Strategic Plan
Summary
The City of Fairfax Strategic Plan is a city-wide planning initiative that has been an ongoing agenda item across multiple council retreats and work sessions. At the April 2025 City Council Retreat, a Strategic Plan update was scheduled as part of the morning session, but no outcome was recorded. At the January 2026 City Council Retreat, Assistant City Manager Melanie Zipp presented the existing 2023 strategic plan framework and a proposal for a new city-wide plan; the Mayor and Council provided feedback on direction, public role, scope, governance, equity, engagement expectations, and strategic priorities and budget, but no formal action was taken. The broader strategic planning ecosystem includes several adopted or in-progress component plans — notably the Affordable Housing Strategic Plan (adopted in early 2026) and the Commission on the Arts Strategic Plan (complete as of mid-2026) — as well as a Sustainability Strategic Plan and Climate Action Plan listed as priorities for FY28 and beyond. As of July 2026, staff reported that 88 of 333 action items under the comprehensive planning framework had been updated since the January review, spanning land use, multimodal transportation, economic vitality, and community services.
Open questions & options on the table
- No formal Council action has been taken on the new city-wide Strategic Plan proposed in January 2026; it remains unclear whether a plan has been adopted or when a vote is expected.
- The Sustainability Strategic Plan and Climate Action Plan are listed as FY28-and-beyond priorities; their development timeline and scope have not been formally decided.
- The schedule for all sustainability-related strategic initiatives was noted as subject to change pending technology improvements, best practices, and grant opportunities.
- No outcome was recorded for the April 2025 retreat's Strategic Plan update session, leaving the substance of that discussion unknown.
What members have said
At the January 2026 City Council Retreat, Zipp presented the strategic plan elements and the proposed approach for developing a new city-wide plan, covering direction, public role, scope, governance, equity, and engagement expectations. She also presented a mid-2026 update reporting that 88 of 333 action items had been updated since the January review.
Positions as recorded in meeting minutes; votes without recorded comment aren’t summarized.
Discussion time
Minutes of named discussion per transcribed meeting.
Full history
[2] A Strategic Plan update was scheduled for presentation during the retreat's morning session. No outcome recorded.
[2] Council reviewed the existing 2023 strategic plan framework and received a proposal for a new city-wide plan; Council provided feedback but no formal action was taken.