Designing De Soto Initiative

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De Soto Strategic Plan

After 18 months of collaboration, community surveys, and your valuable feedback, De Soto's Strategic Plan is complete! This plan serves as a roadmap for the City Council and staff, focusing on what matters most to our community. It was developed with the input of a 30-member advisory committee, four community surveys, and public outreach activities. The Planning Commission and City Council also held multiple workshops to refine the content of the plan.

What Does a Strategic Plan Do?

The City of De Soto is committed to growing responsibly, and we want to maintain our sense of community – that De Soto feeling – as we grow. To do that, we needed a community-wide strategic plan that: 

  • Unites De Soto around a shared vision
  • Identifies the most effective and efficient ways to achieve our vision 
  • Develops plans to direct our efforts
  • Leverages community partnerships to put our plans into action

Plan Priorities Areas

Three priority areas - Community, Built & Natural Environment, and Economy - are the foundation of the plan. Each priority area has goals that describe desired outcomes. Strategies describe methods to move toward the goals. Measures establish methods for tracking progress.

The Strategic Plan does the important work of identifying and communicating community priorities. 

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Past Community Events

January 25, 2023 - Designing De Soto Open House

Guests visited with various agency partners whose organizations are planning for growth and development. This was an event for the community to ask questions, hear from project leaders, and make its voice heard! 

July 12, 2023 - Growth & Development Open House 

This was an event for the community to learn more about different projects and initiatives, ask questions, and hear from project leaders. 


Meet the Team

The City of De Soto hired a local consultant team to help manage the increase in activity and interest in the community. 

About Mays Communication

Mays Communications is a woman-owned business providing communications, public relations and marketing support to a range of clients in the private and public sphere, including area municipalities and government entities. The firm's owner, Nancy Mays, previously served as Director of Public Affairs for Johnson County Government. The firm was hired to help the City of De Soto and the Economic Development Council with their ongoing communications needs related to the area's impending growth and development. 

About Shockey Consulting

Shockey Consulting is a small woman-owned business located in Overland Park, KS, and Kirkwood, MO. Shockey has 25 years of experience in developing comprehensive plans, master plans, area plans, strategic plans, and community visioning processes for communities. The City of De Soto hired Shockey to lead the Strategic Planning process and other planning, community engagement, and economic development initiatives.