Last year, the Washington City Council made a major change in how it sets goals and priorities for the city, and a number of goals already in motion will roll seamlessly into 2019.

Once each quarter, the council holds a workshop to review and update a list of ongoing projects and goals. These range from large, long-term tasks such as dealing with drainage issues and establishing a new police station, to timetables for short-term goals and projects, the list and the meetings surrounding it serve as a way for the council to stay on top of its priorities.

These range from large, long-term tasks such as dealing with drainage issues and establishing a new police station, to timetables for short-term goals and projects, the list and the meetings surrounding it serve as a way for the council to stay on top of its priorities.

“As I understand it, city council used to hold one planning session each year and try to envision broad goals for the coming year,” wrote Councilman Roland Wyman in an email. “Last year, Mr. (Doug) Mercer suggested we begin having shorter, quarterly meetings so that we can set goals and monitor progress more closely.  I commend Mr. Mercer for this. I think it is much more effective, much more responsive.”

Mercer says having the goal-setting meeting as an annual workshop ended up with a list of priorities that would sit on a shelf for the following year, with little action. With himself and Wyman as advocates, the group formally adopted the practice of quarterly meetings in April. In previous years, the council would hold a six-to-eight hour retreat for the process, usually early in the budget preparation process.

“That’s what we’ve done about three times now,” Mercer said. “We’ve come in with some projects that we thought should be finished by certain time periods and that has worked fairly well, with the exception that the goal setting has come from the council down.”

For the quarterly goal-setting process to be successful, Mercer says the ideas need to come from the staff, as well, creating a two-way dialogue. Both Mercer and Wyman shared a number of their own priorities and the items they see as important in the coming year.

“Our next planning session will list any items that were not found to be completed so that we can follow up,” Wyman wrote. “Council members will also have the opportunity to add items to be discussed and possibly added as goals.”

For Wyman, in addition to the goals already in the works, items to look at in 2019 include streetscape planning, a new location for the police station flooded out during Hurricane Florence, closer work with the Historic Preservation Commission to ensure it remains in line with the city’s vision and improved communication with city residents both on social media and via the city website.

Mercer, meanwhile, stressed the need to keep the city’s debt under control with a pay-as-you-go philosophy that has found some success in recent years. As of now, Mercer says the city only has three long-term debts for major expenses — a city-wide drainage project, sewer improvements on Stewart Parkway and a new fire department building. He also listed the city’s drainage issue as a top priority, as well as development at the airport using state money and an improved funding relationship with county government.

Councilman William Pitt echoed a number of these concerns, adding a few of his own. In addition to drainage issues, Pitt said he sees a need to look at the city’s pay plan to ensure Washington is competitive with other cities, with an eye on recruitment and retention. Pitt said that the council should also look at the city’s advisory boards, as well as ways to create better relationships with both the county and state and federal delegations.

“My first goal on my list would to address the issue of a permanent home for the Washington Police Department, plan and start construction of such,” Pitt wrote in an email.

Emails to council members Virginia Finnerty, Richard Brooks and Mayor Mac Hodges were not returned as of press time. The next goal-setting workshop for the Washington City Council will be in February.