Three months into the year, the city of Morgan Hill is on
schedule with its adopted list and timeline of goals for 2010.
Three months into the year, the city of Morgan Hill is on schedule with its adopted list and timeline of goals for 2010.
Approved by the city council in January, the first goal – to revise the traffic element of the general plan – was completed last month. On April 1, the council, acting as the Redevelopment Agency board, will consider partnering with developers to bring new residences and shops to four downtown properties – another goal established at the beginning of the year.
Councilmember Marby Lee said this year’s goal-setting retreat was different from those of previous years because the council decided to take a more long-term view of what it can establish now for the city’s future.
“We were looking 10 years into the future, at what we’d like to see Morgan Hill as in 2020,” Lee said.
City Manager Ed Tewes said even though right now Morgan Hill is strained with financial problems that will require at least $1.8 million in service cuts starting in July, the city has to consider how it will continue providing normal services.
“The council did a good job of looking forward, because once the budget problems (are gone) we still have a commitment to improve the quality of life for the people of Morgan Hill,” Tewes said.
Perhaps the most ambitious goal on the list is the implementation of the Downtown Specific Plan, which was adopted last year. That goal includes acquiring new properties, selling some currently city-owned properties to developers, and considering a new streetscape design for Monterey Street.
The goals also include adopting a plan to develop the city’s Southeast Quadrant while preserving open space in the region.
And by June 30, Tewes will outline the process, likely to take a number of years, to comprehensively update the General Plan. Such an update would ideally begin in 2011, if the city has enough money to do so. The General Plan sets policies and guidelines for land use and zoning, regulates the ultimate size of the community, the pace and quality of growth and the diversity of available housing options.
The city will continue to study the possibility of regionalizing fire and emergency medical services in South County as a way to improve service and save money.
Another goal is to develop a strategy to diversify the economic base by attracting new businesses and other economic development opportunities here. The purpose of that goal is to provide a sustainable tax base to support city services and bring more job opportunities.
“These goals are realistic, challenging, and I’m personally excited about trying to meet these goals this year,” Councilwoman Marilyn Librers said.
More on the city council’s 2010 goals can be seen at www.morganhilltimes.com
