A G E N D A
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKSHOP
Tuesday, April 4, 2023 ~ 5:30 PM
Fire Station #48 – Community Room
3131 North Gate Road
Seal Beach, California
THOMAS MOORE
MAYOR
Second District
SCHELLY SUSTARSIC
MAYOR PRO TEM
Fourth District
JOE KALMICK
COUNCIL MEMBER
First District
LISA LANDAU
COUNCIL MEMBER
Third District
NATHAN STEELE
COUNCIL MEMBER
Fifth District
This Agenda contains a brief general description of each item to be considered. No action or discussion shall be taken on any item not appearing on the agenda, except as otherwise provided by law. Supporting documents, including agenda staff reports, and any public writings distributed by the City to at least a majority of the Council Members regarding any item on this agenda are available for review on the City’s website at www.sealbeachca.gov.
City Council meetings are broadcast live on Seal Beach TV3 and on the City's website www.sealbeachca.gov). Check the SBTV3 schedule for rebroadcast of — meetings are available on- demand on the website (starting 2012).meeting In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, if you require disability - related modification or accommodation to attend or participate in this meeting, including auxiliary aids or services, please call the City Clerk' s office at (562) 431 -2527 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.
CALL TO ORDER
COUNCIL ROLL CALL
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
At this time members of the public may address the Council regarding items on the agenda. Pursuant to the Brown Act, the Council cannot discuss or take action on any items not on the agenda unless authorized by law. Matters not on the agenda may, at the Council' s discretion, be referred to the City Manager and placed on a future agenda.
Those members of the public wishing to speak are asked to come forward to the microphone and state their name for the record. All speakers will be limited to a period of five (5) minutes. Speakers must address their comments only to the Mayor and entire City Council, and not to any individual, member of the staff or audience. Any documents for review should be presented to the City Clerk for distribution.
CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP
ADJOURNMENT
City of Seal Beach
City Council Workshop
Carol Jacobs | Managing Director
Rick Haydon | Special Advisor
April 4, 2023
9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Orange County Fire Authority Station 48
Welcome and Call to Order by Mayor Moore
Mayor
Thomas Moore
1. Treat everyone courteously;
2. Listen to others respectfully;
3. Exercise self-control;
4. Give open-minded consideration to all viewpoints;
5. Focus on the issues and avoid personalizing debate; and,
6. Embrace respectful disagreement and dissent as democratic rights, inherent components of an inclusive public process, and tools for forging sound decisions.
The City’s Civility Principles
Public
Comments
4 Comments from the City Manager
5 City Manager
Jill Ingram
6 Today’s
Objectives
Gain a better appreciation for role
clarification
Discuss governing norms and whether
Council should consider adopting them
Seek consensus on FY 2023-24
Strategic Priorities
Strengthen teamwork
7 Agenda
Icebreaker
Introduction to the day
Reflections on role clarification
Governing norms
Key accomplishments and challenges
Context for priority setting
Establish top priorities for FY 2023-24
Wrap-up and closing comments
8 Listen to
understand each
other’s point of
view
Seek consensus Assume good
intent
Speak up if we
need course
correction
Stay focused
Suggested Ground Rules
Bike Rack
Time
Management Tool
Items to discuss at a
later time
Icebreaker
Exercise:
Exploring the
Commons
Spend 15 minutes
talking with as many
colleagues as you can
Write down a
commonality you
share
Report out to the
group – share a fun or
unusual commonality
you found
Why is
effective
governance
important?
11 Council teamwork
directly impacts
these
Strategic Direction
Results
Staffing Economic
Development
Regional
Influence
Effective Governing is a Team Sport
Together
Work
We
You can be a solid
Council member and a
team player
Requires clear roles,
cooperation,
persuasion.
compromise and
commitment to
relationships
Exceptional City Councils
1. Have a sense of team; a partnership with the
city manager to govern and manage the city
2. Clear roles and responsibilities that are
understood and adhered
3. Honor the relationship with staff and each
other
4. Routinely conduct effective meetings
5. Hold themselves and the city accountable
6. Have members who practice continuous
improvement
13 Institute for Local Government
Attributes of Exceptional Councils
ILG Article
14 What about this article
resonated with you?
Refresher on Roles and Responsibilities
15 Mayor
presides
over the
meetings
Council sets
goals and
policies
City
Manager
directs staff
City
Attorney
provides
legal advice
“Exceptional Councils have clear roles and responsibilities that are understood and adhered to.” – Attributes of Exceptional Councils by Institute for Local Government
Role
clarification is
important!!
Council’s Rules of Procedure
16 1) Scope – defining standards to be
established.
2) Purpose and Intent – rules of decorum for
Council/staff.
3) Meeting Policy – meetings are to adhere to
the Charter and the Brown Act.
4) Order of Agenda – discusses the agenda
order.
5) Closed Session – purpose of closed session
and rules of confidentiality.
6) City Council Meeting Rules of Order – how
Robert’s Rules of Order shall be used.
7) Rules of Decorum – dealing with conduct
during meetings.
8) Voting – procedures for voting during
Council meetings.
9) Council Meeting Time Limits – setting
time limits on Council meeting items.
10) City Council Relationship with City Staff
– provides role clarification between
City Council and City Manager.
11) Issuance – identifying when the rules
were adopted and subsequently
updated.
• Council Rules of Procedure
▪ Section 10.B. Council is the City’s policy-making body and the City Manager administers the Council’s policies.
▪ Section 10.C. Council and its members shall deal with the administrative service solely through the City Manager and shall not give orders to any subordinate of the City Manager.
• City Charter Section 406
▪ Neither the City Council nor any of its members shall interfere with the execution by the City Manager of his/her duties.
Adopted Rules Regarding Roles
17 “Council sets policy and
approves the annual
budget”
“Council makes policies
(with the advice of City
staff) and then the City
Manager sees that the
policy is carried out”
“Council is like a board of
directors and does not get
involved in daily
operations”
“Council answers to the
residents, and only
supervises two employees
– City Manager and City
Attorney”
Council Comments provided to Baker Tilly
Regarding the Role of the City Council
18 Effective Council-City Manager Teamwork
Makes for Good Policy and Solid Organizations
19 • Respect the professionalism of staff and assume
good intent
• Be sensitive to the need to pace the organization
• Allow City Manager to translate policy interests and
priorities to achieve action
• Refrain from directing staff - even informally
• Fix the problem not the blame – to help create a
“no blame” culture
• Do not criticize staff – if Councilmembers have
concerns, bring them to City Manager privately
• Carry out the role as chief executive – provide
leadership to City staff and ensure accountability
• Be direct with Council
• Practice the “no surprise” rule
• Communicate equally with all members of
Council
• Provide clear analysis and recommendations to
Council
• City Manager will work to help Council see the
“big picture” including impacts of policy positions
City Council City Manager
An Effective City Council-City Manager Relationship Article by Kevin Duggan
20 Is there anything in
this article by Kevin
Duggan that resonated
with you?
“City Manager works
for the City Council and
runs the City
operations”
“City Manager executes
the policy of the City
Council along with her
executive branch
(department heads)”
“Councilmembers
should work through
the City Manager and
not direct other
employees”
“As Council, we should
not go around the City
Manager but work
through her”
Council Comments provided to Baker Tilly
Regarding the Role of the City Manager
21 Key Ingredients for Success
• What does the City Council need
from the City Manager in order to
be effective?
• What does the City Manager need
from the City Council to be
successful?
22 In Summary
What Makes a Council Work Well?
23 Institute for Local Government
Effective Councils
Unity of Purpose Clear Roles and
Responsibilities
Positive
Governance
Culture
Norms,
Protocols &
Policies
24 Governing Together – Council Norms
25 What are Council
norms?
Norms are agreed
upon standards of
behavior and
practices
The City of Seal Beach
has a list of Council
Rules of Procedures
adopted in 2014
Effective governance
requires an
established list of
agreed upon norms
Council’s Rules of Decorum
26 1) A prohibition against slanderous or
disruptive comments during Council
meetings.
2) Limitations on public remarks.
3) Councilmembers to make remarks in a
courteous manner and exhibit a high
degree of decorum.
4) Responding to members of the public.
5) Councilmembers are not to make hostile
remarks.
6) There shall be no grandstanding on
issues.
7) Councilmembers have a right to speak
their opinion, but once a decision is
made – respect the majority’s decision.
8) Refrain from making comments on
personnel matters.
9) Enforcement of decorum.
10) Penalty for violating the rules of
decorum at Council meetings.
Typical Council Norms
27 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.
6) Utilize long range plans to provide big
picture context that is realistic and
achievable.
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..
Norms Discussion
28 Would Council like to
adopt this set of norms?
What do you like from the
examples?
What is missing?
Protocols regarding
District Issues?
Council and City Manager Commitments
29 Agree to follow our agreed upon norms and
protocols
Agree to respect each other’s roles
Each person shall contribute to the “care and
feeding” of the partnership
Respect the chain of command and use
established processes
30 Break
31 Recent
Accomplishments
(from Council interviews)
• Continued response to the pandemic; we got through it! • Employees were able to take on more responsibility during the pandemic – wore many hats
• Kept infrastructure working
• Took action and removed the parklets
• Stayed afloat with a balanced budget and are ending the year with a small surplus
• Reserve funds to use in case of emergencies
• Multiple staffing changes throughout the City
• City Manager did a fine job in filling department head vacancies in Public Works, Finance, and Police
• Created new dog park
• Brought Animal Control Services in-house
• Continued to deal with the Housing Element and trying to bring it into compliance
• Staff did a good job responding to/minimizing impact of the recent storm events
• Repaired pier quickly
• Staff has worked well with Cal Trans and OCTA to move things along 32 Recent
Accomplishments
(identified by staff)
City staff began building a 5-year projected
citywide unfunded needs assessment
Successfully advocated for a federallyfunded sand replenishment project, with City leading efforts to expedite restoration
of beach areas impacted by coastal erosion
Implemented comprehensive technologybased parking program improvements to ensure compliance, parking equity, and
access
33 Recent
Accomplishments
(identified by staff)
Secured OC Water District $1M rebate for Lampson
Well Treatment System
Increased Senior Shuttle ridership to over 1,000
additional users since the pandemic
In partnership with the County, secured funding to
install wheelchair accessible beach mats to provide
additional visitor-serving access to our shoreline.
Secured additional CDBG bathroom accessibility
grant funding for eligible seniors citywide
34 Challenges
Mentioned by
More than One
Councilmember
(from Council interviews)
Housing element Inflation and cost
of living
Staffing
challenges
Adding additional
projects may
over-burden staff
Flooding
Public Safety
officers out on
injuries
Old Ranch
Country Club
project
35 Additional
Challenges
(from Council interviews)
Short-term rentals are requiring more staff time to administer Transition to performing animal control in-house has been challenging
Fiscal sustainability
Unfunded mandates are a concern
Discuss parking management on Main Street
Finding contractors that are available to do work
36 Additional
Challenges
(as identified by staff)
Meeting Council and community expectations while faced with an unprecedented high workload and lean staff
Increase in workers’ compensation claims while having limited resources from 3rd party administrator
Unprecedented high inflation affecting project costs, services, and making upcoming labor negotiations challenging
Addressing the upcoming contract issues with the Police Officers Association and Police Management Association
Recent changes to Seal Beach TV3 will require short-term and longer-term solutions
Unfunded mandates to contend with
General Fund Five-Year Outlook
REVENUE EXPENDITURES
2023-24 2027-28 2023-24 2027-28
2.0% Average
Five-Year Projection
+5.7% Average
Five-Year Projection
• Expenditures are outpacing revenues
• Highly uncertain forecast environment
• Economists warn of recession
• Decelerating growth in the economy
• Rapid monetary tightening
FY 2022-23 Assumptions
38 Revenue Outlook
• Property Tax Growth due to 7.1% in
Assessed Valuation
• Sales Tax Reductions Anticipated from
Economic Slowdown and Slower Growth
• Transient Occupancy Tax to Prepandemic Levels
• Utility Users Tax to Pre-Pandemic Levels
• Franchise Fees Remains Flat
• Business License Remains Flat
General Fund Five-Year Outlook
39 Expenditure Outlook
• Rising costs for services and programs, increasing demands, aging infrastructure, and multiple unfunded mandates results in increasing pressing pressure on the budget • California Joint Power Authority increased 6.4%
• OCFA contract increasing 2% (4.5% in FY 2024/25)
• Fires Station 48 Bond ends in FY 2023-24
• Salaries and Benefits increasing 5.5%
• CalPERS Normal Cost increasing 1.6%
• Health Care costs – Increasing 7%
• Hourly worker pay schedule below minimum wages
• Building Maintenance/Deferred Maintenance
• Utilizing Fund Balances
• $220 Million in Unfunded Critical Infrastructure Needs • Greater Unmet Needs Than We Can Fund
40 Next Steps
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
Revenue and Expense Projections
Personnel Budget Development
Departmental Budget Preparation
Department CIP Preparation
City Manager Review
Preliminary Budget Preparation
Public Input and Engagement
City Council Review
Budget Adoption
Budget Development Timeline
Happening NOW!
• Departments Balancing the Budget
• Identifying Essential Services
• Prioritizing Capital Projects
• Maintain Adequate Reserves
• Engage in Long-Term Planning
• Tuesday, May 2nd and Thursday,
May 4th Budget Workshops and
Public Engagement
• Monday, May 22nd Proposed
Budget Adoption
41 Seal Beach Revitalization Plan
October 2022 the City Council set aside $3.1 Million in savings from the American Rescue Plan funds. This balance was proposed to be brought back to Council with an Action Plan.
Staff seeks guidance on the remaining balance of the fund:
• Proposal 1: Includes focusing dollars on critical unfunded one-time items throughout the City including $250,000 additional discretionary payment to CalPERs for the Inactive Fire Safety Plan, $400,000 Fiber Connectivity lines for the Lifeguard Tower, $700,000 West End Pump Station Improvements, $350,000 Fleet Management, $150,000 OCTA/Environmental Clean Up Matching Grant
• Proposal 2: City Pool: $3.1 M, ($4.4 M Currently Set Aside/Need $11.5M) • Proposal 3: Lifeguard Headquarters/Police Substation Replacement Reserve (Replacement Cost $11 M)
• Proposal 4: Volatile Environment – Set Aside Full Amount and Revisit 42 Priority Setting
We can’t do
everything,
But we can do
some things
very well
Successful City Governments
• Respect the ongoing work of City departments as the
day-to-day operations must be well managed – and that
takes time
• Have a collaborative, trusting relationship between the City Council and staff
• Set a few focused priorities, with a staff work plan to achieve them
43 Don’t fill up the bucket
with so many small
rocks that there isn’t
room for the big ones
Put the big
rocks in first
Then add the small
ones where there is
room
“Big Rocks”
44 Balancing Capacity and Council Goals
45 How
Management’s
Time is Spent
85%
5%
5%
5%
Day-to-day management of municipal services
Unforseen challenges
New initiatives
Strategic improvements and training
46 Staff Numbers at a Glance
110 Total full-time employees
54 full-time employees in
police
35 full-time
employees in
operations
7 vacancies
Leaving just 14 staffing positions @
5% capacity each = only 1,450 total
staff hours
Staff available to work on special projects
or Council initiatives include the Executive
Team, and some managers and
management analysts. All have ongoing
responsibilities in their roles and
assignments.
“We all need to realize
that things take time to
accomplish”
“Everyone probably has their own
agenda of what they’d like to see get
accomplished, but we should all realize
that current resources are limited”
“We need to be
mindful of that fact
that adding additional
projects might
overburden our staff”
Council Comments Provided to Baker Tilly
Regarding Their Thoughts on Priorities
47 Break
Strategic Priority Setting for FY 2023-24
• Review status of existing FY 2022-23
Priorities
• Identify priorities for FY 2023-24
• Seek Council direction
49 Process Overview
Additional Items Staff is Addressing
Item Update/Status
Improve community outreach with Facebook; namely,
Parks and Rec, Public Works and Marine Safety
Staff already posting on both Instagram and Facebook
pages
Get an update from the Bay Theater owner on putting
the theater into operation
Had an inspection on 12/2/22 for framing and there is
an electrical inspection scheduled.
Would like to see a master calendar for City and
community events
Staff will work with the Seal Beach Chamber to post all community events on their website.
IT audit of City – 3
rd party firm to look at security Currently in progress 50 Next
Steps
Additional Items Council Wanted to Discuss
• The need to be more transparent and allow for public input • Better public outreach - to make every effort to explain items more to the public and tell our story better
• The ability to use surveys more in order to get information about what residents are thinking?
Staff is seeking clarification on
the above three statements
51 Next
Suggestions for Steps
Staying on Track
with Priorities
Twice a year reporting on progress
and capacity
Hold off on new Council-initiatives
until next goal setting cycle or midyear if capacity exists 52 Next
Steps Best Practice
Criteria for Adding
Initiative and
Projects Mid-Cycle
Emergency (natural disaster, pandemic, civil unrest)
New outside funding opportunity that is time-sensitive
New multi-agency opportunity that cannot be delayed
Community safety issue that must be addressed in
near term
Changes in law or mandates
Otherwise – wait until next
priority-setting process
53 Workshop
report
City
Manager’s
next steps
Next
Steps
Next Steps
54 Closing
Comments
55 Please share one
comment about what
was useful about
today’s discussions
Thank you!
Carol Jacobs| [email protected]
Rick Haydon| [email protected]
- 1 -
A Key Ingredient for Success: An Effective City Council/City Manager Relationship Kevin C. Duggan
ICMA West Coast Regional Director
International City/County Management Association
Introduction
Mayors and councilmembers need to have effective working relationships with a number of key audiences in order to successfully undertake their responsibilities. These audiences include citizens/voters, community groups, the press, other governmental agencies, other elected officials, nonprofit organizations and many more. However, critical to a successful and satisfying career on the city council in a city council/city manager form of government is a successful and effective working relationship with the city manager. This article suggests the necessary ingredients for a mutually successful council/manager working relationship.
The City Council/City Manager Form of Local Government:
The "Council/Manager Form of Government" is designed for the elected city council to set policy direction as the direct representatives of the community with the city manager providing the professional expertise to manage the organization and carry out the council's direction. Policy direction is provided in a variety of ways, including through local laws/ordinances, planning policies (general plan and zoning), financial policies, the annual budget and capital improvement plan, the adoption of city council policies and through numerous other program directives.
The city manager is responsible for carrying out the council's policy direction through the day-to-day management of city functions, including the oversight of city operating departments. Key tasks associated with this role include the hiring and supervision of department heads, the recommendation and implementation of the annual budget and the assurance of quality service delivery. This form of government is predicated on the philosophy that elected representatives are better able to make community value judgments on behalf of residents and translate these values into policy direction—the "what" in city government. It is also based on the belief that professional staff are best able to determine the "how" of implementing policies and delivering day-to-day services due to their experience and training. Since both roles are closely related, it is the city manager's responsibility to coordinate between both realms to assure the effective delivery of services consistent with city council direction.
This is often referred to as the policy/administration dichotomy (the separation of these responsibilities)—which, oftentimes, has a good deal of "gray" on the boundaries.
When it works most effectively, the elected officials focus on big picture of policy - 2 -
development and minimize their role relating to administrative implementation while the staff works to avoid an undue influence on policy development while focusing on policy implementation and service delivery. While the line between the two can become blurred, the city council/city manager system is subject to failure if the line is disregarded.
If the city council and the city manager have an effective and mutually supportive working relationship, the likelihood of the policy and administrative roles being effectively coordinated increases significantly, resulting in a more successful city governance and management.
Among the issues to consider in trying to establish the best possible city council/city manager working relationship are the following:
• The relationship cannot be taken for granted and requires attention and work to establish and maintain. If not diligently pursued, it will not be accomplished. • The work of city councils is not easy! Not only do you confront the typical challenges of group decision-making, but the "group" in this case may not have a great deal in common. Also, the issues can be weighty and controversial. The decision-making is also done in public, often on TV or the Web, scrutinized by the public and press, and anyone can join in on the deliberations. • Among the factors that can get in the way of an effective relationship include:
— Not understanding/appreciating/respecting each other's roles. — Differing philosophies.
— Differing personalities.
— Challenging issues.
— External pressures from the media, community groups, employee organizations, etc.
• Fully appreciate that you need to establish a good working relationship with your fellow councilmembers and the city manager in order to maximize:
— Organizational performance.
— Organizational reputation.
— Value to the community.
- 3 -
— Personal reputation.
— Community pride and confidence.
• Don't underestimate how important it is to a city manager to have a good working relationship with the city council. It has been reported that the relationship with the city council is the primary factor impacting a city manager's job satisfaction.
Among the reasons for this are the following:
— City councils are the source of formal performance feedback. Like almost everyone, positive feedback from supervisor(s) is very important. — City councils control the city manager's job security. — City councils determine the city manager's compensation. — City councils establish the city manager's "parameters of success." — City council support for the city manager, particularly during tough times, is of tremendous value.
Recommended Practices:
So while the stakes are high and the challenges significant, there are a variety of "best practices" and techniques that can improve the odds of your individual success as a mayor or councilmember, as well as the success of the city council and city as a whole.
The following are offered as ideas to consider in your efforts to establish and maintain a strong and effective working relationship with your city manager:
• Recognize that you are now "different" than before you were elected (and more than you may realize):
You are now viewed as a community/city leader and what you do and say can have a much greater impact. Your comments will now be viewed as representing "the city." What you do and say will also be more closely scrutinized. You should be aware that the city staff will view you much differently now that you are one of the organization's leaders. Even an offhand comment can be viewed as a directive for action. So even though you may not view yourself any differently than before you were elected, don't underestimate to what degree others are viewing you differently.
- 4 -
• Understand and respect the city council/city manager plan of governance:
It is critical for you to understand why your city is organized under this plan of governance and how it should operate. It is important to understand and appreciate- ate the distinction between policymaking and implementation and the different roles played by individual councilmembers, the city council as a whole, the city manager and the city staff.
• Allow time for you and the city manager to get to know each other and develop a working relationship:
Try not to overly rely on what you have heard from others regarding what it will be like to work with the manager—others' views may or may not be accurate.
Most city managers understand the need to work very hard to adjust to the issues, concerns and priorities of the new city council. Try to be open-minded to your ability to establish a productive and effective working relationship with the manager.
• City managers will do their best to carry out the policy direction of the city council (even when there is a major change in policy direction):
Professional city managers are committed to carry out the policy direction of the city council regardless if they personally agree or disagree with the policy as long as what they are asked to implement is:
— Legal.
— Ethical.
— Within their/the city's authority.
It is often misunderstood that when a city manager effectively implements a city council's policy, the manager personally agrees with the policy or can only implement city services consistent with that policy. City managers can change the organization's approach to an issue as may be directed by a new city council.
Avoid overly associating the city manager with the policies that the city has previously implemented at the direction of the previous council. • Take your role seriously, but not yourself:
This common advice is particularly important for mayors and councilmembers.
While you are doing important and serious work on behalf of the community, you will do it better and more effectively if you keep the normal "ups and downs" and "wins and losses" in perspective. You were elected to make tough decisions on - 5 -
oftentimes controversial issues. It's a given that you will be criticized and there will be those who vehemently disagree with your decisions. That is unavoidable.
Develop a thick skin and do your best to not take personally the conflicts and disagreements that are a normal part of your new role. If you don't develop a thick skin, you will overreact to criticism.
Additionally, you are now part of an organization and will be blamed/criticized for the actions of the organization that you had nothing to do with. That is the reality of your new role and you should keep that in mind.
And remember, the city manager is not always to blame when things go wrong, though he/she should take appropriate responsibility for the organization's actions. It can be easy to focus your frustration on the city manager. You will be happier and more effective if you can experience the normal "ups and downs" of city life without needing to always find someone at fault.
Whatever the issue or encounter, try not to take it personally. Try to keep personal likes and dislikes out of the equation. Your fellow councilmembers and the city manager are not your family or personal friends; they are your "professional colleagues," and you need to work effectively with them even if you would not select them as friends.
Lastly, always "live to fight another day." There are always future issues to decide; focus on those versus the votes already taken. And always remember not to burn bridges due to a difficult defeat; you will need those "bridges" for future votes! • Appreciate the legitimate difference between the "community perspective" and the "professional/technical" perspective:
While you will primarily view issues from your perspective as a resident/citizen in a manner similar to the other residents of the community, the city staff will often have a more "technical/professional" perspective. What might make a great deal of sense to the staff looking at an issue from a purely "business" point of view may not be the right answer based on community perspectives and values. While the city manager will do his or her best to bridge the gap between the two points of view, it is very helpful for councilmembers to understand that while the staff should be sensitive to community values, they will often raise issues based on their professional training that can differ from a purely community values point of view.
An appreciation for these varied perspectives is critical to the council-staff relationship. That does not mean the one perspective is "right" while the other is "wrong"; but both parties should try to understand and appreciate the views of the other.
- 6 -
• Don't fall into the trap of feeling you are VERY special:
While being elected to a city council is an honor bestowed upon you by the voters, keep that "honor" in perspective. Citizens view electing you as showing trust in your judgment in representing their interests in community decision-making.
They did not elect you because they felt you were personally deserving of special rights and privileges. Don't expect the city manager or staff to be able to assist you in ways outside your formal role on the city council. By and large, they will be required to treat you just the same as any other citizen on matters outside the realm of your official duties. Any compensation and "perks" of office should be visible and public.
• Professional city managers will not "play favorites":
Professional city managers will strive to have a positive working relationship with all the members of the city council regardless of personality, philosophy or positions on specific issues. They will also not let personal likes or dislikes affect how he or she interacts with councilmembers, and you should not expect the manager to act otherwise.
• It is critical to city managers to have clear policy direction:
The city manager and the city organization cannot carry out the policy direction of the city council if that direction is not clearly established. The clearer the direction, the more effectively the manager and staff can implement. Even when the council is split on an issue, the majority's will needs to be clearly stated. The manager should seek clarification from the city council when necessary. • Be sensitive to the need for city managers to sometimes tell you "what you don't want to hear":
One of the least favorite tasks for a city manager is to tell an individual councilmember or the council as a whole something they don't want to hear. This could range from a mistake the organization has made to informing a councilmember that something they want done (or want to do) cannot be done or is not appropriate. While city managers try to be as flexible as possible in meeting the needs of the city council, you will not be well served by a manager who will not tell you when something is not appropriate or cannot be achieved simply to avoid appearing uncooperative. While the manager needs to be clear why the request cannot be fulfilled, it is very helpful for you to understand that the manager has a professional obligation to give you advice contrary to what you would like to hear when he/she is so required.
- 7 -
• Why managers can't always do what you want them to do:
The manager can often be confronted with a situation of an individual councilmember wanting something done that is not consistent with the wishes of the city council. The manager needs to respond to the direction of the city council as a whole. While managers try to be as responsive as possible to the needs/desires of individual members, on matters of any consequence, the direction of the city council will often be required.
• Take your role to evaluate your city manager's performance seriously:
Like any other employee, the city manager benefits from regular and thoughtful performance evaluations. Performance evaluations are an important communication tool between the manager and council. Working for multiple individuals is challenging enough without clear and consistent feedback on performance. At least annual evaluations should be conducted. This provides the opportunity to communicate how the council views the manager's performance, including areas of strength and areas for potential additional emphasis. This is also the only opportunity for the council as a whole to provide this input in private. Also, due to the inherent challenge of multiple individuals attempting to evaluate an individual who works for them as a group, the use of a consultant to facilitate the evaluation can be very helpful. If done right, evaluations can be a very valuable communication mechanism for the council and manager. • Tolerance for organizational imperfection (mistakes!):
While no one likes mistakes, they are unavoidable in the context of organizational life. Cities are complex organizations dealing with a wide variety of services with unique and sometimes challenging clientele. It is not a matter of whether mistakes will be made, but when. It is critical as a leader of your city that you react to mistakes appropriately. While mistakes should be avoided to the greatest extent possible, overreacting can cause further damage. You should expect that mistakes will be addressed promptly, fully disclosed and that steps will be taken to avoid repeating the same mistakes again. You will need to trust the manager to follow up and effectively address the situation when organizational miscues occur. Have high expectations but recognize that mistakes will occur, even in the best organizations, and try not to overreact when they do.
• Support of reasonable risk-taking:
High-performing organizations will occasionally need to take "reasonable risks" in order to achieve community objectives. Sometimes these endeavors will not be successful. However, organizations that avoid ANY unnecessary risk are not likely to accomplish a great deal. While city councils need to be informed and concur that the risk being taken is reasonable for the potential benefit being - 8 -
gained, councils should also be understanding that projects and initiatives that have inherent unknowns may not always turn out as hoped. Intolerance for any - 9 -
mistakes/risk will breed an overly conservative organization and will stifle creativity and flexibility and the benefits these values can bring. • Try to focus feedback on service quality, not individuals:
An ongoing challenge is the difficulty of reconciling the ultimate responsibility of the city council for city service quality versus the need to avoid interfering in the daily management of the organization. It is much better for the city council to communicate service level or quality concerns to the city manager versus performance judgments regarding individual staff members. It is particularly inappropriate for individual members or the council as a whole to try to direct the manager to hire, fire, or promote members of the city staff. • Don't expect managers to take sides in councilmember disputes:
Regardless of how they may personally feel, most city managers will avoid, at all costs, "taking sides" in disputes between councilmembers. While on occasion the manager might try to help reconcile councilmembers, don't expect the manager to take your side in a dispute with a fellow member. Even if they may agree with you, most managers will avoid taking part in public or private criticism of councilmembers unless professionally required to do so in extreme cases. • Don't jump to conclusions regarding citizen/customer feedback:
While it is your responsibility to be available to listen to citizen and customer feedback regarding the city organization, be careful not to jump to conclusions based on what you are told. Oftentimes an individual may sound completely sincere and credible while providing you an inaccurate account of their experience with the city organization. It is best to not jump to conclusions, one way or the other, until the manager is able to provide you a response to the concern. It is embarrassing to criticize staff for poor performance only to find out that the information you relied on was not accurate. At the same time, the manager needs to not be overly defensive regarding staff performance until he or she also has heard "both sides of the story."
• Don't expect the manager to exercise "political leadership":
While managers are inherently leaders of their organizations and, to varying degrees, in their communities, their role is not to be political leaders. That is, it is not intended for the manager to be "out front" on community policy issues. Sometimes city councils want managers to take leadership (advocate publicly) on controversial issues to avoid potential political consequences to themselves. While tempting, this is contrary to the intent of the council/manager form of government under which the elected officials are to take the lead on purely policy matters. - 10 -
• Disagree with the recommendation/don't attack the "messenger":
When dealing with a difficult issue at a council meeting, it can be tempting to not only disagree with the recommendation being presented, but also to challenge/ discredit the manager or staff member presenting the recommendation. The best practice is to focus your comments on the recommendation, not the individual.
Having a policy discussion devolve into a personal attack is uncomfortable and embarrassing to everyone involved. Even if you are frustrated by the recommendation, it is poor form to attack the presenter. If you do have concerns regarding how a recommendation was developed or presented, that should be provided privately to the manager.
P.S.: Don't play "stump the staff" by trying to ask questions at the meeting that you think staff will have difficulty answering on the spot. It doesn't really make you look smarter, nor is it helpful to the deliberations to ask a question that cannot be answered. While staff members should work diligently to anticipate questions, it is not possible to anticipate all possible questions. If you really want the answer, get the question answered before the meeting or provide a heads up regarding what you will be asking.
• Conduct yourself at council meetings in a professional/businesslike manner:
Even on very controversial topics with greatly varying opinions, the council deliberation can be and should be "businesslike" and professional. While it may be more entertaining (possibly from a reality TV perspective) to see councilmembers and citizens yelling and having temper tantrums, it gets in the way of thoughtful deliberations and only tends to lower the respect for the council and city in the eyes of your constituents.
• Consider the use of council team-building and goal-setting workshops:
Recognizing the importance of both effective councilmember/councilmember and council/city manager working relationships, often an investment of time in teambuilding workshops is very worthwhile. These workshops allow for a thoughtful conversation of working relationships outside the context of discussing specific issues. These discussions can help create a better understanding of work styles and perspectives.
Additionally, recognizing that clear direction and priorities are critical for effective council/manager relations, goal-setting workshops can be very effective forums for establishing city council and organizational priorities. - 11 -
• Have a clear understanding with the manager of the type and frequency of communication you prefer:
While a fundamental value of city managers is to provide regular and complete information equally to each councilmember, councilmembers can vary significantly regarding the type and frequency of contact with the manager they desire. While the manager will use written reports in one form or another as a base line of information to all the members, it is important for the manager to understand your preference for how information should be communicated, including the frequency of personal contact. While some members prefer regular "face-to-face" contact with the city manager, others prefer less time-intensive information-sharing methods.
While sharing the same information among all councilmembers, it is helpful for you and the manager to understand how much and what type of contact you prefer.
• Do your homework:
It takes time and effort to be a successful councilmember. It makes the manager's and staff's job a lot easier if you have reviewed the reports and related materials provided to you prior to the city council meeting. This facilitates efficient meetings, accelerates decision-making and gives the impression that staff and council are working well as a team. Additionally, it will avoid you appearing unprepared to your fellow councilmembers, the staff and your constituents. • Trust above all:
As in all relationships, an effective city council/manager relationship must be based on trust. Other potential obstacles such as differing personalities, styles, philosophies, etc., can be overcome if there is mutual trust. Without trust, little else will be successful. Both parties need to treat each other with respect and be truthful and forthcoming in their dealings.
• No Surprises:
Both the manager and council should do their best to make sure that important information is not first learned from others. While in this age of instant communication this is more difficult, and in some cases impossible, the parties should do their best to make sure that noteworthy information to which they are privy is not communicated to other organizational leaders by third parties (particularly the media). The manager needs to work hard to make sure that the council is not taken off guard while councilmembers should keep the city manager in the loop as well. "Surprises" can have a very negative impact on the working relationship in that it speaks directly to the trust issue. - 12 -
• Work through the city manager to get things done:
While practice and philosophy can vary to some degree between cities, councilmembers should generally work through the city manager to obtain action by staff.
Individual councilmembers are not authorized to direct staff, though routine referral of citizen requests (or to simply request information) is sometimes appropriate depending on local practice. Coordinating through the manager will make sure the issue is sent to the right staff person for action and will allow the manager to confirm timely follow-up. This also helps the manager stay informed regarding issues of community concern.
• Council/Mayor Role:
It is also important to make sure there is clarity between the council, the manager and the mayor on respective roles. At times there can be a conflict between the role the mayor views themselves as playing and the expectations of the remainder of the council. It is difficult if the manager gets caught in a dispute over these respective roles. In particular, how the city manager relates to the mayor versus the other councilmembers needs to be clear.
• Don't blame the manager or staff for carrying out the direction of the city council:
The city manager and staff are required to faithfully carry out the direction of the city council, regardless if they did or did not recommend it and regardless if some councilmembers oppose it. Respect the staff for faithfully carrying out the will of the council, whether or not you share the view of the council majority. • If the council/manager relationship is not going well:
If you or the council are having difficulty with the city manager, try your best to resolve the issue. First of all, find an appropriate way to communicate the concerns. The manager can't respond if he/she is not aware of the concern. As noted earlier, try to obtain clear council consensus for the expectations for the manager and communicate those expectations clearly. Try to be optimistic regarding the possibility of the manager making adjustments to satisfy the concerns of the council and give sufficient time to do so. Additionally, provide the manager opportunities to respond to the feedback and communicate how he/she will address the concerns.
• If all else fails and there needs to be a "parting of the ways":
A forced separation of the manager is not a good experience for the council, the manager or the city. It can be costly, controversial and can cast everyone in a negative light. It can also erode citizen confidence in the city. Assuming all - 13 -
reasonable steps have been taken to avoid a forced transition and recognizing a parting based on "irreconcilable differences" is always better than an "ugly, contested divorce" (in an "ugly divorce," both parties end up looking bad), keep the following in mind:
— Keep it professional.
— Don't unnecessarily damage the manager's reputation—it is not needed to make a change.
— Provide a reasonable period of time for the manager to find another position or provide reasonable severance—it takes time to find a manager's job. — Remember, how you handle the transition of the current manager will have an impact on the quality of the candidate pool for the next manager.
Summary/Concluding Thoughts:
An unstable council/manager relationship has negative consequences for the city council, the manager, the organization and the community. A positive and mutually supportive relationship will increase the odds of having a high-performing and successful city. Councilmembers and the manager need to make creating, supporting and sustaining the relationship a high priority. If made a high priority, the odds of success are great.
Remember that your service on the city council is a unique honor that has been bestowed on you by your fellow citizens. While it is often a challenge, with inherent difficulties, someone needs to do it and your community has selected you for that responsibility. You have been selected to serve in a professional and honorable manner, during good times and bad. Your service on the city council will be over soon enough.
Conduct yourself in a manner that will allow you to look back with pride—not only for what you accomplished, but also the way in which you conducted yourself (which will likely be remembered the longest).
January 2017
1 Leading public organizations and governing with colleagues on a council is a challenging art of community service. The Institute recognizes that many aspects of leadership and governance are not intuitive. This piece is intended to provide councilmembers and city managers insight into the attributes of exceptional councils as well as provide practical tips to help them become exceptional.
1. Exceptional councils develop a sense
of team – a partnership with the city
manager to govern and manage the city
The mayor, councilmembers and city manager see
themselves and work as a team as they undertake a
series of tasks to further their common purpose. The
individual team members work in a coordinated and
collaborative manner with a high degree of respect, trust and openness. The team values diversity in style and
perspective. The team thinks and acts strategically as it examines issues/situations and decides on a course of
action serving their city’s mission and goals.
KEY CHARACTERISTICS
Successfully transition from candidate
to a member of the council.
Become a champion of the city. Make
decisions based on the needs and
interests of the community at-large / the
greater good.
Develop, communicate and support
policy goals and council decisions.
Demonstrate a willingness to work
collaboratively (as a team) and have a
citywide perspective.
BEST PRACTICE TIPS
Build capacity to create a more effective team. The governance team (mayor, councilmembers and city manager) should get to know each other; how each person approaches issues, decision making style and so on. This can be accomplished at annual meetings or workshops through-out the year.
In the event that councilmembers disagree, clear ground rules (norms of behavior and practice) can help quell acrimony before it becomes a problem. It’s important to remember that trust is built around understanding and respect, not necessarily agreement.
Attributes of Exceptional Councils
Attributes of Exceptional Councils
2 2. Exceptional councils have clear
roles and responsibilities that are
understood and adhered.
Exceptional councils understand their role is to serve as policy maker - to represent the values, beliefs and priorities of their community while serving in the community’s best interest. They carry out a variety of responsibilities including:
developing and adopting a vision for the city; focusing and aligning plans, policies, agreements and budgets in furtherance of this vision; and holding themselves and
the city manager accountable for results.
Exceptional councils understand that the city manager
is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the city.
The city manager is responsible for undertaking and
accomplishing the policy objectives of the council.
Exceptional councils recognize the subject matter expertise of staff and utilize their knowledge and experience to
guide and inform decision making.
KEY CHARACTERISTICS
Understand the role of local
government and their responsibilities.
Know their role- to set vision and policy,
avoid micromanagement.
Councilmembers should strive to be
informed about the issues facing the
city and be prepared to ask questions of
staff and each other.
BEST PRACTICE TIPS
Create a shared understanding of the city manager’s role and the council’s expectations to optimize the working relationships. This shared understanding is informed by local charter and ordinance provisions that provide the overall framework for the relationship. The council should make time to have conversations during retreats and or study sessions to define and/or reveal and refine their role and responsibilities. Since role clarity between the city council and city management is critical to mutual success, having clear protocols helps avoid misunderstandings.
Attributes of Exceptional Councils
3 3. Exceptional councils honor the
relationship with staff and each other
Exceptional councils understand that a good working
relationship with staff is vital for the city to be run successfully. Exceptional councils treat each other and staff with dignity and respect. They act with civility and a high level of professional decorum. Councilmembers
build trust by not playing the “gotcha game” and strive to have a no secrets, no surprises approach as an operating norm. Finally, they respect the diversity of styles and perspectives among their colleagues and staff and are
open to new ideas.
KEY CHARACTERISTICS
Councilmembers have the ability to
respectfully disagree (to disagree
without being disagreeable).
They are able to leave it at the dais;
debates are about policy, not
personality.
Exceptional councilmembers reflect
positive decorum/model of leadership
by providing respectful tone with
colleagues.
Establish a set of behaviors ahead of
time, potentially documented in a code
of conduct, to help promote civility and
respect.
BEST PRACTICE TIPS
Set council priorities and strategic goals at an annual meeting; these goals and priorities are a tool to guide the city manager and staff on where to focus their efforts. This annual meeting provides time for the council to reflect on community priorities as well as offer an opportunity to discuss their decorum and their relationship among each other and the relationship between the city manager/staff and the council.
4. Exceptional councils routinely conduct
effective meetings
Open and public meetings are central to democratic
decision-making. Exceptional councils master the art
of effective meetings. They develop and adhere to meeting protocols and processes. They spend time planning and
organizing the agenda with the aim of having a more
focused meeting. They allocate the council’s time and
energy appropriately (focused on the council’s role and responsibilities) and meeting short- and long-term priorities.
They honor the public’s participation and engagement
and they generally start on time and are held during
reasonable hours.
Exceptional councils use public meetings not only for their intended purpose, information sharing and decision-making,
KEY CHARACTERISTICS
Councilmembers are respectful of each
other, the public and everyone’s time.
Councilmembers use engaging body
language as a way to demonstrate
respect.
Issues are not personalized, thoughtful
dialogue is the objective.
Agenda packets are read,
councilmembers come prepared and
have an open mind
Respect is demonstrated for varied
opinions.
Everyone strives to be civil and act with
decorum.
Attributes of Exceptional Councils
4 but they also use the meeting to demonstrate respect and civility for each other, staff and the public. Exceptional councilmembers prepare in advance of the meeting, remain focused on the city goals and objectives and mindful of their role and responsibilities.
BEST PRACTICE TIPS
Develop and adopt (with regular reviews and updates), guidelines for conducting meetings and making decisions. These governance protocols typically address meeting procedures (agenda preparation, how to put issues on the agenda, debate and voting procedures (parliamentary rules) and standards of decorum (civility)). As part of a regular self-assessment, councils should evaluate their meetings and their effectiveness and adjust behavior and practices for better results.
5. Exceptional councils hold themselves
and the city accountable
Exceptional councils operate openly, ethically and work to engage the community in a myriad of decisions impacting the prosperity and well-being of their community. Toward that end, exceptional councils consistently provide shortand long-term strategic direction and goals, as well as provide budget, program and policy oversight.
Exceptional councils hold themselves accountable for the conduct, behavior and effectiveness of the council. They establish clear priorities and goals and hold the city
manager accountable for results. And finally, they embrace accountability as a process and tool to calibrate ongoing efforts to address and meet policy and program objectives.
KEY CHARACTERISTICS
Councilmembers operate ethically and
with integrity.
Councils conduct team building / goal
setting exercise to track progress
towards mutually agreed upon goals
Councils taking responsibility for the
results (good and bad).
Councils celebrate success.
Councilmembers hold themselves
responsible for adhering to operating
protocols and codes of conduct.
BEST PRACTICE TIPS
Annually evaluate council and city manager performance toward achieving the city’s priorities and goals (consider having this be part of an annual goal setting meeting). Council should consider assessing its own behavior and effectiveness as part of its annual self-assessment.
Attributes of Exceptional Councils
5 6. Exceptional councils have members
who practice continuous personal
learning and development
Governance is not intuitive. In addition, the policy and economic environment impacting cities are ever changing.
Exceptional councils continually provide the opportunity to build their knowledge and skills, to enhance their
understanding of key issues, increase their awareness
of best practices and sharpen their leadership and
governance skills.
KEY CHARACTERISTICS
Stay informed on key issues
Gain key insights and knowledge on all
aspects of governing, from budgets to
plans and everything in between.
Learning to listen is sometimes more
important than learning to give a
speech.
BEST PRACTICE TIPS
Seek out national, state and local professional growth and educational opportunities. These opportunities can focus on the nuts and bolts of governing to helping you gain valuable information and/or insights on key policy issues facing your city. In addition, city run orientations for newly elected officials provide a good way to acclimate new members to the council’s norms and protocols as well as the budget and key policy issues.