Attachment 1
April 2023
City of Santa Rosa
City Council Priority Setting Workshop
Held March 9 and 10, 2023
City Council Priority Setting Workshop
1Table of Contents Baker Tilly
i
Table of Contents
Workshop Report ...................................................................................................................................... 1 Workshop Overview ........................................................................................................................ 1 Opening Comments ......................................................................................................................... 3 Ice-breaker Exercise ......................................................................................................................... 4 Fiscal and Other Updates ................................................................................................................ 5 Review of Accomplishments .......................................................................................................... 6 Working Together to Achieve Results .......................................................................................... 7 Priority Setting .................................................................................................................................. 9 Wrap-up and Next Steps ............................................................................................................... 13
City Council Priority Setting Workshop
Workshop Report Baker Tilly
1 Workshop Report
The City of Santa Rosa held a City Council workshop on Thursday, March 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and reconvened the morning of Friday, March 10 at the Bennett Valley Golf Course. The workshop provided an opportunity for Councilmembers to set intentions for the organization’s focus of time and limited resources for the upcoming year.
This report contains a summary of the results of the goal setting session.
Nancy Hetrick, Managing Director for Baker Tilly, facilitated the workshop. Ashley Garcia, Consulting Manager, assisted and served as recorder.
Workshop Overview
Objectives
• Affirm the City’s mission, vision, and values;
• Establish strategic goals and direction for FY 2023-24; and • Define expectations and methods for providing regular updates about Council priorities.
Participants
City Council
• Mayor Natalie Rogers, District 7
• Vice Mayor Dianna MacDonald, District 3
City Council Priority Setting Workshop
Workshop Report Baker Tilly
2 • Councilmember Eddie Alvarez, District 1
• Councilmember Mark Stapp, District 2
• Councilmember Victoria Fleming, District 4
• Councilmember Chris Rogers, District 5
• Councilmember Jeff Okrepkie, District 6
Staff
• City Manager Maraskeshia Smith
• Assistant City Manager Jason Nutt
• Assistant City Manager Daryel Dunston
• City Attorney Sue Gallagher
• Planning and Economic Development Director Clare Hartman • Assistant Finance Director Scott Wagner
• City Clerk Dina Manis
• Police Chief John Cregan
• Fire Chief Scott Westrope
• Director of Human Resources Amy Reeve
• Director of Water Jennifer Burke
• Director of Housing and Community Services Megan Basinger • Chief Information Officer Brian Tickner
• Communications and Intergovernmental Relations Director Lon Peterson
Thursday Agenda
• Welcome and call to order by the Mayor
• Public comment
• City Manager’s remarks
• Fiscal and Other Updates
o Financial outlook
o ARPA/PG&E funds update
o CIP and Infrastructure
o Annexation
• Departmental Updates on Strategic Goals
• Celebration of Accomplishments
• Working Together to Achieve Results
• Identification of Council Priorities
Friday Morning Agenda
• Recap of Thursday’s Outcomes
• Affirm Council priorities from the prior day
• Wrap up and next steps
City Council Priority Setting Workshop
Workshop Report Baker Tilly
3 Workshop Ground Rules
At the start of the workshop, Nancy suggested the following ground rules to help the group have a successful workshop.
• Listen to understand each other’s point of view,
• Assume good intent,
• Speak up if we need course correction,
• Seek consensus, and
• Stay focused.
Bike Rack. Nancy explained that if items were brought up that could not receive immediate attention, they would be added to a “bike rack.” The following items were added.
• CAB community committees
• Present capital project updates with color coding
• Show CIP investments by district to help councilmembers communicate with residents
• Isolate the option of the 2010 annexation for further discussion • Begin discussions with the County for potential annexation Opening Comments
Mayor Rogers
Mayor Rogers convened the City Council meeting and asked for the roll call. The Mayor welcomed everyone and thanked Councilmembers for attending. She noted that the purpose of the day’s discussions was to meet as a team to discuss the vision for what they want to accomplish for the City of Santa Rosa. Mayor Rogers then opened the session to public comments.
City Council Priority Setting Workshop
Workshop Report Baker Tilly
4 City Manager Smith
City Manager Maraskeshia Smith offered opening remarks. She expressed her interest in balancing core services, operationalizing one- time funding and encouraging innovation to drive a philosophy of high performance. She highlighted the need to “re-fall” in love with Santa Rosa and focus on the quality and consistency of services. She thanked staff for a job well done and stressed the desire to move Santa Rosa forward.
Ice-breaker Exercise
Participants were asked to participate in live polling using the Mentimeter feedback tool. The group, which included Council, staff and members of the public present, was asked to consider the question, “What about Santa Rosa makes you most proud?” A total of 27 attendees responded. The answers are shown in Figure 1 below.
City Council Priority Setting Workshop
Workshop Report Baker Tilly
5 Figure 1. Responses to “What about Santa Rosa Makes You Most Proud?
Following the activity, the group offered reflections on the themes, including the people, natural beauty, sense of community, and commitment.
Fiscal and Other Updates
Assistant Finance Director Scott Wagner reviewed the City’s financial outlook, outlining positive aspects, challenges ahead, guiding principles, and a brief long-range financial forecast. This was followed by an update on ARPA funding and PG&E funding. Assistant City Manager Nutt then Beautiful mountain,
tree lined streets and
central square
Tight-knit engaged
community
The heart and
dedication of the
community
Committment to
each other
Gorgeous!
Dedication people
have to the
community
The engagement of
the community staff
and leaders
The commitment of
the community to
identify and address
issues impacting
residents
Resilience The people
The amount of parks
and the natural
beauty of the area
Great place to raise
your family
We have nonprofits
that work together to
better the future of
families
Engaged community
that cares and loves
SR
Working wonderful
culture at the City.
The staff are the best!
Volunteerism
Our children and
seniors Natural beauty People care The people!
Natural beauty
Our passion from
our community to
make it a better place
than it already is
Residents
Great community
with a strong and
committed staff
The sense of
community no matter
if we are dealing with
successes or tragedies
Willingness to
support each other
Its desire to improve
the lives of its
neighbors through
annexation and
provision of services
City Council Priority Setting Workshop
Workshop Report Baker Tilly
6 presented an update on the City’s CIP and Infrastructure to set the context about current maintenance needs and potential future investment.
Potential opportunities for annexation and the South Santa Rosa Specific Plan were discussed, including costs and staff capacity. Notes from the discussion about annexation are listed below.
• Advantages about City-initiated vs. applicant-initiated annexation; both require public review and analysis
• Opportunity for the City to partner with the County
o County would not commit financially, but working with an internal ad-hoc
o Would have to negotiate fair share
• Significant start-up costs and ongoing operating costs • Estimated levels of service
• Council expressed interest in the South Santa Rosa Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
• Acknowledged difference in the dollar figure between City and economists
o Staffing costs
o Additional funds (could be developer) to backfill cost o Will review study and different methodology/projections • Define 2010 terminology
o Developer building new vs. existing infrastructure
o Return on investment, would increase Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) requirements
o State law prevents focus purely on new development
Equity issue
Cherry-picking
o Net negative revenue impact (City and economists) needs clarity
o Decided to move forward with initial study
• If City-initiated, would bear 100% of the cost
Review of Accomplishments
Staff highlighted major accomplishments by each department over the past year (a handout was provided), as well as updates on goals and priorities. The City Council and staff reflected on the accomplishments.
Following the presentation, participants were invited to offer reflections.
Those are listed below.
City Council Priority Setting Workshop
Workshop Report Baker Tilly
7 • Extensive accomplishments list is a testament to awesome staff • Major success of inRESPONSE collaborative; impressive numbers • Recognized exemplary use of ARPA funds
• Grant funding
• Improved quality of life
• Staff professionalism and information provided
Working Together to Achieve Results
Nancy led a good governance check-in with Council. She reviewed four key elements for effective councils identified by the Institute for Local Government:
• Unity of purpose;
• Clear roles and responsibilities;
• Positive governance culture; and
• Norms, protocols, and policies.
She posed two discussion questions, and the feedback is summarized below.
As a body, how do we work effectively to become an exceptional Council?
Discussion
• Put community needs first
• Differentiate between governance vs. management
• Maintain internal and external focus
• Read packets and come prepared
• Demonstrate respectfulness
• Have confidence in colleagues, including the ability to listen and learn from each other
• Teamwork!
City Council Priority Setting Workshop
Workshop Report Baker Tilly
8 The next discussion was centered on ad hoc committees and subcommittees as well as the needs of the City Attorney's office for Brown Act compliance. Highlights of the conversation are provided below.
What is the appropriate scope and time frame for ad-hoc committees and subcommittees?
Discussion
• Clarify specific goals
• Vet recommendations before they come to Council
• Provide space for the public to bring ideas
• Socialize issues through part of Council
• Have reliable meeting schedules
• Analyze right mix/review options
o Don’t meet for meetings sake – do we have quorum?
o Eliminate duplicative work and make effective use of staff time
• Make sure ad hoc committees are short, temporary, single focused (no Brown Act)
• Subcommittees can be ongoing
• Climate Action committee was intentionally broad
• Economic development –City Council assigned – community- driven
• Clarity for operation for next two years
o Retiring ordinances and fine tune
o Define purpose, mission, scope and who sets agenda
o Allow public input
o Be careful to not to shut down creativity
• Subject matter expert development
• CAB role (elections, charter, origination documents)
• Analyze annually which committees to continue or discontinue and communicate the “why”
• Define scope and deliverable expectations
o Aligned with council goals
o Help set agenda
Clearly identify which are required to be staffed by
City Attorney’s Office
When is the task completed?
• If not through committees, how are policies developed? • Establish procedure to set Council goals first, then establish committees based on the goals
City Council Priority Setting Workshop
Workshop Report Baker Tilly
9 Priority Setting
Referencing the Strategic Plan framework implemented the prior year, Nancy provided a definition for goals. Goals provide direction and focus to the organization, including resource decisions; are multi-year in nature; and are achieved through a range of strategies.
Context for priority setting was provided including a review of the allocation of managers’ time and the “big rocks” metaphor to allocate time and resources to focus on getting the important things done. Council was reminded that they can’t do everything, but they can do some things well with focus.
Nancy presented the themes heard during her interviews with the members of the City Council.
Participants reviewed and discussed the previously established goals and strategies and provided suggestions for updates. The agreed upon City Council goals are provided below. They reflect the changes discussed and affirmed during the workshop. Councilmembers agreed that these goals should last longer than one year.
Council Goals
The strategic goal areas established in 2022 were affirmed to continue for FY 2023-24, with the addition of a new strategic goal: Address Climate Change. Councilmembers provided feedback and proposed adjustments to the current goals. Updates to the goal statements are highlighted in red text below.
Interview Themes
• Stay the course; con�nue work that is underway; focus on what we can achieve
• Focus on the basics/ core services
• Care and feeding of good governance
• Organiza�onal health - Fiscal stability; securing funding; long -term planning; recruitment and reten�on
• Community engagement and opera�ng across districts
• Priority themes:
• Housing and Homelessness
• Infrastructure
• Economic development – downtown, railroad square, Roseland • Organiza�onal effec�veness
Interview
Themes
City Council Priority Setting Workshop
Workshop Report Baker Tilly
10 0
Strategies
Strategies for each goal area are presented on the following pages.
Refinements made by Councilmembers during the workshop are noted in red font. The City Manager and her team will use these strategies as they evaluate available resources and develop a proposed budget and workplan for the coming year. The Council will have an opportunity to affirm the plan for the next year.
FY 2023-24 City Council Goals and Strategies
Strategic Goal Strategies
Deliver Housing for all
Pursue housing options for residents
of all income levels
• Implement the City’s Housing Action Plan to address ongoing unmet housing needs – facilitate housing options/supply for all • Reduce barriers to ownership and access to housing opportunities through education, awareness and financial assistance
• Encourage higher density housing development in the downtown, expand options of housing stock
• Encourage innovation in achieving increased inclusionary housing • Streamline the approval process; be nimble and quick
• Implement state and federal regulations
City Council Priority Setting Workshop
Workshop Report Baker Tilly
11 FY 2023-24 City Council Goals and Strategies
Strategic Goal Strategies
Reduce Homelessness and its
Impacts
Partner with key stakeholders to
offer housing and support services to
the unsheltered and address the
issues and causes of homelessness
• Implement the tenets of the Homeless Strategic Plan
• Minimize impacts on neighborhoods and businesses
• Maintain the City’s commitment to the Housing First Strategy in partnership with the Sonoma County Continuum of Care (Home Sonoma County)
• Fund programs that enable emergency shelter and deliver individualized assistance to people experiencing homelessness • Support temporary housing options, like the Safe Parking Pilot Program throughout the City
• Invest in prevention and intervention programs to prevent vulnerable individuals from becoming homeless
• Improve and expand coordinated outreach and engagement (i.e., Homeless Outreach Services Team, Downtown Enforcement Team) • Use a compassionate approach to address the health, safety and shelter needs of those living in encampments and ease the impacts on surrounding communities
• Rely on evidence-based or best practices
Ensure a Healthy and Safe
Community for All
Ensure the public’s safety by
engaging residents and using a
broad range of proactive approaches
that reduces racism and inequality in
our community.
• Increase community partnerships, engagement and accountability through an equity lens
• Utilize data driven strategies and tactics to deploy resources and reduce crime
• Engage neighborhoods
• Develop and implement strategies for mental health response • Invest in prevention and intervention programs
• Implement the Fire Resiliency and Response Strategic Plan • Ensure safe routes to school and crosswalk safety
Promote Economic and Community
Vibrancy
Sustain and develop a diverse and
thriving economy that benefits Santa
Rosa residents and businesses and
contributes to the community’s
economic health while preserving
historical and cultural integrity.
• Develop business incentives and tools for underserved neighborhoods • Promote open dialogue with education partners to improve quality of life, increase literacy, and work together to connect students to potential career paths in public service
• Engage private employers and the business community in workforce development and job placement
• Support and engage local businesses and workers to promote prosperity
• Establish Santa Rosa as a desired destination for business • Create spaces for residents to gather, learn and connect • Support access to childcare, including preschool and early childhood support and recreational and summer camp programming
• Encourage public-private partnerships
• Acknowledge local cultural resources and assets
• Evaluate opportunities to integrate unincorporated areas into the City City Council Priority Setting Workshop
Workshop Report Baker Tilly
12 FY 2023-24 City Council Goals and Strategies
Strategic Goal Strategies
Build and Maintain Sustainable
Infrastructure
Invest in and maintain infrastructure
that supports environmental
sustainability, multi-modal
transportation options, and a vibrant
City.
• Be responsive and competent stewards of public infrastructure and the environment
• Safeguard the City’s assets by anticipating, planning and allocating resources for infrastructure upgrades and replacement as needed • Establish a plan to address deferred and ongoing maintenance • Educate the public about water usage impacts and long-term water- saving strategies to meet conservation goals
• Enable movement within and around the city to reduce reliance on vehicles
• Complete solid waste system improvements (engage businesses) • Finalize the Roseland Creek Community Park Master Plan Achieve Organizational Excellence
Create a high performing
organization that pursues excellence,
efficiency, and engagement; is
fiscally sound; promotes diversity,
equity and inclusion; and reliably
delivers outstanding services to the
community.
• Sustain fiscal health by maintaining reserves, forecasting impacts of budget choices, monitoring revenue trends, maintaining competitive salaries for employees, and creatively leverage other funding sources • Plan for asset and technology maintenance needs (i.e., streets, facilities, technology, capital assets, adjust facilities for gender accommodation, include supporting cost for public safety, such as recreation, sheltering, water, building safety, etc.)
• Utilize data driven strategies and tactics
• Implement process improvements and best practices that prioritize customer experience
• Workforce planning (recruitment and retention; training and professional development for staff, volunteers and policy makers) • Create a culture of that cultivates diversity, equity, inclusion, safety, and belonging
• Optimize organization structure to strengthen teamwork through interdepartmental collaboration to deliver results
• Support employee wellness
• Build and strengthen interagency partnerships with key stakeholders on issues facing the City
NEW: Address Climate Change
Take proactive steps toward carbon
neutrality and environmental
education for all
• Mitigate the impacts of climate change with comprehensive planning and implementation
• Establish policies that support environmental sustainability in building and infrastructure investment to facilitate carbon neutrality (electric fleet, bikeways, SWOT analysis of PG&E independence)
City Council Priority Setting Workshop
Workshop Report Baker Tilly
13 Updates and Communication
Nancy led a discussion on what success looks like for the next 12 to 18 months and the format of quarterly updates.
Wrap-up and Next Steps
Recap
A recap of the goals discussion emphasized that goals are multi-year in nature. Prioritizing strategies and initiatives will occur when staff returns to Council with the report.
Closing Comments
Councilmembers and staff spent time reflecting on
their key takeaways from the workshop. Overall,
participants expressed the value of being together
face-to-face for the workshop and were grateful for
a collaborative and productive time.
Next Steps
This report will be used by the City Manager and Executive Team to build the workplan and establish metrics to measure success. The intent is for the City Council to affirm and adopt the strategic goals and strategies identified during the workshop.