City Goals and Priorities
2024 Goals Update
In April of this year, the City Council updated it's goals and priorities. An additional 18 initiatives and / or projects were added to reflect the expanded work our City is completing. To learn more, view this staff report. We will be updating this page to reflect the new goals after the 2024/25 Budget is complete this summer.
How It all Started
Over the last five years, the City of Petaluma has made a concerted effort to better involve our community in our decision-making process. In 2019, we held our first Goal-Setting Workshop, inviting everyone in Petaluma to join us at the Lucchesi Community Center to help us chart the way ahead.
From that workshop, 256 goals were identified from across our community. These goals were intended to drive the work of the City Council in enacting legislation and creating a vision for the future of our community.
256 goals, however, is a lot for our Council and City to achieve in any given year. In 2019, we whittled that list down to 190, with the intention of revisiting these ideas frequently as the Council continued to refine its agenda. For this cycle, the Council identified its top 10 Goals & Priorities that spans two Fiscal Years 2021-2023. These goals can be traced back to our first community-wide meeting, but have been shaped by our city’s most urgent needs, Petaluma’s culture, and the deeply-held values of our council-members.
Understanding our Goals & Priorities
The following Goals & Priorities represent legislation our Council is most committed to passing this fiscal year. Our five Goals are meant to be broad statements guiding the work of our government.
Our City Council’s five main goals are to foster:
- A City that works for everyone
- An economy that prospers
- An environmental legacy we can be proud of
- A safe community that thrives
- Spaces and places that inspire
Within these categories, the Council set ten priorities – action items that would get us closer to a stronger and more sustainable future for all Petalumans. Click on each goal below to learn more about the ten priorities within these goals.
How our Goals are Achieved
The City Council is Petaluma’s main governing body. This group of six councilmembers and our mayor meet every two weeks to pass ordinances and hear about issues facing Petaluma. City Staff are tasked with carrying out their agenda items, as well as all the other functions of government that keep us moving in our communities.
Current Goals & Priorities
These Goals & Priorities are not intended to represent the entire work of the Council or City Staff, nor are these priorities static. We will continue to adapt to changes in our community’s needs. We hope, however, that by accomplishing the work below, our City Council will make a meaningful impact in the way Petalumans live their lives: in good health, safety, and prosperity.
A City That Works for Everyone
Ensure a fiscally and organizationally sustainable City that is innovative and efficient; provides valued services promptly and professionally; engages the community, and proactively funds, designs, installs and maintains City infrastructure that is safe, functional, and sustainable and serves the needs of our residents.
CURRENT PRIORITY:
An Economy That Prospers
Encourage a thriving business environment that results in a strong, diverse, resilient economy and supports community prosperity.
CURRENT PRIORITY:
Our Environmental Legacy
Preserve and protect Petaluma’s environment for future generations and become a municipal leader in sustainability by protecting our river and open space; reducing and drawing down greenhouse gas emissions; and encouraging sustainable development.
CURRENT PRIORITIES:
- Citywide Electrification Plan
- Pest Management Plan
- Tree Preservation Ordinance
A Safe Community That Thrives
Support facilities and design programs that create a healthy, resilient, and engaged community that is prepared, safe, and housed.
CURRENT PRIORITIES:
Hybrid Police Oversight and DEI
- Tenant Protection Ordinance
- Public Safety Facilities
Spaces & Places That Inspire
Create inviting natural and built places and spaces for contemplation, play, arts, and connection while celebrating our history and encouraging community pride
Current Priorities:
- Trestle Reconstruction
City Budget FY23
To learn more about how City funds are allocated across departments, click here.
Background Info
Want to learn more about how the City Council narrowed down the original 256 goals named in our 2018 Goal-Setting Workshop into the ten priorities listed? Click here.