Decorah City Council, Staff Set Goals for Next Two Years

It's your town. Your lives. Your stories. Make sure someone's telling them—donate to Decorah News now. DECORAH — The Decorah City Council and city staff set priorities for the next two years during a goal-setting session Monday, focusing on housing, affordability, infrastructure needs and improved communication with residents. The meeting, facilitated by Michelle Barness and Aaron Detter of the Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission, brought together council members and department heads to review previous goals and establish new priorities through small-group discussions and voting. Housing emerged as the top priority, with participants voting to "explore unconventional and creative solutions to create an affordable housing community and promote long-term housing." The goal includes initiatives ranging from regulatory changes to partnerships that could increase housing availability. Infrastructure needs for public safety also ranked high, with specific focus on developing plans for a new fire station and addressing municipal campus needs. Participants noted the urgency of finding new or refurbished housing for both fire and administrative staff. Communication improvements received strong support. The council and staff voted to "build better communication networks between government entities and the people we serve," emphasizing the need for clearer messaging about city decisions and projects. Other high-priority goals include completing existing projects such as the water treatment plant, library improvements and the Decorah Athletic Complex, as well as leveraging recent accomplishments such as fiber optic infrastructure and water meter improvements. Medium-priority goals include evaluating city assets and developing management plans, incorporating sustainability into city processes, and creating a business development plan targeting specific industries. The session also addressed challenges with current communication methods. Staff noted difficulties reaching residents through existing channels and discussed potential solutions, including dedicated communications staff or intern positions. Participants reviewed previous two-year goals, determining that most housing-related objectives remain priorities, while some, such as childcare provider initiatives, received less support for continuation. The final tally showed housing as the top priority with eight total votes. Unlock a world of knowledge! Sign up for free DecorahNews.com newsletters and receive local news, local events and everything that is happening in and around Decorah.