More green space is one of the recommendations from citizens in the current Milford Strategic Plan
At a recent meeting, Milford City Council was presented with a draft of the updated Strategic Plan prepared by the University of Delaware. Bill McDowell, who led the team who talked to community stakeholders, provided a brief overview. The plan will be presented to council on August 28 at 6 PM where public comment will be accepted and is encouraged.
“You’re looking at it what we believe is the final. I didn’t see any major changes,” McDowell said. “The one thing that we talked about here and it is mentioned in the plans, we talked about a matrix for those of you who use a matrix. What we decided to do, just because of the size and shape of a matrix that allows you the opportunity to really see progress is that we will use it as an addendum or an answer. So, like a bifold. And you would get that update quarterly I believe as well.”
McDowell explained that they tried to condense the plan into a matrix, but there was just too much information and that the strategic plan should be looked at as a living document that is updated often.
“So, you would probably put that on your agenda on a quarterly basis to go through it and that also allows Mark and his staff to kind of put together something that’s real. That is what we’re doing. We tried to do 30 days, 60, 90 days and go from there,” McDowell said.
The strategic plan includes many objectives that were created using community feedback. Citizens requested better and more timely communication from city government as well as the creation of a central hub for information on volunteer opportunities. The respondents also would like to see monthly community events to not only provide activities for residents but also to attract visitors as well.
As for safety, citizens want police action monitored regularly to determine types of crimes, deployment of police resources and calls for service. They also would like to see crime reduced in the city and research-based strategies implemented for public safety. When it came to economic development, those interviewed wanted economic activities that fostered employment by four percent in five years. They also wanted more job training opportunities, strong workforce development supports, and strategies among existing businesses that would encourage growth. Many wanted to see a more vibrant downtown that would bring more visitors into the area. In addition, citizens would like to see more tourism in the Milford area.
Street rehabilitation was another area where citizens would like to see improvement while others wanted future growth to be addressed by proactively improving infrastructure. Residents are asking for additional multi-modal, pedestrian-friendly pathways throughout Milford, and many would like to see traffic managed more efficiently. Those who responded asked that the city be enhanced with additional public green space and parks. In addition, they asked for a variety of recreational activities that would promote a healthy community.
The entire strategic plan can be found on the city website at https://cityofmilford.com/431/strategic-plan.
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