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Parkland Mayor Explains Why 2022 Strategic Planning Meetings Won’t Be Live-Streamed or Recorded

by Sharon Aron Baron April 9, 2022

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The 2022 strategic planning meetings are held at the Parkland Library.

By Michelle Spitzer

City leaders begin two consecutive days of strategic planning meetings on Sunday and Monday, and officials are encouraging residents to attend or submit input, as the meetings will not be live-streamed.

The commission and leaders of the city staff meet annually to develop strategic goals for the upcoming Fiscal Year. With the guidance of a moderator, they discuss and rank current challenges and opportunities and then determine policy actions to support the city’s goals and guiding principles for the upcoming fiscal year.

The meeting is subject to the Sunshine Law, which means the city must notify the public, and minutes need to be taken. However, it is not required that the meetings be video recorded, which some residents have inquired about.

“I think personally people are more comfortable when they aren’t being video recorded,” Mayor Rich Walker said at this week’s city commission meeting. “I have zero problems with it being voice recorded. I want myself and the staff to be as comfortable as possible, so we get the most out of strategic planning.”

Walker pointed out that a lot of city leaders from other municipalities go on retreats for their strategic planning meetings, making it difficult to video record. City Manager City Morando echoed that statement.

“It is referred to as a retreat, and the purpose of strategic planning is to take you out of your norm and to bring you together to make you comfortable brainstorming,” she said. “I think if it’s videoed, it would take away from people throwing out good ideas.”

The meetings will be held Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Both days are in the Children’s Wing of the Parkland Library. Meetings could go a little late or end early depending on how the days progress.

The agenda for the 2022 strategic planning meetings are Sunday and Monday. The 2021 strategic plan is published here.

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Sharon Aron Baron

Sharon Aron Baron is a Parkland resident and editor of Talk Media. She has been covering Parkland news since 2012. Parkland Talk was created to provide News, Views, and Entertainment for the residents of Parkland.