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Contact Info:
Doug Rux
Community Development Director
503.691.3018

A vision without a task is but a dream. A task without a vision is drudgery. A vision and a task together are the hope of the world. - found in a church in Essex, England 1730.

Some Answers about Tualatin Tomorrow's Strategic Action Plan

Tualatin Tomorrow's Vision and Strategic Action Plan was accepted by the Tualatin City Council on June 25, 2007.

What is the Strategic Action Plan and what will happen with this version?

The Action Plan is our map that outlines the actions that we are taking now or plan to take in the near future to move in the direction of our Achieving Tualatin Tomorrow's Vision. It is by no means a complete plan for the entire 20-year period. It is designed to have the adaptability to move quicker if possible to adapt to changing circumstances in the community, and to have the flexibility to change a path to overcome barriers where they may exist.

Will the Strategic Action Plan change?

Yes, but hopefully not radically. We should be open always to new and better ideas. The Action Plan's flexibility allows us to take advantage of such opportunities. However, from one year to the next, we would not expect significant changes to most of the actions. Most actions are well thought out and achievable. Others may hit barriers that will require minor changes in course or, in some case, new actions. An Implementation Committee will provide the forum for such discussions.

How are Actions prioritized?

Lead partners - those who have taken responsibility for shepherding and Action through to its completion - will prioritize the actions they have agreed to take on based on resources available, their own on-going plans and projects and other similar criteria. We might expect some gentle prodding by the Implementation Committee if no activity is occurring on the part of partners, as the Actions are voluntary. If a Lead Partner finds that it cannot take on a task, the Implementation Committee will serve as the forum for discussion about what to do next. This Committee will serve as a problem-solving resource. In some cases, this may mean finding a new lead partner; in other cases, it may mean working creatively to identify additional resources to help the partner move the action forward. In yet another instance, it may mean delaying an action until circumstances are more favorable.

Why does the City of Tualatin have so many actions?

As the primary services provider, we would expect the City to have a majority of the actions. However, we also expect other community groups and agencies to step forward as well. As of May 2007, we have been talking to 23 potential Lead Partners. Three have declined participation; seven have accepted. The remaining Lead Partners are pending. We expect that the Implementation Committee will continue to seek and work with new Lead Partners and continue to build this capacity.

How will Tualatin get all of this done?

Not all Actions need to be completed right away. This is a 20-year plan. It reflects the Vision, which is a statement of a preferred future in the year 2030. It's worth noting that a 20-year Vision is NOT something we should expect to achieve in the first few years. We do expect to accomplish quite a bit the first couple of years because we have some 'low hanging fruit' to harvest. However, we expect continual progress from year to year and we would expect that new actions would be added as logical next steps to some of those actions that are completed. The Strategic Action Plan provides smaller achievable steps that can keep the community moving in a positive direction.

When the Action Plan is done, how will Tualatin make sure it doesn't move to a shelf to gather dust?

The Action Plan gets us to a starting line; an Implementation Committee actually makes sure we leave the starting line and stay on course. The Steering Committee created a framework for an Implementation Committee. This Committee will check on Strategic Action Plan progress and assist with moving actions forward.

On June 25, 2007, the Tualatin City Council unanimously passed a resolution authorizing the formation of an ad hoc Implementation Committee to operate during a six-month window starting in July. This ad hoc committee is being convened now to maintain heard-earned project momentum and provide opportunities for some early implementation success. Both the adhoc and the longer-term Committee will be comprized of citizens and Lead Partner representatives. It is expected that the longer-term Implementation Committee will be up and running by January 2008.

On actions where the City is a lead partner, how will the City incorporate its tasks into its budget process.

During late Summer - Fall 2007, the City Council will discuss this topic at one or more Council work sessions. City Council will also be exploring ways that the City can link its mission statement and City Council Goals to make sure they are in alignment with the Tualatin Tomorrow Vision.