Winchester City Commission Work Session on Strategic Plan Update

On November 12, 2025, the Winchester City Commission held a work session focused on updating the city’s strategic plan, facilitated by representatives John Buchanan and Sarah Stoll from the Kentucky League of Cities. The commission reviewed draft sections, discussed adjustments to goals and priorities, and made several revisions to the plan’s structure and wording. The meeting began with routine approvals and closed with a motion to adjourn.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The commission unanimously approved the minutes from the October 21, 2025 regular meeting and the October 27, 2025 special meeting (motion by Commissioner Chennault, second by Commissioner Tool).
• Departmental/Agency Reports: Accepted by unanimous vote (motion by Commissioner Stroud, second by Commissioner Tool).

Discussion Items

• Strategic Plan Update Work Session:
  • John Buchanan presented the first draft of the updated strategic work plan, noting changes to the introduction, vision statement (moving "Quality of Life" to the top goal), and the addition of sections for completed and ongoing projects.
  • Commissioners discussed and adjusted the seven identified strategic areas. Key changes included:
    • Infrastructure (Area 5): Retained as is; no additions requested.
    • Quality of Life (Area 1): Added a feasibility study for expanding the trail system from Walnut Grove to downtown. Moved the bullet on opioid abatement to the workforce section. Removed "downtown" from the enforcement bullet to make it citywide.
    • Community Events: Consolidated duplicate bullets into one: "Create and support community festivals and events." Mentioned the upcoming 100th anniversary of the LA Hall Festival.
    • Parks and Recreation: Left as a separate line item after discussion. Discussed renaming the splash park after Gene Gay. Corrected the name of the senior center to "Generation Center" and noted the meal program is called "Home Delight."
    • Safe City: Replaced the bullet on increasing bike patrols with a broader statement supporting the police department’s operational decisions. Added language on embracing new technologies (e.g., Flock cameras, Fixit Winchester). Expanded "Increase police and fire staffing" to "Increase essential services staffing" to include public works and EMS.
    • Workforce Development: Moved second-chance employment programming to a new opioid abatement subsection, with initial focus on using opioid settlement funds. Removed references to University of Kentucky; replaced with BCTC for workforce training. Discussed expanding storefront renovation funds through DDIF.
    • Joint EMS Committee: Decided to delete the bullet on restarting joint school planning and keep the joint city-county EMS committee as ongoing.
  • Budget and Timeline Tables: Significant changes were made. The commission agreed to consolidate three items (competitive salaries, responder needs, preparing for the future) into a single annual review of essential services departments. The timeline for the first responder campus was kept for 2023. Removed the bullet on independent living programming from the critical priorities, as it was seen as outside the city’s primary role. The family entertainment center was kept on the wishlist. Renamed the trail system consistently as "Brighton Trail off of Walnut Grove."
  • The plan is to have the updated draft brought back for approval in December 2025.

Key Outcomes

• Strategic Plan Revisions Adopted in Principle: The commission approved the discussed changes to the strategic plan draft, with final edits to be incorporated by KLC and the city manager.
• Next Steps: The updated strategic plan will be presented at the December 2025 meeting for final approval.
• Adjournment: The work session was adjourned at approximately 4:45 PM (motion by Commissioner Chennault, second by Commissioner Stroud).