The City of New Braunfels has begun the process of creating its next Strategic Plan, which will lay out the City’s guiding principles, strategic priorities, mission, and vision for the future. A strategic plan serves as a blueprint for the long-term sustainability of the City, its programming, services, operations, and infrastructure. Effective strategic plans shape not only where an organization is going and the actions needed to make progress, but also how it will know if those plans are successful. To assist with this process, the City has contracted with BerryDunn, a national consulting firm, which will coordinate with City Council, City Administration, key community stakeholders, and the public throughout the process.
“Creating a strategic plan is a purposeful and disciplined effort that prioritizes mission-critical activities and how to align the City’s budget with those priorities to increase efficiency and effectiveness,” said New Braunfels City Manager Robert Camareno. “If the City doesn’t think strategically and make the effort to plan for the future, we may struggle to maintain our focus, which could affect the progress we make toward the outcomes that are most important for the residents and businesses in our community.”
The Strategic Plan process includes 4 project phases:
Phase 1 - Spring 2023: Project Initiation and Planning
Phase 2 - Summer 2023: Evaluation of Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Challenges
Phase 3 - Fall 2023: Development of Strategic Plan
Phase 4 - Winter 2024: Implementation of Strategic Plan
Currently, Phase 2 is underway and includes gathering valuable input from the New Braunfels community. There are a number of ways residents can participate in the process:
- A brief survey where residents can provide their input on the City’s plans and goals is available at www.newbraunfels.gov/strategicplan.
- Residents can also provide long-form input by leaving comments at www.newbraunfels.gov/strategicplan.
- The City will also be hosting four community forums to explain the Strategic Plan process and to provide residents another opportunity to participate. Here is the schedule for those meetings:
- Tuesday, August 29 at 12pm – NBU Service Center (355 FM 306)
- Tuesday, August 29 at 6pm – New Braunfels Public Library (700 East Common St.)
- Thursday, August 31 at 12pm – New Braunfels Police Department (3030 West San Antonio St.)
- Thursday, August 31 at 6pm – New Braunfels Civic & Convention Center (375 South Castell Ave.)
To learn more about the New Braunfels Strategic Plan process and for updates throughout the process, visit www.newbraunfels.gov/strategicplan.
