What’s Next for “Our Issaquah”?

We Want To Hear From You!

Two years ago, we adopted “Our Issaquah,” the city’s first strategic plan. This important plan was shaped by you, our community, through 15 community pop-up meetings, 19 focus groups, and more than 1,600 survey responses. Thank you.

Much has changed in the past two years, however, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Issaquah quickly pivoted and focused on implementing emergency res ponse, providing financial assistance to those in need (both individuals and businesses), and standing up a vaccination center.

Even during a pandemic, we have made meaningful strides toward our desired outcomes, but we know important work remains to be done.

Thankfully, “Our Issaquah” also includes an essential “plan, do, check, and adjust” cycle to ensure there is a focus on continuous improvement and that our actions, objectives, and goals are in alignment with current conditions and community priorities.

Earlier this year, we conducted a statistically valid community survey to learn more about the community’s current views of city services and Issaquah’s quality of life. Overall, 95 percent of respondents rated Issaquah an excellent or good place to live. What needs improvement? The community’s top priorities include:

How well Issaquah is planning for future growth
Flow of traffic and congestion management on Issaquah streets
Quality of new development
Availability of affordable, quality housing

When comparing results by neighborhood, Issaquah Highlands residents had the highest positive ratings for our overall sense of community, and Issaquah as a place to live, raise children, and visit.

Meanwhile, Issaquah Highlands residents shared low satisfaction ratings for other questions, such as Issaquah as a place to find a job or open a business.

Several survey findings also provide a fascinating glimpse into our future and reflect the changing community we serve. For example, close to 78 percent of respondents said, post-pandemic, they plan to continue working from home at least one day a week.

Full reports, and an online dashboard that allows users to filter survey results by neighborhood and demographics, are available at issaquahwa.gov/survey.

Using this survey data, along with other forms of community engagement, the City Council is now preparing to make work plan adjustments ahead of adopting a budget for 2022. Our focus remains on the plan’s six goal areas: mobility, growth/development, environmental stewardship, social and economic vitality, city leadership and services, and infrastructure.

As our city marks this important anniversary of “Our Issaquah,” we want your feedback on what should come next. What projects or initiatives are important to you? What goals areas are you most passionate about? How can the city best recover from the pandemic?

Here’s how you can get involved: