CITY OF SEBASTOPOL CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM REPORT FOR MEETING OF: March 18, 2025
=========================================================================================== To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: City Manager Don Schwartz
Subject: Agenda for April 1, 2025 City Council Goals Setting Workshop =========================================================================================== RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council review and approve the Agenda for the April 1, 2025 City Council Goals Setting Workshop to be held at 1:00 pm at the Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris Street.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Establishing clear goals is fundamental to effective governance. Goal setting is a formal process where the City Council, as the governing body, deliberates and establishes specific goals for the upcoming fiscal year or a set period; we are proposing two-year goals.. The City of Sebastopol invites the community to participate in the upcoming Council Goal Setting Session on Tuesday, April 1stm 2025 beginning at 1:00 pm. The event will be held in the Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris Street, Sebastopol, Ca.
DISCUSSION:
Goal setting is informed through public participation, input from City Councilmembers, input from staff based on City Council actions and direction, needs identified in various master plans and City documents, and review of current priorities approved by the Council in 2024. The goal setting also offers the City Council an opportunity to review the current projects underway in the City. The goal setting session will identify goals for the next two years (or the City can set goals for one year rather than two), although certain projects and programs are likely to take longer to complete.
We also anticipate identifying potential strategies to achieve the goals. The strategies are then used as the basis for allocating the available staff time to achieve the Council’s goals. City Council goal setting is a critical step in shaping the future direction of a city, ensuring that resources are allocated strategically, and that the community's needs and priorities are addressed effectively and provides direction to the city manager on aligning resources and work plans for the next year. This comprehensive and data-informed approach helps the City Council make well-rounded decisions that take into account both immediate needs and long-term goals, while ensuring that resources are used efficiently.
Staff will provide a brief update on the City’s finances at the goal-setting session as funding is essential to establishing meaningful goals and strategies in the reality of available funds. However, it should be noted that no formal funding decisions will be made during the goal-setting meeting itself.
Steve Mermell, goals facilitator, has developed the workshop agenda for April 1st 2025 for the Council review. A copy of the DRAFT Agenda is attached.
Staff Analysis:
Staff has reviewed the proposed agenda and has no further input into the proposed agenda.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH:
Agenda Item Number: 12 Agenda Item Number: 12
City Council Meeting Packet for Meeting of: March 18, 2025
This item has been noticed in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act and was available for public viewing and review at least 72 hours prior to schedule meeting date. The City has also used social media to promote and advertise the City Council Meeting Agenda Items. Members of the public are encouraged to attend the workshop and share their input.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with providing direction to the City Manager or Consultant on the Agenda for the April 1st Goals Meetings. The cost of the facilitator for the workshop has already been approved and is covered under the current fiscal year’s budget (FY 24-25).
The goals and strategies developed during the workshop will be integrated into the upcoming FY 2025-26 budget development process, ensuring that the city’s priorities and resources align for the next fiscal year. This structure helps the City Council focus on goal setting and strategy development without concerns about immediate fiscal impacts.
RESTATED RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council review and approve the Agenda for the April 1, 2025 City Council Goals Setting Meeting to be held at 1:00 pm at the Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris Street.
CITY COUNCIL OPTIONS:
That the City Council not approve the proposed agenda and provide direction to City Manager and Consultant on Agenda for the April 1, 2025 City Council Goals Setting Meeting to be held at 1:00 pm at the Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris Street.
ATTACHMENTS:
DRAFT Agenda
APPROVALS:
Department Head Approval: Approval Date 3-10-2025
CEQA Determination (Planning): Approval Date: 3-10-2025 This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a project which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines.
Administrative Services (Financial): Approval Date: 3-10-2025 Costs authorized in City Approved Budget: Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A Account Code (f applicable)
City Attorney Approval Approval Date: 3-10-2025
City Manager Approval: Approval Date: 3-10-2025
Agenda Item Number: 12 Agenda Item Number: 12
City Council Meeting Packet for Meeting of: March 18, 2025
Client Name
September 29, 2022
3 City of Sebastopol
City Council Goal Setting Workshop
Agenda
APRIL 1, 2025, at 1 pm
Sebastopol Community Center
Workshop Objectives
• Discuss attributes of effective governance.
• Discuss the importance of goal setting and allocating resources. • Establish City Council goals.
• Identify strategies to further established goals.
• Strengthen teamwork.
Participants:
City Council Staff
Mayor Stephen Zollman
Vice-Mayor Jill McLewis
Councilmember Phill Carter
Councilmember Neysa Hinton
Councilmember Sandra Maurer
City Manager Don Schwartz
Assistant City Manager/City Clerk Mary Gourley
Department Directors
Facilitator: Steve Mermell
Times are approximate, as a guide:
1. (1 pm) Call to order (5 minutes)
2. (1:05 pm) Welcome by the Mayor (5 minutes)
3. (1:10 pm) Public Comment (15 minutes) (Mayor)
4. (1:25 pm) Comments from the City Manager (5 minutes)
5. (1:30 pm) Agenda Review (5 minutes)
6. (1:35 pm) Icebreaker (10 minutes)
7. (1:45 pm) Discussion of what makes effective governance (30 min)
8. (2:15 pm) Recent accomplishments and current challenges (10 minutes)
9. (2:25 pm) Budget/Financial update (10-15 minutes)
10. (3:10 pm) Staff capacity (5 minutes)
Break – 15 minutes
Agenda Item Number: 12 Agenda Item Number: 12
City Council Meeting Packet for Meeting of: March 18, 2025
4 11. (3:25 pm) Introduction and context for priority setting discussions (10 minutes)
12. (3:35 pm) Establish City Council goals (45 minutes) Break – 10 minutes (Potentially skip this break if things are on a role)
13. (4:30 pm) Identify strategies to further established goals (1 hour or more)
14. (5:30 pm) Staying on course with the priorities (5 minutes)
15. (5:35 pm) Wrap up and next steps (10 minutes)
Agenda Item Number: 12 Agenda Item Number: 12
City Council Meeting Packet for Meeting of: March 18, 2025