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22 <br /> the type of thing to put in an RFP to have someone help sort out. She shared that TJCOG has <br /> begun doing strategic planning services. <br /> Commissioner Bedford said doing the visioning and comprehensive planning will inform <br /> one another. <br /> Chair Price said the previous comprehensive plan was focused on a set of goals that <br /> previous Commissioners had at one time. <br /> Commissioner Hamilton said the comprehensive plan is a policy and operational <br /> document and the UDO is the details. <br /> Lydian Altman said it seems like the Board would like to pursue a strategic plan. She <br /> asked if the Board wants to bother looking at the current goals, knowing that these will be <br /> reviewed and revised in the strategic planning process. She said to her the questions they <br /> might want to think about is if the goals are still relevant, if they overlap, and if there are other <br /> emerging issues to add based on current priorities. <br /> Commissioner Richards said it seems possible they can use the existing goals as a <br /> guide and starting place during the visioning process. <br /> Commissioner Bedford said she doesn't know enough to move forward with writing an <br /> RFP for this. <br /> Bonnie Hammersley said staff would handle that part. <br /> Lydian Altman asked the Board to consider the extent of community engagement they <br /> want for this process as well as what parts of the process and what they are hoping to gain <br /> from it. <br /> Commissioner Fowler asked Lydian Altman to expand on what strategic planning <br /> resources TJCOG is offering. <br /> Lydian Altman said she isn't sure exactly what they offer at this time. <br /> Commissioner Greene said TJCOG has helped smaller communities with fewer <br /> resources create strategic plans, hire managers, etc. She said she will ask for more <br /> information. <br /> Chair Price asked if the School of Government did strategic planning for state agencies <br /> as well. <br /> Lydian Altman said yes, the School of Government is available to do this as well. She <br /> said they work with county and state agencies. <br /> Commissioner Hamilton said it has been a while since the county has fully engaged the <br /> community and coming out of COVID and given recent events, there is an opportunity to <br /> educate and engage. She said the engagement should be significant and meaningful, which is <br /> the hard part. <br /> Lydian Altman asked Commissioner Hamilton to elaborate on what she means by <br /> "meaningful." <br /> Commissioner Hamilton said the county has struggled with community engagement and <br /> COVID has complicated things further. She said that meaningful engagement to her would <br /> mean hearing from a significant diverse group of people. She suggested they would probably <br /> need some metrics about the demographics they want to try to target and hear from, and <br /> develop ways to track progress. <br /> Lydian Altman said sometimes what is possible comes down to cost. She said one <br /> county the School of Government worked with had fewer resources so they developed a <br /> training for employees in the health department who then held community engagement <br /> sessions at fire departments as well as larger community forums. <br /> Commissioner Hamilton said a new community engagement position was just hired. <br /> Lydian Altman said cost can also depend on what capacity the county already has to <br /> take on some of the work internally vs. hiring a consultant. <br />