Strategic Planning
A large part of the Manager's duties are the preparation and implementation of long-term and strategic plans for the City. These documents guide policy and city initiatives to continually work towards a better Chardon.
Comprehensive Plan
The City's core strategic planning document is it's Comprehensive Plan which sets out broad community goals to guide future growth and development. This plan sets forth the city's vision for the future with policies and guidelines for making land use and other decisions in keeping with that vision. It also provides recommendations for how the city can implement the identified policies to achieve the updated goals.
The first Comprehensive Plan was adopted by the City in 1980. In March 2008 Chardon City Council and Planning Commission adopted the first updated plan since that first 1980 plan. Another update was adopted in 2019.
Manager's Goals and Priorities
Annually the Manager and City Council establish ideas and objectives for the Manager to pursue on behalf of the City. These ideas are captured in the Manager's Goals and Priorities which sets a clear, transparent roadmap for how the City Manager will work to improve the quality of life in Chardon, support long-term planning, and ensure that city government remains responsive, efficient, and forward-thinking. The Manager's Goals and Priorities are set by City Council and informed by the City's other planning documents.
Annual Budget and Capital Improvement Plan
As part of the annual budget process the City adopts a Capital Improvement Plan for the City which details planned capital expenses for the next five to ten years. This plan can be found as part of the City's Budget Book or in the City's online budget portal.
Future of Chardon Square
Chardon's Square is perhaps its most recognizable asset and community space and therefore features heavily in the City's planning efforts. In September 2012 the City and a community group call Chardon Tomorrow engaged city and community leaders in an uptown design charrette, an intensive vision and planning session aimed at creating a road map for Chardon’s future. Participants generated new goals to preserve the City’s small town family friendly character while encouraging growth on the historic Chardon Square and beyond. The result is this Chardon Tomorrow Uptown Design Charrette Report accepted by City Council as a planning concept and reference tool for future Chardon economic development. This was further supplemented in 2016 by the Vision Plan for Chardon Square, an architectural view of what the Square's future could be.
Other Plans
In addition to the core planning documents, the City has also undertaken or received a number of other planning documents for various functions of the City.
- Sidewalks and pedestrian infrastructure have been an important part of Chardon for decades. Walkability is part of what helps keep our small town feel and culture. Sidewalk and Pedestrian infrastructure were studied in 2010 with the Chardon Bikeway & Pedestrian System Plan, and again in 2016 with the Chardon Sidewalk Connectivity Analysis.
- In 2012, the City had an internal Performance Audit performed by the Ohio Auditor of State and is still working on implementing some of its findings.