Editor’s Note: This is the fourth story in a five-part Delaware Source series examining changes made to Delaware City Council’s Strategic Action Plan. Each installment focuses on one of the plan’s five priority areas.
DELAWARE — There are several woodland trails and rivers to explore all around Delaware, but they aren’t always easily accessible.
That may change soon as Delaware city officials set new priorities on July 20 during its Strategic Action Plan work session: expand the trail network, increase riverfront access/usage and create “ward-centric” events.
Mayor Carolyn Kay Riggle also detailed the success of the city’s Citizens Academy and her desire to create a virtual class so residents can learn more about their city.
Riggle and City Manager Paul Brake also implored the group to look for ways the city can help Delaware County Transit’s expansion.
These priorities, and others from the additional four sections of the strategic plan, are initiatives the city will look to push along for the next two years.
The July 20 meeting reviewed the plan that was first approved in August 2025, evaluated current progress and identified the priorities that will shape the city’s future.
Management Advisory Group managing partner David Collinsworth led the work session.
Strategic Action Plan focus areas:
- Strengthen fiscal sustainability
- Grow and diversify the local economy
- Strengthen regional partnerships
- Foster community connectivity and vibrancy
- Solve parking and mobility challenges
The fourth section of the Strategic Action Plan focuses on “strengthening community connectivity and vibrancy by reinvesting in key corridors, expanding active transportation networks and improving access to transit and community destinations.”
The city identified this portion of the plan as “in progress.”
What progress has been made today?
Before looking at new priorities, city officials reviewed the status of three existing initiatives:
- South Sandusky Focus Area Plan — In Progress
- Ohio State University students completed their plan and presented it to city staff and members of the community for input. The background work done for that plan will serve as a springboard to kick off the city-initiated Focus Area Plan in late summer of 2026.
- Ohio State University students completed their plan and presented it to city staff and members of the community for input. The background work done for that plan will serve as a springboard to kick off the city-initiated Focus Area Plan in late summer of 2026.
- Expand Trail Network and Riverfront Access — In Progress
- Trail planning continues for the expanded network and riverside access at Mingo Park.
- Trail planning continues for the expanded network and riverside access at Mingo Park.
- Expand Public Transit Options — In Progress
- Preliminary coordination with Delaware County Transit to explore expanded service, including potential seven-day-a-week operations; funding and local match identified as key constraints.
With the above progress reviewed, Collinsworth led an exercise to identify new ideas for the community connectivity section and determine which should become the city’s highest priorities for the section and strategic plan as a whole.
Reworking what exists, new priorities
Similar to the regional partnerships section of the plan, officials didn’t reinvent the main strategy for increasing community connectivity.
Instead, Assistant City Manager Andrew Beare and Councilwoman Linsey Griffith focused on continuing to expand the trail network and riverfront access.
However, Councilman Matt McClellan brought up a new idea: ward-centric events.
“The third ward, for example, goes so far south that a lot of residents don’t necessarily feel like they’re part of Delaware,” McClellan said. “So how can we take the downtown city to them?”
The group pitched the idea of block parties in the different parts of the city that aren’t Sandusky Street, one per quarter.
A couple other priorities include:
- Push more communication out about events happening in the city.
- Conduct a resident survey to solicit feedback on what they’d like to see in the city.
What’s next
The ideas discussed Monday do not immediately change city policy.
Instead, Collinsworth said the work session was intended to identify priorities that staff can begin incorporating into future council discussions and formal action items as the strategic plan continues to evolve.
This is the fourth installment in a five-part Delaware Source series examining updates to the city’s Strategic Action Plan. The next story will focus on parking and mobility.
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