Township's 2025-2029 strategic plan approved

By Dana Casadei

After months of work for all involved – from consulting firm BerryDunn to Bloomfield Township staff and residents – a motion was passed 7-0 to approve the 2025-2029 strategic plan presented to the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees on Monday, October 28.

“I’m proud of this plan and I’m proud to put my name on it. I think what we have here is an actionable plan that we can have ready to go so whoever is sitting in our seats in three weeks will have a roadmap to go,” said treasurer Michael Schostak.

This strategic plan comes with an established mission statement, value statement, values and five different strategic priorities laid out. The five strategic priorities the leadership board came up with were vibrant quality of life, welcoming community, preserve community character, reliable infrastructure and best-in-class government, which were adjusted slightly after the board’s earlier October meeting. Changes were made to two of the priorities, with their final version being vibrant lifestyle and enhance community character.

Each strategic priority also has multiple objectives, outcomes and performance measures to keep the board of trustees and township staff accountable for the work being done. The objectives were determined by Bloomfield Township department heads and two deputies who represented the board of trustees on the leadership board.

“We guided the process but there were 3,000 community members who had a role in this plan… the township and the community should be proud of that,” said Michelle Kennedy, Berry Dunn manager who presented the plan.

Data was collected through an environmental scan, community forums, social media,and a Strategic Plan ETC Community Survey.

The environmental scan allowed for BerryDunn to identify potential opportunities and allowed everyone to get involved in the strategic plan, from residents to trustees. It also utilized data from sources such as AARP and the census bureau to figure out the township’s livability index, which is currently at 44. BerryDunn said part of the reason their score is so low was because of all the large lots in Bloomfield Township. The township did quite well in some areas, including clean air and water, which scored a 66.

Then there was the data provided directly by community members, who had a lot to say about Bloomfield Township, especially on the social pinpoint site.

That site alone had over 2,000 visits, over 1,400 unique users, 92 hard comments and 572 survey responses. Residents were able to comment on different aspects of the township, with quality of life, environment and public safety some of the most frequently cited.

Within those surveys, BerryDunn found that many had confidence that the township would be a better place to live in the next five years, and for those who questioned a low star rating, their comments about why they did so centered on Bloomfield Township’s lack of parks, a need for more family-friendly activities, high taxes and utility rates, and worry that they won’t be able to keep the high standard of living or keep its crime rate low.

As far as what should be prioritized in the next five-year strategic plan, maintaining public safety was number one, something that residents consider that the government already does well. When it came to things that could be improved, there was a focus around the quality of infrastructure and facilities, maintaining bike areas and a need for more recreation programs and facilities, the latter of which was also a big concern.

Despite some of the challenges and weaknesses addressed by residents, only 18 percent thought that Bloomfield Township wasn’t welcoming to diverse identifies, backgrounds and experiences.

During the three community forums BerryDunn held with residents in the township, over 100 people showed up, a much higher number than anyone was anticipating. The community came out to let their thoughts be known online too, through the Strategic Plan ETC Community Survey and social media.

Kennedy said that this type of engagement from a community of Bloomfield Township’s size was incredibly impressive, and far exceeded populations of municipalities that are far larger than those that BerryDunn has worked with before.

While the trustees all did agree that the strategic plan in front of them was excellent, a few did have some follow up comments, including clerk Martin Brook, who wondered if they should give the community one more chance to look at this strategic plan before finalizing it.

Kennedy noted that while they could do that it was a rather uncommon practice for their clients who completed the Strategic Plan ETC Community Survey. She didn’t believe they would get much out of it as far as input was concerned, and after some discussion, the board agreed with Kennedy about not moving forward with that part of the plan.

Instead, the board agreed to host town hall meetings and/or study sessions moving forward where those in the community can come discuss the strategic plan.

“It’s a wonderful thing when your community knows what you’re going to do and they’re eager to tell you how the progress is going,” Kennedy said.

Something else that was brought up was the design of the strategic plan, which will go live on the Bloomfield Township website.

Trustee Valerie Murray was the first to speak up about the design, noting that while she got what they were going for, many of the pictures didn’t feel as crisp as they could be because of the effect used on them and in some cases, the size. Once pointed out, other trustees agreed with Murray, especially trustee Stephanie Fakih, who thought the color is too faded and some photos are too pixelated.

Kennedy said that even though the photos they had used were from the township, she would look into having their team’s designer update with those changes.

Adjusting these photos was also a part of the motion the board passed to approve this plan.

BerryDunn will now work on an implementation plan for the township’s strategic plan.