FOLEY – Keeping Foley’s friendliness, heritage and other charms as the area grows is a goal of the strategic plan being developed for the city.
City officials, residents and plan organizers have been working for several months to produce a plan to guide Foley’s development over the next five years. A draft of the plan should be ready for adoption in about two months, Karen Whichard, a consultant with BerryDunn, the company working with Foley on the plan, told City Council members.
During the development process, planners have met with residents, conducted a series of online and in-person surveys and met with city officials and community leaders.
She said that in the meetings and surveys, residents often described Foley officials and their neighbors as friendly.
“You place courtesy, approachability and inclusivity at the forefront of how you interact with people,” Whichard said. “Relationships are important and it’s really what that core value is about.”
She said Foley is changing, but residents also want to keep the community’s charm as the city grows.
“People like how this town looks and feels, the history, the culture and that vibe of folks have been here for a long time,” Whichard said. “The excellent services but service delivery mindset that people talked about. Forward thinking that’s an important phrase in this community. A forward town and then noting that the community is becoming increasingly diverse. It’s becoming diverse as people move here, as they age.”
Whichard said residents feel that Foley’s leaders listen to the community and provide needed public services.
“You all are known to be really responsive to your community,” Whicard told council members. “People complimented you on that in the forum’s and then the interviews we gave. Public safety and public works are really appreciated for their quality.”
The city’s historic downtown is another asset mentioned by many residents.
“People love downtown. They want more of that vibrancy and beautification,” Whichard said. “ I think that in every presentation they mentioned that it looks great right now.”
She said residents are worried about growth and its effects on services such as roads.
“There are concerns about growth,” she said. “That’s not a surprise to anyone in this room. Ease of transportation and types of transportation are a concern.”
She said Foley’s basic values practiced by employees and residents are a good foundation for growth.
“The core values include integrity, service, friendly, well prepared stewardship and creativity,” she said. “This is how Foley’s staff approaches the work, what you all think is important – obviously integrity, being honest and transparent. Service captures that mindset of being so responsive to the community. Be dependable, friendly.”
The plan sets several priorities for the city. Priorities include maintaining a livable community economic development, community safety, culture, organizational excellence and arts and recreational experiences.
Maintaining a livable community means ensuring that Foley continues to be a good place to live as the community continues to grow, she said. This can include preserving the historic areas of the city as a framework for Foley.
Economic development includes attracting new industries that are the right fit for Foley and can be recruited to the area.
Whichard said residents gave the city high ranks for community safety in discussions and surveys. She said safety includes more than just police and fire protection.
“Community safety priority is really a lot about not only people feeling safe from the traditional police and fire standpoint, but all the work that goes into making the community safe, whether it’s street designs or playground safety, park safety, all of that,” Whichard said. “Because, that is such a fundamental element of somewhere being a good place to live is that it’s a safe community.”
Cultural arts and recreation is a priority for both residents and visitors. Tourists come for amenities such as sports events, shopping and parks, while residents also enjoy the trails, culture and performing arts.
Organizational excellence provides a foundation for continuing to meet the demands of growth. Organization includes financial planning as well as preparing city services, such as police, fire and public works, to meet growing demands.