City of Rehoboth Beach Developing First Strategic Plan

The City of Rehoboth Beach has kicked off an effort to develop a multi-year strategic plan that will establish a clear “destination” or vision for the community and a “roadmap” for how to get there. Shaped by community input, the strategic plan will provide a clear vision for where Rehoboth Beach is headed and an implementation action plan that will help city staff arrive there.

The city is working with Emergent Method, a Baton Rouge-based national management consulting firm, to develop the city’s first strategic plan. The process is expected to take about seven months, with a final draft of the strategic plan to be presented next spring.

Community input and engagement will be among the first steps taken in the plan-development process this fall. Engagement opportunities will include one-on-one interviews, up to four community focus groups, an online survey for community partners, and an anonymous employee survey.

“What kind of community does the City of Rehoboth Beach want to be and what are some of the strategies that will help us get there? Those are the questions that this strategic plan will help us answer,” says City Manager Taylour Tedder. “I think it’s important for our commissioners and our community to clearly define our vision, mission, and core values. From that foundation, we can determine our priorities and goals. And then staff will have a clear road map that will help them implement strategies to achieve the identified objectives.

“The strategic plan will be an effort of, by, and for community stakeholders. I’m looking forward to the conversations this effort is going to generate and the direction it will provide.”

The city’s contract with Emergent Method is for $28,000.