Strategy & Innovation

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The Division of Strategy & Sustainability plays a pivotal role in strengthening both internal and external relationships within the city. Their primary mission is to advance strategic goals and objectives, propelling the city toward becoming a high-performing organization. They strive to promote a culture of innovation to move the city into the future. 

 

Strategic Plan

Strategic planning helped shape the future we envision for our community. By carefully assessing our current resources, identifying potential challenges, and setting clear goals, we effectively allocated our resources, prioritized projects, and ensured the efficient delivery of essential services. The city's well-crafted strategic plan not only guides our decisions today but also safeguards the interests of future generations, fostering sustainable development and enhancing the overall quality of life for everyone.

In 2023, the city initiated the strategic planning process, which incorporated input from a wide range of voices—residents, business leaders, city employees, and elected officials. Through community forums, focus groups, and surveys, we captured the diverse perspectives of our community, ensuring the plan aligns with Dunedin’s values and long-term goals.

The city's final plan was adopted in 2024. Read more about our process here.

 

Vision, Mission and Values

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Strategic Themes

Strategic Themes

Planning Reports

The overarching purpose of the Strategic Plan was to provide the City of Dunedin with decision-making guidance by using stakeholder input and analysis in order to establish strategic goals, objectives, a mission, and a vision to use as a planning tool for future growth. The project kicked off with City leadership in the summer of 2023. Throughout the approximate nine month process, City residents, City Leadership, and City Employees were engaged in various ways in order to provide input about the desired strategic direction of the City of Dunedin. The plan was adopted in 2024. 

Strategic planning reports:

 

Projects & Outcomes

Business Survey

The City of Dunedin has implemented a Business Opinion Survey to gather business owners' opinions and overall satisfaction levels, and to provide input to the city's business plan and budgeting process. The initial survey occurred in 2020 and most recently in 2025. The results of that survey showed that, overall, 82% of Dunedin business owners, managers and employees rate the city as a good or excellent place to operate a business, and 88% indicated Dunedin is a good or excellent place to work. 

Documents:

Citizen Survey

The City of Dunedin initiated a Citizen Survey in 2019 to better inform the budget priorities going forward. Along with the Business Survey, it would help city staff prepare a budget geared toward the wants and needs of its residents and community. Comments from residents give city staff firm data and metrics on their priorities. It also allows city staff to compare current services and uses to previous years seeing growth and success in many areas. 

Some of the key aspects of the survey include:

  • 93.6% Satisfaction with city services
  • 95.3% of Residents feel safe in the City of Dunedin
  • 90.1% of Residents are satisfied with Public Works
  • 96.2% of Residents are satisfied with Parks & Recreation

Top Priorities for the city include:

  • Planning for the future
  • Traffic
  • Public works
  • Environment/sustainability
  • Affordable housing

Marked Improvements (Compared 2019 and 2022 Survey)

  • Business opportunities
  • Communications
  • Public transportation
Documents

Business, Resident, City Council (BRC)

The Business, Resident, City (BRC) Council is a volunteer nine member council created in 2023 for the purposes of informational sharing and issue discussion. The membership consists of four business representatives (representing restaurants, retail, brewery and lodging) and four resident representatives with the city manager. Additional city staff are engaged based on the topics on each meeting agenda. The BRC was created as an initiative of the Downtown Task Force to ensure open lines of communication between the three stakeholder groups – businesses, residents, and the city. The goals of the BRC are to ensure issues that may arise between stakeholders have an open forum for discussion, build community, and empower members with accurate information.

Apply to the BRC.

Documents

Legislative Priorities

Each year, the City Commission review and recommend legislative priorities for the upcoming State legislative session. These priorities provide policy level guidance to respond to and advocate for the needs of the city to organizations and elected officials. This effort attempts to promote and protect initiatives important to our community, residents, businesses, and visitors.

Contact the Pinellas County Legislative Delegation

Home Rule
  • Federal and state legislation impacting Home Rule continues to create challenges for local government implementation.
  • One size does not fit all communities.
  • The City of Dunedin stands with our fellow municipalities in SUPPORT of strengthening and protecting Home Rule powers of governance.
  • The Home Rule Powers Act of 1973 was intended to allow local government to effectively and efficiently respond to and provide for our residents and unique community needs.
  • Preempting legislation binds our abilities to do so.
Legislative Priorities
  • Environment & Resiliency
  • Transportation & Infrastructure
  • Municipal Administration
  • Economic Development
  • Affordable Housing
  • Education & Workforce
Documents

 

Contact

Nicole Delfino
Strategy & Sustainability Manager
Nicole.Delfino@Dunedin.gov

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