[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6587939,"mediaKeyId","5528673-96674441ae59b0980fb6f454287f2194","parentId",5528673,"title","Strategic Planning Committee approves July 7 minutes; no substantive votes taken on strategic-plan drafts","audioSeconds",2986,"startMs",971000,"endMs",3957000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5528673-96674441ae59b0980fb6f454287f2194&start=971&end=3957","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5528673-96674441ae59b0980fb6f454287f2194/thumbnail_971000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6587939/Winchester-City/Frederick-County/Virginia/Strategic-Planning-Committee-approves-July-7-minutes-no-substantive-votes-taken-on-strategic-plan-drafts","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6587939-91f520a30645a5bbbce49718d809f320/orig.mp4?Expires=1770496798&Signature=NjOTMhw5~u2kmzKcxfCe5jinwpZX8KR6uqQr9aUt8YNwowD~0asmVosnT27gv0nc0FGROzo57rMY22eoQGSBbcNsGWN0mEH0yP1U7Z~n-98leoTdQn5nBnmxytTBQEA6EgiXn3MsPQRxD6UcunPYUw9d~Op7sHR2~wmvYD3Z35qSaWDMDtOCP3PLXW4v9SRThfsdQ~8emheVAxWiIeSDDaoWAVCNoTrJH2S90AwjBJ95mHJimtkJmuUdVtJm6Cx1o~9zP2RFjOZRm3649RevpX4mg7vjRIuDrabiWRfY4PvD2txyh~po~JJSJDFncO1RkvhDm-2giHkW~iiqVwhVtg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Winchester","date","2025-08-04T00:00:00Z","article","The Winchester City Strategic Planning Committee began its meeting with roll call and a voice vote to approve the minutes from the July 7 meeting. A committee member made a motion to approve the minutes, a second was recorded and members present responded \"Aye.\" No recorded roll-call vote or named tally was provided in the transcript.

After approving minutes, the committee heard draft presentations from communications, human resources and finance staff. Committee members asked questions and offered feedback; staff said they would return revised drafts at a future work session. The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn that passed by voice vote.

Ending: The committee set follow-up work sessions for strategic-plan chapters in September and did not adopt or finalize any strategic-plan policies at this meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Winchester - City Council - Strategic Planning Committee - 3:00 PM - Aug 04 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Strategic Planning Committee opened with a roll call and approved minutes from the July 7 meeting by voice vote; committee members then heard presentations on communications, human resources and finance but took no formal votes on those draft items.","taxTitle","Winchester City, Frederick County, Virginia","taxId",5107,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6587945,"Winchester City outlines finance priorities: review fees, protect AAA rating, modernize financial systems",268,3668000,3936000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5528673-96674441ae59b0980fb6f454287f2194&start=3668&end=3936","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5528673-96674441ae59b0980fb6f454287f2194/thumbnail_3668000.jpg","/articles/6587945/Winchester-City/Frederick-County/Virginia/Winchester-City-outlines-finance-priorities-review-fees-protect-AAA-rating-modernize-financial-systems","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6587945-2c51a50d57925b167dfe598bdaff1e84/orig.mp4?Expires=1770496798&Signature=Dp2gWJ5n-bYcBOHsUnabsMRmOJf7CymgroyWH5AdoSdVtoFCAcFu8LpKXHr-jkQAM~xcZ9ETM1fERGewkjk~17Dbp6a4tyUOH9IsuIdSER-GYcbFsSrHWivC0N4QaDo~yQsD2hzBWs~7R71cXoEDSfn1uOTodXCxSF0wSB~wQq2BIXkP7WRMYlo0Wn~8ayWLs3r-lqpVy7JcFcQTk~IdveGdtTtlpNwA51BK1m2CpWim1~9~~qk67eWNYLFa3r51gXUj8xFRItK0QIYNIipKbRNt1DM3dfrsEA8hGJiNShhRqEjcirwWvSkjaSWN93it8WwRd58nTUrLf7cq56QoDg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Winchester City finance staff on Wednesday presented strategic priorities focused on revenue stability and the modernization of the city's financial technology.

Mary (finance presenter) told the Strategic Planning Committee the first priority is a comprehensive review of fees, taxes and charges for services to ensure those revenue sources adequately cover costs while complying with applicable fiscal policies. She said one objective is to preserve Winchester City's AAA bond rating, which the city first received in 2013.

\"Maintaining the AAA bond rating\" was listed as a key objective in the finance section, staff said; Mary added that the rating helps the city receive favorable interest rates for general-obligation bond sales.

Staff recommended an annual review of pilot programs that provide partial payments in lieu of taxes for certain tax-exempt properties and said those pilots differ by terms and review schedule. Committee members asked for a consolidated list of pilot programs, their expiration terms and review dates.

On systems, staff told the committee the city's core finance/ERP platform has reached the vendor's end-of-life and that a multi-year project to replace or modernize that platform will be required. Staff cautioned the effort could be a high-cost, multi-year undertaking that may include coordination with the school system and other partners who share modules of the current systems.

Performance measures proposed included maintaining clean audits, continuing to seek certificates of achievement for budget presentation and tracking metrics prioritized by rating agencies.

Ending: Finance staff said they will return with more detailed proposals and timelines; the committee agreed to continue finance items at a future work session.","Finance staff presented a high-level update on fee and tax reviews, pilot program monitoring, maintaining the city's AAA bond rating and a multiyear effort to modernize the city's finance/ERP systems.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6587949,"Winchester City proposes formal employee development, succession planning and local recruiting pipeline",662,2408000,3070000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5528673-96674441ae59b0980fb6f454287f2194&start=2408&end=3070","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5528673-96674441ae59b0980fb6f454287f2194/thumbnail_2408000.jpg","/articles/6587949/Winchester-City/Frederick-County/Virginia/Winchester-City-proposes-formal-employee-development-succession-planning-and-local-recruiting-pipeline","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6587949-750f07f30d745c84c242b4b98c5fab49/orig.mp4?Expires=1770496798&Signature=BZtuNwh6VfLNzWaBpk9mZ5o5AJ4ZhbBDa1PLtDuosqd7Bownbps3l7M0YFOa1MBpbP8pIMUyJ70~0DTlJc2SYbWugnieL~tC2zi~sCpzZBPCA2RYsHbYuyhqa~zgu5rWlNfjRVvICnXZlwVfaQPQsUHgC1-F-5fm-gvtix4Fv4AfNlzdUbSOfFRRUz4aj85b0sWx3kiNGydzbE7-0r57yFf5wdAjncCSLl29AR6v7BaOM8RSl0eWJUMIbvTfuVV0EmNMC2Pr0uQUCubxBuxLDht2kbPT3X6xk6MOEsuFZ55fWjeM0QzqWWgTPPtViDknf4hHg8gyFPM8mfs6WUXQeA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Winchester City human resources staff on Wednesday told the Strategic Planning Committee they intend to formalize informal development programs across departments, expand partnerships with local training providers and better structure recruitment pipelines.

Paul Anofsinger, joined by Austin, framed the HR goals around three priorities: employee development, succession planning and partnerships with local training and innovation partners. \"We want to take what we're doing informally and really look at it and spend some time on it and making it more formal,\" Anofsinger said.

Staff described existing programs they want to expand or standardize: more consistent soft-skills training (communication, leadership, customer service), a formal mentorship structure, expanded internship coordination with local institutions such as the Innovation Center and Shenandoah-area partners, and structured pathways from local training programs into city jobs for water, wastewater and public services.

The presentation included details about work with the local correctional facility's workforce program. Staff said the city currently hires inmates who work on sanitation crews and that, for individuals completing the detention program, the city often offers a 90-day part-time period before full-time hiring is considered.

Anofsinger and committee members discussed difficult-to-fill positions such as dispatchers, where staff said burnout, shift work and the emotional load of the job contribute to turnover.

Staff also reported on the employee clinic: presenters said about half of clinic visitors use it as primary care and that utilization has risen since the clinic opened. Staff did not provide a definitive figure for reductions in sick leave or workers' compensation tied to the clinic but said the city will pull data to evaluate fiscal impacts.

Ending: Committee members endorsed further development of the HR proposals and directed staff to refine implementation details and metrics for review at a future meeting.","Human resources staff presented goals to formalize career development, expand apprenticeship/intern programs (including coordination with the detention facility workforce) and grow an employee clinic that staff say is increasingly used as primary care.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6587954,"Winchester City staff present draft communications strategy emphasizing trust, reach and listening",0,2939000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5528673-96674441ae59b0980fb6f454287f2194&start=2939&end=2939","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5528673-96674441ae59b0980fb6f454287f2194/thumbnail_2939000.jpg","/articles/6587954/Winchester-City/Frederick-County/Virginia/Winchester-City-staff-present-draft-communications-strategy-emphasizing-trust-reach-and-listening","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6587954-e26c2a0e7c356b30ed95ad0afe12e3cd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770496798&Signature=c7T~~~mh5K7Kfl-jYQet~C2cM~Cz1bKogMyssUiFwohI35mt6A7dFb-jKxzyi0WMi-QkHWy3-XB1mboSK147YMxYVowVmYzcfDP9HPnFwhvM1bbuI3A2hRb7YLPkL7v4nsiOZH0hTLkn26DCbeLgFNgaoy2XELTYlmmcDIbquPiVYIBVrYuKFn6mG4Ewzu1UjF857XU300qK1JUK0h7nPl921KQn3wdZ-gVCe~dWpY5dxteKzzkRPh5QjlzVt9a~nOhwbnYVLBpl7iBdGQRGI2FaawYTiQGceC0HcnJBwo61p11LnPUJ1-1nlyrtflTC8MTkIdqc1FtP5dYoQm6MqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Winchester City communications staff on Wednesday presented a draft communications strategy to the Strategic Planning Committee that seeks to build public trust by expanding reach, improving two-way feedback and strengthening community connections.

The plan, presented by Kit Redmer, organizes communications work around three pillars: inform, listen and build a community. Redmer said the plan is a rewrite of prior comms components and is intended as a discussion draft rather than a finished product. \"We inform, we listen, and we build a community,\" Redmer said, summarizing the approach.

The draft ties several operational items to those pillars. For the \"inform\" pillar staff proposed clearer metrics for reach (social media followers, click-through rates and online viewership), improved multilingual publications and a content calendar that includes monthly themes and biweekly content reviews. Redmer said staff are exploring a Spanish-language podcast and newsletter if resources permit.

On listening, staff described current tracking of contacts submitted through the city's website and recommended exploring a customer relationship management (CRM) tool to capture phone calls, emails and web interactions more systematically. \"We do have the ability to track those, and those are also routed directly to departments,\" Redmer said; a CRM would broaden tracking to phone and email, staff said.

The plan also proposes programs to strengthen community ties: a community ambassador program to amplify city messages, expanded neighborhood nights and \"pickup parties\" that combine public-service education with outreach, and a working group of public information officers that would include university and health-system communicators.

Committee members asked about the city's livestreaming and broadcast reach. Staff said the city's website stream is the predominant way viewers watch meetings; the Comcast municipal cable channel is standard-definition and reaches fewer viewers. Staff told the committee that the current broadcast stack is a patchwork of dated equipment and integrations and recommended future investments to stabilize livestreams and improve redundancy.

Mayor Veach asked whether the plan would cover both external and internal communications; staff said Kit Redmer and Sarah focus primarily on external communications while internal employee messaging is largely shared between communications, the chief of staff and human resources.

Staff said they will incorporate feedback from Wednesday's meeting and return the communications draft for additional review at a future work session.

Ending: The committee did not take any formal action on the communications draft; staff will revise the document and present updates in a future meeting.","City communications staff presented a draft strategic plan to the Strategic Planning Committee that centers on three pillars—inform, listen, build community—along with proposals to improve tracking of constituent contacts, upgrade the livestreaming stack and expand multilingual outreach.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Strategic Planning Committee approves July 7 minutes; no substantive votes taken on strategic-plan drafts

Winchester City outlines finance priorities: review fees, protect AAA rating, modernize financial systems

Winchester City proposes formal employee development, succession planning and local recruiting pipeline

Winchester City staff present draft communications strategy emphasizing trust, reach and listening