Dothan leaders meet to discuss priorities

Dothan’s mayor and city commissioners sat around a conference table for eight hours on Friday dreaming, wishing, planning and preparing.

Connected to each goal, project and dream, officials wrestled with one central question.

How can the City of Dothan do more with less?

Mayor Mike Schmitz, City Manager Mike West and four of Dothan’s six commissioners met with strategic planning consultant Lyle Sumek to determine long, intermediate and short-range range goals for a city that could face reductions not only in state and federal funding, but also threats to local funding.

The message: Learn how to be self-sufficient.

“If we are going to create jobs — if we are going to do these things that we want to do — it is up to us,” Schmitz said.

Sumek said the days of cities relying on state or federal money for projects is going away.

“There is going to be more competition and more requirements for fewer available grants,” said Sumek, whose firm helps cities determine priorities and form strategic plans.

The challenge for Dothan is finding ways to pay for continuing improvements to the city’s sewer system, maintain roads and other infrastructure, construct another landfill, support downtown revitalization, support improved school performance and launch new projects with level funding, or less.

“We know we can’t do everything all at once, but we can move forward,” Schmitz said.

Saturday, the group will meet again to boil down scores of ideas to a handful of goals defined as achievable in one, five and 15-year plans.

Among the projects expected to be discussed Saturday include a new landfill and an expanded recycling program, replacement of aging tech equipment, maintenance and expansion of leisure services facilities, repair of South Saint Andrews Street, expansion of the downtown library and continued pursuit of an interstate connector.

The group spent part of Friday identifying more than 50 projects completed that were born, or at least mentioned, during the annual planning sessions that have been held since 2006. Among the projects mentioned were the retention of Twitchell and Nypro, extensive improvement to wastewater facilities, funding and completion of road improvements, repair/maintenance of city-owned properties, increased technology in police cars, additional sidewalk construction, addition of bicycle lanes on some roads, stabilization of the Troy water tank, improvements to the Westgate Park trail and many others.

Schmitz and West attended the entire day's session along with commissioners Albert Kirkland, Critt Snellgrove and Hamp Baxley. Commissioner Taylor Barbaree attended half of the session. Commissioners James Reading and Amos Newsome did not attend.

Sumek also has meetings planned with the Dothan Downtown Redevelopment Authority and the E-911 advisory committee.

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During its meetings with consultant Lyle Sumek last year, officials identified five goals for 2011. Below are the goals and specific actions taken to achieve the goals.

Goal 1: Maintain a financially sound city and a high performance team

» Reduced costs and maintained services

» Issued employee cost of living and merit increases

» Initiated a police accreditation process

» Repaired city facilities

» Held two special elections

» Moved forward with commission redistricting

» Launched a City of Dothan Facebook page

» Refinanced bond issues for a savings of $6.1 million.

Goal 2: Expand the Local Economy

» Hired an executive director for the Dothan Downtown Redevelopment Authority and launched a retail incubator program.

» Saw new businesses including Publix, Holiday Inn, several restaurants and the expansion of the KFH Fire Hose plant.

» Retained Twitchell and Nypro businesses

» Held groundbreaking for Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine

» Held an economic summit on jobs.

Goal 3: Plan for Dothan’s Future

» Adoption of a general development plan.

» Decommissioned Beaver Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant

» Upgraded Little Choctawhatchee Wastewater Treatment Plant

» Placed Troy water tank online

» Adopted and began implementation of a bike/ped plan

Goal 4: Improve mobility

» Completion of six-laning of Highway 231 north

» Completed projects on annual paving program

» Constructed several sidewalks near schools

» Made road improvements to Whatley Drive, Murray Road, Cherry Rock Road, South Alice Street and Cottonwood Roads

Goal 5: Make Dothan a more livable city

» Adopt a brown bag law for Dothan

» Hosted the Miracle League World Series

» Expanded use of Westgate Park Trail

» Moved forward with plans for expanded downtown library

» Held 23 sports team tournaments involving 552 teams, as well as several individual sports tournaments involving 820 players.

» Implemented a smoke alarm utilization and verification program and a fire safety program

» Held several major events including Dothan City Fest, Christmas Fest and Music Fest

» Funded several playground improvements and expansions

Actions taken to reduce the cost of government

» Postponing the hiring of 70 vacant positions

» Continuing partnerships with the Wiregrass Foundation and Convention and Visitors Bureau

» Procuring grants for recreational, energy, emergency management, roads and other projects

» Replacing the HVAC system at the Dothan Police Department

» Changing some of the city’s lights to LED lights.

» Modification to the Blue Cross program

» Closing the Beaver Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant

» Reorganizing IT functions

» Increased responsibilities for city employees

» Renegotiating rates for the city’s landline telephone usage

» Refinanced debt

» Used the state revolving loan fund to secure a rate of 2.9 percent

» Moved away from the “Drop” program

» Repaired roofs at city facilities to save on maintenance costs

» Cross-trained department heads