the City has continued to listen and gather information through additional surveys, Homeowners Association meetings, public events, business outreach, and social media engagement. All of this input and shared vision for the City informs the development of our strategic priorities.
Continuing in the spirit of community collaboration, we are sharing the 2023-2025 Strategic Plan with stakeholders through every means possible. This includes the City’s website and social media channels, local traditional media, public events, and civic groups meetings. We will also continue to publish and review public surveys to actively listen to the community.
The City’s core values are the foundation on which staff carry out their daily activities. They represent the shared behavioral norms that guide the decision-making process in the accomplishment of goals and action items.
A CULTURE OF INNOVATION & CREATIVITY
EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE
SERVANT LEADERSHIP
EXCELLENT & CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE
FISCAL, SOCIAL & ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
ETHICS, INTEGRITY & ACCOUNTABILITY
TRANSPARENCY
Motivated, cohesive team
We must maintain a staff that is motivated and engaged so they can carry out their goals and action items.
Unified vision
Having a shared vision is critical for the City to move forward in the right direction. We are intentional about fostering strong bonds among all stakeholders.
Forward-looking team
Being future ready is a critical part of the City being successful in the accomplishment of all strategic goals and action items.
Inclusive leadership
It is important to the culture of the City that all departments participate in the decision-making process.
Being content with shortterm fixes as opposed to long-term solutions
Updated policies and procedures
Time to train on new and existing software to improve proficiency
Long-term plans that are implemented over a period of time need to be developed to eliminate costly Band-Aid fixes.
Integration of new software
The lack of updated City-wide policies and procedures is negatively impacting the internal operations of the City.
The City needs a process for the training of employees on both new and existing software platforms.
The necessary stakeholders within the City need to be a part of the discussion for the integration of new software programs.
Land availability
We are fortunate to have open land for development and we will encourage wise use of that asset.
Customer service
We will continue to enhance our customer service program with the need for an overall customer service strategy.
Stakeholder engagement
We will continue to enhance the process of engaging, managing, and actively communicating with stakeholders.
Safe environment
The City continues to be one of the safest communities in the State of Georgia, but we will continue to find ways to be even safer.
Educated population
The City will best utilize the strong educational base of the community to better promote economic development initiatives.
Location
We are ideally located in close proximity to Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport, major state highways, U. S. highways, and the Interstate Highway System.
Revitalization along State Highway 85 Corridor
Engaged population
The City will actively coordinate with stakeholders to help enhance and redevelop portions of the State Highway 85 corridor.
We will continue to develop ways to better engage our residents and businesses.
Public-private partnerships
We will continue to seek opportunities for publicprivate partnerships in the accomplishment of our economic development strategy.
Renewed interest from the private development community
Private developers have begun to focus more on the City as a development option.
Perception can sometimes negatively impact the overall vision within a community.
Lack of housing options
Conflicting visions/ motivations
Deterioration of older neighborhoods
Neglect of older retail, office, and industrial centers
Lack of available downtown commercial space
Rising construction costs for new development
Economic environment
A lack of housing options ranging in price and product type can negatively impact our economy.
There are many exciting developments throughout the City, each with its own vision and motivation, which could impact the City’s overall vision.
This can lead to socio-economic issues that negatively impact the quality of life and aesthetics of the overall community.
Redevelopment strategies and property maintenance efforts will be enhanced in these areas.
Space is becoming limited for new businesses and for existing business expansion within the downtown area.
This can negatively impact the economy and the overall City vision.
Ever-changing economic conditions can impact City operations in many ways.
We are intentional about our future-ready preparations, because we must continually provide excellent City services, handle challenges as they arise, and maintain the community’s high quality of life.
Being ready for the expected and the unexpected is critical to Fayetteville’s success, and we are committed to being “future ready.” This means ongoing investment in employee development, financial sustainability, effective technologies, enhancing public buildings, and improving infrastructure. We are intentional about our future-ready preparations, because we must continually provide excellent City services, handle challenges as they arise, and maintain the community’s high quality of life.
• Action: Create and implement departmental development plans and succession plans
• Action: Develop and implement management and leadership training programs
• Action: Maintain reliable forecasting estimates to ensure key stakeholders can make responsible and sustainable decisions
• Action: Create a committee within the City to aggressively seek out grants and alternative revenue streams to supplement local government funding
• Action: Evaluate citywide user fees twice a year to ensure the sustainability of services
• Action: Restrict the use of debt service to the amount required to maintain essential service levels
• Action: Implementation of the approved cybersecurity plan
• Action: Continue to further develop and update the Citizen Engagement Portal
• Action: Continue to research and implement new technologies that further improve citizen engagement and government transparency.
• Action: Design and construct a new Fire Station 93
• Action: Design and construct/renovate a public safety facility to house Police, Fire Administration, and Municipal Court
• Action: Design and renovate the Public Services headquarters
We will invest in projects, relationships, and infrastructure that improve the quality of life for our citizens. We aim to provide different housing options for our residents, connect our community with walkable, multi-use trails, and cultivate activity centers where people come together and have amazing experiences. By carefully crafting our Comprehensive Plan, zoning codes, and architectural design standards, we will ensure that new developments will fit properly and will positively contribute to the sense of place being created.
A new three-mile trail will extend from Downtown Fayetteville to The Ridge Nature Area via City Center Park and Spring Hill Elementary School. It will be a multi-use trail ranging in width from 10 to 12 feet, and it will consist of concrete paths and wooden boardwalks. This high-priority trail will provide residents and guests with a variety of experiences from the urban context to immersion in a natural environment, promoting health, wellness, and conservation in our community.
GOAL 1. DEVELOP A SENSE OF PLACE IN OUR DOWNTOWN AND WITHIN THE OTHER ACTIVITY CENTERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY
• Action: Implement the goals and action items of the Comprehensive Plan, Livable Centers Initiative (LCI), and Downtown Charrette
• Action: Develop and implement a recreation/parks master plan
• Action: Develop and implement a cultural arts strategy
• Action: Stimulate a variety of development that meets the needs of the community
GOAL 2. INCREASE PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY THROUGHOUT THE CITY
• Action: Update the City’s Multi-Use Trail Study and conduct specific trail studies
• Action: Design and construct multi-use trails throughout the City
GOAL 3. PROVIDE A RANGE OF HOUSING OPTIONS
• Action: Develop and implement a revitalization plan for Church Street and Sugar Hill Communities
• Action: Promote a diversity of housing options
Our economy is impacted by business activity, business growth, the type of businesses that are coming to Fayetteville, and the quality of jobs at those businesses. The economy of Fayetteville is strong and will continue to get stronger as the City’s vision is implemented. As we develop more activities for families, more retail opportunities, and more dining options, we’ll see more visitors to our City. That results in the potential for more tax revenue that supports better roads and better overall infrastructure. Our goal in this area of economic vitality is to work with citizens, stakeholders, and elected officials to create an environment that supports ongoing economic vitality.
GOAL 1. CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT SUPPORTS ONGOING ECONOMIC GROWTH
• Action: Update and implement the recommendations of the Economic Development Strategy to include business recruitment and expansion
• Action: Diversify the economic base to align with the Economic Development Strategy
GOAL 2. CREATE A BUSINESS AND DEVELOPMENT CLIMATE THAT FACILITATES DESIRABLE INVESTMENT
• Action: Develop a downtown parking plan
• Action: Actively recruit new businesses to the community
• Action: Actively encourage desirable investment throughout the City
GOAL 3. ENHANCE THE CITY’S IMAGE THROUGH IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS IN ALL SECTORS
• Action: Develop a business engagement strategy
• Action: Launch the City’s podcast
• Action: Develop a video strategy for the City
• Action: Conduct brand analysis and development
Cities are responsible for public roads, water facilities, sidewalks, and other public utilities and infrastructure. Strategically, we need to invest in infrastructure planning, update our existing infrastructure, and plan new infrastructure to support the needs of our growing City. Our roadway system and associated infrastructure, City buildings, stormwater system, and water/wastewater systems require significant investment beyond this strategic plan. Therefore, we are planning to invest in the study, design, and construction of new infrastructure while at the same time maintaining our infrastructure in a way that will best serve our community and enhance the quality of life of our residents.
GOAL 1. INVEST IN THE STUDY, DESIGN, AND CONSTRUCTION OF NEW INFRASTRUCTURE
• Action: Design, engineer, and construct the downtown street network to include the expansion of City Center Parkway
• Action: Design and construct the West Fayetteville Business Park sewer line
GOAL 2. IMPROVE AND ENHANCE EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE
• Action: Make the necessary improvements or upgrades to the stormwater system based on the 2022 ISE Study
• Action: Make the necessary improvements to the City’s water and sewer lines as requested by Clear Water Solutions
It is important that the City of Fayetteville government be an efficient operation and inspire a talented and motivated workforce. To that end, we need to make new investments in our team and make improvements in our operations and culture. This will help us have better work outputs, reduce costs, and become an even better place to work. With a tight job market, we want to retain our employees so they are motivated to create a more efficient operation.
• Action: Revise the citywide performance management system known as “Teamworks”
• Action: Develop a succession plan for all City departments
• Action: Develop and implement a pay-for-performance system
• Action: Further develop the City’s employee recognition program
• Action: Update the City’s Personnel Policy Manual and associated administrative policies
• Action: Develop and implement a Customer Service Plan
• Action: Ensure that pay and benefits remain competitive in the Metro Atlanta market
• Action: Digitize City records
• Action: Implement a fleet management software system
“When you look at a city, it’s like reading the hopes, aspirations, and pride of everyone who built it.”
- Hugh Newell Jacobson, famed Modern Architect
