OTTUMWA — If Ottumwa is to succeed, community members believe a number of things have to happen. Officials hope the council’s recent approval of a new strategic plan will serve as the beginning of fulfilling those goals.

The Ottumwa City Council this month approved the final plan, more than a year after the initative began.

Small groups gathered, citizens shared ideas and a facilitator compiled the information into a plan — a collection of ideas about what the city should strive for during the next 5-8 years.

City Administrator Joe Helfenberger said he’s already working with staff in going over goals and strategies to see where the city can improve.

“Some of these aren’t part of the city’s jurisdiction — such as education and health,” Helfenberger said. “But we will pass on those recommendations to the school district and the health care groups.”

The finished plan offers dates and goals, action steps, timelines and “who takes the lead” in particular categories.

“The groups taking the lead have approved the plan with regard to their involvement,” Helfenberger said.

One example — “attracting new businesses to the city and county to create primary jobs” is one of the goals in the economic development/vitality category. Four “strategies/action steps” were noted:

• Continue to pursue an aggressive telemarketing campaigns to companies in target industries. The timeline is noted as “ongoing activity” and the entity leading this effort is Ottumwa Economic Development Corporation (which is handling several of the goals and strategies).

• Develop a program of development referral incentives by February 2010.

• Identify potential new development sites in Ottumwa and Wapello County and create a strategy for optimizing the opportunities they represent.

• Utilize state financial incentives as a marketing tool to attract businesses to Ottumwa.

Other categories included education/health, quality of life/downtown revitalization, government infrastructure/public safety, environmental, housing and neighborhood vitality and diversity involvement.

Helfenberger pointed to the quality of life category and one of its action steps — promote expansion of the trail system and establish trail heads. The city’s parks department and the Wapello County Trails Council are leading the effort.

Planning Director Dave Shafer said the strategic plan “is a road map for the future” and will be distributed to city departments, other organizations and those who served on the committees.