The Greenville City Council began its annual planning retreat with some unexpected news as City Manager Wayne Bowers submitted his resignation after more than seven years of service. As significant as that development promises to be, citizens should not let that obscure the important work that followed, namely the development of community goals for the coming year.

A predictable emphasis on fighting crime and improving public safety was complemented by a stronger focus on economic development and job creation, themes heard often on the campaign trail last year. The city’s leadership — with a new mayor and at-large council member — now have a blueprint for action and will be expected to deliver results.

Generally, the council’s annual planning retreat offers little in the way of surprises. The city’s elected officials hunker down for a day or so, talking over the major issues facing the city before proposing solutions with the potential for gathering community consensus. The list of problems is well known to most residents — the persistent ills that the city struggles to remedy — but the exercise is valuable for building working relationships among council members and developing concrete goals.

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