FAIRHOPE, Ala. — The Strategic Planning Process Committee met Thursday to discuss the report it expects to present at the July 28 City Council meeting.

“The council wanted us to recommend how to do a strategic plan,” said Chuck Zunk, the committee’s chairman. “That doesn’t mean the plan will be done that way, or at all, or that it will be implemented, if it does get done.”

The council appointed the committee by resolution on April 14 to provide a process for accomplishing a strategic pan for the city.

The committee discussed the draft report at the July 10 meeting and will have its last meeting on July 17 to finalize the report.

“Strategic planning is a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what the City of Fairhope is, what it does, and why it does it,” states a section of the draft report that Zunk does not believe will be changed in the final report. “A strategically managed city is one that both defines where it wants to be and manages changes through an action agenda to achieve that future … . Strategic planning is intended to to enhance the City of Fairhope’s ability to think, act, and learn strategically.”

That section states that the potential benefits of strategic planning include: increased effectiveness; increased efficiency; better decision making; enhanced organizational capabilities; improved communications; and increased political support.

“Our charter is to come back to the city on how to do a plan,” said Zunk, who also chaired a committee that presented a report to the council in October recommending changes in the structure of city government.

The recommendations included the development of a strategic plan and separating the mayor and director of city utilities positions that are now combined. Zunk is also chairman of the Fairhope Airport Authority.

“Our job is to present this for their consideration and then stand out of the way,” he said.

“I think it will be discussed by the council and in the candidate debates and elsewhere.”