Short-term Goal & Priority Setting
City of Sebastopol
September 3, 2024
Goals and Priorities Provide Focus
Required for sustainable success
What’s most important to the full Council
Emphasizing next several months
Goal-setting planned for February
Full context helpful for short-term decisions
Overall
Day to day operations dominate
Four Department Heads are Part time
Need both discipline and flexibility
Should review progress regularly (6-12 months)
“We can do anything you want, just not everything you want.” Updates
Calder Creek
Grant application opening soon
Request for City staff time and $2,000
Homelessness
Can review City options
Could arrange presentation/discussion including roles
for cities
Regional problem requiring regional solution
Updates
Events
Chamber (and others?) hosting some
City can sponsor
Financial Reporting
Moving forward now
Goal: First Quarter Report in Fall
Suggestion for Council Discussion
1. Anything missing or unclear?
2. Questions?
3. Discussion/Direction
Organizational Capacity
Vast majority of staff time is daily operations
Department Heads manage operations, & often
have multiple roles
Four are part-time
And take on projects
As do City Manager and Assistant City Manager
Turn-over happening and will accelerate
Expertise matters for most projects
Calder Creek Naturalization
On hold in staff report
Grant opportunity forthcoming?
Level of effort and costs unknown
Example of how opportunities emerge and the value of
being flexible
Mostly Legal/contractual obligations:
Recommend Proceeding Now
1. Affordable Housing Monitoring – contract w/County
2. Employee Negotiations
3. EIFD
4. Fleet Assessment (if approved)
5. Fire Topics
a. Reorg/Consolidation
i. Station Assessment
b. Expanded Coverage
6. Housing Element Implementation – Mandatory Requirements
7. Public Education re: Sales Tax Measure
8. Solid Waste Hauler Procurement
9. Sustainable Transportation Grant
Four Categories of Recommendations
for Next 5-6 Months
1. Legal/contractual obligations
2.Council-approved Initiatives to focus on
3.Council-approved initiatives for February
consideration
4.Councilmember initiatives not approved by full
Council
5.On hold/inactive
Group 1 - Council-approved Initiatives:
Recommend Proceeding Now
1. Council protocols (get started; finish June 2025)
2. Classification/Compensation study
3. Community Center Fire Safety Improvements
4. Community Center Master Plan
5. Emergency Operations Center Assessment
6. Review Staff Support for Climate Action Committee
7. Review Staff Support for Public Arts Commission
Group 2 - Council-approved Initiatives:
Recommend Considering in Feb.
1.ABAG Priority Development Area Grant
2.Additional Economic Development
a.Currently working on Barlow Hotel, EIFD
3.Management Review of Admin Services
4.Additional Revenue Options
5.Restructure Planning Commission/DRB
6.Water Master Plan
Group 3 – Councilmember Initiatives:
Recommend Considering in Feb.
Art/Wellness Market at Redwood Market
Assist filling vacancies at Redwood Market
Clean up downtown (painting, graffiti, power washing, decorating, etc.)
Event celebrating Sebastopol strengths
Increased financial transparency re: water/sewer
finances
Commercial water sales update
Increased police patrols downtown
Group 3 – Councilmember Initiatives:
Recommend Considering in Feb. (con’t)
Light up Sebastopol/Holiday lighting
Quarterly reports on storm water infrastructure
RFP for IT support
RFP for Public Communications Contract
Teen Memorial Labyrinth – Repair or Relocate
SAFE
On Hold/Inactive
Barlow Townhomes Final Map and Housing Agreement
Calder Creek Naturalization
Evaluation of Records Management System
Hazard Mitigation Plan
Library Video Surveillance
Sewer Master Plan
Setting Goals and Priorities:
Standard Practice in Local Government
Typically, Goal Setting First
At beginning of year
Priorities Emerge from Council Goals
Priorities translated to projects
Progress report back to Council and community
Also inform budget process