The City of Winter Haven is proud to announce the unanimous adoption of its FY25-FY29 Strategic Plan by the City Commission. This comprehensive plan, developed over 18 months through rigorous public engagement, data analysis, and strategic visioning, sets a clear and ambitious course for the City’s future.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN:
• Economic Sustainability: The plan emphasizes fostering innovation and partnerships to ensure a qualified and skilled workforce, promoting equitable access to opportunities, cultivating a diverse development environment, and managing growth through robust public engagement.
• Quality of Life: Aiming to enhance happiness, health, and fulfillment, the plan focuses on maximizing attainable housing opportunities, supporting partnerships for community needs, championing arts and beautification, and ensuring recreational access as the city grows.
• Infrastructure: The City will ensure smooth operations by maintaining strong partnerships for transportation planning, taking a comprehensive approach to asset maintenance, developing actionable water resource strategies, and embracing new technology.
• Environmental Stewardship: Winter Haven is committed to wisely caring for natural resources, emphasizing sustainability, environmental protection, waste management, and the integration of sustainable practices.
• Community Safety: Ensuring that residents, businesses, and visitors feel secure, the plan focuses on protecting the public from crime, maintaining order, preparing for and responding to disasters, ensuring strong cybersecurity, and educating the community on safety initiatives.
• Responsible Government: The plan outlines strategies for managing resources wisely, incorporating citizen input, ensuring transparency and accountability, and fostering community partnerships and employee care.
IMPLEMENTATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY:
The FY25-FY29 Strategic Plan includes specific actions, responsible parties, timelines, and metrics to ensure measurable progress aligned with the City’s goals. Regular reviews and updates will ensure the plan remains adaptable and responsive to emerging challenges and opportunities.
City Manager T. Michael Stavres remarked, “This Strategic Plan represents a significant milestone for Winter Haven. It is a testament to our community’s dedication to a sustainable, vibrant, and inclusive future. We look forward to working together to achieve these goals and enhance the quality of life for all our residents.”
VIEW THE PLAN:
The full Strategic Plan is available on the City’s website as a digital flipbook that can also be downloaded as a PDF. The City is also working on a booklet outlining the key points of the plan that will be made available as a hard copy to citizens at City Hall, the Library, and other City facilities.
NEXT STEPS:
The City will begin implementing the strategies outlined in the plan immediately. Updates on progress will be provided monthly to the City Commission at the first monthly Agenda Review Session, focusing on one pillar each month. These meetings are open to the public, and the updates will also be made available to the public through livestreaming of the meeting on YouTube and recaps posted in the days following the meeting.
For more information about the FY25-FY29 Strategic Plan and how you can get involved, please visit the City of Winter Haven’s website or contact the Public Affairs & Communication Office.
