The Rochester City Council recently adopted a comprehensive set of goals to bolster economic development, enhance housing affordability, support the homeless community, maintain financial stability, and improve the city’s infrastructure.

Goal #1: Our City Supports Economic & Community Development

The following strategic objectives aim to foster an environment conducive to growing and attracting businesses, along with the supporting infrastructure, housing, and quality-of-life amenities that make Rochester a desirable destination to live, work, and play.

• Develop a long-term downtown parking roadmap that removes parking as a barrier to growth.
• Assess childcare adequacy in Rochester and identify potential solutions that will meet our capacity and quality needs.
• Utilize environmental consultants to identify areas of environmental concern in Rochester.
• Identify organizations working to develop and revitalize our downtown and engage with them in person at least 3-4 times per year.
• Collaborate with the Police Commission and Police Department to identify and support their outreach needs.
• Engage the School Board in a discussion on how to optimize shared resources.
• Conduct research and outreach to identify neighborhoods that are in need of repair and compliance, then utilize Community Development to promote safe, viable, and attractive neighborhoods through engagement, compliance, and incentives.

Goal #2: Our City Has Affordable Housing and Supporting Infrastructure

The following strategic objectives promote a significant increase in affordable housing in Rochester, a variety of housing units, and supporting infrastructure.

• Assess current housing levels and use data to project longer-term housing needs and develop annual targets for affordable and market-rate units.
• Set targets for infrastructure needs, including transportation, social services, education, and City services.
• Attract and facilitate housing developers to invest in housing creation in the City.

Goal #3: Our City Serves the Homeless Community

The following strategic objectives support shelter from the elements and resources to address the underlying causes of homelessness.

• Enhance efforts to improve well-managed shelter opportunities that seek to provide access year-round.
• Support program efforts and enhance transitional programs and services in coordination with the established network of related health and social services.
• Research existing needs, resources, and national best practices to determine the best next steps for Rochester.

Goal #4: Our City Maintains Financial Stability

The following strategic objectives ensure the City maintains sound financial ground.

• Work with state and federal governments to secure funding for future upgrades to the wastewater treatment facility.
• Utilize historic data and criteria to strategically use unassigned fund balances to stabilize the tax rate.
• Enhance and support resources for employee retention and attraction.

Goal #5: Our City Sustains and Improves Its Infrastructure

The following strategic objectives sustain and improve the infrastructure that serves the City and enables the functioning and growth of households and businesses in a way that meets or exceeds regulatory standards.

• Develop a list of prioritized objectives for infrastructure based on projections for future growth and anticipated regulatory requirements compared to the current status.
• Evaluate the viability of capital reserve funds or equivalent mechanisms for wastewater and water improvements to meet new/strict regulatory requirements. Compare raising rates to debt in funding projects and mitigate rate increases.
• Evaluate fees and frameworks for businesses and housing developments to improve or expand water/sewer and transportation.
• Analyze the changing energy landscape and identify less expensive and renewable energy resources for the Rochester community.