Mayor & Commission Goals and Objectives

Goals and Objectives Reviewed by the Mayor and Commission on February 8, 2007

Goals and Objectives reviewed by the Mayor and Commission in February 2007 helped to guide the development of the FY08 Budget. Resources have been set aside for some of the objectives; many of the objectives are operational and will be achieved with the resources established in this budget.

A. Provide infrastructure that is supportive of sustainable growth, is environmentally sensitive, and is fiscally sound.

Objectives

1. Leaf & Limb Service - Increase leaf and limb pickup frequency from once every six (6) weeks to once every four (4) weeks in all areas of the community.
2. Transit Service - By the end of FY08, identify a priority listing of additions and/or revisions to transit routes, or other alternatives that will provide enhanced cost effective public transportation service to underserved areas of the community.
3. Energy Conservation - By the end of FY08, reduce the Unified Government’s use of all forms of conventional energy resources by 15% compared to consumption during FY06.
4. Water Supply - By the end of FY08, adopt a program to reduce the peak month water usage (MGD – million gallons per day), when compared to the annual average usage (MGD), to a peaking factor of not more than 1.3 within five (5) years from date of adoption of the program.
5. Greenspace Acquisition - By the end of FY08, commit all to date appropriated funds toward acquisition of properties identified by the M&C approved Greenspace Acquisition Program.
6. Corridor Enhancement - By the end of FY08, identify one (1) community corridor for enhancements and develop a funding proposal for inclusion in the FY09 Five Year Capital Improvement Plan.
7. Jail Needs - By the end of FY08, complete a jail assessment study to determine current and projected inmate facility needs, with consideration of alternative programs/initiatives, and develop proposed funding options and/or strategies for consideration by the M&C.
8. Judicial Space Needs - By the end of FY08, fund and complete a Courthouse assessment study to determine judicial space needs and develop proposed funding options and/or strategies for meeting the defined needs.
9. Solid Waste Management - By the end of FY09, achieve a reduction of not less than 25 % per capita in the amount (measured in pounds) of Athens-Clarke County community generated solid waste directed toward landfills compared to such volumes in FY06.
10. E Government – By the end of FY08, upgrade the ACCUG web-site to achieve a most visual identity and interactive functionality.

B. Enhance and sustain quality of life in Athens-Clarke County Neighborhoods

Objectives

1. Housing - By the end of FY08, adopt and implement an infill housing ordinance that will address community concerns regarding such development patterns.
2. Public Spaces - By the end of FY08, amend development standards to encourage and/or require public spaces in new and existing neighborhoods.
3. Electronic Information - By the end of FY08, expand the Neighborhood Notification Program to include information of interest, to neighborhood associates and individuals, from additional ACCUG departments and increase opportunities for electronic interaction between such departments and the public.
4. Citizen Leadership - By the end of FY08, develop a strategy for developing and encouraging individual citizens to serve in neighborhood leadership roles.

C. Recruit and retain a workforce with the skills to meet the diverse needs of the Athens-Clarke County Community Objectives

1. Pension Benefits - By the end of FY08, amend the Defined Benefit Pension Plan to provide incentives for retaining long-term employees
- FY08 Budget- Based on a recommendation of the Pension Board, an additional $185,000 is included to allow employees to continue service for a year after 30 years without a decreased benefit. This will allow employees who serve 31 years to receive their pension benefit at the current multiplier rate of 1.85% per year of service. Over the next four years, the Pension Board will seek to increase the length of service provisions to allow employees to serve up to 35 years without decreasing benefits.
2. Retiree Pay Adjustment - By the end of FY08, adopt a plan for periodically
addressing pay increases for retired employees.
3. Recruitment - By the end of FY08, adopt and implement a recruitment plan
for difficult-to-fill positions.
4. Wage Plan – Annually adopt, as part of the budget process, adjustments to the ACCUG’s wage plan to retain a competitive compensation position with peer communities.
- FY08 Budget- This budget includes $250,000 to adjust the pay table to maintain competitive starting salaries for newly hired employees. Based on a recent comparative wage study, funding of $2.4 million is included in this budget to maintain the ACCUG’s ability to recruit and retain employees.
5. Alternative Workforce - By the end of FY08, adopt and implement nontraditional work options to meet the future employment needs of the ACCUG.
6. Non Salary Incentives - By the end of FY08, adopt incentives for ACCUG employees to use the Athens Transit system for commuting to work.
7. Succession Planning - By the end of FY08, adopt a program to aid ACCUG employees to voluntarily improve job knowledge, skills, and abilities to increase their opportunity for internal promotions and professional growth.

Other Accepted Goal Issues for Future Review by the Mayor and Commission

Goal: Youth Development focusing on life skills that will contribute to academic success and life time employability.
Goal: Community Demographics focusing on the impact of population groups with special service needs.
Goal: Downtown Sustainability focusing on the appropriate mix of usage and resources/policies needed to support such a mix.
Goal: Community Economics focusing on sustaining a healthy revenue base in order to fund the of service delivery.