HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-01-26 PACKET 03.aA
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Ryan Schroeder, City Administrator
Date: January 15, 2013
Subject: Policy Board Meetings; Enhancement of Interaction between Department
Directors and City Council
As part of the G2G (Good to Great) process and in preparation for the Council workshop staff
leadership has discussed opportunities to improve service to the City Council and the quality of
recommendations on items of policy addressed by Council. Also discussed have been
suggestions on how to enhance interaction from Council to staff leadership. Following are
suggestions on both of these topics.
1. Format of Operations Level Recommendations to Council:
In any given year there are typically between 100 and 150 action items of some
significance brought to the policy board by staff for Council consideration. Many of
these items have limited options for Council consideration. For instance, receipt of a
grant previously authorized by Council is typically simply a matter of whether or not to
accept the grant. However, in other areas the issues may be much more complex with
several alternatives that could be considered and various consequences of these
various alternatives. Staff typically has been weighing these alternatives with a
recommendation for the preferred alternative. It is intended that staff more fully explore
policy alternatives to Council that "may" include a lack of a single recommended path for
one issue or another. The advantage of this approach is to more completely explore all
possible alternatives for Council consideration. An advantage "may" be that a preferred
alternative for consideration may not be readily apparent.
2. Council Comments and Requests:
Oftentimes one Councilmember or another, during this portion of the meeting will ask for
a subsequent report on one thing or another. Given that the policy board provides
direction to staff as a body it is suggested that should work direction be suggested by
one Council member or another we would ask that the Mayor request a motion and
support of a majority of the Council on that work direction. One can imagine scenario's
of individual members of Council requesting work product that may not be supported as
a good use of staff time by the balance of the Council.
3. Council Concerns Head up:
Council members are generally quite good about asking questions on agenda items in
advance and notifying the City Administrator of areas of concern. Staff desires to
reinforce that this approach in advance of Council meetings is very helpful in
preparation for the policy discussion and we wish to encourage that continued approach
4. Department Updates /Various Matters:
Department Directors have been attempting to maintain a schedule of monthly updates
to Council on items of topical interest. Additionally, the City Administrator provides a
periodic update entitled "Various Matters" that oftentimes contains information of a more
sensitive nature. Department Directors have been attempting to respond to concerns or
questions received from individual members of Council within these monthly updates.
In other words it has been assumed that if the issue /topic is of concern to an individual
member of Council the response to the question /concern would be of benefit to all five
members. This approach has the added benefit of ensuring that no one member of
Council has enhanced information beyond all other members. Any feedback on this
approach would be appreciated.
5. Reminder of Confidentiality:
From time to time staff finds it necessary to provide information to Council of a sensitive
nature. Typical topic areas could be related to labor relations (negotiation strategy),
personnel issues, real estate deals or deal points, public safety events and the like. Our
practice has been to clearly state when received information is information that cannot
be shared beyond the transmitter and the receiver. If there are additional mechanisms
that would be helpful to Council in the area of confidentiality we would appreciate
receiving feedback in that regard.
Policy Board Interaction 011513