DATE:
January 24, 2023
CATEGORY:
Consent
DEPT.:
City Manager
TITLE: Fiscal Years 2023-24 and 2024-25 Council
Work Plan Development Process
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the recommended Fiscal Years 2023-24 and 2024 -25 Council Work Plan development process.
BACKGROUND
Since 2013, the City Council has engaged in a biannual process to establish high -level goals and priorities of great importance to the community and to develop a Council work plan in service of advancing those priorities. The Council work plan establishes Council’s direction to staff on major projects and initiatives that should be prioritized for available staffing resources in the context of essential functions, operational needs, and nondiscretionary projects , such as statutory requirements or critical continuing projects.
In 2021, Council adopted a Vision Statement and seven Strategic Priorities (Attachment 1) based on direction from Counci lmembers and input from the community and City staff. This process, facilitated by a consultant, was proposed by staff to provide an opportunity to refresh Council’s overarching vision and priorities. For the development of the F iscal Year 2023-25 Council Work Plan, staff recommends a more focused process that closely resembles the development of the Fiscal Year 2019-21 Council Work Plan.
Council also adopted a Fiscal Years 2021-22 and 2022-23 Council Work Plan with specific projects identified to advance the Strategic Priorities. Of the 41 projects in the work plan, nine have been completed, and 30 are in progress as of December 2022. Staff is currently updating the status of these projects and anticipates that a significant number of them will need to be carried forward into Fiscal Year 2023-24. A detailed update on the Fiscal Year 2021-23 Council Work Plan will be provided at the February 2 8 Council meeting , as further described in this report . Information about the City’s accomplishments and continuing work on existing projects will provide important context for the number of new projects that can feasibly be accomplished in the next two-year Council work plan.
Fiscal Years 2023-24 and 2024-25 Council Work Plan Development Process January 24, 2023
On November 29, 2022, the Council Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Goal -Setting (Subcommittee) convened to provide feedback on the Fiscal Years 2023-24 and 2024-25 (hereafter referred to as FY 23-25) Council Work Plan development pr ocess and timeline. The Subcommittee’s feedback has been incorporated into the proposed process and future timeline of ongoing check -ins, attached here (Attachment 2) and described below.
ANALYSIS
Staff proposes a staff-facilitated series of Council Study Sessions followed by formal adoption as a regular business item for the upcoming Council work planning cycle . As in previous work planning cycles, Council will have the opportunity to propose and prioritize a limited number of potential new work plan project s and identify priority project s for inclusion in the final recommended work plan. In the FY 23-25 work planning cycle, the process will be supported by additional staff analysis based on criteria approved by the Subcommittee, a more formalized process for Council advisory body input, and staff recommendations for project prioritization and phasing over the course of the work plan implementation period. The proposed timeline and content of these meetings is summarized in the following graphic and further described below.
February 28 Council Study Session: Confirm Strategic Priorities and Discuss Potential Projects
This Study Session is the first step in the process to adopt the FY 23-25 Council Work Plan. During this Study Session, Council will review and confirm the Strategic Priorities and discuss potential projects for consideration in the FY 23-25 Work Plan.
The Council discussion will be supported by information from staff about existing F iscal Year 2021-23 Council Work Plan projects expected to continue into the next work plan cycle, limitations on staff capacity, and ongoing or new projects for consideration in the FY 23 -25 Council Work Plan. Staff will also provide a list of ongoing and anticipated major projects that are not reflected in the Council Work Plan that will impact organizational capacity throughout the FY 23-25 Council Work Plan implementation time frame.
Based on staff’s comprehensive review of significant initiatives and ongoing responsibilities, staff will present a recommended maximum number of total projects for the Council work plan. This review will inform the number of new projects that can be feasibly brought forward and added
Fiscal Years 2023-24 and 2024-25 Council Work Plan Development Process January 24, 2023
to the FY 23 -25 Council Work Plan. The report for the February 28 Study Session will provide additional guidance regarding the process for considering new projects.
April 25 Council Study Session: Project Prioritization
At the April Study Session , Council will discuss the prioritization and timing of the proposed FY 23-25 Council Work Plan projects to guide the development of the Council work plan.
To help inform the Council’s discussion, staff will provide:
• Analysis of the potential projects identified during the February 28 Study Session that includes:
— Proposed projects’ contribution to advancing the Council’s Strategic Priorities; — Alignment with race, equity, and inclusion goals;
— Timeliness and urgency;
— Fiscal impact;
— Impact on future capacity and projects; and
— Staff capacity needed to support the projects’ success.
• A summary of the Council advisory bodies’ input on the proposed project list gathered in consistent discussions facilitated by staff at Regular Meetings throughout the month of March.
• Initial recommendations for the prioritiza tion of the potential work plan projects and a possible phasing timeline. Projects will be categorized into priorities to determine staff capacity allocations. The three proposed categories are:
— Category A: Highest priority. These projects will be considered first in staff allocation and phasing.
— Category B: High priority. These projects will be considered after Category A in staff allocation and phasing.
— Category C: Priority. These projects will be addressed as time and resources allow.
Council will have the opportunity to review and make changes to the initial prioritization and phasing plan which will be incorporated into the final Council work plan document.
Fiscal Years 2023-24 and 2024-25 Council Work Plan Development Process January 24, 2023
June Council Work Plan Adoption
The FY 23-25 Council Work Plan will be presented for adoption alongside the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Budget. This final draft will incorporate feedback from Council’s discussion at the April 25 Study Session and will reflect a realistic assessment of the organizational capacity and staffing resources available to support the implementation of the Council work plan.
Ongoing Work Plan Check-In Process
Over the course of the two-year work plan implementation, staff will check in and provide regular progress updates to Council. The two-year implementation period and structured check -in timeline are critical for effective planning and execution, provide certainty to support resource allocation decisions, and allow staff to focus on implementing priority projects. A summary of the development process and check -in timeline for the FY 23 -25 Work Plan is illustrated below and included in Attachment 2.
The scheduled check -ins will provide an opportunity for Council to monitor work plan implementation, provide direction on any recommendations from staff, and address changing priorities as appropriate. Check-ins are aligned with the budget cycle so that p roject changes, if any, can be appropriately funded. This schedule allows for limited changes to the work plan in response to emerging community priorities while supporting the ability to identify trade -offs, accomplish ongoing projects, and efficiently manage project timing and staff workloads.
Staff also plans to bring a Study Session on Gatekeeper projects to Council in February 2023.
While this is a separate conversation, it is important to the Council work plan discussion because it has a major impact on staff workloads, particularly in the Community Development and Public Works Departments , which have historically been responsible for many of the high -priority projects in the Council work plan.
FISCAL IMPACT
As part of the Council work plan development process, resources needed to implement the projects identified in the FY 23 -25 Council Work Plan will be identified , and staff will request appropriations as part of the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Budget process as necessary.
Fiscal Years 2023-24 and 2024-25 Council Work Plan Development Process January 24, 2023
ALTERNATIVES
1. Suggest changes to the Council work plan development process.
2. Provide other direction.
PUBLIC NOTICING
Council’s agenda is advertised on Channel 26, and the agenda and this report appear on the City’s website.
Prepared by:
Laurel James
Principal Management Analyst
Approved by:
Audrey Seymour Ramberg
Assistant City Manager/
Chief Operating Officer
LJ/6/CAM
612-01-24-23CR
202679
Attachments: 1. City of Mountain View Strategic Roadmap Fiscal Year 2021-23 Action Plan
2. Proposed Council Work Plan Development Process and Update Timeline