The City of Whitewater is partnering with UW-Madison Division of Extension to facilitate a strategic planning process to help determine the direction for the City’s operations and budget for the next two years. The Extension Institute of Community Development works with communities to build the vitality that enriches the lives of the residents and enhances the quality of life in the community.

John Weidl, Whitewater City Manager, explains, “Strategic planning is about our positioning the City of Whitewater relative
to our competitors and to our opportunities. And we are competing – for potential residents and taxpayers, for qualified
and dedicated staff, for grant money to make road repairs and fund new ideas, to supply services to neighboring
communities and non-City residents, and for other resources from non-government organizations (NGOs) and the State
and Federal Government that are mission critical. Departments also compete for supplies, financing, and resources within
and without the organization with similar needs — from new vehicles and computers to improved software and marketing
efforts. The City is also positioning itself to attract other key stakeholders, such as future employers, investors, or
suppliers.”

Through the strategic planning process, the City of Whitewater will evaluate where we are, identify resources, develop a
vision for the future, and plan for challenges along the way. The goal is to create a roadmap to implement lean
government principles, prioritize key strategic issues, identify our dependencies and interconnections, and identify what
stakeholders want from the City and what the City wants from them.

To provide input in this planning process, a Community Listening Session will be facilitated by UW-Madison Division of
Extension. This session will offer people with diverse backgrounds the opportunity to express their views about key issues
of concern through an organized process. The results of this effort will help City leaders and elected officials to further
understand the community’s current needs and strengths as they complete the strategic planning process.

City of Whitewater taxpayers, residents, commercial property owners and representatives of organizations operating in
the City of Whitewater are encouraged to register to be part of the discussion.

This Community Listening Session will be held Monday, March 6, 2023 from 6:00 -7:30 p.m., at the City of Whitewater’s
Municipal Building, 312 W. Whitewater Street, Whitewater in the Council Chamber.

Registration for this session is required as space is limited to the first 50 registrants. Please follow this link to complete the
registration form: https://forms.gle/xApooi8sYsuyjMW7A