Waterloo moves forward with bold new strategic plan

On Monday, June 24, 2019, City of Waterloo Council approved the 2019-2022 strategic plan. The plan is based on the feedback of nearly 11,000 members of our community. It includes mission and vision statements, seven guiding principles and six strategic goals and accompanying objectives, all of which provide a common focus for council and staff to guide decision-making over the next four years.

Mission:

The Corporation of the City of Waterloo is committed to supporting sustainable growth, equity, and an inclusive, vibrant community through the delivery of service excellence. We are supported in this effort through a team of volunteers, staff and elected officials that share a commitment to fiscal responsibility, healthy and safe workplace, effective engagement, and personal leadership.

Vision:

Waterloo is an equitable community that leads the world in learning, discovery and caring.

Guiding principles:

1. Equity and inclusion
2. Sustainability
3. Fiscal responsibility
4. Healthy and safe workplace
5. Effective engagement
6. Personal leadership
7. Service Excellence

Strategic goals and objectives:

Equity, inclusion and a sense of belonging

1. Implement strategies and tactics that strengthen the engagement of diverse and marginalized populations, and all ages, and support an enhanced sense of belonging within the community.
2. Incorporate best practices to maximize inclusion within all city business, operations, and service delivery.
3. Address the needs of an aging population through responsive development, programming, and communication strategies.
4. Focus on the economic disparity in our community by ensuring our work considers the impacts of this gap.
5. Respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action for municipalities.

Sustainability and the environment

1. Apply a sustainability lens on all services and projects.
2. Enable bold local actions to address the climate change crisis.

Safe, sustainable transportation

1. Adopt Vision Zero practices and tactics to enable safe travel by all modes of transportation.
2. To facilitate a modal shift, enable increased use of active transportation and public transit.

Healthy community & resilient neighbourhoods

1. Increase the amount of affordable housing in the city.
2. Create and maintain safe, accessible and vibrant public spaces that promote opportunities for diverse use.
3. Support the arts and culture community to enhance Waterloo’s quality of place.

Infrastructure renewal

1. Optimize usage and efficiency of existing facilities and assets
2. Dedicate appropriate resources to plan, renew and maintain existing infrastructure.
3. Develop engagement strategies that effectively communicate and balance community priorities with operational and financial realities.

4. Address infrastructure deficit.

Economic growth & development

1. Actively attract and nurture innovation among businesses to fuel a diverse economy.
2. Align economic development and job growth with community development objectives that address economic disparity.
3. Celebrate the connection with education partners to fully leverage growth opportunities.

This is the full strategic plan report that was approved by council on June 24, 2019. This is the media release we issued on July 3, 2019.

Thank you!

We thank everyone who contributed to the development of this strategic plan and who submitted ideas for action items that could be included in the city's departmental business plans. The business plans help us achieve the goals and objectives of the strategic plan. These will be finalized in September and we'll circle back to the community at that time.