The Turlock City Council will update its strategic plan through 2015 during a special, 5:30 p.m. meeting Tuesday.

Turlock's Strategic Plan is intended to serve as a road map for the future by assessing the city's strengths, weakness, and opportunities. The plan was first drafted in 2008, and is updated regularly.

The plan was last updated in October, 2011. At that time, the plan was to last through 2013.

The updated plan notes successes from past strategic plans, such as the consolidation of Turlock's Police and Fire Administration staffs, the reconstruction of the Carnegie Arts Center, and renaming the Turlock Regional Industrial Park – previously the “WISP.”

And the plan proposes several new activities, from the creation of a Community Facilities District to ensure ongoing police, fire, and park maintenance services, to the creation of a five-year economic development plan to promote retention, expansion, and development of new businesses. The plan also suggests developing a new bicycle master plan, pursuing opportunities to enhance emergency medical services, and evaluating the development of public recreation facilities – like a city golf course.

On Tuesday, the Turlock City Council is also expected to:
• Adjust the regular starting time of Turlock City Council meetings from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m. The change would benefit staff, councilmembers, and the general public by allowing meetings to end earlier, according to the staff report.
• Approve paying $3,000 to the State Water Pollution Cleanup and Abatement Account as a settlement. Turlock's wastewater treatment plant exceeded the maximum hourly chlorine discharge limit on February 2, 2011.
• Issue a proclamation recognizing Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.
• Hear a presentation on Pacific Gas & Electric's natural gas pipeline safety testing, which recently occurred in Turlock.
• Receive staff updates on board, commission and committee vacancies, capital projects and building activities, and the Mayor's Gang Prevention Task Force.
• Approve the purchase of two parcels adjacent to Turlock's new Regional Transit Center at the cost of $1.5 million. The land would be used for future expansion of the center.
The purchase would be funded with California Prop 1B transportation funds and local transportation funds. Federal funding would pay for the site's development.
• Approve expending an additional $33,936 to participate in preparing the East Stanislaus Integrated Regional Water Management Plan. Turlock has already spent $52,636.
Completing such a plan could open up millions in state grant funding.
The document has been in development since July 15, 2010. Ceres, Hughson, Modesto, and Turlock are all partners in the plan.
• Restructure plans for the North Valley Regional Recycled Water Program to use the Delta Mendota Canal for water conveyance. Previous plans called for a dedicated pipeline to convey the water.
The Recycled Water Program would see Turlock sell treated wastewater to water-starved farmers in westside Stanislaus County's Del Puerto Water District.
A preliminary feasibility study found using the Delta Mendota Canal would be more cost-effective, allow for year-round discharge of recycled water, and could use water to augment wildlife reserves.
• Approve a 5 percent pay raise for the Fire Chief “to be consistent and equitable with other department directors.” All other department directors are in salary range 39.1, while the Fire Chief is in the 38.1 range.
• Finalize an ordinance amending Turlock Municipal Code to increase building permit fees. A second ordinance, allowing animal rescue groups to operate in Turlock boundaries, will also be finalized
• Change city Municipal Code regarding the sales of fireworks, capping the number of sellers at 35. The cap is currently 50, though no more than 27 have ever applied.
The change would also make it easier for nonprofits to qualify to sell fireworks, requiring a tax exemption certificate from either the California Franchise Tax Board or the Internal Revenue Service, but not both.
• Authorize staff to support Enterprise Zones, opposing any state proposal to threaten their existence.
• Approve filling three vacant maintenance worker positions in the Parks, Recreation, and Public Facilities Division. The city will first look to hire in-house before undergoing a formal recruitment process of outside candidates.
• Conduct an annual performance evaluation of City Manager Roy Wasden. The evaluation has been delayed several times due to late-running council meetings
• Discuss ongoing litigation on Turlock's new General Plan from the California Clean Energy Committee. The Committee is a Davis-based nonprofit which alleges that Turlock does not do enough to protect agricultural land in its new plan.

The Turlock City Council will hold a special meeting to discuss the Turlock Strategic Plan at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Yosemite Room of Turlock City Hall, 156 S. Broadway. The regular Turlock City Council meeting will begin at 7 p.m.