Virginia Beach, Virginia A Community for a Lifetime

A Strategic Plan to Achieve City Council’s Vision for the Future 2010 - 2012

December 2009 A Message from the City Manager

City Council has outlined its vision for the City of Virginia Beach. Our job is to make Virginia Beach that place. This document is an updated guide that will help us do that. It is based on strategic planning work that many members of the organization have been involved in for over a decade.

Virginia Beach is a vibrant community with a successful government. I believe that by committing to use the ideas in this document, we will continue to improve, meet the challenges of the future, and increase our capacity to achieve City Council’s vision for our community.

Our Strategy has been a part of our organization since 1998. We designed it purposely to be a guide. It is a guide that can help us now as we review everything we do and in the future, as we decide what new things to do and not to do and what current practices to validate. In combining the Strategy with our 3-Year Plan, we are able to make consistent decisions that are aligned and purposeful. Consistency and alignment help us deliver our best to our citizens as we strive to achieve City Council’s vision. This Strategic Plan challenges us to:

• Enhance the overall capacity of the community. • Focus on achieving outcomes, rather than simply performing functions. • Take a systems view of everything we do. This view requires more analysis and consultation and requires that we attempt to achieve more with each action. • Emphasize building positive relationships and partnerships; and that we view citizens as partners with assets who can help achieve our community outcomes. • View community resources, including tax revenue, as assets that we protect, enhance and use to create long-term community value. • Use Completed Staff Work to develop an understanding of problems prior to proposing actions and to ensure that we involve all those who have a stake in the issue.

One of the values of the Strategic Plan is that it allows us all to “read from the same page” and to be able to understand why we do things based on common principles and strategies. All of us should use this document as a filter for all of our work: policy reports, agenda requests, project management, budget requests, and in our interactions with citizens and each other.

This Strategic Plan guides us to an exceptional level of achievement for a quality community and a quality organization. I invite you to join me as we continue in our quest to excel in our work.

With Pride in Our City, James K. Spore

Strategic Plan ~ 2 December 2009

Contents

Virginia Beach Vision 2024 ...... 4

Introduction ...... 5

Foundations for Strategic Planning ...... 7

Core Strategies ...... 9

City Businesses … ...... 14

Cultural and Recreational Opportunities ...... 16

Economic Vitality ...... 20

Family and Youth Opportunities ...... 26

Quality Education and Lifelong Learning ...... 31

Quality Organization ...... 36

Quality Physical Environment ...... 41

Safe Community………………….……………………………….47

Acknowledgements………………….…………………………..…..50

Strategic Plan ~ 3 December 2009 Strategic Plan ~ 4 December 2009 Introduction

Public service is a noble profession. We have chosen to serve the people and our community in order to achieve our common goals. The city government of Virginia Beach is an organization created by our citizens to help accomplish things for individual benefit as well as the common good that people could not accomplish acting alone.

One of our responsibilities as members of this municipal government is to turn community goals, as described by our elected officials, into reality. In a world of limited resources and important goals, choice is always necessary. A Strategic Plan helps us make those choices.

Virginia Beach is a strong, healthy and vibrant City with a vision for its future. City Council has provided direction in defining the desired future for the City – a Vision of A Community for a Lifetime – a great place to live, learn, work and play. City Council also identified seven business areas that are critical to achieving this vision. We now refer to these as the City Businesses.

How do we define A Community for a Lifetime…?

It is a community where individuals and families can realize their life’s goals. We are culturally enriched, have fun and raise our children to be happy, responsible adults. We are committed to learning for a lifetime. We are a city where businesses can prosper and flourish, supported by a well paid workforce of the highest caliber. We are committed to quality education and the healthy development of our children. We are safe. We treasure the beauty of our City, both the built and natural environment. We value our heritage and seek to preserve it. We provide quality services to meet the needs of an urban community. We recognize the importance of the region to our long- term prosperity. We seek the active involvement of citizens and businesses as partners with city government. We (city government) are stewards of the community’s common wealth, committed to service, productivity and innovation.

For the Strategy, we studied demographics and environmental trends and developed desired outcomes and strategies for the City Businesses. The work accomplished through our strategic planning process was first published in 1998. In 2002, a 3-Year Plan was adopted to implement the Strategy. The Strategy was updated in 2003 and the 3-Year Plan has been updated annually. With this revision, we are combining both the Strategy and the 3-Year Plan to serve as an aligned, strategic direction for our City, in order to move us toward City Council’s vision of Virginia Beach: A Community for a Lifetime.

Strategic Plan ~ 5 December 2009 We have found that the City Businesses are inextricably interconnected. Therefore, in order to be successful in achieving City Council’s vision, we must address all business areas simultaneously. A Community for a Lifetime must be created and sustained by the City as a whole. As government leaders, we must help facilitate this effort and work with the community to ensure that all individuals, families, neighborhoods, community groups and commercial interests have an opportunity to prosper. As a maturing city, Virginia Beach must revitalize and reinvest in order to remain A Community for a Lifetime!

While this Strategic Plan is intended to serve as guidance to all members of our organization, it is the responsibility of department leadership to give it life. This group constitutes the leadership of our City organization, who through their daily decisions and actions can affect change in our community and in our organization. You will note the consistent use of the pronoun, WE and its possessive, OUR. WE refers to all department leadership and all members of the organization. It is only through our collective efforts that we can sustain our organization as one capable of achieving City Council’s vision for Virginia Beach.

Strategic Plan ~ 6 December 2009 Foundations for Strategic Planning

The City’s Mission and City Council’s community goals are the foundations for our strategic planning work.

WHY we exist is stated in our City’s Mission:

The City of Virginia Beach government exists to: • enhance the economic, educational, social and physical quality of the community; and • provide sustainable municipal services which are valued by its citizens.

In order to fulfill this mission, a partnership between City Council, City management, and the member workforce must function well. This relationship involves interrelated processes - governance, management, and service delivery - and is referred to as the City Model.

Mayor/ City Council Dreams for Future

Direction

Boards/ Needs Commissions GOVERNANCE Information / Education “WHAT” Wants / Desires Task Forces/ Mobilizes Support Committees FEEDBACK

City Manager

Department Directors

Division MANAGEMENT Managers “HOW”

First Line Supervisors

SERVICE DELIVERY Results “ACTIONS” Impact

Lyle Sumek Associates, Inc.

Strategic Plan ~ 7 December 2009 Each process plays a key role in defining and shaping the organization, in providing services and opportunities to citizens and other customers, and in achieving valued outcomes for the Community.

In the Governance Process, City Council answers the key question of WHAT we want to become as a community and the priorities that need to be addressed. City Council outlined its vision for Virginia Beach in its description of Goals for 2008:

• Create a Financially Sustainable City Providing Excellent Services • Grow the Local Economy • Improve the Transportation System • Revitalize Neighborhoods and Plan for the Future • Be a Competitive, First Class Resort for Residents, Businesses and Tourists

These Goals describe the desired future of the City of Virginia Beach. With the direction set by City Council through the Governance Process, HOW we accomplish that vision is addressed in the Management Process. City management must translate the direction from City Council into visible systems and processes designed to achieve the best possible results.

With the Service Delivery Process, the direction and systems are taken by members and volunteers of the organization and turned into ACTIONS: services, opportunities and outcomes valued by citizens of our community.

Strategic Plan ~ 8 December 2009 Core Strategies

Our Core Strategies, along with our Values and Code of Ethics, guide how we work together and how we manage and operate the organization to achieve our goals and the desired outcomes for the community. They are reflected in strategic plans throughout the organization. Our Core Strategies are:

Engage in Systems Thinking Achieve Multiple Positive Outcomes Maintain a Long-Term View Be Proactive and Prevent Problems Create an Accurate, Positive Community Image Create Relationships and Partnerships Value and Promote Diversity Ensure Sustainability

We Engage in Systems Thinking to Guide Us In Our Planning, Problem Solving, Decision-Making and Actions. Our community and our organization are complex systems in which many interrelated parts affect each other. Our actions create multiple effects, sometimes in areas where we least expect them. Systems Thinking asks that we understand this interrelatedness in our organization and our community, and use this understanding to create solutions that are best for the whole.

Systems Thinking requires in-depth analysis and consultation. We use Completed Staff Work as a tool to ensure that we consider all issues, involve the appropriate stakeholders, develop alternative solutions and make recommendations that will produce multiple positive outcomes with each action we plan. In all our decisions, we ask “How does this direction impact people as individuals? People in families? People in the overall community?” In all our planning, we ask “How will these steps impact other elements of the City? What unintended outcomes might be produced?”

The closer we come to understanding how things work together as elements of complex systems, the more effective our actions will be.

All approaches that stem from a fundamental understanding of systems – whether broad or deep – can add value by offering insights far beyond traditional linear thinking. - David W. Packer

Our Efforts Achieve Multiple Positive Outcomes. Achieving multiple positive outcomes requires that we maximize the benefits we get from every action we take. Every time we build a road, a school or other public facility, we look at the whole set of desired outcomes and strategies, and see what else this investment can achieve for citizens. We achieve multiple outcomes when we provide sidewalks and bike paths along roadways. We achieve multiple outcomes when we not only provide services to citizens, but also help them better understand our services so that they can access them

Strategic Plan ~ 9 December 2009 faster and more easily the next time. We provide multiple outcomes when we involve citizens in planning for our long-term investments, so that ownership and commitment enhance implementation.

Multiple outcomes occur when we approach problems through the model of achieving desired community outcomes rather than merely performing functions or fixing problems.

For every disciplined effort there is a multiple reward. – Jim Rohn

We Maintain a Long-Term View. We know that many of our citizens and businesses want to remain in Virginia Beach for their lifetimes. They want Virginia Beach to be a good place for their children and grandchildren to live, grow, work and play. To achieve what citizens want, we take a long-term view about the future and plan ahead to achieve strategic goals. We make today’s success tomorrow’s as well.

We carefully consider our actions, such as building a road or a school, because these are expensive, long-term public investments. We sustain our resources so that their value and utility continue to contribute to our quality of life. We avoid actions that may achieve short-term savings, but may increase costs in the future or unnecessarily compromise quality. A long-term view drives our commitment to develop and enlarge the resources available to the community.

We are accountable to the community for achieving enduring value by planning beyond our tenure.

If you do not think about the future, you won’t have one. - John Galsworthy

We are Pro-Active and Seek to Prevent Problems. We do everything we can to create the future the community wants, rather than simply allowing things to happen and then reacting to them. Being pro-active requires that everyone, at every level of the organization, set goals and work collaboratively to achieve them. Being pro-active means that we look for the best possible methods, seek all the help we can get, and anticipate opportunities and challenges so we can be ready for them.

We anticipate citizen needs for service and assistance, and systematically look for and address problems rather than wait for citizens to report them. We study and anticipate regional, state, national and worldwide economic, social and technological changes, seeking to preserve and enhance our community prosperity as those forces act upon us.

We invest in prevention to avoid more costly remediation.

The best way to solve a large problem is while it’s still a small one. – Ted Kennedy

Strategic Plan ~ 10 December 2009 We Create an Accurate, Positive Community Image. How our citizens, our business owners, and visitors perceive our community is critical to our future. Their perceptions, accurate or not, guide their actions. Therefore, we need to make accurate and positive information available to everyone who has a stake in our future, or who is going to make a decision that affects our future. Accurate, positive information helps create pride in our City. It develops a shared understanding of where we are, and helps us progress even further toward our vision. It inspires our citizens to stay and prosper and encourages others to come here.

The City of Virginia Beach has attained national and international recognition, and is established as a player in the world market. We seek partnerships with cities and businesses around the world that enhance our economic development and offer us opportunities to learn more about diverse cultures.

A government can be no better than the public opinion, which sustains it. - Franklin D. Roosevelt

We Build Relationships and Establish Partnerships. We believe that effective communications and positive relationships among the leaders and members of the various communities (neighborhoods, businesses, schools, media, military, government, religious, ethnic, cultural and others) are essential to building and sustaining real community. We invite ongoing dialogue that builds and strengthens relationships of trust and understanding, supports the creation of common goals, enables better decisions, and stimulates partnerships for effective community action.

As government, we have a unique opportunity and responsibility to lead by example. We encourage, facilitate and support leaders and members of various sectors to work together as partners of the whole community, which leads to a continuum of collaboration, partnerships and engagement of these individuals in our mutual goals. We incorporate citizen and member dialogue into our policy making and our long range planning.

Building these positive relationships and encouraging successful collaborations and partnerships results in an engaged and empowered community.

There are no problems we cannot solve together, and very few we can solve by ourselves. - Lyndon B. Johnson

We Value and Actively Promote Diversity. Our citizens and members have an increasingly wide variety of backgrounds, preferences and needs. We lead the community in creating racial, ethnic and cultural understanding. We remove barriers to equal opportunity and universal access throughout the community. We are proud that Virginia Beach neighborhoods are among the most racially integrated in the United

Strategic Plan ~ 11 December 2009 States. We value and promote this diversity as community strength and as an important part of being an American.

Diversity provides us with multiple viewpoints and divergent thinking that enable us to adapt to changing circumstances. Individuals and families experience diversity in their own lives as needs and preferences change over the course of time. Intergenerational and geographic differences also contribute to the vast diversity found in our community. From beaches to forest, urban to rural, Bayside to Blackwater, the varied surroundings in our community nurture its diversity.

Making Virginia Beach a place where many diverse expressions harmonize is key to gaining prosperity as a unified community.

If we are to achieve a richer culture, rich in contrasting values, we must recognize the whole gamut of human potentialities, and so weave a less arbitrary social fabric, one in which each diverse human gift will find a fitting place. - Margaret Meade

We Ensure Sustainability for the Success of our City in the Future. As a government, we have an obligation and responsibility to protect, develop and enhance our economic health, social well-being, and environmental quality. That is, we “meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs” (World Commission on Environment and Development).

As stewards of the public trust, we are responsible for maintaining the fiscal stability of the City. Through our planning and budgeting processes we collaborate to provide City Council with the information they need for responsible decision-making. When faced with tough times, we consider “the good of the whole,” and look for system-wide solutions that will keep our City viable and our community attractive to those who can bring economic growth.

We treat our community’s assets of safety, health, heritage, and cultures with respect, strive to increase their value, and protect them for generations to come. These assets are precious. Through stewardship we prevent their loss or degradation while engaging the community to enjoy these common treasures.

We work hard to preserve our City’s environments, both natural and built. Our roadways and facilities are attractive, clean and landscaped. We implement programs to preserve and protect our waterways, beaches, marshes, and open spaces. In planning for the future, we first consider the cost-effectiveness and wisdom of maintaining or enhancing what we have as an alternative to expanding or building new programs, systems, initiatives or facilities.

We evaluate existing and new goals, plans, policies, programs, and activities in the context of sustainability. We treat all assets entrusted to us as if they are our own, by Strategic Plan ~ 12 December 2009 making sure they last, grow, and provide value for many generations to come. Sustainability is essential to creating long-term community quality of life.

Just as there must be balance in what a community produces, so there must also be balance in what the community consumes. – John Kenneth Galbraith

Strategic Plan ~ 13 December 2009 City Businesses

City Council continues to refine its direction and assess progress toward attaining its vision in annual planning sessions and in the policy decisions it makes at every City Council meeting. This ongoing effort resulted in City Council’s adoption of our seven City Businesses:

Cultural & Recreational Opportunities Economic Vitality Family & Youth Opportunities Quality Education & Lifelong Learning Quality Organization Quality Physical Environment Safe Community

In response to City Council’s direction, Strategic Issue Teams were formed for the City Businesses. Each team was charged with strategic planning for that business. The strategic planning process involves a gap analysis.

Current Reality Desired Outcomes Strategies

Gap

The Strategic Issue Teams identified Desired Outcomes – Where We Want To Be – and compared them to Current Reality – Where We Are. We then developed strategies to close the gap. The initiatives are steps or actions the Strategic Issues Teams take to achieve the strategies.

The Strategic Issue Teams work, according to the missions below, to develop and oversee the implementation of the Strategic Plan.

Strategic Plan ~ 14 December 2009

Strategic Issue Team Team Mission Cultural & To identify and facilitate the development and strengthening of Recreational cultural and recreational opportunities which are diverse, valued Opportunities by the community, and provide for the enrichment, refinement, and rejuvenation of the mind, body and spirit. Economic Vitality To provide leadership in developing, supporting, and coordinating strategic alternatives, recommendations, and direction that will create, enhance and sustain public and private wealth and income in the city and the region. Family & Youth To develop and recommend strategic options which foster the Opportunities health, economic vitality, safety and well being of families, youth and at risk individuals in our city. Quality Education & To engage in strategic and long range planning, conduct Lifelong Learning environmental scans of relevant issues and trends in order to enhance and sustain Virginia Beach as a literate community that actively supports quality education and lifelong learning. Quality To engage in strategic planning and environmental scanning to Organization enhance and sustain a municipal organization that is a quality driven service provider and employer capable of delivering cost effective services and facilitating opportunities and outcomes valued by the Community. Quality Physical To provide guidance to decision makers regarding issues of Environment strategic importance to create a sustainable and quality physical environment (healthy, safe and attractive surroundings) for the City of Virginia Beach). Safe Community To work to achieve a City with safe healthy neighborhoods for our citizens and visitors to live, learn, work, and play, in partnership with the community, region, state and federal governments.

Strategic Plan ~ 15 December 2009 Cultural & Recreational Opportunities

Desired Outcome People in Virginia Beach enjoy world-class cultural, recreational and lifelong learning opportunities for all ages and interests. These opportunities stimulate the mind, body, imagination and spirit, and allow for participation for personal interest, achievement, relaxation, enjoyment and artistic expression.

An excellent quality of life in any community contributes to the social, economic, physical, psychological and spiritual well-being of its residents and visitors, and enhances the attractiveness of a community for business development and tourism. One aspect of quality of life is the range and sustainability of cultural, recreational, historical and lifelong learning opportunities offered to all community members and visitors.

We want Virginia Beach to be an outstanding place to enjoy life. We must be able to provide our residents and visitors convenient access to leisure and learning opportunities throughout the year.

Current Reality Virginia Beach has established itself as a city with a superlative quality of life and is distinguished from most other cities through our diverse cultural and recreational assets. However, the dismal economic climate overshadows the current environment and heightens the importance of issues affecting Cultural & Recreational Opportunities (CRO) strategies. CRO strategies do not rely exclusively on public funding and in some cases incorporate a potential to increase revenue sources. This leaves CRO in a better position to weather current economic conditions. However, budget cutbacks at the Federal, State and Local levels threaten to impact the ability to generate revenue as well as deliver services.

The need to diversify funding sources and seek public/private partnerships remains critical in achieving CRO Strategic Outcomes. As citizens continue to experience negative social and economic trends that they are unable to control, CRO will be impacted in a number of different ways. For example, high energy costs will increase demand for alternative transportation and multi-modal connectivity options; reduction in discretionary funds will increase demand for free and accessible leisure activities by residents and tourists.

Strategic Plan ~ 16 December 2009 The increasing trend to rely on technology to conduct business and communicate with the public emphasizes the importance of public internet access through implementation of Web 2.0 Communication Technologies within Parks and Recreation, the Aquarium and Libraries. But, as technology increasingly permeates every aspect of our lives, CRO Strategies also address a counter trend – the increasing desire people have for actual experiences and opportunities to reconnect with nature.

The quality of life in Virginia Beach benefits from a coastal geography and a sunny climate which has been enhanced by the creation of almost 5,000 acres of park land and six community recreation centers. Citizens and visitors alike have numerous opportunities throughout the city to engage in a variety of physical activities. Regular physical activity is critically important to the health and well being of our community and plays an important role in the prevention or improvement of chronic medical conditions. In spite of all the attention given to obesity and lack of physical activity as controllable risk factors, the death rate from chronic heart and respiratory disease in Virginia Beach is higher than the state average and, disproportionately affecting people in lower income brackets.

Public awareness of the important benefits associated with an active lifestyle does not sufficiently impact behavior and medical research is now looking at environmental factors that influence physical activity. There is evidence that the level of activity is greater in communities where opportunities to incorporate physical activities into the daily routine of everyday life are readily available. Not only children are more active when recreational areas are near their homes, the level of adult participation in physical activity increases when there are green open spaces and trails connecting destinations to which people can walk or bike. By promoting the expansion of bike and walking trails and the creation of a recreation center more accessible to at risk population, CRO initiatives seek to change the physical environment of Virginia Beach in ways that will promote increased physical activity of citizens and tourists and create real opportunities for active living in neighborhoods.

The larger issues facing the city, transportation and global warming, demand a regional and state-wide approach. Virginia has lagged behind in addressing global warming and it now poses a real threat to parts of our economy. Unchecked, the impact of global warming on our natural resources will affect the very quality of life in Virginia Beach. On a local level, CRO Strategies complement environmental efforts being made to sustain Virginia Beach’s rich, natural environment and provide a GREEN destination for tourists.

We have learned to design more urban spaces that are multifunctional in nature but our sustainability is tied to infrastructure. Reliance on an aging transportation infrastructure remains an obstacle and finding ways to support all infrastructure needs is our challenge.

Strategic Plan ~ 17 December 2009 Community Indicators 2006 2007 2008 Percent of Population with Recreation 10.0% 9.7% 9.6% Facility Membership Residents Receiving Reduced Cost 560 512 606 Access to Recreational Programs and Facilities Miles of City Multi-Use Trails 72.6 75.6 76.3 City Roadway Miles with On-road 9.65 9.65 9.65 Bikeways

3-Year Plan 2010 - 2012 Strategy: Through both public and private investment we create, maintain and CRO1 enhance the balance of natural and manmade venues that provide residents and tourists with opportunities for cultural, recreational and historical experiences. (Cindy Curtis)

Initiatives: • Develop Aquarium District Plan* ° Acquire property for Marine Animal Care Center (Lynn Clements, 2010)* • Construct Athletic Field House (Cindy Curtis, 2010)* • Design and construct Grommet Park (Cindy Curtis, 2010) • Complete design/build documents for Williams Farm Community Recreation Center (Cindy Curtis, 2010)* • Manage and develop Princess Anne Commons (Jack Whitney)* ° Finalize gateways and signage design at Princess Anne Commons to include Public Art (2010) ° Facilitate interfacility traffic area preservation (Ongoing) ° Virginia Beach Field House: Complete Construction (2010) • Explore Options for use of Buffington House (Lynn Clements, 2010) • Develop a Cultural Arts Plan to include Public Art (Emily Spruill, 2010) • Initiate the redevelopment of 17th Street (Emily Spruill, 2010) ° Lease Pepper’s Property (2010) ° Create 17th Street Historic and Arts District (2010) • Designate Town Center as an Arts and Entertainment District (Emily Spruill, 2010) ° Develop an educational facility at the Sandler Center (2012)

*Pending Item

Strategic Plan ~ 18 December 2009

Strategy: We identify and protect buildings, natural sites, artifacts, documents CRO2 and other historic resources and encourage private owners to act as stewards of our historic and natural environment. (Lynn Clements)

Initiatives: • Create Historic Houses Non-Profit Board (Lynn Clements, 2010) • Open the Princess Anne Training School, Union Kempsville High School history museum new Renaissance Academy (Lynn Clements, 2010) • Expand the genealogy and local history collection at the Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library (Pat Cook, Ongoing) • Solicit support and additional materials from the local community (Ongoing) • Digitize local history collection (2011) Strategy: We work to ensure that all residents and visitors have access to cultural, CRO3 recreational and historical opportunities by providing multi-modal access throughout the city. (Cindy Curtis)

Initiatives: • Update Bike and Trail System Master Plan (2010)* ° Improve connectivity of trail system (Ongoing through CIP program) ° Integrate on-road bike lanes into current and new roadway design (Ongoing) Strategy: We retain the rural character and natural environment in the southern CRO4 part of the city, with guidance from the Comprehensive Plan. (Jack Whitney)

Initiatives: • Study the potential for an Agricultural Heritage Center that includes Agricultural Education, the Farmers’ Market, 4-H Events and Community Activities (David Trimmer, 2012) • Continue ARP acquisitions (David Trimmer, Ongoing) • Continue ITA acquisitions (Jack Whitney, Ongoing) • Open Space Program and Funding (Cindy Curtis, Ongoing)* ° Consider additional funding sources *Pending Item

Strategic Plan ~ 19 December 2009 Economic Vitality

Desired Outcome We want Virginia Beach to be a place where all citizens and businesses can prosper.

Economic Vitality enables all people within our community to prosper and requires that there be both diversity and growth within the economy.

The building blocks for economic diversity and growth include: strategic thinking, long view, a business climate that is favorable to entrepreneurial activity; a community environment that is both functional and attractive; a network of support for the military and other related governmental agencies; an inviting environment for our travel and tourism industry; work opportunity and security to derive reasonable benefit from a decent job; opportunities for all members of the community for upward mobility and success; our support for, and participation in, regional activities that enhance economic opportunity and the quality of life for residents of Virginia Beach and all Hampton Roads communities.

Current Reality The first few years of this decade were among the best Virginia Beach has ever experienced. The Gross Regional Product for Hampton Roads has approached $77 billion in 2008. This is a very large number. If we take into account difference in foreign exchange rates and what foreign currencies actually will buy, then our region’s gross product is greater than that of two-thirds of the nations in the world. The opportunities for foreign investment will continue as an important economic development strategy. To accommodate this and other future development, the City has incorporated Strategic Growth areas as means for future development in terms of job growth and capital investment. However, the City of Virginia Beach must maintain the momentum of growth through the facilitation of public private partnerships. We are continuing to see a decline in building permit activity, and a moderation in tourist numbers. Nonetheless, the quality of projects and overall visitor spending is up. We continue to see projects proposed as a strategic approach to investing in our community in what is projected to be an improved economy within 24 months. In addition, military and defense spending account for more than half of our economic growth over the past few years and our renewed effort with the military and its representatives will lead to greater growth in defense and homeland security firms seeking opportunities for locations.

Strategic Plan ~ 20 December 2009 Four factors will affect our area over the next few years: energy costs, financial credit constraints, falling housing prices, transportation improvements and sustainable development.

Community Indicators 2006 2007 2008 Income of People Moving into 94.1% 96.2% Data NA Virginia Beach as a Percentage of the Income of the People Moving Out Change in Assessed Value of: • Residential Real Estate 21.7% 22.2% 20.7% • Commercial/Industrial Real 11.6% 9.8% 11.0% Estate Median Household Income $61,333 $61,462 $65,776 Per Capita Income $40,984 $42,821 Data NA Unemployment Rate 2.9% 2.7% 3.7% Percent of the Labor Force in the 8.9% 7.3% 9.1% Armed Forces Economic Impact of Agriculture $87.7 $102.7 $139.1 (in millions) Tourists Who are Repeat Visitors 80.9% 79.3% 78.7% Commercial Real Estate as a 15.6% 14.3% 13.0% Percent of Total Assessments Direct Tax Revenue Generated $73.2 $78.4 $78.4 from Tourism (in millions)

3-Year Plan 2010 - 2012 Strategy: We focus resources on attracting and retaining the future workforce; EV1 the retention of exiting military, and facilitating the skills enhancement of the existing workforce. (Jerry Stewart)

Initiatives: • Assist the new and existing business community in preparing the workforce for the 21st century by facilitating training opportunities • Increase awareness of exiting military as a well-trained potential workforce by partnering with the Military Economic Development Advisory Committee • Liaison with Opportunity Inc. on regional workforce issues

Strategic Plan ~ 21 December 2009

Strategy: We support the implementation of a comprehensive economic EV2 development program that targets capital investment and job opportunities for our citizens, and improves the fiscal condition of the City by expanding the tax base. The economic development strategy seeks to emphasize business attraction, retention and support services in an effort to enhance the business environment and quality of life in the City of Virginia Beach. (Warren Harris) Initiatives: • Proactively implement our Target Markets • Explore alternative funding and incentives for Economic Development and Redevelopment • Finalize Town Center Phase IV* (December 2012) Strategy: We work with the Community to develop, revitalize and redevelop for EV3 economic and social prosperity and safe, healthy surroundings. (Jack Whitney)

Initiatives: • Update Comprehensive Plan • Strategic Growth Area Plans (SGA’s) ° Resort Area Strategy and Implementation ° Burton Station/North Hampton Area Implementation ° Pembroke Area Plan Implementation ° Newtown Area Plan: Prepare & Adopt Plan (2010)

° Hilltop Plan

° I-64 South

• Implement APZ1 Plans

• Begin Neighborhood Planning Process (2010)

• Princess Anne Commons ° Complete Operation Smile Project ° Health Professions Building completion (2010) ° Facilitate Lifenet expansion ° Implement target cluster involving health-care and biotechnologies ° Expand Sentara Hospital Complex ° Begin Seven Cities Project ° Virginia Beach Field House: Completion (Sept 2010) ° TCC Student Activities Center: Start Construction (2010) *Pending Item

Strategic Plan ~ 22 December 2009

Strategy: We enhance the tourism and convention industry by making and EV4 securing investment in the resort area and throughout the city, improving the quality of our visitor and resident experience, diversifying the types and locations of attractions we offer, and encouraging the private sector to do the same. We maintain and improve Virginia Beach as a quality year-round tourism and convention destination. (Jim Ricketts)

Initiatives: • Complete Dome Site Strategy* • Finalize Convention Center Headquarters Hotel • Implement 19th Street Corridor Development • Maintain a Year-Round Market Segments Program • Continue research and development to support marketing investments • Support new hotel development and redevelopment to higher quality levels • Continue and expand the program to communicate the benefits of tourism and convention industry to citizens • Implement Laskin Road Gateway Project Strategy: We support maintaining and expanding the vitality of the existing EV5 federal and military installations, and enhance the private investment of defense related companies as part of our Economic Development Strategy. (Bob Matthias)

Initiatives: • Implement the BRAC related land use redevelopment requirements and initiatives directed by the Oceana Land Use Conformity Program • Work with the Hampton Road Military of Federal Facilities Alliance • Promote the Military Economic Development Advisory Committee • Create and promote a Virginia Beach Military website *Pending Item

Strategic Plan ~ 23 December 2009 Strategy: We lead in cooperative efforts with our neighbors, to ensure economic EV6 vitality, within and outside the region to ensure that important elements of regional infrastructure, such as major roads, alternative transportation systems, bridges, utilities, seaports and airports, are built and maintained sufficiently to assure regional economic sustainability. And we leverage our leadership position in creating and underwriting regional programs and initiatives to maximize economic return to the City and region. (Bob Matthias)

Initiatives: • Support Mass Transit Initiatives and the Hampton Roads Transit • Continue design and planning for Virginia beach light rail and support public transportation systems • Support regional organizations like the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance, the Chamber of Commerce, Opportunity Inc, HR Sports Commission, Regional Film Office, Hampton Roads Partnership, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission and the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization, and the Southeastern Virginia Tourism Alliance Strategy: The City of Virginia Beach will become one of the leading Cities in EV7 America demonstrating leadership for an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable future. Through integrated green initiatives and long term sustainability practices all facets of the City’s large military operations, resorts and tourism businesses, agricultural business community, and private industries will join together to be a part of a planned solution. To ensure that these challenges do not become obstacles, convergence planning of environmental sustainability and green initiatives are the core of our community development, at all levels of our educational programs, and the focus of all private and public projects. (Patrick Konopnicki)

Initiatives: • Encourage development of LEED certified buildings and/or alternative energy projects • Support K-12 Sustainability education as a 21st century skill and city/community green training opportunities with colleges and universities in an effort of developing a trained green workforce • Scan green workforce opportunities by creating “Cultivating Green Industry” document Strategy We continue to maintain our rural heritage in the City while EV8 supporting farmers and agriculture related business. (David Trimmer)

Initiatives: • Promote and continue to expand the Agriculture Reserve Program (300 acres per year goal) • Investigate and evaluate new or niche agricultural farming and

Strategic Plan ~ 24 December 2009 marketing opportunities • Support and expand the Farmers Market as a year round community destination place for events, educational opportunities and business growth • Evaluate eco-tourism programs and opportunities with the Virginia Beach Tourism Agency and other groups (Buy Fresh Buy Local) to focus on expanding agricultural business opportunities within the City

Strategic Plan ~ 25 December 2009 Family and Youth Opportunities

Desired Outcome All citizens should have the opportunity to achieve their life goals in a community that values personal achievement, supportive relationships, and an environment that promotes a high quality of life. Individuals should have the personal capacity to take responsibility for their own lives and sustain meaningful relationships with others. Family members should have resources and skills to stay together, meet their needs, and participate in and contribute to community growth and well-being. The role of local government is to help create an environment that fosters opportunities for individual success. Recognizing that a strong community requires an emphasis upon “people first,” we envision our City as a place where:

y Individuals have the capacity to succeed in achieving their individual goals and are able to care for their families.

y People in need of services will receive them in an efficient and effective manner and in a climate that promotes independence and dignity throughout their span of life.

y The community service delivery system will include an array of public and private providers as well as volunteers and the faith community.

y Youth will have the developmental assets that help them grow to be healthy, caring, principled, and productive.

Current Reality There is a significant increase in need for services due to the economic crises causing all agencies to do more with less. The Department of Human Services has seen a 100% increase in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) cases in the last decade. The total number of persons receiving SNAP funds is 26,000. The number of persons receiving Medicaid Assistance has also increased to 33,800. These are just two examples of the increased requests for services.

No community can be sustainable if many of its residents cannot succeed. Consequently, it is essential that we identify ways to support the efforts of individuals and families to succeed professionally, and socially. This includes focusing on utilizing multiple strategies to increase awareness of the needs and issues facing children, youth, Strategic Plan ~ 26 December 2009 adults and the elderly; and to invite community involvement and investment. To accomplish this, more local and regional collaboration to address gaps in services is essential.

While collaboration and diversity in resources brings depth and opportunity for growth to a community, FYO members must guard against fragmentation and competition, which can undermine our common identity as a community. As evidenced above, the increase in services leads to an increase in competition from an already stressed inventory such as affordable housing and health care. Unfortunately, this competition for the same limited resources moves across agencies that are trying to meet the needs of all as well.

Another tremendous barrier to the delivery of services is the lack of effective public transportation and the widely dispersed locations that people need to access, in order to benefit from services and programs.

It is imperative that advocacy at all levels of government remains a constant priority in identifying and assessing resources for unmet needs for current and emerging vulnerable populations.

Community Indicators 2006 2007 2008 Teen Pregnancy Rate 22.0 21.2 Data NA Percentage of Low Birth Weight 8.4% 8.5% Data NA Babies Residents Receiving Supplemental 16,757 16,363 17,350 Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefits Percent of Living in Poverty • Individuals 7.2% 6.4% 6.5% • Children 10.0% 10.0% 9.5% • Elderly 2.6% 5.4% 4.4% Cases of Child Abuse per 1,000 8.5 5.9 4.5 Children (By Fiscal Year) Infant Mortality Rate 10.4 7.4 Data NA Percent of Students Receiving Free 26.4% 30.8% 27.2% or Reduced Lunch Renters Whose Housing Expenses 47.8% 47.8% Data NA Exceed 30% of Household Income

Strategic Plan ~ 27 December 2009

3-Year Plan 2010 – 2012 Strategy: We promote opportunities for individuals to be self-sufficient by FYO1 providing social supports necessary for their well-being and that of their families. (Robert Morin)

Initiatives: • Develop a guide that will communicate Services, Opportunities and Supports Communication Plan that will insure information on services, opportunities and support systems reach all citizens and that citizens know how to access and use them ° Develop a Prevention Services, Opportunities and Supports Guide (Phase 1) ° Develop videos/programs for VBTV that increase awareness or educate public on services offered ° Distribute information outlining programs and benefits through handouts and websites ° Develop a speaker’s bureau to give presentations to Precinct Citizen Advisory Committees, civic leagues, hospitals, faith- based organization, service clubs, etc ° Reduce elder abuse in the form of scams ° VBAP – Develop strategies to reduce poverty and enhance economic opportunity for all citizens • Give voice to the effects that the lack of intra-city transportation has on our ability to meet our mission Strategy: We promote a strong network of community support and community FYO2 investment for citizens by collaborating with community partners. (Barbara Brinson)

Initiatives: • Support children and youth development ° Reinforce the need for education and training ° Address the dropout rate as early as possible in children's lives and in each school year as possible ° Increase focus on prevention in the juvenile population using existing resources and programs that may assist in re-directing the lives of young people – addressing violence, teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, teen dating violence, etc • Reduce child, disabled adult and elder abuse ° Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office/Consumer Affairs Program – reducing disabled adults/elder abuse in the form of scams • Develop a satellite multi-agency service delivery center to bring the

Strategic Plan ~ 28 December 2009 services to the people (ex: Services, Opportunities and Supports Center) • Report on coalitions at least annually to improve shared knowledge and service provisions: ° Project Lifesaver / Citizen Advisory Committees / School Resource Officers ° City’s Consumer Affairs Program Office ° GrowSmart ° Youth Opportunities Office ° Youth Community Action Team ° Private partnerships to include faith-based communities Strategy: We advocate for citizens in all life situations to be able to obtain and FYO3 maintain safe and decent housing appropriate for their situations. (Andy Friedman)

Initiatives: • Advocate policy, planning and fiscal decisions that impact housing appropriations at the federal, state and local level • Increase public exposure and awareness to housing programs and services through the drafted Services, Opportunities and Supports Communication Plan • Continue implementation and comprehensive collaboration for the 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness which includes mixed housing plans ° Family homelessness: Dragas Family Homelessness Funding and Virginia Beach United Methodist Church Strategy: We identify and assess resources for unmet needs for current and FYO4 emerging vulnerable populations. (Robert Morin)

Initiatives: • Create databases to track unmet needs within the City that reflect FYO priorities • City’s role, strategy and funding* ° Identify potential partners and create Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs)/contracts for services ° Inventory what is being done and by whom ° Federal and state funding are decreasing – Meet with local management and legislative leadership as needed to apprise them of funding reductions and unmet needs *Pending Item

Strategic Plan ~ 29 December 2009

Strategy: Support the implementation of the community health plan by FYO5 identifying the forces in the community that impact health. (Dr. Venita Newby-Owens)

Initiatives: • Decreasing infant mortality rates – The Department of Public Health will educate clients/citizens to recognize signs and symptoms of premature labor: hands on education, distribution of magnets in English and Spanish on signs and symptoms of premature labor, distribution of magnets to OB/GYN Practices and Virginia Beach hospitals. • Decreasing low birth weight rates – Department of Public Health offer clients early pre-natal care, ongoing prenatal care and educational health fairs. • Increasing early prenatal care – Department of Public Health will participate in community health fairs which identify maternity eligibility clinics

Strategic Plan ~ 30 December 2009

Quality Education and Lifelong Learning

Desired Outcome We are a community of lifelong learners who promote the importance of education and continuing personal development. Our children come to school healthy and with all the developmental skills to succeed. Our schools are world class, preparing children for successful and fulfilling careers and lives. Higher education and vocational educational opportunities are easily accessible to all. Our citizens are highly qualified for diverse employment opportunities. Citizens of all ages and abilities participate in educational and lifelong learning opportunities and believe that reading and learning are essential to democracy and self-sufficiency. All citizens of Virginia Beach are stewards of the natural areas around us. We champion an environmentally literate community that has the knowledge and understanding necessary to make good decisions about environmental issues.

Current Reality The education continuum begins before birth and continues throughout one’s lifetime, from early childhood development through formal education and training to self- directed lifelong learning. Education directly impacts an individual’s capacity to achieve self-reliance, secure employment, and contribute to society.

One major component of Quality Education and Lifelong Learning is the Virginia Beach City Public Schools. The mission of the Virginia Beach City Public Schools states: The Virginia Beach City Public Schools, in partnership with the entire community, will empower every student to become a life-long learner who is a responsible, productive and engaged citizen within the global community (Virginia Beach City Public Schools Compass to 2015: A Strategic Plan for Student Success). By including the words, “in partnership with the entire community,” in its mission, the School Board acknowledges that everyone has responsibility for empowering students to succeed in school and become productive citizens and lifelong learners.

It is estimated that by the time children in America reach the age of 18, they have spent 9% of the time in school and 91% of their time outside school. Our schools have been asked to make dramatic improvements in their impact on students by changing how Strategic Plan ~ 31 December 2009 they use their 9% of a child’s time. But what about the other 91% of the time? What do parents, City government and the entire community need to do to better prepare our children for what lies ahead?

Parents play a critical role as the first and most important teachers in their children’s lives. Other caregivers and the community also have key roles in helping children establish the foundation for lifelong learning and success. They provide supportive environments that help children realize their individual potential. Adult mentors - coaches, scout leaders, recreation supervisors, librarians, faith-based group leaders – all help children build character and learn social skills. According to the 2000 Census, 61.9 percent of children under six in Virginia Beach have all parents in the family in the labor force. One out of every two children ages 3 and 4 in Virginia Beach are enrolled in nursery school or pre-school. With so many of our youngest citizens in childcare, it is imperative that we advocate for quality childcare that is also affordable and accessible.

The creation of the Ready to Learn Office in 2003 exemplified the city’s commitment and continued investment in early childhood education. In 2009, the City expanded this investment by dissolving Ready to Learn and establishing the GrowSmart Office to blend health and school readiness under a single umbrella for increased effectiveness and efficiencies. A positive indicator of the effectiveness of this investment is the decrease from 21.2 % in 2003 to 12% in 2008 in the number of Virginia Beach kindergarteners needing additional instruction in pre-reading skills.

Education and learning are increasingly perceived as lifelong enterprises, rather than occurring only in one’s youth. People are living longer, and with quality health care, people are more active later in life than ever before. It is estimated that the average worker of today will have between 12 and 15 jobs over the course of a lifetime, which requires training and retraining in new skills and expertise. As a result, people are not only returning to traditional classroom educational opportunities, but also relying on nontraditional venues such as public libraries, museums and recreation centers for self- directed learning opportunities.

Increasingly, the workforce demands that young people pursue post-secondary education to maximize their quality of life and earning potential; in fact, higher levels of educational attainment are directly correlated with higher income. Post-secondary educational opportunities in Virginia Beach range from vocational and industry certifications in partnership with the Public Schools, to associate-, bachelor-, master-, and doctoral-level degrees offered from a number of respected public, private, for- profit, and on-line institutions. Major degree-granting institutions with facilities in the City include: Tidewater Community College; Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University (state institutions, nonresidential in the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center); Regent University and Virginia Wesleyan College (private and residential, the latter only partly domiciled in the City); and non-residential satellites of

Strategic Plan ~ 32 December 2009 University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Hampton University, George Washington University, and others.

The City of Virginia Beach prides itself on having unique natural areas such as First Landing State Park, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Stumpy Lake, several rivers, lakes, and streams within its boundaries. It also has a shoreline that includes both the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The City’s natural resources are valuable habitats for a variety of plants and animals. For example, First Landing State Park is nationally recognized for its unique plant community, Back Bay is a vital feeding stop for wintering waterfowl, and the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States, is famous for its blue crabs, oysters, and rockfish. These resources also contribute to our economy because they provide opportunities for outdoor recreation and nature observation that attract people to reside in Virginia Beach and to visit here throughout the year.

We are faced with an increasing number of environmental challenges related to energy conservation and climate change. Because our choices can help or harm the environment, it is important that our citizens are “environment-literate” – in other words, have the knowledge and understanding necessary to make good decisions about environmental issues.

Community Indicators 2006 2007 2008 High School Graduation Rate 70.0% 72.1% 74.3% Percent of Adults over age 25 with 31.0% 32.4% 30.9% an Undergraduate Degree Percent of Adults over 25 with a 11.0% 11.0% 10.6% Graduate Degree Elementary School Attendance 96.0% 95.9% Percentage of Public Schools that 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% are Fully Accredited Kindergarten Children Needing 13.8% 13.0% 12.0% Reading Remediation Dropout Rate: Grades 7 - 12 1.22% 1.20% 1.15%

Strategic Plan ~ 33 December 2009

3-Year Plan 2010 - 2012 Strategy: We work with the community to ensure that every child is born healthy, QELL1 continues to thrive and enters kindergarten ready to succeed in school and in life. (Jenefer Snyder)

Initiatives: • Implement Virginia Beach Smart Beginnings Community Plan, including regional Smart Beginnings initiatives • Transform the children’s services and spaces of all Virginia Beach public libraries into early literacy centers • Establish GrowSmart coalition as the system for implementing the matrix management philosophy for early childhood Strategy: We work with the community to provide lifelong learning opportunities QELL2 for individuals to achieve self-reliance, personal fulfillment and workforce preparedness and advancement. (Marcy Sims)

Initiatives: • Design and begin construction of TCC and City Joint Use Library at the Princess Anne Commons Academic Village (2010-2011) • Implement Phase 2 of the Small Business Resource Center within the Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library, including branding, promotion, marketing and Web content • Support State funding for the proposed TCC Workforce Development Center • Explore ways to incorporate lifelong learning opportunities within the Strategic Growth Areas • Increase educational outreach efforts in the Western Bayside Area Strategy: We collaborate with Virginia Beach City Public Schools to provide QELL3 learning experiences that ensure our students are empowered with the knowledge and skills necessary to meet challenges of the future. (Christine Caskey)

Initiatives: • Advocate for the School Board’s Extended Day Kindergarten initiative • Assist Schools in seeking private sector matching funding for the Virginia Preschool Initiative program for at-risk 4 year olds • Coordinate with Schools to increase awareness of 21st Century Workplace Readiness Skills among parents and businesses

Strategic Plan ~ 34 December 2009

Strategy: We work with the community to provide experiences that increase QELL4 environmental literacy – an understanding of the environment’s influence on you and your influence on the environment - by fostering awareness of how the natural world works; of concepts such as sustainability; and how our choices impact the environment. Initiatives: (Chris Witherspoon)

• Establish a team to develop a partnership program that will bring environmental education to underserved communities within Virginia Beach • Conduct an inventory of environmental programs available to citizens to identify needs Strategy: We increase the awareness in the community of the opportunities for QELL5 post-secondary education, including certificate, vocational, two-year, four-year and graduate degree programs. (Jerry Stewart)

Initiatives: • Explore the feasibility of creating an interactive website for post- secondary higher education opportunities • Develop an awareness campaign, targeted towards Virginia Beach citizens, promoting the available educational opportunities

Strategic Plan ~ 35 December 2009 Quality Organization

Desired Outcome Our municipal organization is a quality service provider and employer that delivers cost effective services and facilitates opportunities and desired outcomes valued by the community. We build and strengthen relationships of trust and understanding with the community and Members; conduct business in an open and fair manner; and protect, develop, and enhance community assets. We think and manage strategically, optimizing and aligning resources to achieve community outcomes. We employ a top quality diverse workforce committed to customer service, accountability, maximum productivity, energy conservation and innovation. We expect from the organization and its members a high degree of professionalism, which seeks excellence in our actions, processes, and procedures.

We, as an organization and individual members, foster an atmosphere of mutual accountability at all levels based on a set of shared values, expectations, and standards. To promote and strengthen a culture of accountability, we clearly communicate with one another openly, with courage and respect, in a manner that sends a clear message of responsibility, stewardship, and moral purpose. When performance fails to adhere to the organization’s values, expectations, and standards, we are obligated to confront this behavior, regardless of our position.

Current Reality Changes in How we Communicate and the Way We Work Social technologies have changed how we communicate with one another, and as a result, how we send and receive information. They have created new information channels that enable two-way communication and collaboration and, in effect, create a more transparent government. In order to stay relevant to our primary audiences - our employees and the citizens of Virginia Beach – it’s essential that we embrace this new frontier.

The most effective community involvement programs use a combination of approaches to reach a cross-section of citizens. After all, our community is made up of diverse groups that have diverse interests and obtain information in different ways. New technologies offer fresh opportunities to engage citizens quickly and cost-effectively – in the current fiscal environment this is more important than ever before.

Strategic Plan ~ 36 December 2009 Within the organization and externally, the City must communicate with a spectrum of generations. As the City’s workforce shifts, Web 2.0 technologies will grow increasingly important. Most studies report that individuals born after 1964 are more in tune with receiving their information electronically and are naturally accustomed to working in teams to collaborate with one another. This generation of workers and citizens wants information quickly, efficiently and with a personal touch, and Web 2.0 technologies will allow us to create mechanisms to do so.

Economic Pressures/Uncertainty The current economy presents challenges to the City of Virginia Beach in our efforts to continue to provide quality services and to maintain the level of services desired by our citizens. Among the factors to be addressed are the significant increases in the cost of energy and compensation, and the need to utilize volunteers whenever practical to minimize the increase in operating costs.

There are immediate and long-range commitments needed to decrease energy consumption by the City government and to ease the fiscal impact of energy costs. Measures are needed to encourage decreased energy consumption at work. In addition, the City continues to participate in the statewide electrical purchasing agreement with Dominion Virginia Power to obtain the best price for that energy utility, as well as to take advantage of contract agreements for natural gas that provide long-term pricing and stabilize the impact of this commodity on the operating budget.

While responding to the need to limit growth in the overall budget, the City is faced with the challenge of maintaining a competitive compensation program. Although the FY 2008-09 and FY 2009-10 operating budgets do contain a general increase for employees, to partially address the rising costs of compensation, no merit increase has been included for either year. In addition, on June 24, 2008, City Council approved a health care resolution that redesigned the health care plan, adjusted rates, and modified eligibility requirements, effective January 1, 2009 in another effort to reduce costs.

The economic challenges serve to encourage the increased use of volunteers in areas where it is financially impractical to add paid employees. Improved technology has increased the ability of the Office of Volunteer Resources to recruit, track, and coordinate volunteers.

Workforce Planning and Development By 2012 it is projected that 1,124 employees will be eligible for retirement. 606 employees were eligible to retire by December 2009. In 2009, the organization experienced 125 employment separations due to retirement. To help address concerns for the potential loss of institutional knowledge, City departments have been engaged in the Workforce Planning and Development Program.

Strategic Plan ~ 37 December 2009 Ninety percent of participating departments completed Phase 1 of the program and 42 percent completed Phase 2. Phase 1 activities included environmental scanning and identifying workforce trends and issues and Phase 2 included identifying organizational and individual gaps as well as developing actions steps to address gaps.

Factors impacting the completion of Phase 2 include the size of the department, body of work outlined by the department, existing service demands, and limited resources.

Value of Diversity in the Workforce A diverse workforce provides opportunities to obtain more perspective and more effective input and problem solving. While progress continues to be made, there are still areas where certain groups are underrepresented in certain job categories when compared to the Relevant Labor Market.

More Effective Citizen Involvement Due to the success of our 2007 pilot program to involve citizens in important issues that City Council was preparing to consider, all departments were provided with a Toolkit for Public Involvement in 2009. The materials provide information on the various types of citizen involvement and when it is appropriate to use them, execution guidelines, guidance on logistics, and more. In addition, staff from the Media and Communications group was made available for counsel to departments as needed.

Empowering the entire organization to embrace public input and providing them with the tools they need represents an important step forward in the ongoing citizen engagement process.

Busy schedules mean that citizens will appreciate convenient, comfortable, and quick ways to participate in their local government and the issues facing our community. Citizens may also enjoy combining the responsibility of staying informed with the opportunity for social interaction and one-to-one conversation with elected officials. Recognizing this, we will be challenged to move our public involvement efforts to the next level. This will require that we use the many different tools and social networking technologies at our disposal to involve more citizens, from a wider cross-section of the community.

Community Indicators 2006 2007 2008 Average Real Estate Taxes as a 3.6% 4.3% 4.4% Percentage of Median Household Income Citizen Satisfaction with Data NA 93.4% Data NA Services Value of Volunteer Service $14.1 $14.5 $13.2 (millions) Voter Turnout Rate 47.3% 17.1% 70.1% Strategic Plan ~ 38 December 2009

3-Year Plan 2010 - 2012 Strategy: We inform citizens about city services, issues, and projects and actively QO1 communicate and engage with stakeholders in a manner that values their input and involvement. (Mary Hancock)

Initiative: • Conduct Communication Skill Building Training (Mary Hancock) Strategy: We advance the public good through common resources management, a QO2 collaborative process that develops, aligns and mobilizes the full productive potential of our organization’s members, time, money, and technology and material resources in a manner that supports our strategy. (Patti Phillips)

Initiatives: • Create Business Continuity Awareness Plan (Patti Phillips) • Develop a Compensation , Benefits and Health Care Plan for New Employees: Options, Policy Direction and Action (Fagan Stackhouse) • Web 2.0 and Social Technologies: Applicability for Government Use (Gwen Cowart) • Develop Energy Conservation Awareness and Initiatives (Chuck Davis) • Develop Baseline and Core Competencies for Employees (Fagan Stackhouse) • Study the Applicability of Telecommuting Citywide (Fagan Stackhouse) Strategy: We increase organizational capacity by optimizing member awareness, QO3 member relationships, member responsibility and member opportunities. (Fagan Stackhouse)

Initiatives: • Workforce Planning and Development – Phase III (June 2010) (Fagan Stackhouse) • Performance Management System Pilot Program in several departments (Fagan Stackhouse) *Pending Item

Strategic Plan ~ 39 December 2009 Strategy: We engage our community in government and enhance City services QO4 through a strong partnership with a volunteer workforce that offers diverse volunteer opportunities to our citizens and recognizes their individual talents. (Mary Russo)

Initiative: • Pursue additional Opportunities for the Use of Volunteers for City Programs (Mary Russo) Strategy: We make the most effective use of public resources through efficient QO5 services that reflect community priorities and monitor the indicators of our organizational and departmental performance. (Catheryn Whitesell)

Initiatives: • Assess Tax Rate Strategies and their Impact on Projects and Debt Limit (Catheryn Whitesell) • Ensure Optional Utilization of Federal Stimulus Dollars – Strategies & Projects (Catheryn Whitesell) • Budgetary Evaluation of Major Community Project Packages (Catheryn Whitesell) Strategy: We increase the organization’s ability to learn, adapt and excel in a QO6 constantly changing environment. (Kathy Hevey)

Initiative: • Establish Foundations for the Use of Collaborative Learning Technologies (March 2010) (Kathy Hevey) Strategy: We value and actively recruit and retain a diverse workforce and QO7 business base reflective of our community. (Fagan Stackhouse)

Initiatives: • Increase City Expenditures paid to Minority Businesses to 10% of Expenditures (Patti Phillips) • Increase Employment for Underrepresented Groups in Accordance with the City’s Equal Employment Opportunity Plan (Fagan Stackhouse)

Strategic Plan ~ 40 December 2009 Quality Physical Environment

Desired Outcome In Virginia Beach, we treasure the beauty of our City and continually improve the quality of our service delivery systems. Those who live, work, and visit our city enjoy imaginative building architecture and site designs. There is orderliness to our urban, suburban and rural land use patterns. All public and private development respects the natural environment, recognizes the importance of fiscal and physical sustainability and employs design features that achieve continually higher levels of energy efficiency. Our citizens are proud of our safe, clean and attractive neighborhoods that foster a strong sense of community and provide a range of opportunities for all citizens to live in housing suitable to their needs and means. Our neighborhoods are stable and free of blight, and the City’s investment in infrastructure is preserved through adequate funding and proper maintenance.

We provide effective and efficient mobility options for our citizens, businesses and visitors including roadways, transit systems, railways, bikeways, pedestrian-ways and trails. We implement well-coordinated plans and programs to reduce local and regional transportation demand. The beauty of our natural waterways, beaches, marshes and open spaces is highlighted and the quality of our natural environment is sustained and enhanced for the recreational, cultural, educational, and aesthetic enjoyment of our citizens and visitors. The City provides advanced information-based technologies that support quality governance and serve a well-informed citizenry.

Current Reality “In 1997, the amount of undeveloped land north of the Green Line was estimated to be roughly 13,000 acres. As of 2007, this figure was estimated to be less than 5,000 acres and is one of the key factors used to assess the City’s comprehensive land use planning strategy.” Due to this increased development, more roadway lane miles were added to our existing infrastructure for maintenance.

The current levels of investment in roadway maintenance are not adequate to sustain an appropriate level of quality in the inventory. If uncorrected, this will lead to an unaddressed growth in the backlog of maintenance and repair, and consequently, deterioration of the roadway system. Because of the continued growth in material costs, increased usage on roadways, extended delays of new road projects, and the advancing age of the infrastructure, the Pavement Quality Index is trending Strategic Plan ~ 41 December 2009 downward. The costs of asphaltic materials has risen 55% over the course of the past 5 years while the maintenance budget has remained relatively constant. City Council recently recognized this trend and approved a 1-time increase of $2M each to the Pavement Maintenance and Street Reconstruction CIP’s for FY10. The average cycle for repaving, which is targeted at once every 15 years, is projected at 32.6 years in FY09. Currently, 80% of the roadway inventory is over 15 years old and 46% is over 35 years old. The combination of these factors will generate a future maintenance backlog of about $7M each year.

The state’s roadway construction funding from the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Six-Year Urban Program from FY ‘09 – FY ’14 has been reduced from $62.8M to $10.2M, and with the FY ’10 – FY ’15 now reduced to zero dollars. These reductions are historic, and will not only affect our quality physical environment, but will affect our strategic initiatives as well.

We obtained federal economic stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009, along with state funding of $50.4M, which allow us to begin and complete a number of crucial roadway and transportation projects for our city. While funding is at an all-time low for badly needed transportation projects, the City is working together to meet that need as efficiently as possible.

Community Indicators 2006 2007 2008 Open Space Acreage per 1,000 14.14 15.54 15.54 Population Percent of Residential Waste 32.0% 33.0% 17.0% Stream Recycled Percentage of Street System 79.0% 74.0% 73.0% Meeting Minimum Physical Condition Rating Percent of Roads that are in the 18.0% 18.2% 18.8% Two Lowest Grades of Transportation Efficiency (new measure) Citizen Satisfaction with the City’s Data NA 95.6% Data NA Appearance Citizen Satisfaction with the Flow Data NA 36.0% Data NA of Traffic Average Commute Time (in 22.2 23.0 22.5 minutes) Commute to Work Using Public 0.9% 0.7% 1.4% Transportation

Strategic Plan ~ 42 December 2009 3-Year Plan 2010 - 2012 Strategy: We create a sustainable transportation system that supports the mobility QPE1 needs of all citizens in our community through the development of an effective multi-modal, multi-purpose transportation system that connects areas of the City to one another, the City to other areas of the region to one another, and the region to the rest of the world. (Jack Whitney)

Initiatives: • Assess Major State Roads Project and Strategies and align as appropriate in our Master Transportation Plan and lobby the General Assembly • Implement the Master Transportation • Coordinate with HRTPO to prepare Regional Transportation Elements ° 2030 Plan Amendment* ° Transit Vision Plan for Hampton Roads ° Obtain Record of Decision for Southeastern Parkway and Greenbelt* ° 2034 LRP (2012) • Assist in study of I-264 Interchanges improvements and funding alternatives • Provide direction and action plans related to policies of the Light Rail Transportation Corridor Study* • Complete Norfolk Southern Right-of-Way Acquisition (2010)* Strategy: We maintain and improve the functionality of existing transportation QPE2 corridors, identifying and preserving corridors so that future generations will have the opportunity to respond to mobility demands that may be unforeseen today. (John Fowler)

Initiatives: • Begin Construction - Nimmo Parkway Project* • Begin Princess Anne Road Project* • Shore Drive Improvement Implementation* • Complete Wesleyan Drive* • Construct Baker Road* Strategy: We continue to develop and maintain our publicly owned utility systems QPE3 and services to serve the current and future needs of our community. (Tom Leahy)

Initiative: • Public Utility Infrastructure/Implementation of Regional Consent Order

Strategic Plan ~ 43 December 2009 Strategy: We ensure that development codes and their application allow flexibility QPE4 so that designs advance quality/sustainability and recognize the needs and preferences of our citizens, while respecting the diverse character of our housing, neighborhoods and surrounding areas. (Jack Whitney)

Initiatives: • Codes - Design Flexibility, including Form-Based Codes, will be prepared in accordance with the policies of the Comprehensive Plan update, as amended • Zoning Ordinance Review and appropriate amendments Strategy: We ensure that all Virginia Beach properties, both public and private are QPE5 maintained to protect public safety, health and welfare, preserve the natural environment, enhance economic vitality and promote civic pride. (Frank Fentress)

Initiatives: • Develop a plan that supports increased community involvement and partnerships and further enhances existing partnerships that contribute to these goals • Development of a sustainable Urban Forest Management Plan • Preserve open space through the implementation of the Outdoors Plan • Ensure sufficient, consistent, sustained and systematic enforcement of development, building, property maintenance, zoning and environmental health codes • Assist and facilitate citizen actions to maintain private property • Implementation of new Onsite Regulations and development of inventory of all Alternative and Soil Drainage Management Systems in the City Strategy: We encourage public and private developments and operations that QPE6 adhere to principles that protect the quality and sustainability of our natural environment while preserving and promoting efficient use of energy and other resources. (Jack Whitney)

Initiatives: • Implement approved Green Ribbon Committee Recommendations into Comprehensive Plan and implement as feasible • Integrate environmental protection and energy efficiency components into SGA plans • Continue to pursue alternative energy initiatives • Create a strategy for sustainability and centralize authority and responsibility to coordinate and implement this strategy

Strategic Plan ~ 44 December 2009 Strategy: We advance the public interest while respecting the rights of property QPE7 owners through the creation and administration of sound planning policies, design guidelines and regulatory programs to achieve the highest possible quality physical environment. (Jack Whitney)

Initiatives: • Incorporate quality physical design guidelines into the Comprehensive Plan and Area Plans (including Transition Area)* • Identify and implement components of the Bayside Action Plan* to advance neighborhood quality Strategy: We recognize the value of diversity in the character of our neighborhoods QPE8 by planning a diverse mix of housing opportunities. (Andy Friedman)

Initiatives: • Workforce Housing Program Implementation and Marketing (Ongoing) • Revitalizing Housing Stock Program (Neighborhood Preservation Plan) • Webpage and Pattern Book • Tax abatement ordinance; Initiate Neighborhood Planning, Financial Resources (2010) • Housing Resource Center; Ongoing Neighborhood Planning (2011) Strategy: We inventory and continuously assess the condition of roads and other QPE9 public infrastructure and facilities to maintain an efficiently functioning City. We quantify and devote adequate resources and use maintenance management methods to fulfill our ownership responsibilities in achieving the optimum useful life of facilities and infrastructure. (Mark Gemender)

Initiatives: • Continuously employ infrastructure asset management methods in maintenance of Streets, Bridges, Stormwater associated infrastructure, Dams/Spillways and all Municipal Facilities within two years • Perform infrastructure condition assessments on 33% of appropriate infrastructure annually or more frequently should conditions warrant • Finish municipal building condition assessment within two years • Project maintenance and repair funding requirements annually Strategy: We take appropriate action to advance City ordinances and policies as QPE10 they relate to the Oceana Land Use Conformity (OLUC) program. (Jack Whitney)

Initiatives: • Implement the provisions of the OLUC program to achieve greater land use conformity without compromising the stability of established residential neighborhoods • Coordinate evaluations of land use conformity issues with the U.S. Navy through the approved Memorandum of Understanding review

Strategic Plan ~ 45 December 2009 process (Ongoing) Strategy: We develop and implement programs to preserve and improve the water QPE11 quality of receiving waterways through effective stormwater management programs and investments in all watersheds. (Phill Roehrs)

Initiatives: • Complete Lynnhaven River Environmental Restoration Study • Develop Total Daily Maximum Load Implementation Plans for Impaired Waterways • Review Stormwater Management Code • Manager Stormwater and Ditch Maintenance Program with Funding Limitations* • Expand No Discharge Zone to Rudee Inlet Basin (2010) Strategy: We provide environmentally responsible, reliable, and cost effective QPE12 waste management services by providing high quality customer service, collections, and landfill operations; by providing convenient recycling opportunities and beneficial environmental education; and by planning effectively for long term disposal. (Phil Davenport)

Initiatives: • Develop Post 2018 Solid Waste Management Strategic Plan (2010) • Implement Collection Route Optimization Plan (2010) • Develop and Implement Recycling Initiatives (2010) • Develop and Implement Waste Minimization Initiatives (2010) Strategy: We develop and implement programs to preserve and improve our QPE13 coastlines and waterways. (Phill Roehrs)

Initiatives: • Sand/Beach Replenishment* ° Resort Beach Replenishment (2010) ° Sandbridge Beach Replenishment (2011) ° Cape Henry Beach Replenishment (2010) • Dredging Navigable Waterways* ° Western Branch Lynnhaven River (2010) ° Lynnhaven Inlet (2009) ° Rudee Inlet (Ongoing) Strategy: We implement programs that enable communications and information QPE14 technology infrastructure and connectivity between end users and the information services. (Rob Jessen)

Initiatives: • Explore opportunities for common transportation corridors, conduits and connections • Study wireless and fiber communications *Pending Item

Strategic Plan ~ 46 December 2009 Safe Community

Desired Outcome A Safe Community provides our residents the freedom to enjoy their lives and achieve their goals without fear from danger, injury or damage. If there is a catastrophic event, the community is prepared to quickly respond and recover. A sense of safety and security is evident in the home, the workplace, in schools and on roadways.

Health and safety are not solely the responsibilities of government. A partnership between the government and the community has the information and resources to promote individual wellness and to adequately protect themselves and their families from personal health threats. The people of Virginia Beach deserve to live in a healthy and safe environment.

The following are elements of our Safe Community:

Education Prevention Planning Knowledge, Training and Resources Response Recovery

Current Reality Health and safety are the foundations of individual and community prosperity. Safety is the quality or condition of being safe. It includes freedom from danger, injury or damage. It means having a sense of security. Safety involves both being safe and feeling safe, in all aspects of life. A safe community provides all citizens with the opportunity to achieve their goals.

In the area of personal safety, 92.8% of our residents feel safe in their own neighborhood, and 82.1% of 12th graders feel safe in school. The sense of feeling safe is an individual perception. It can be influenced by any number of personal and societal factors, and could dramatically fluctuate from day-to-day. It also may be counter- intuitive with actual data.

Virginia Beach is generally a healthy and safe place to live, work, visit and play. This is achieved through a partnership between government and citizens creating a

Strategic Plan ~ 47 December 2009 comprehensive and quality system that promotes wellness and effectively prevents and responds to threats of the health and safety of the community.

Virginia Beach, like any city, is vulnerable to natural, technological, and man-made hazards, which places the community at risk. The city maintains a comprehensive emergency preparedness program that works to mitigate the impact of disasters, fosters community preparedness, develops the capability to respond to large scale emergencies, and plans for the activities related to the recovery from disasters. The City works regionally to advance the level of preparedness and the ability to coordinate response to disasters in a regional setting through increased interoperability efforts, medical response capabilities, and emergency planning contingency development.

Beyond emergency planning, safe community involves individual health and physical safety concerns. For four indicators of health, (infant death rate, heart disease death rate, lung cancer death rate and AIDS infection rate) Virginia Beach ranked better than the state average and better than each of the other five large cities in the Hampton Roads region. In the areas of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease there is work to be done since the City continues to rank higher than the state average.

In addition, the City is becoming more diverse, 9% of residents were born outside of the United States, requiring different approaches to communication and cultural sensitivities. The Safe Community Team is focusing on issues affecting neighborhood safety through community awareness and involvement, programs targeted at anti- social behavior exhibited by young adults, truancy intervention and prevention strategies, and positive youth development programs.

Community Indicators 2006 2007 2008 Percent of Residents who Data NA¹ 92.8% Data NA Believe their Neighborhood is Safe Violent Crime Rate 2.9 2.6 2.4 Property Crime Rate 30.3 30.6 29.6 Number of Structural Fires 455 470 471 Number of Juvenile Arrests 4,558 4,393 4,191 Perception of Safety in Public Schools • 5th Grade 83.2% 92.8% 93.5% • 8th Grade 50.8% 67.1% 68.7% • 12th Grade 68.9% 87.4% 82.1% ¹Citizen Survey every other year

Strategic Plan ~ 48 December 2009 3-Year Plan 2010 - 2012 Strategy: We work with the community to be ready and able to face a major SC1 disaster and to recover in a timely manner utilizing internal and external resources. (Steve Cover)

Initiatives: • Conduct formal emergency exercise programs for City departments and other stakeholders each year • Update shelter plans for residents and visitors and develop plans for companion animals (2009) • Enhance health and safety education and prevention Strategy: We foster an environment where residents and visitors feel safe SC2 throughout our City. (Jake Jacocks)

Initiatives: • Identify and address issues related to immigration and cultural diversity in counsel with other SITs • Evaluate and identify a model action plan that addresses the community needs of certain segments of the City ° Bayside Action Plan ° Town Center • To evaluate and prevent anti-social behavior in youth and young adults by continuing work with the Gang Taskforce and the Juvenile Court on truancy

Strategic Plan ~ 49 December 2009 Acknowledgements

Many people deserve thanks for their hard work and consistent effort to bring this Strategic Plan to fruition.

City Council set goals and direction to create our desired future as a City. The Strategic Issue Teams have continued strategic planning to develop strategies and actions to achieve this desired future. Other members of the organization have willingly picked up some of the day to day work of those involved thus insuring continued service to our customers.

The Strategic Coordinating Group has worked to integrate the Strategic Issue Team’s products into our plan. The Strategy Rewrite Group has updated the Strategy to provide the context for the 3-Year Plan and present this Strategic Plan.

Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction. – John F. Kennedy

Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world. – Joel A. Barker

Strategic Plan ~ 50 December 2009