445 S. Figueroa Street, Suite 1925, Los Angeles, CA 90071
www.raftelis.com
City of Napa
City Council Retreat
Thursday, January 30, 2025
9 am to 4 pm
Pelusi Building
2296 Streblow Drive – Kennedy Park
Retreat Objectives:
• Identify principles for allocating new sales tax revenue • Confirm or modify Council focus areas for next two years • Review Council’s adopted norms
• Strengthen teamwork with Council and staff
• Welcome from Mayor Scott Sedgley
• Public comments
• Comments from City Manager
• Review retreat objectives and agenda for the day
• Icebreaker
• Measure G – Discussion of principles for allocating new revenue
• Council Focus Areas for the next two years
• Review Council norms
• Next steps and wrap up
Lunch will be provided and there will be breaks during the day City of Napa
City Council Retreat
January 30, 2025
9 am to 4 pm
Pelusi Building
2296 Streblow Drive/Kennedy Park
Welcome
by Mayor
Scott
Sedgley
2 3
Public
Comments
Measure G
New resources allow critical needs to start to be met – but financial uncertainties remain
Teamwork
Council – staff teamwork is always essential to our success Comments from City Manager Steve Potter
4 Council’s Key Areas of Focus
Progress has been made but more work is needed
Retreat Objectives
5 Identify
principles for
allocating new
sales tax
revenue
Confirm or
modify Council
focus areas
Review
Council’s
adopted norms
Strengthen
teamwork with
Council and
staff
Agenda
• Welcome & Introductions
• Icebreaker
• Review Accomplishments
• Identify Principles for
Allocating Measure G
Funds
• Discuss Council’s Key
Areas of Focus for the
Next Two Years
• Review Adopted Norms
• Next Steps and Closing
6 Consensus
On direction for the future
Council
Members’
Hopes for
Today
7 Teambuilding
Get to know our new Council
colleague
Measure G
Establish guiding principles
Norms
Reaffirm our Council norms
Suggested Guidelines for Today
8 Listen with respect
Be attentive to the speaker
Disagree agreeably
Be engaged
Positive
Realistic
Fully present
Look for opportunities to
agree
Strive for consensus
Remember the power of “and” and “if”
Bike Rack
9 Things to discuss at
another time will be
tracked separately
Time management tool
Icebreaker
10 Write a short
headline you hope
to see in the local
newspaper within 3
years
Measure G
Today’s Discussion:
• Timing of revenue
• Likely net result and financial impact
• Principles to guide allocations
Future Steps:
• Oversight committee
• Specific decision on allocations
(projects, services)
Sales Tax Measure G:
Commitments
Address expected revenue
shortfalls and avoid reevaluating or
reducing services
Address roads, sidewalk
maintenance, community services
such as public safety, parks and
recreation facilities and programming
Accountability and transparency
with oversight committee
Recap of City’s New Financial Position: With
Measure G Passage
• Measure G transaction use will bring in about
$22M/year
• Net will be less due to:
› Existing $4-5 million structural deficit –
currently covering with one time funding
› Structural deficit over next 5 years ranging
from $5-$16 million annually
› PERS UAL increases
› Insurance Premium Increases
› Potential Loss/Delayed Payment of VLF -
$12 million annually
• New revenue:
› Stabilizes the City’s
finances
› Provides for
investments in
infrastructure and
basic services
Comments from Members of Council Proposed Principles for Discussion Discussion: Principles for Allocating
Measure G Funds
• Consistency with ballot language and
expectations of the public, trust with the
community, oversight mechanism
• Gauge what is affordable in the long term –
consider financial sustainability
• Use data for making decisions
• How many residents will something reach
• Look for tangible impacts
• Infrastructure, roads, parks, economic
development, nuisance abatement
1) Ensure Financial Stability of the City services
as foundational
2) Focus on transparency of where the funding
is spent and maintain the public’s trust
3) Address Community Priorities outlined in
ballot language – such as infrastructure,
parks and recreation, public safety – which
represent critical needs
4) Leverage funding to ensure maximum impact
to the residents of Napa
14 Stretch Break
Suggestion to Transition from “Priorities”
to Council Focus Areas
• Use of the word “priorities” can be confusing to City staff • Budget includes many important initiatives that are priorities for the Council
• Having Council agree on its top areas for focused attention is essential since choices do need to be made – key things to be done
Council’s comments on changing the language
from Priorities to Council Focus Areas
Council’s Focus
Areas for the
Next Two Years
Council sets broad Focus
Areas
Staff creates the work plan
to achieve those priorities
Council endorses the
direction through the
budget, CIP and other
planning documents
brought forward
Progress on Current Focus Areas
19 Other Accomplishments
• Successful sales tax measure
• Enhanced focus on employees
• Reduction in point-in-time homeless count
• Traffic safety and calming measures
• Opened transitional, supportive housing
• Highly respected City operations
• Pedestrian bicycle undercrossing
• 4th of July celebration with drones
• Small hotel approved
• Joint meeting with Board of Supervisors
• Increased communications with community
• Proactive code enforcement
• Paved over 20 miles of roadway
• Costco opened
• First phase of River Sound online
• Put Engine 1 back in service
Councilmember Comments: Current Focus
Areas
•Climate action and sustainability: Comments ranged from keep for greater progress to remove as now operational
•General Plan implementation: Comments included as potential for removal as now operational
•Public infrastructure: Cited as important to retain as high priority •Traffic safety for All Modes of Transportation: Noted as potential for removal or rebranding to be broader
•Housing and homelessness: Comments included keep as is, or shorten only on housing since the homeless programming is operational; include short term rentals with ADUs
21 Potential New Focus Areas from
Councilmembers
•Economic development
•Community outreach and communication
•Quality of life (through recreation opportunities, park improvements)
22 City Manager
Comments
Suggest Adding an
Overarching Principle:
Financial Health and
Stability
Lunch
Break
Discussion and
Consensus on
Council Focus
Areas
Stretch
Break
26 Review
Council
Norms
Adopted Council Norms: October 2023
1. Maintain a citywide perspective, while being mindful of our districts.
2. Move from I to we, and from campaigning to governing.
3. Work together as a body, modeling teamwork and civility for our community.
4. Assume good intent.
5. Disagree agreeably and professionally, and accept the decision once the vote is taken.
6. Utilize long range plans to provide big picture context that is realistic and achievable, balancing long range plans with immediate needs.
7. Stay focused on the topic at hand. Ensure each member of Council has an opportunity to speak.
8. Demonstrate respect, consideration and courtesy to all.
9. Share information and avoid surprises.
10. Keep confidential things confidential.
11. Respect the Council/Manager form of government and the roles of each party.
12. Communicate concerns about staff to the City Manager; do not criticize staff in public.
Discussion Topics: Suggested by Members
of Council
• Citywide governance as a guiding principle
• Discuss what it means to “avoid surprises”
• Discuss how we as Councilmembers can be more efficient with our comments
• Potential of more evening sessions for public access
• How items are determined to be on the consent calendar • Rotating who speaks first at the dais
• Asking clarifying questions vs stating an opinion or recommendation Recap Any
Changes
Next Steps
• Raftelis to prepare retreat report
• City Manager and staff to proceed
with budget and work plans
31 Closing
Remarks
32 33
Thank You
Jan Perkins and Julie Gieseke
Why I
Serve
Who or
what
inspired me
What keeps
me
motivated
CITY COUNCIL RETREAT
City of Napa
January 30, 2025
Pelusi Building
9 am to 4 pm
Retreat Objectives
• Identify principles for allocating new sales tax revenue • Confirm or modify Council focus areas
• Review Council’s adopted norms
• Strengthen teamwork with Council and staff
Agenda
• Welcome and Introductions
• Icebreaker
• Review Accomplishments
• Identify Principles for Allocating Measure G Funds
• Discuss Council Focus Areas
• Review Adopted Norms
• Next Steps and Closing
CITY OF NAPA COUNCIL RETREAT - WORKBOOK / 2
Discussion of Measure G:
Principles for Allocating Revenue
Measure G is intended to:
Address expected revenue shortfalls and avoid reevaluating or reducing services Address roads, sidewalk maintenance, community services such as public safety, parks and recreation facilities and programming
Accountability and transparency with oversight committee This discussion will be about principles for allocating Measure G funds. The City Manager and his staff will use the principles determined by the Council in preparing recommendations to the Council about specific allocations.
In pre-retreat interview, members of Council suggested:
• Consistency with ballot language and expectations of the public, trust with the community, oversight mechanism
• Gauge what is affordable in the long term—consider financial sustainability • Use data for making decisions
• How many residents something will something reach
• Look for tangible impacts
• Infrastructure, roads, economic development, nuisance abatement
NOTES
__________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
PROPOSED PRINCIPLES
1. Ensure Financial Stability of the City services as foundational
2. Focus on transparency of where the funding is spent and maintain the public’s trust
3. Address Community Priorities outlined in ballot language – such as infrastructure, parks and recreation, public safety – which represent critical needs
4. Leverage funding to ensure maximum impact to the residents of Napa CITY OF NAPA COUNCIL RETREAT - WORKBOOK / 3
Council Focus Areas (Priorities)
STAFF IS SUGGESTING A TRANSITION IN LANGUAGE FROM “PRIORITIES” TO “COUNCIL FOCUS AREAS ”
City Manager’s Comments
Current Five Focus Areas (Priorities)
A “City Council Priority Progress Report” was provided to the Council in October 2024. This report included accomplishments and the status of each of the five focus areas. This progress report is in keeping with the newly adopted Mission statement, “Rooted in public service, our mission is to grow a vibrant, sustainable community for all who live in, work in and visit the City of Napa, through thoughtful leadership and dedication to excellence.”
COMMENTS
__________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________
CITY OF NAPA COUNCIL RETREAT - WORKBOOK / 4
Council Member Comments on Key Areas of
Focus for the Coming Year
Councilmember comments gathered as part of pre-retreat interviews are summarized below.
Comments on the five current focus areas:
• Climate action and sustainability: Comments ranged from keep for greater progress to remove as now operational
• General Plan implementation: Comments included as potential for removal as now operational
• Public infrastructure: Cited as important to retain as high priority • Traffic safety: Noted as potential for removal or rebranding to be broader • Housing and homelessness: Comments included keep as is, or shorten only on housing since the homeless programming is operational; include short term rentals with ADUs
Other potential focus areas noted for discussion were:
• Economic development
• Community outreach and communication
• Quality of life (through recreation opportunities, park improvements)
City Manager suggests adding an overarching principle:
• Financial Health and Stability
NOTES:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________
CITY OF NAPA COUNCIL RETREAT - WORKBOOK / 5
Review Council Norms
The City Council’s adopted norms as a guide for working together are as follow.
1. Maintain a citywide perspective, while being mindful of our districts.
2. Move from I to we, and from campaigning to governing.
3. Work together as a body, modeling teamwork and civility for our community.
4. Assume good intent.
5. Disagree agreeably and professionally, and accept the decision once the vote is taken.
6. Utilize long range plans to provide big picture context that is realistic and achievable, balancing long range plans with immediate needs.
7. Stay focused on the topic at hand. Ensure each member of Council has an opportunity to speak.
8. Demonstrate respect, consideration and courtesy to all.
9. Share information and avoid surprises.
10. Keep confidential things confidential.
11. Respect the Council/Manager form of government and the roles of each party.
12. Communicate concerns about staff to the City Manager; do not criticize staff in public.
Which are we doing well on? Which would be useful to discuss? __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________
Some topics for discussion:
In the pre-workshop interviews conducted with members of the City Council, several topics were noted for discussion. These are:
• Citywide governance as a guiding principle
• Discuss what it means to “avoid surprises”
• Discuss how we as Councilmembers can be more efficient with our comments • Potential of more evening sessions for public access
• How items are determined to be on the consent calendar • Rotating who speaks first at the dais
• Asking clarifying questions vs. stating an opinion or recommendation
CITY OF NAPA COUNCIL RETREAT - WORKBOOK / 6
NOTES
__________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________
Next Steps
• RAFTELIS TO PREPARE RETREAT REPORT
• CITY MANAGER AND STAFF TO PROCEED WITH BUDGET AND WORK PLANS
W rap Up
CLOSING REMARKS
__________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________
CITY OF NAPA COUNCIL RETREAT - WORKBOOK / 7
Contact
JAN PERKINS
[email protected] 949.202.8870
Supplemental Document provided
during public comment from Kara
Vernor - Napa County Bicycle
Coalition
Supplemental Document
provided during public
comment from Kara Vernor -
Napa County Bicycle Coalition