-Visioning Program For 2020-
Chapter 4
HOW TO GET THERE

Making the vision a reality requires a commitment on the part of the community and its various institutions. This commitment can emerge through the development of a General Plan as well as a community-wide Strategic Plan. Every California city is required to have a General Plan that serves as a blueprint for the future growth and development of the city. Each General Plan is required to address the following seven elements: land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open space, noise, and safety. A city can choose to adopt additional elements such as community design and economic development. The City of West Covina last updated its General Plan in 1985 (The housing element was updated in 1995.) The West Covina 2020 Vision Document can serve as the first step in the development of a new General Plan.

Unlike the General Plan, a strategic plan is not a legally required document, but the development of a Strategic Plan can provide essential input for the General Plan while also addressing opportunities that may go beyond the scope of the General Plan. For instance, the Strategic Plan can identify community organizations and volunteers who can assume specific responsibilities for implementing projects designed to help achieve the 2020 Vision that are best handled by members of the community rather than the City. In addition, there may be many projects requiring the joint action of the City as well as other organizations and institutions outside the city government.

The next page of this documents represents an example of an action plan "grid" that provides a consistent organizing mechanism for documenting the output of a strategic planning process. It establishes a framework for a Strategic Plan by suggesting how it could be organized and what component elements should be included. The West Covina 2020 Vision can be drawn upon to identify major strategic themes or programs within which to develop and implement future actions and projects.

One example, is a major theme identified for the Citizen's Congress and presented in this document: "Our Kids: How We Serve Our Youth." Other strategic areas might include the development of a central gathering place, economic development, and so forth. Each strategic area would then include a variety of actions and projects designed to achieve that portion of the Vision represented by its particular theme. In the example below, possible projects to address the "youth" theme are identified in the first column of the action grid. Other columns deal with the estimated time frame for completion of the project, which institutions or individuals will assume lead responsibility for the project, success measures, and potential resources or funding sources.

This is merely an example of one section of a possible strategic plan for the City of West Covina. The actual strategic plan should be developed by those community organizations, civic leaders, and city departments who will eventually be responsible for its implementation. This will help to ensure ownership of the plan and the various programs and projects required to turn the vision into a reality.

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