City staff updated the NFP Review Board on the drafting of Imagine Kalamazoo 2035, the city’s strategic-vision and master-plan framing process, and outlined next steps for neighborhood-level outreach early in 2026.

Staff said the draft vision statement reads, in part, that “by 2035, all Kalamazoo neighborhoods are supported by sustainable, responsive, and accessible services,” and described a set of strategic pillars that will inform the master plan, including environment, housing, transportation, economic vitality, arts and youth and family priorities.

Staff reported approximately 4,299 points of contact from prior engagement efforts and singled out nearly 120 youth art projects as an effective way to reach younger residents. The team described a mix of stakeholder sessions, public meetings and online engagement used so far and said the next phase will include about 13 consolidated neighborhood meetings, continuing focus groups and online activities between January and March 2026.

Staff asked board members to volunteer for outreach and noted the strategic-vision draft will be presented to the city commission and later to the planning commission with a target to have a draft master plan in 2026 and final adoption later that year. The board discussed outreach challenges and the limits of reaching all residents through conventional channels such as newsletters and mailers.

Staff also announced a special December meeting date for the board and adjourned the session.