Cobb to spend $1.45M to hire consultant for strategic plan

In a split party-line vote, the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a request to spend $1.45 million to hire an outside consultant to develop a strategic plan for county government.

The board’s three Democrats voted to approve a contract with Accenture LLP to prepare a long-term “guiding document,” in the words of Deputy County Manager Jimmy Gisi, to pull together a number of service issues and objectives.

Those include, according to an agenda item:

“A world-wide pandemic, justice reform, affordable housing, and employee retention are just a few of these challenges. The strategic plan will be the primary strategy to lead the on-going vision and priorities of Cobb County. The plan will include measurable objectives to help improve the County’s responsiveness to the public, to adapt to changes in the economy, to remain competitive, to welcome tourists, to sustain the County’s assets, and to recommend a unified vision for years to come.”

Republicans JoAnn Birrell and Keli Gambrill voted against, objecting to the cost and questioning the need for such a study.

“I know there is a need for a strategic plan,” Birrell said, “but to spend $1.4 million with all the other studies that we have going on. A million here, a million there. I cannot support it.”

Gisi told her the county negotiated down the cost with Accenture, whose initial bid was $1.8 million. The process is expected to take through the end of the year and will include public engagement, produce a long-range vision (10-20 years) and and five-year plan from 2023-2027.

Accenture, a management and professional services consulting firm, would employ eight of its staffers on the Cobb strategic plan project and would need space for up to five of its staffers at county government offices as well as parking.

(More about the project summary can be found by clicking here; Accenture’s “statement of work” can be found by clicking here.)

Gambrill said the county hasn’t taken any steps to implement a five-year plan that was laid out by former Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce in 2017.

“I can’t support this and I don’t expect a rebuttal,” she said.

But County Manager Jackie McMorris told her that was simply about restoring county services to pre-recession levels.

“We’ve never done a five-year financial plan,” McMorris said, referencing Boyce’s aspirations for what he called providing services for a “five-star county.”

Chairwoman Lisa Cupid was eager to approve the contract, saying “we finally have something we can say will help provide guidance” on establishing long-term objectives.

During a public comment period, East Cobb resident Leroy Emkin blasted the spending proposal, saying such a study should be conducted by county department heads.

Cupid responded by saying that “while we have competent employees at Cobb County, this project is outside their area of expertise.”

Commissioner Jerica Richardson of District 2 said before the vote that “it’s vital that this is truly strategic and comprehensive.”

Accenture’s statement of work calls for public engagement sessions in October, and long-range vision document by the end of October, a five-year strategic draft in November and the finalized five-year document by December.

Related:

• Sewell Mill Creek streambank repairs at Fullers Park approved
• Birrell asks Cobb to delay proposed trash service changes
• Proposed changes to Cobb trash service draw citizen opposition
• $1 billion in 2022 Cobb property tax bills issued; due Oct. 15
• Cobb settles lawsuit with Uber driver; agrees to pay $250K
• Cobb DOT to start Bill Murdock-Pine Road realignment
• East Piedmont Road resurfacing project continues
• East Cobb resurfacing projects OK’d with 2022 SPLOST funds
• Cobb commissioners adopt $1.2 billion fiscal year budget

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