CITY OF SEBASTOPOL CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM REPORT FOR MEETING OF: April 1, 2025
=========================================================================================== To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Don Schwartz, City Manager
Subject: Goal Setting Session Preparation
=========================================================================================== RECOMMENDATIONS: Hold a goal-setting session at your April 1, 2025 meeting. Consider the attached materials as background information.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The City Council is scheduled to hold a goal-setting session on April 1. The attached materials are intended to provide useful background information to assist the Council in preparing for the session and deciding on goals, strategies, and priorities.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION: Goal-setting is a best practice in local government. It is fundamental to establishing priorities for budgeting and for use of staff time. The Council agreed to hire Steve Mermell of Baker Tilly to facilitate the goal-setting session. At your March 18 meeting you directed staff to provide relevant information in advance of the meeting, which is reflected in the attachments.
Councilmembers have had various opportunities to suggest ideas which are reflected in the attachments. These include last September’s Council meeting on short-term priorities, submission of agenda items, and interviews with Mr. Mermell. We strongly encourage Councilmembers to bring any additional ideas to this meeting so that you can consider them.
While the materials include recommendations from staff, we recognize that the decisions on goals and priorities are up to the Council. The attachments, particularly the Working Draft of Current and Potential Priorities, represents an ambitious agenda for the next two years. This in part reflects the need to “catch up” on assessments and plans for items such as water and sewer infrastructure, drainage, technology, and facilities.
STAFF ANALYSIS: The attached materials include:
1. Outline for the goal-setting session.
2. A Working Draft of Current and Potential Priorities. This document is divided into several sections:
a. Projects that are underway and which we expect to be completed by June 30, 2025. b. Projects that are underway and which we expect to be completed after June 30, 2025. c. Prior and recent Council suggestions
d. Potential Additional Priorities
3. Memo regarding Economic Development Strategy
4. Memo regarding Revenue Options
5. Memo regarding possible Oversight Committee for Enterprise Funds and Measure U
6. Memo from Steve Mermell re: Summary of Council Interviews
7. 2019 Council approved Goals and Priorities
8. Article on “Attributes of Effective Councils” from the Institute for Local Government
9. Presentation for Goal Setting Session
10. Housing Program Obligations
11. Community Development Grant Funded Initiatives
COMMUNITY OUTREACH:
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.
FISCAL IMPACT: None
OPTIONS: The attachments provide background information on a wide range of options for Council consideration, and the Council may add topics for consideration during the goal-setting session.
ATTACHMENTS:
1) Outline for the goal-setting session.
2) A Working Draft of Current and Potential Priorities. This document is divided into several sections:
a. Projects that are underway and which we expect to be completed by June 30, 2025. b. Projects that are underway and which we expect to be completed after June 30, 2025. c. Prior and recent Council suggestions
d. Potential Additional Priorities
3) Memo regarding Economic Development Strategy
4) Memo regarding Revenue Options
5) Memo regarding possible Oversight Committee for Enterprise Funds and Measure U 6) Memo from Steve Mermell re: Summary of Council Interviews 7) 2019 Council approved Goals and Priorities
8) Article on “Attributes of Effective Councils” from the Institute for Local Government 9) Presentation for Goal Setting Session
10) Housing Program Obligations
11) Community Development Grant Funded Initiatives
APPROVALS:
Department Head Approval: Approval Date: 3-24-2025
CEQA Determination (Planning): Approval Date: 3-24-2025 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:_3-24-2025 Costs authorized in City Approved Budget: ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A Account Code (f applicable) ___________________________ City Attorney Approval: Approval Date: N/A
City Manager Approval: Approval Date: _____March 24, 2025_________