Novi residents have one last chance to weigh in on the city's 25-year strategic plan before it goes to City Council for adoption.
The Novi 2050 Community Workshop runs Tuesday, Aug. 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Novi Public Library. The self-guided open house covers all six focus areas of the draft plan, and no planning experience is required. Residents can RSVP at cityofnovi.org/Novi2050#workshop.
The workshop marks the end of a months-long public engagement process that included pop-up events, surveys, a podcast and earlier community workshops. What comes next: a formal presentation to City Council in September, followed by an adoption vote in October.
Six focus areas, one new addition
The draft plan now includes six focus areas: Infrastructure and Facilities, Rehousing and Redevelopment, Mobility and Transportation, Responsive and Adaptive Services, Long-Term Funding and Environmental Sustainability.
That last one is new. At the July 27 City Council meeting, assistant city manager Danielle Mahoney told council that Environmental Sustainability had originally been a cross-cutting theme woven through the other areas but needed its own spotlight, bringing the total from five focus areas to six.
The sustainability section is organized around three strategy buckets: services the city directly controls, work accomplished with community partners such as the school district and Chamber of Commerce, and influencing state and federal policy.
Road to adoption
The city's Long-Range Strategic Planning Committee, chaired by Mayor Pro Tem Casey and including Council Members Gurumurthy and Smith, met Monday, Aug. 17, with consultant Shockey Consulting for a workshop session at the Novi Civic Center. Mahoney serves as staff liaison.
Infrastructure and traffic emerged as top concerns in the city's Vision Survey conducted earlier in the engagement process, which moved through four phases: Discovery and Listening in January and February, Visioning and Goal-Setting in March and April, Scenarios and Strategies in May and June, and the current Drafting phase running July through October.
As we reported Aug. 6, the workshop was designed to let residents see the draft plan taking shape. The draft also includes vision and mission statements refined through committee work and community input.
At the July 27 council meeting, Mahoney reflected on the planning process: "Six months ago, they were asking questions and today, they're starting to see the answers to those questions emerge."
What's ahead
After the Aug. 18 workshop, the Novi 2050 plan moves to a formal council presentation in September. The adoption vote is expected in October, alongside a Plan Reveal and Community Celebration.
Upcoming community dates:
- Tuesday, Aug. 18: Novi 2050 Community Workshop, 6–8 p.m., Novi Public Library
- September 2026: Formal Novi 2050 presentation to City Council
- October 2026: City Council adoption vote and Plan Reveal & Community Celebration
