Unquestionably, the Town of Windham has
developed its own special character over the years, being affectionately
known as the “Rural Oasis” due to such attributes as its open spaces and
generally quiet atmosphere and pace of life. Over the years, the residents
and municipal leaders have carefully established rules and regulations to
foster this character, and have worked diligently to protect and guide the
Town’s growth. Windham has been at the forefront in developing and
implementing many new ideas and concepts, and has been recognized for its
efforts by such organizations as the NHMA and the Office of State
Planning. However, as the Town continues to grow and is faced with
increased needs such as a high school, expanded public safety services,
and recreational opportunities, we must continually plan ahead to ensure
the Town’s vision and focus is appropriate to the changing times and the
desires of our residents, businesses, and employees.
In that spirit – and as the Planning Board
proceeds to update our Master Plan to a comprehensive and realistic vision
of our community’s future in terms of such issues as land use,
transportation, economic development, etc. – the Board of Selectmen has
begun the process of developing a new Strategic Plan designed to focus on
the operational aspects of our community in terms of all our governmental
functions. It is important to note that these two Plans are designed to
compliment each other. One way to look at their relationship is that the
Master Plan helps to guide and determine the vision of the Town in the
future, while the Strategic Plan helps to guide and determine the
operational aspects necessary to accomplish that future vision along with
financing and delivery of those services.
As we examine the myriad of municipal
operations which comprise our local government, we soon realize that there
are, right now, many positive aspects to what we are doing. It is our goal
to ensure that these things continue in the future as we, too, recognize
that there may be new programs, processes, and procedures that would be
appropriate for implementation as we chart our course into the future.
Finally, we must also carefully address the services offered to our
residents and ensure that we have the appropriate physical plant and
employees needed to effectively deliver these services within a sound
financial plan.
The Strategic Planning process began on March
20, 2004, when, with the support of the New Hampshire Municipal
Association the Board of Selectmen and many Town department heads had the
opportunity to work with Gerri King, educator and facilitator, for a full
day session covering the basic steps in undertaking a successful Strategic
Planning Process. For this to happen, the process needs the involvement
and dedication of everyone. Since that meeting, the Selectmen and the Town
department heads have met with representatives from the Windham School
District and Nesmith Library to further discuss the importance of their
role in Strategic Planning, as well as to determine the appropriate makeup
of a Steering Committee. This Committee, once formed, will be empowered
with the responsibility of facilitating and directing the overall process.
Along with the Steering Committee, we also envision many subcommittees
being established to assist in the process in a variety of ways as we
progress toward our target completion time of summer, 2005.
Windham Administrative
Offices PO Box 120, 4 N. Lowell Road, Windham, NH 03087