St. Helena City Council
June 23, 2023

1/5/23 11:05 a.m. UPDATE
City of St. Helena
Special City Council Meeting
Friday, January 6, 2023 @ 8:30 AM
Native Sons Hall, 1313 Spring St, St Helena,
CA 94574

PLEASE NOTE: Any person who wishes to speak regarding an item on the agenda or make a comment under the "Oral Communication" portion of the agenda may do so, but please observe the time limit of four minutes.

Simultaneous Spanish interpretation services during meetings can be scheduled upon request.

To ensure interpreters are available, requests must be made at least 72 hours in advance by calling the Office of the City Clerk at (707) 968-2640 or emailing [email protected].

The schedule of upcoming meetings and published meeting agendas can be found on the City of St. Helena website at https://sthelena.civicweb.net/portal/.

Servicios de interpretación en español durante la reunión pueden ser solicitados por el público.

Para asegurar que los intérpretes estén disponibles, los servicios tienen que ser solicitados al menos 72 horas antes de la reunión llamando a la oficina de la Secretaria de la Ciudad al (707) 968-2640 o por correo electrónico a [email protected] .

El horario de las reuniones publicadas y próximas puede ser localizado en el sitio de web de la Ciudad en https://sthelena.civicweb.net/portal/ .

Page

1. CALL TO ORDER

2. ROLL CALL
Mayor: Paul Dohring, Vice Mayor Eric Hall:, City Council Members: Anna Chouteau, Lester Hardy, Billy Summers

3. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

4. PUBLIC COMMENT:

Under California law, public comments at special meetings are limited to subjects on the agenda only. Therefore public comment will take place during consideration of the item. Each person’s comments shall be limited to 4 minutes.

5. NEW BUSINESS:

5.1. New Mayor and Council Members Orientation 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Overview of the City
• Roles and Responsibilities
o Mayor
o Council Members
o City Manager
o City Attorney
5 - 1345

• Review of Brown Act
• Rules of Procedure for the Conduct of Council Meetings and City Council Standards of Conduct
• Review Timeline for Upcoming Agenda Items
• Review Proposed Council Meeting Agenda Format
• Review Proposed Staff Report Format
• Review of Departments & Critical Issues
• Downtown Main Street Overview
01 - Your-Role-As-An-Elected-Official
02 - Relationship-Between-City-Council-and-City-Manager-Staff 03 - Making It Work Essentials of Council-Manager Relations 04 - Vision and Mission Statement
05 - City Council Goals and Workplan
06 - Major Provisions and Requirements of the Brown Act 07 - Open Public V - A Guide to the Brown Act. Revised 2016 08 - Rules of Procedure for the Conduct of Council Meetings and City Council Standards of Conduct
09 - Understanding City's Departments
10 - Organizational Charts
11 - Department Summaries from FY23 Budget
12 - FY 2023 Adopted Budget
13 - 2040 General Plan
14 - Employee Handbook Adopted 2021
15 - Boards and Commissions Members Updated 12-22-22
16 - 2023 Intergovernmental CC Assignments Including Ad Hoc Appointments
17 - Government Acronyms

5.2. *Due to weather conditions the facilities tour has been cancelled.

City Facilities tour 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Following the orientation the City staff will conduct a tour for Council members of key City facilities as listed below. The City will conduct the tour in multiple vehicles and a quorum of the Council will not be in any individual vehicle. However, the Council members will leave the vehicles to tour specific facilities as noted below. Members of the public will be able to participate on the tour in City vehicles or follow in their own vehicles.
• Water Treatment Plant/Bell Canyon (410 Crystal Springs Road) – get out for tour
• Meadowood Tanks – drive by only
• Rutherford Pump Station – drive by only
• Wastewater Treatment Plant (1 Chaix Lane) – get out for tour • Crane Park (Valley Oak/Headstart Building) – drive by only • Corporation Yard (1405 Charter Oak Ave.) – get out for tour • Upper York Creek – get out for tour
• Carnegie Hall – drive by only
• Police Station – drive by only

• Fire Station – drive by only
• Parks & Recreation Office – drive by only
• Lyman Park (from Railroad) – drive by only
• Library – drive by only
• Adams Street Property – drive by only
• Meiley Park – drive by only
• Stonebridge Wells – drive by only
• Wappo Park (201 Pope Street) – get out at NVC
• Napa Valley College (1088 College Ave.) – tour of building and campus
Reminder - the Brown Act doesn’t allow substantive discussion of any specific issues or projects that are not included on the Agenda.

6. ADJOURNMENT
The next Regular City Council meeting is scheduled for January 10, 2023, at 6:00 p.m.

This agenda was published and posted at City Hall, 1572 Railroad Avenue, and at Native Sons Hall, 1313 Spring St, St Helena, CA 94574, California on January 5, 2023 at 8:20 a.m. Republished 1/5/23 at 11:05 a.m.

Cindy Tzafopoulos, City Clerk
In Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please call the City Clerk’s Office (707) 967-2792. Notification 72 hours prior to the meeting as required by Section 202 of the Americans with Disabilities Act will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.

Any supplemental writings or documents distributed to a majority of the City Council regarding any item on this Agenda, after the posting of the Agenda, will be available for public review in the City Clerk’s Office located at 1572 Railroad Avenue, St. Helena, California, during normal business hours and by appointment. In addition, such writings or documents will be made available on the City’s web site at https://sthelena.civicweb.net and will be available for public review at the respective meeting.

Your Role as a Local Elected Official
Agenda Item #5.1.

Your Role As A Local Elected Official
How Well-Informed Public Officials Promote the Public
Interest*
Training, education and keeping abreast of developments essential for the public service are the oldest form of education in California. The first compulsory education of which there is a record was for the public service.

The seventh Governor of California, Diego de Borica, a man of wit and charm, took office in 1794. This was 50 years before the ability to read, write and update one’s knowledge of changing events was considered necessary for the common man. Finding that only 14 of his 50 soldiers at the capital in Monterey had the ability to read and write, de Borica made available the three touchstones of keeping up to date (teachers, money and materials) and started California’s first compulsory education program, confining it to those in public service.

Nearly another century passed before there was compulsory education in California for the general populace. Consequently, any discussion of the role of elected leaders in California in “keeping up” stems from venerable precedents.

Thirty years ago, the League of California Cities published Municipal Post-entry Training Needs and Resources, which fostered modern policies to make available time, money and materials for keeping abreast.

One could spend an entire career examining the endless diversities of mayors, council persons, other city officials and the ways in which leadership greatness occurs. No matter how long the list or how exhaustive the examples, one recurring characteristic of leaders is an unquenchable thirst to learn, to absorb, to put theory into practice, and to follow and understand the ebb and flow of events as they unfold.

Very often, one finds extremely able women and men in governmental leadership positions who are skilled analysts but who cannot move from analysis to action because they lack the best and most current information. Maybe this is what General Carl Spatz had in mind when he said of a fellow officer in World War II, “He thinks things through very carefully and then goes off halfcocked.” What is often lacking to keep local government officials from going off “half-cocked” is an inability to relate the specific situation in their city to the general situation or emerging trends and experiences of other cities and other local government officials, whether elected or appointed.

There is nothing sadder or more depressing than to hear from a public official, “I don’t have time to go to this training program, or that statewide meeting of a League department.” Or, “Our budget is too tight to spend money on trying to learn something new.” Or, “We are not interested in what is going on in Sacramento, or within the various professions that make up local government, or how other cities similar to ours met and solved that problem.”

*
by Randy H. Hamilton, Institute of Governmental Affairs, University of California, Berkeley. Reprinted with permission from Western City magazine.

League of California Cities New Mayors and Council Members Academy Agenda Item #5.1.

Your Role As A Local Elected Official
City officials are always quick to point out, and rightly so, the differences between the public and private sectors. One of the differences they frequently overlook is that when things are tough in the private sector the last thing that gets the budget ax is research, training and development.

What are the first things that get cut when things are tough in the public sector? They are budgeted funds for training, continuing education and attendance at professional meetings to acquire the newest knowledge and ways of doing things. This approach to allocation of resources is one of the main differences between the public and the private sectors.

Local government leaders need a far-reaching “education” in the broadest sense: exposure to different points of view and current trends. City officials need the ability to openly look at issues and to adapt their thinking to clearly reflect the matters at hand, to seek the widest possible spectrum of orientation and options for policy formulation and implementation. It is often from the clash of old and new ideas that learning begins to take shape.

The League, through its many conferences, institutes, regional division activities, and the annual conference, provides an ideal vehicle for city officials, without enrolling in formal degree or training programs, to fulfill individual goals and improve public activities. The League does this by making “education” -- broadly defined -- become part of the everyday business of governance.

If history teaches us anything, it is that neither Plato’s philosopher-kings nor Jackson’s untutored citizenry can, in today’s world, safely manage a free society. There may have been a time in the past when cities could be run on the theory that any person could conduct the affairs of a municipality just as any person might poke a fire or rock a baby, but that won’t suffice today or tomorrow. Our urban areas are becoming too complex and central to the society in which we live for that simplistic approach to policy-setting, management and public endeavor.

An “educated” newly elected or appointed official has just begun his or her education upon election or appointment. He or she reads, discusses, assimilates knowledge all through the tenure in public life. It has become increasingly difficult for the well-educated to remain well-educated, however brilliant the individual may be. If he or she is in a moderately specialized professional field -- as most are -- it is a difficult job to keep up with advances in one’s own field, but doing so must not hinder or interfere with doing so in fulfillment of public responsibilities.

I recall an incident concerning a friend, an elected council person who was “too busy” to attend a specialized League conference. Had he attended, he would have learned that the speech he delivered at a City Council meeting, which was widely quoted in the press, urged approval of a policy that was clearly illegal. All hands suffered indignity and embarrassment when the city attorney and city manager had to publicly refute the council member’s position because he was “too busy” to keep up with the kaleidoscope of affairs municipal.

The late Justice Felix Frankfurter put it succinctly:
“Without . . . highly trained, imaginative and courageously disinterested public officials the democratic aim of our society cannot be achieved. Such a body of public officials is indispensable, no matter what social and economic policies may express the popular will in the League of California Cities New Mayors and Council Members Academy Agenda Item #5.1.

Your Role As A Local Elected Official
executive and legislative branches of Government.”
Would that every public official in every city in California took as an essential task continuing education and training in the broad sense expressed here. Then, perhaps, they would achieve the wish best expressed in the words of John Masefield’s couplet:

There were three men, as
Down the road came he;
The man they saw, the man he was,
The man he wanted to be.

League of California Cities New Mayors and Council Members Academy Agenda Item #5.1.

Your Role As A Local Elected Official
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League of California Cities New Mayors and Council Members Academy Agenda Item #5.1.

Your Role As A Local Elected Official
Steering the Ship
“When I ran for office, I was the captain of my ship, steaming through a successful election.

Now that I’m a city council member, I feel like a novice on a tiny sailboat, tacking from point to point, trying to make headway.”
-- former Minneapolis city council member
Cooperation, coordination, collaboration – not unfamiliar concepts for most municipalities. But how can communities really practice these concepts? And what, in particular, is the role of elected and professional leaders in promoting them?
One popular strategy for reinventing community is reinventing how cities provided services to citizens – making them easier to use and cheaper to implement by reducing overlap and duplication. This strategy has worked effectively in cities of many sizes, and is often necessary to access complicated state and federal resources. A collaborative stance, however, can be an uneasy position for elected officials. After all, elected officials are accustomed to shaping their destinies, and city staff are accustomed to charting careful progress with procedures that emphasize stability and uniformity.

So what is collaboration? How is it different from the work most groups are used to doing? And how can city leaders promote and sustain effective collaborations? In this discussion. We’ll use a broadly accepted definition of collaboration from the Collaboration Handbook: Creating, Sustaining and Enjoying the journey by Karen Ray and Michael Winer: “Collaboration is a mutually beneficial and well-defined relationship entered into by two or more organizations to achieve results they are more likely to achieve together than alone.” A Metaphor for Collaborating
In the past, when we wanted to improve ourselves we created a task force or an office to make changes, to oversee planning, and to spend resources. We added programs, staff or facilities to ensure we met our needs. In essence, we built a bigger boat. It’s always been done that way.

This way, we’re in control of the ship and we can clearly assign accountability to specific individuals. We can forecast the cost of building a bigger boat and predict any risk.

Unfortunately, we’ve learned that all that luxurious control carries a high price tag. Staff and programs cost money and our huge vessel grows difficult to navigate. It’s almost as if we’ve set up a wonderful target for all the rest of the flotilla to attack. For we are not in our boat alone.

Many of our citizens and the organizations they belong to also care passionately about the services the city provides. Many people are shipping off to a destination called Reinventing Community in various crafts like canoes, dugouts, speedboats, tugs, barges, and anything else that can float.

Collaborating is like building a marina – making space for everyone’s vessel; collecting all that passionate interest and using it effectively. A marina handles many different ships or boats, and creates order so each can move the way it needs to. The role of leaders is to create an League of California Cities New Mayors and Council Members Academy Agenda Item #5.1.

Your Role As A Local Elected Official
environment that promotes collaboration. Leaders are like managers of marinas, or of environments that encourage redesign of systems and bail our duplication of cost or service.

The Process of Collaboration
Collaborations develop over time – just as marinas do – and are fueled with passion, power and politics. Partnerships usually start person-to-person. A city administrator has lunch with an agency director and they get excited about a new idea. During the first stage of collaboration, individuals imagine the results they want and excite others about that vision – often one person or small group at a time. This stage is characterized by many meetings and revisions of the initial vision statement to reflect everyone’s passions. Our marina makes space for all passionate sailors so the each can participate and contribute.

Passion: The Leader’s Role
Recognize that other people’s passions will not go away. You can rely on them to show up at public meetings, for instance, in order to be heard. How can you round up all of that energy and resources and guide it to good results? Do you have the right people, able to make decisions for their agencies or groups, in the room working together? Now admit to yourself and to others what you will get out of this change. What is your personal self-interest? We use words like “hidden agenda” or “turf” to refer to other people’s selfinterests, but self-interest is not inherently bad after all, it got you your job. Hiding self-interest or being evasive about it is what makes us targets of suspicion.

Gradually, the focus in a collaboration shifts from individuals to the organizations they represent. It’s great to be passionate about a dream and the desired results, but it’s going to take the organizations’ resources to make those results happen. It’s at this stage that wise partnerships collect everybody’s power and apply it to achieve results. Trying to reduce someone else’s power, ignoring conflicts, and avoiding difficult discussions and decisions indicates that true collaboration is not happening.

Power: The Leader’s Role
At this point leadership may play its most vital role surfacing conflict and keeping the vision and desired results central to decision making. People naturally avoid the difficult discussions and dialogues that true change engenders. Someone may be perceived as a potential “loser” if systems are reformed. Your job as leader is to help the group face that prospect, and treat it professionally and bravely. Do you insist on resolving long-standing conflicts? Specific action plans emerge as conflicts are resolved. Organizations make real headway when they start responding to the plans by changing individual policies and procedures. Once again, the marina metaphor illustrates the point: plenty of meetings with marina builders, officials and bureaucrats occur in the marina architect’s office. But all the meetings in the world lead to nothing unless ground is broken and construction begins.

League of California Cities New Mayors and Council Members Academy Agenda Item #5.1.

Your Role As A Local Elected Official
Politics: The Leader’s Role
Partnerships use politics to break ground and accomplish plans. As political will for change builds, a collaboration enters its maturity. Communities are reinvented as city leaders and community participants put new standard operating procedures in place. This takes time so leaders must keep the enthusiasm brewing. Do you openly ask organizations to change policies, and do you help groups assess whether or not the changes are working? Real Change
Charles Bruner earns us in his book Thinking Collaboratively: Ten Questions and Answers to Help Policy Makers Improve Children’s Services, that efforts to repair fragmented systems often result in “pro forma responses to mandates” rather than in real changes. This is because collaboration requires courage to resolve conflict, and leadership to support the long-term effort required by true partnerships. You can reinvent your community if you remember your role as a leader: to ask yourself these questions so that you create and sustain an environment where the principles of collaboration are applied at all stages of work.

League of California Cities New Mayors and Council Members Academy Agenda Item #5.1.

Your Role As A Local Elected Official
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League of California Cities New Mayors and Council Members Academy Agenda Item #5.1.

Your Role As A Local Elected Official
Council Conduct with City Staff, the Public, and Each Other Council Conduct with One Another
“In life, courtesy and self-possession, and in the arts, style, are the sensible impressions of the free mind, for both arise out of a deliberate shaping of all things and from never being swept away, whatever the emotion, into confusion or dullness.” --William Butler Yeats
Councils are composed of individuals with a wide variety of backgrounds, personalities, values, opinions, and goals. Despite this diversity, all have chosen to serve in public office in order to preserve and protect the present and the future of the community. In all cases, this common goal should be acknowledged even as Council may “agree to disagree” on contentious issues. The City’s Code of Ethics & Values should be referred to for positive statements of ethical behavior.

IN PUBLIC MEETINGS
Use formal titles.

It is preferred that Council refer to one another formally during public meetings as Mayor, Vice Mayor or Council Member followed by the individual’s last name.

Practice civility and decorum in discussions and debate.

Difficult questions, tough challenges to a particular point of view, and criticism of ideas and information are legitimate elements of a free democracy in action. However, making personal, slanderous, threatening, abusive, or disparaging comments is not appropriate. No shouting or physical actions that could be construed as threatening will be permitted.

Honor the role of the Chair in maintaining order.

It is the responsibility of the Chair to keep the comments of all participants on track during public meetings. Council Members should horror efforts by the Chair to focus discussion on current agenda items. If there is disagreement about the agenda or the Chair’s actions, those objections should be voiced politely and with reason, following procedures outlined in Robert’s Rules of Order.

Demonstrate effective problem solving approaches.

Council Members have a public stage to show how individuals with disparate points of view can find common ground and understanding, negotiating solutions that benefit the community as a whole.

IN PRIVATE ENCOUNTERS
Continue respectful behavior in private.

The same level of respect and consideration of differing points of view, that is deemed appropriate for public discussions, should be maintained in private conversation.

League of California Cities New Mayors and Council Members Academy Agenda Item #5.1.

Your Role As A Local Elected Official
Be aware of the insecurity of written notes, voicemail messages, and e-mail.

Technology allows words written or said without much forethought to be distributed wide and far. Would you feel comfortable to have this note faxed to others? How would you feel if this voicemail message was played on a speakerphone in a full office? What would happen if this email message was forwarded to others? Written notes, voicemail messages and e-mail should be treated as potentially “public” communication.

Even private conversations can have a public presence.

Elected officials are always on display – their actions, mannerisms, and language are monitored by people around them that they may or may not know. Lunch table conversations can be eavesdropped upon, parking lot debates may be watched, and casual comments between individuals before and after public meetings noted.

Council Conduct with City Staff
“Whenever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.” --Seneca
Governance of a City relies on the cooperative efforts of elected officials, who set policy, and the City Manager and staff, who implement and administer the Council’s policies. Therefore, every effort should be made to be cooperative and show mutual respect for the contributions made by each individual for the good of the community.

Treat all staff as professionals.

Clear, honest communication that respects the abilities, experience, and dignity of each individual is expected. Poor behavior towards staff is not acceptable.

Direct staff issues and assignments to the City Manager.

Assignments for City staff and/or requests for additional background information should be directed only to the City Manager.

Requests for follow-up or directions to staff should only be made through the City Manager or the City Attorney when appropriate. Materials supplied to a Council Member in response to a request will be made available to all members of the Council so that all have equal access to information.

Never publicly criticize an individual employee.

Council should never express concerns about the performance of a City employee in public, to the employee directly, or to the employee’s supervisor. Comments about staff performance should only be made to the City Manager through private correspondence or conversation.

Comments about staff in the office of the City Attorney should be made directly to the City Attorney.

Allow staff to handle administrative functions.

League of California Cities New Mayors and Council Members Academy Agenda Item #5.1.

Your Role As A Local Elected Official
Council Members must not attempt to influence City staff on the making of appointments, awarding of contracts, selecting of consultants, processing of development applications, or granting of City licenses and permits.

Check with the City Manager on correspondence before taking action.

Before sending correspondence, Council Members should check with the City Manager or Executive Assistant to the Mayor and City Council to see if an official City response has already been sent or is in progress.

Limit requests for staff support.

Routine secretarial support will be provided to all Council Members. All mail for Council Members is opened by the Executive Assistant to the Mayor and City Council, unless other arrangements are requested by a Council Member. Mail marked personal or confidential is not opened.

Requests for additional staff support – even in high priority or emergency situations – should be made to the City Manager who is responsible for allocating City resources in order to maintain a professional, well-run City government.

Do not solicit political support from staff.

Council Members should not solicit any type of political support (financial contributions, display of posters or lawn signs, name on support list, etc.) form City staff. City staff may, as private citizens with constitutional rights, support political candidates but all such activities must be done away from the workplace. City employees are prohibited from using City resources, City time or appearing in uniform in relation to political activities.

Council Conduct with the Public
“If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world, and that his heart is no island cut off from other lands, but a continent that joins to them.” --Francis Bacon

IN PUBLIC MEETINGS
Making the public feel welcome is an important part of the democratic process. No signs of partiality, prejudice or disrespect should be evident on the part of individual Council Members toward an individual participating in a public forum. Every effort should be made to be fair and impartial in listening to public testimony.

Be welcoming to speakers and treat them with care and gentleness.

Most residents may be nervous speaking before the City Council since they do not do it very often. They may feel uncomfortable and emotional. Putting speakers at ease will allow them to express their viewpoints more effectively, make Council meetings run more efficiently, and help the democratic process be fulfilled.

League of California Cities New Mayors and Council Members Academy Agenda Item #5.1.

Your Role As A Local Elected Official
Be fair and equitable in allocating public hearing time to individual speakers.

The Chair will determine and announce limits on speakers at the start of the public hearing process, per Council policy. Generally, each speaker will be allocated four minutes with applicants and appellants or their designated representatives allowed 10 minutes. If many speakers are anticipated, the Chair may ask for speaker cards to be filled out and may shorten the time limit and/or ask speakers to limit themselves to new information and points of view not already covered by previous speakers.

No speaker will be turned away unless he or she exhibits inappropriate behavior. Each speaker may only speak once during the public hearing unless the Council requests additional clarification later in the process. After the close of the public hearing, no more public testimony will be accepted unless the Chair reopens the public hearing for a limited and specific purpose.

Give the appearance of active listening.

It is disconcerting to speakers to have Council Members not look at them when they are speaking. It is fine to look down at the documents or to make notes, but reading for a long period of time, gazing around the room, or entering into prolonged dialogue with adjacent Council Members or staff gives the appearance of disinterest. Be aware or facial expressions, especially those that could be interpreted as “smirking,” disbelief, anger or boredom.

Ask for clarification, but avoid debate and argument with the public.

Only the Chair – not individual Council Members – can interrupt a speaker during a presentation. However, a Council Member can ask the Chair for a point of order if the speaker is off the topic or exhibiting behavior or language the Council Member finds disturbing.

If speakers become flustered or defensive by Council questions, it is the responsibility of the Chair to calm and focus the speaker and to maintain the order and decorum of the meeting.

Questions by Council Members to members of the public testifying should seek to clarify or expand information. It is never appropriate to belligerently challenge or belittle the speaker.

Council Members’ personal opinions or inclinations about upcoming votes should not be revealed until after the public hearing is closed.

Undertake no personal attacks of any kind, under any circumstance.

Council Members should be aware that their body language and tone of voice, as well as the words they use, can appear to be intimidating or aggressive.

Follow parliamentary procedure in conducting public meetings.

The City Attorney serves as advisory parliamentarian for the City and is available to answer questions or interpret situations according to Roberts Rules or Order. Final rulings on parliamentary procedure are made by the Chair, subject to the appeal of the full Council.

IN UNOFFICIAL SETTINGS
Make no promises on behalf of the Council.

League of California Cities New Mayors and Council Members Academy Agenda Item #5.1.

Your Role As A Local Elected Official
Council Members will frequently be asked to explain a Council action or to give their opinion about an issue as they meet and talk with constituents in the community. It is appropriate to give a brief overview of City policy and to refer to City staff for further information or appropriate action. It is inappropriate to overtly or implicitly promise Council action, or to promise City staff will do something specific (fix a pothole, remove a library book, plant new flowers in the median, etc.)
Make no personal comments about other Council Members.

It is acceptable to publicly disagree about an issue, but it is unacceptable to make derogatory comments about other Council Members, their opinions and actions.

Remember that Council Members are always on display.

Council Members are constantly being observed by the community every day that they serve in office. Their behaviors and comments serve as models for proper deportment in their city.

Honesty and respect for the dignity of each individual should be reflected in every word and action taken by Council Members, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is a serious and continuous responsibility.

Council Conduct with Other Public Agencies
Be clear about representing the City or personal interests.

If a Council Member appears before another governmental agency or organization to give a statement on an issue, the Council Member must clearly state if his or her statement reflects personal opinion or is the official stance of the City.

If the Council Member is representing the City, the Council Member must support and advocate the official City position on an issue, not a personal viewpoint.

If the council Member is representing another organization whose position is different from the City, the Council Member should withdraw from voting on the issue if it significantly impacts or is detrimental to the City’s interest. Council Members should be clear about which organizations they represent and inform the Mayor and Council of their involvement.

Correspondence should also be equally clear about representation.

City letterhead may be used when the Council Member is representing the City and the City’s official position. A copy of official correspondence should be given to the Executive Assistant to the Mayor and City Council to be filed in the Council Office as part of the permanent public record.

Correspondence of Council Members representing a personal point of view on a City issue, or a dissenting point of view from an official Council position, should make it clear that the views expressed represent only the individual Council Member.

League of California Cities New Mayors and Council Members Academy Agenda Item #5.1.

Your Role As A Local Elected Official
Council Conduct with Boards, Commissions and Committees “We rarely find that people have good sense unless they agree with us.” --Francois, Duc de La Rochefoucauld
The City has established several Boards, Commissions and Committees (collectively referred to as City Commissions) as a means of gathering more community input. Citizens who serve on City Commissions become more involved in government and serve as advisors to the City Council. They are a valuable resource to the City’s leadership and should be treated with appreciation and respect.

If attending a City Commission meeting, express personal opinions only.

Council Members may attend any City Commission meeting, which are always open to any member of the public. However, they should be sensitive to the way their participation – especially if it is advocating a certain position – could be viewed as unfairly affecting the process. Any public comments by a Council Member at a City Commission meeting should be clearly made as individual opinion and not a representation of the feelings of the entire City Council, unless the Council has taken a position on the topic. Council Members should not appear before a commission on behalf of an individual, business or developer.

Remember that City Commissions serve the community, not individual Council Members.

The City Council appoints individuals to serve on City Commissions, and it is the responsibility of City Commissions to follow policy established by the Council. But City Commission members do not report to individual Council Members, nor should Council Members feel they have the power or right to threaten City Commission members with removal if they disagree about an issue. Appointment and re-appointment to a City Commission should be based on such criteria as expertise, ability to work with staff and the public, and commitment to fulfilling official duties. A City Commission appointment should not be used as political “reward.” Concerns about an individual City Commission member should be discussed with the Mayor. · Be respectful of diverse opinions.

A primary role of City Commissions is to represent many points of view in the community and to provide the Council with advice based on a full spectrum of concerns and perspectives.

Council Members may have a closer working relationship with some individuals serving on the City Commissions, but must be fair and respectful of all citizens serving on City Commissions.

Keep political support away from public forums.

City Commission members may offer political support to a Council Members, but not in a public forum while conducting official duties. Conversely, Council Members may support board and commission members who are running for office, but not in an official forum in their capacity as a Council Member.

League of California Cities New Mayors and Council Members Academy Agenda Item #5.1.

Preparing for Successful Public Meetings:

Checklist for Before, During, and After
These are general suggestions. Formal board,
commission or council meetings will have additional
and more technical preparation requirements.

Before the Meeting
The Issue
 Develop a clear statement about the topic
and how it might affect the public.
 Set clear expectations about the purpose of
the meeting and intended outcomes.
 Create an agenda with estimated times, and
whether an item is information, review or a
decision.

Outreach
 Identify which types of community members
you hope will attend.
 In addition to advisory boards and task
forces, speak to leaders from a wide range of
groups (such as school, business, faithbased, health and neighborhood groups).  Send out an e-blast; issue a press release;
post to blogs.
 Use social media to announce the meeting
and invite people. Include directions, transit
routes and suggestions about parking.
 Reach out to the community; talk to people
one on one and to groups at their meetings.
 Translate outreach materials as needed and
share with appropriate community groups.

Logistics
 If you have flexibility, choose a time of day
that is convenient for those you are trying to
include.
 Make sure the facility and equipment are
suited to your intended purpose and
audience.
 Determine if special accommodations are
warranted (for example, food, childcare,
translation services or devices).

Information
 Educate oneself and staff about the topic
ahead of time.
 Line up subject matter experts as needed;
explain the need to translate technical
information into plain language that
everyone can understand.
 Make information available to the public
before the meeting, in a variety of formats
including online and via community
outreach.
 Invite questions ahead of time.
 Determine application of open meeting laws
and assure compliance.

During the Meeting
Explaining the Process
 Be clear who is running the meeting.
 Define the goal of the meeting, key topics
and what decisions will or will not be made.
 Introduce all public officials.
 Explain the meeting process, when it is the
public’s turn and time restrictions (and the
reasons for the time restrictions).
 Clarify how comments will get recorded and
used.

Information Sharing
 Have high quality visual aids and adequate
handouts.
 Keep explanations as simple as possible and
avoid acronyms and technical terms.

Continued on next page
www.ca-ilg.org/engagement
League of California Cities New Mayors and Council Members Academy Agenda Item #5.1.

Managing the Discussion
 Set a friendly tone.
 Be attentive and use active listening skills.
 Explain what plan/process the agency is
using to determine what is on topic and off
topic.
 Capture off topic comments to be addressed
at a different time.
 Be honest about what the agency can and
cannot do; define parameters.
 Solicit comments from those not heard,
using direct invitation, such as a “last call”
or cards requesting written comments.

Creating a Welcoming Environment
 Provide food (ideally multi-ethnic to match
your community’s preferences).
 Offer name tags and sign-in sheets; collect
emails for follow-up (keeping in mind that
it is optional for attendees to provide their
names and contact information).
 Express appreciation to all attendees.
 Provide an anonymous feedback form to all
attendees to learn what worked well and
what can be improved for next time.

After the Meeting
 Prepare and post a meeting summary.
 Send out an “e-blast” about decisions,
action items, next steps and any follow-up
meetings; provide a specific contact person.
 Reach out to attendees who did not speak
up during the meeting (they may care just as
much but may be introverts).
 Follow up with those who might be
disappointed with the decision; encourage
them to stay involved.
 Keep asking for feedback and continue to
provide information about the issue.
 Apply the evaluation to the next public
process.
“Before the meeting, educate the public. During the
meeting, educate the public. After the meeting, keep
educating the public.”
- Advice shared by a County Supervisor at a
CSAC Institute Training
G:\INSTITUTE\PublicEngagement\Publications\Meeting Checklist\ Meeting Preparation Checklist_FINAL.pdf
Institute for Local Government
www.ca-ilg.org
Resources Available through the Institute
The Institute’s Meeting Resource Center aims to help
local officials and agency staff make the most of meeting time. www.ca-ilg.org/meeting-resource-center
About the Institute for Local Government
This checklist is a service of the Institute for Local
Government (ILG) whose mission is to promote good
government at the local level with practical, impartial and easy-to-use resources for California communities.

ILG is the nonprofit 501(c)(3) research and education
affiliate of the League of California Cities and the
California State Association of Counties. For more
information and to access the Institute’s resources on
local government 101 and public engagement, visit
www.ca-ilg.org/local-government-101 and www.cailg.org/ engagement. To access this resource directly, go to www.ca-ilg.org/ PublicMeetingPrepChecklist.

The Institute welcomes feedback and suggestions for
improving this resource:
 Email: [email protected] Subject:

Preparing for Successful Public Meetings: Checklist
for Before, During and After
 Mail: 400 K Street, Suite 205 ▪ Sacramento, CA ▪
95814
League of California Cities New Mayors and Council Members Academy Agenda Item #5.1.

CA-ILG.ORG P a g e | 1
Basics of California’s Open Meeting Laws
 Elected and most appointed local-agency bodies must conduct their business in open and public meetings.1
 The law allows for private discussion during closed sessions under very limited circumstances.2  A “meeting” is any situation involving a majority of a public body in which agency business is transacted or discussed. In other words, a majority of the body cannot communicate privately about a matter of agency business no matter how the communication occurs, whether by telephone or e-mail, or at a local coffee shop.3
 The public must be informed of the time and place of each meeting and the issues to be addressed.4
 The agenda must be posted at least 72 hours in advance of a regular meeting and written in a way that informs people of what business will be discussed.5 Special meetings require 24-hour notice to the members of the governing body and media outlets and must include a brief description of the business that will be discussed.6
 In general, public officials may only discuss and act on items included on the posted agenda for a meeting.
 The public has a right to address the governing body at any meeting.7  Local agencies may adopt reasonable rules to ensure everyone has an opportunity to be heard in an orderly manner.8 For example, some agencies impose a uniform time limit on each person providing public comments on an issue.
 Sign-in at meetings is voluntary. Members of the public cannot be required to register their name or satisfy any other condition for attendance. If an attendance list is used, it must clearly state that signing the list is voluntary.9
Making Your Open Public
Meetings More Effective
California law provides general rules which local
agencies must follow when conducting official
business. In addition to state law, many local
agencies have their own rules of conduct and
procedure. However, merely following the laws and
rules will not always result in an effective meeting.

Outlined below are the basics of California’s open
meeting laws as well as tips for both local officials
and the public to help ensure a successful meeting.

Agenda Item #5.1.

CA-ILG.ORG P a g e | 2
A Note on Civility
 First and foremost, everyone should
treat others how they would like to
be treated.
 Set a friendly tone.
 Demonstrate civility toward
members of the governing body as
well as the public.
 Embrace diverse points of view.
 Consider using titles – using titles
and last name is a sign of respect.
 Separate the person from the
problem – avoid personal attacks,
name calling or questioning
people’s motives. These actions
undermine your effectiveness and
your message.
 Avoid engaging in debates and
interruptions.
 Be attentive and use active listening
skills.
 Limit statements in discussions to
those that move the conversation
forward.
 Keep remarks brief, to the point and
non-repetitive of comments others
have made.
 Anonymous speech must be permitted.10
 When comments fall within the purview of the governing body, a chairperson cannot stop a speaker from expressing opinions and/or criticisms of the governing body.11  If an individual or group willfully interrupts a meeting and order cannot be restored, the room may be cleared.12 Members of the media must be allowed to remain and only matters on the agenda can be discussed.13
 Anyone attending a meeting may photograph or record it with an audio or video recorder unless the governing body makes a finding that the noise, illumination or obstruction of view will disrupt the meeting.14
Effective Public Meetings: Best Practices
Tips for Elected and Appointed Officials
 Be Clear About the Process
o Be clear about who is running the meeting and
explain the role of the presiding officer (chair of the meeting).
o The chair can help ensure a more successful
meeting by:
 Explaining the meeting process and outlining
local rules and procedures at the beginning of
the meeting, including any limitations on public
participation.
 Assuring people that they will be allowed to
share their views.
 Reminding all participants (governing body and
public) to be compassionate about the fear of
public speaking; do not allow heckling or
applause.
 Be Prepared
o Educate yourself about agenda items before the
meeting.
o Make information available to the public before the
meeting.
o Reach out to the community; talk to community
members one-on-one and to groups at their
meetings.
o Invite questions ahead of the meeting.

Tips for Public Participants
 Be Clear About the Process
o Understand open meeting laws, local rules and meeting procedures. o Understand the role of the presiding officer (chair of the meeting).  Be Prepared
o Educate yourself about agenda items before the meeting. o Review any informational material made available before the meeting. o Familiarize yourself with the members of the decision-making body so that you can address them at the meeting.

Agenda Item #5.1.

CA-ILG.ORG P a g e | 3
ILG is the nonprofit 501(c)(3) research and education affiliate of the League of California Cities, the California State Association of Counties and the California Special Districts Association. For more information and to access the Institute’s resources on local government basics visit www.cailg.org/local-government-basics.

The Institute welcomes feedback on this resource:
 Email: [email protected] Subject: Making Your Public Meetings More Effective  Mail: 1400 K Street, Suite 205 ▪ Sacramento, CA ▪ 95814 About the Institute for Local Government
o Reach out to your local decision-makers and agency staff before the meeting and share your thoughts in advance.
o Submit letters of support or opposition, or any questions you may have to the decisionmaking body before the meeting. o If planning on making comments during the public comment period, prepare your remarks in advance.

ENDNOTES

1 See Cal. Gov't Code § 54952.2(a); Cal. Gov’t Code § 54954.2(a). 2 See Cal. Educ. Code § 72122.
3 See Cal. Gov't Code § 54952.2(b); Cal. Educ. Code § 72121. 4 See Cal. Gov’t Code §§ 54954.2, 54956, 54956.5.
5 See Cal. Gov’t Code § 54954.2.
6 See Cal. Gov’t Code § 54956.
7 See Cal. Gov’t Code § 54954.3.
8 See Cal. Gov’t Code § 54954.3(b); White v. City of Norwalk, 900 F.2d 1421, 1425 (9th Cir. 1990). 9 See Cal. Gov’t Code § 54953.3.
10 See Cal. Gov’t Code § 54953.3.
11 See Cal. Gov’t Code §§ 54954.3(c), 54957.9; Perry Educational Association v. Perry Local Educators’ Association, 460 U.S. 37, 46 (1983).
12 See Cal. Gov’t Code § 54957.9.
13 See Cal. Gov’t Code § 54957.9.
14 See Cal. Gov’t Code § 54953.5(a).

Agenda Item #5.1.

Relationship Between City Council
and City Manager Staff
Agenda Item #5.1.

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A Key Ingredient for Success: An Effective City Council/City Manager Relationship Kevin C. Duggan
ICMA West Coast Regional Director
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 Plan" 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 implementation of the annual budget and the assurance of quality service delivery. This "plan" 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 the big picture of policy Agenda Item #5.1.

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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.

Agenda Item #5.1.

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— 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.

Agenda Item #5.1.

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• 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 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 Agenda Item #5.1.

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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.

Agenda Item #5.1.

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• 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 to understand the manager has a professional obligation to give you advice contrary to what you would like to hear when he/she is so required.

Agenda Item #5.1.

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• 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. Use this valuable communication tool effectively. • 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. So, 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 gained, councils should also be understanding that projects and initiatives that have inherent unknowns may not always turn out as hoped. Intolerance for any Agenda Item #5.1.

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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 plan under which the elected officials are to take the lead on purely policy matters.

Agenda Item #5.1.

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• 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 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.

Agenda Item #5.1.

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• 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, the 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.

Agenda Item #5.1.

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• 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 Agenda Item #5.1.

- 12 -
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. The councilmembers and 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).

Agenda Item #5.1.

Leadership & Governance: Tips for Success December 2015 | www.ca-ilg.org | 1 Electeds and Staff Bring a Different & Necessary
Perspective
Understanding and embracing different perspectives is part of what makes our democratic institution at the local level so great. Both perspectives are vital when making decisions in the community’s interests.  Elected officials focus on what their constituents value and need from the agency; and  Staff has technical expertise in policy areas and what can work, given their day-to-day experiences with implementing agency policies, practices and service delivery that can help inform the decision-making process.1
Bridging Function
Elected officials play a key bridging function between the community needs and staff; the chief executive officer in turn plays a bridging function between elected officials and staff.

Leadership & Governance:

Tips for Success
Agenda Item #5.1.

Leadership & Governance: Tips for Success December 2015 | www.ca-ilg.org | 2 Role Division
Current thinking is that elected and appointed officials operate in all four dimensions of the governance process: mission, policy, administration and management, although to differing degrees.2 The graphic 3 below illustrates this phenomenon. The curved line illustrates the division of roles between governing boards and executive staff; how this line looks for each local agency varies.

Agenda Item #5.1.

Leadership & Governance: Tips for Success December 2015 | www.ca-ilg.org | 3 When the Governing Board Changes
Staff’s job is to implement the policies adopted
by the governing body. This includes
implementing changes in policy direction when
the philosophy of the governing board
changes.

New majorities on boards sometimes impute
the policy preferences of the previous boards
to staff. This causes them to worry that staff
will not be as diligent in implementing changes
to previous policies. They sometimes believe
staff has to change in order for policies to
change.

This is another area where frank and ongoing
communication is helpful. Most professional
staff understand that policy directions change
and that their role is to implement that change,
as long as the policy falls within the bounds of
the laws and public service ethics.

Allow a certain amount of time for staff and the
new majority to get to know one another and
see if a productive working relationship can
occur.

Role Clarity
A shared understanding of the chief executive’s role and the governing board’s expectations optimizes the working relationship. This understanding is informed by local charter and ordinance provisions that provide the overall framework for the relationship.
 The process of developing such a shared understanding begins with the hiring process and each participant in the process being forthright about their respective expectations.  An annual evaluation process is an ongoing opportunity for such communication, particularly as governing board members change.

Staff will be most able to perform to expectations if those expectations are clear and mutually acceptable.

Tips for Governing Board Members
Setting Goals and Priorities. A helpful practice is
to have the governing board establish priorities and
strategic goals for the organization; such goals and
priorities are a tool to guide the chief executive and
staff on where to focus their efforts.4
Establishing an annual time for board reflection on
community priorities would also offer an opportunity
to discuss decorum among members and the
executive-board relationship.

Limited Resources Means Difficult Trade-offs.

An unhappy reality is that there are likely insufficient resources to accomplish everything that the
community and elected governing board members
desire. This reality creates challenges for the chief
executive in proposing a budget as well as well as
managing the agency work force.

Finding Common Ground. A key skill for a
governing board member is finding areas of
agreement and common interests with other board
members. Within the parameters of the state’s open
meeting laws, work with the other governing board
members to find areas of agreement on what
courses of action best serves the public’s interests.

In the event that board members disagree, clear
ground rules can quell acrimony before it becomes a
public spectacle.

Agenda Item #5.1.

Leadership & Governance: Tips for Success December 2015 | www.ca-ilg.org | 4 Understanding that Public Policymaking Involves Value Choices. Policy choices tend to be choices among different values, including the values of fairness, compassion, efficiency, individual rights, common good and others. The “correct” answer is likely to be an elusive goal,5particularly since members of the community as well as other members of the governing board are likely to give different values different weight.

Chief Executive Works for the Entire Board. All members of the body were elected by the community to participate in the agency’s decision-making processes. As a result, the chief executive’s responsibility is to strive for positive working relationships with all members of the body equally and provide information equally to all members of the body.

Communications Needs. Let the chief executive know what kinds of communications work for you.

While the chief executive’s job is to share information with all members of the governing body equally (and typically through a combination of written communications and one-on-one meetings), governing body members will often have different communications preferences as to what combination of these two techniques work best for them.

Transparent Decision-Making. The governing board makes decisions (and gives staff direction) at open and well-publicized governing board meetings. These decisions occur after listening to, inquiring of and learning from interactions with all segments of the community and staff.

The Benefits of Collaboration. Be forthright on your objectives and goals with the chief executive, so he or she can do what is possible to help you achieve them (as opposed to “going around” him or her). A chief executive will try to be as responsive as possible to the needs of individuals on the governing board; however understand that significant tasks are likely to require governing body buy in and some tasks may conflict with priorities and policies adopted by the full governing body.

Ground Rules. A helpful practice is for the governing board as an entity to adopt, regularly review and update how the board will conduct its meetings and make decisions.6 Such 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).7 Managing Difficult Board Members. Staff’s role is to provide information to enable elected officials to knowledgeably participate in the decision-making process. However, from time to time, there will be difficult and divisive board members that create a challenging and uncomfortable environment for both the board and staff. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to solve such a problem. In the end, the board must manage its own behavior—not staff.8
Staff Preparation. If you have questions, concerns and/or information needs (or know that members of the community do), provide staff a heads up in advance of meetings so staff can be prepared to address them.

Unwelcome Information. One of staff’s least favorite roles is providing information and analysis that will make one or more governing board members unhappy. Typically, providing such information is part of staff’s job to avoid surprising the board. If pursuing a given course of action could have negative outcomes (a lawsuit, unintended consequences or a chance that a given goal will not be achieved), it is Agenda Item #5.1.

Leadership & Governance: Tips for Success December 2015 | www.ca-ilg.org | 5 staff’s job to let the board know so the board can factor such information and risks into the decision. If possible, staff will also try to identify options and alternatives for reducing the risk of negative outcomes.

Directing Questions and Criticisms. Question, and if appropriate, criticize ideas, policies, programs or outcomes, but not the individuals involved (whether those individuals are fellow elected officials, staff or members of the public). Remember that staff is your tool to accomplish your objectives. Public praise for things you like will motivate; public criticism and embarrassment will discourage. Criticism or information regarding staff missteps should be directed to the chief executive to address.

Responding to Mistakes and Disappointing Outcomes. Mistakes are likely to happen in any organization. If something bad happened, ask what measures can and will be taken to prevent such missteps in the future.9
Tips for Chief Executive & Staff
Clear Goals and Priorities. A key task is for the governing body and chief executive work together to assure staff has clear direction on the agency’s goals and priorities.

Goal setting workshops can be useful forums for establishing governing board and organizational priorities. This includes holding annual workshops in which goals are set, reviewed, updated and/or retained, as well as direction on how the group wants to be kept updated on progress, goals and priorities.10 Follow up, of course, is critical to maximizing a goal setting session’s value.11 Such clarity enables staff to know where to devote scarce/limited resources in proposing budget and work program priorities for the governing board’s consideration.

Documented goals and priorities serve as a reference point when issues and potentially competing priorities come up throughout the year. Priorities may need to change of course; the key is if a new priority is added, an old one must be subtracted.12
Engaging a broad range of the community in the conversation about hard choices can help the governing body in aligning agency goals with community wishes. Such processes offer important opportunities to inform and consult the community on what can be difficult tradeoffs due to scarce resources. Such engagement can also make the resulting decisions more enduring.

Focus on the Core Functions. For those areas over which the agency has discretion (for example, nonstate mandated efforts without maintenance of effort requirements), the conversation can focus on identifying what is most important for the agency to accomplish. This tends to be an intersection of three things: what the community is passionate about, what the organization can be best at and what resources are available.13
Identifying this intersection does not necessarily mean that tasks outside the intersecting area will not get accomplished. Some functions may be more effectively accomplished by other agencies, communitybased organizations or the private sector.

Agenda Item #5.1.

Leadership & Governance: Tips for Success December 2015 | www.ca-ilg.org | 6 Capacity Building. The entire community benefits from well-prepared and knowledgeable local officials.

Some tools for assisting with this goal include:14
 Leadership academies that help the public, including potential future governing board candidates, understand key elements of the agency’s work and processes.  Candidate orientations that provide information about agency functions, pending policy issues, including budget issues and any regulations that apply to the campaigning process.  Newly elected official orientations conducted as soon as possible after election results are certified. Content should include the nuts and bolts of how to accomplish objectives in their new role, as well as briefings on current issues the agency faces, the status of long-range plans and capital projects, and the budget process. Connecting newly elected officials with former electeds who are respected in the community and can offer advice and share experience is also helpful.15  Ongoing education through local workshops, references to helpful information about local governance and policy issues and conference attendance.

Credit for Commitment to Elective Office. One dimension of staff’s role is to help governing board members receive the recognition they deserve for their actions as public servants.16 As media opportunities occur, ensure the electeds are aware so they may receive recognition for their service on community issues.

Evenhandedness. A positive working relationship with all governing body members regardless of personality, philosophy, positions on issues or whether the member is in the majority or minority on the body (remember majorities can change) can be another important success strategy. Communication preference may require that you spend more time with certain members. “Evenhandedness” does not necessarily mean communicating with all decision-makers in the same way.

A Sustained Effort. Successful relationships require ongoing effort and attention. Communication is a central element of this effort.
 Staff’s role is to present information and analysis objectively, fairly and without spin.  This includes willingness, when necessary, to deliver unwelcome information and minimize surprises for the governing board.

When Elected Officials Disagree with Staff Recommendations and Analysis. Professionals recognize smart, conscientious and reasonable people can disagree on the best course of action (particularly given the differing perspectives that staff and electeds contribute to the analysis of what best serves the community’s interests).
 Such disagreements are not and should not be taken personally.  All governing board decisions must be faithfully implemented, even those which differed from what staff recommended.
 Staff should never speak ill of elected officials, even to seemingly sympathetic and discreet listeners. Word of what was said inevitably seems to get back.

Attention to Detail. Doing the small things well helps governing board members trust staff on the big items.

Agenda Item #5.1.

Leadership & Governance: Tips for Success December 2015 | www.ca-ilg.org | 7 Defining Success. Enjoying good relationships with elected officials is a worthy goal, with a few caveats.  Be clear on the lines (legal, ethical and professional) over which you are not willing to step, before finding yourself in a difficult situation.
 As difficult as it may be, your professional reputation for competence and integrity in the long term is a more valuable career asset than keeping a particular job. © 2015 Institute for Local Government. All rights reserved.

References
1 International City/County Management Association and National League of Cities, Working Together: A Guide for Elected and Appointed Officials (1999) at 22.
2 Working Together: A Guide for Elected and Appointed Officials, at 19-20. 3 Based on the work of James H. Svara in “Dichotomy and Duality: Reconceptualizing the Relationship between Policy and Administration in Council-Manager Cities,” Public Administration Review 45 (1998): 228. This material is reproduced with permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
4 Kevin C. Duggan, A Key Ingredient for Success: An Effective City Council/City Manger Relationship, at 9. 5 Julia Novak and John Nalbandian, Preparing Councils for Their Work, PM Magazine, August 2009, available at http://webapps.icma.org/pm/9107/public/feature3.cfm?author=Julia%20Novak%20and%20John%20Nalbandian&title=Preparing%20Councils %20for%20Their%20Work&subtitle=
6 See International City/County Management Association and National League of Cities, Working Together: A Guide for Elected and Appointed Officials (1999), at 59. Mike Conduff, Council Relations, PM Magazine (June 2012), available at http://webapps.icma.org/pm/9405/public/council.cfm?author=&title=Council%20Relations&subtitle= 7 See International City/County Management Association and National League of Cities, Leading Your Community: A Guide for Local Elected Leaders (2008) at 30-33.
8 Julia Novak and John Nalbandian, Preparing Councils for Their Work, PM Magazine ( August 2009), available at http://webapps.icma.org/pm/9107/public/feature3.cfm?author=Julia%20Novak%20and%20John%20Nalbandian&title=Preparing%20Councils %20for%20Their%20Work&subtitle
9 A Key Ingredient for Success: An Effective City Council/City Manger Relationship, at http://webapps.icma.org/pm/9107/public/feature3.cfm?author=Julia%20Novak%20and%20John%20Nalbandian&title=Preparing%20Councils %20for%20Their%20Work&subtitle
10 Julia Novak and John Nalbandian, Preparing Councils for Their Work, PM Magazine (August 2009) available at http://webapps.icma.org/pm/9107/public/feature3.cfm?author=Julia%20Novak%20and%20John%20Nalbandian&title=Preparing%20Councils %20for%20Their%20Work&subtitle=
11 Mike Conduff, ICMA-CM, A Great Retreat!, PM Magazine (April 2012) available at http://webapps.icma.org/pm/9403/public/council.cfm?author=&title=Council%20Relations&subtitle= 12 Frank Benest, Ten New Rules for Elected Officials in Times of Economic Meltdown (2011) available at http://www.cailg.org/post/leadership-strategies-times-economic-meltdown. 13 Adapted from Jim Collins, Good to Great in the Social Sectors, 2005 at 19 (the “hedgehog concept). Also recommended by Frank Benest in Ten New Rules for Elected Officials in Times of Economic Meltdown (2011) available at http://www.ca-ilg.org/post/leadership-strategiestimes-economic-meltdown.”). 14 From Mike Conduff, Council Relations, PM Magazine (June 2012), available at http://webapps.icma.org/pm/9405/public/council.cfm?author=&title=Council%20Relations&subtitle= 15 Preparing Councils for Their Work, PM Magazine, available at http://webapps.icma.org/pm/9107/public/feature3.cfm?author=Julia%20Novak%20and%20John%20Nalbandian&title=Preparing%20Councils %20for%20Their%20Work&subtitle=
16 This concept is part of the International City/County Management Association’s Code of Ethics:

Tenet 6. Recognize that elected representatives of the people are entitled to the credit for the establishment of local government policies; responsibility for policy execution rests with the members.

More Resources
International City/County Management Association and National League of Cities, Working Together: A Guide for Elected and Appointed Officials (1999)
International City/County Management Association and National League of Cities, Leading Your Community:

A Guide for Local Elected Leaders (2008)
This resource reflects the insights and thoughts of a number of individuals, including: Kevin C. Duggan, West Coast Director, International City/County Management Association, Pete Kutras, Retired County Executive, Santa Clara, and Principal Consultant, Municipal Resource Group, LLC, Richard A. Haffey, County Executive Officer, Nevada County, and William Chiat, Director, CSAC Institute for Excellence in County Government.

Agenda Item #5.1.

Board/Executive Staff Communications Strategies December 2015 | www.ca-ilg.org | 1 Establish Communication Priorities at the Beginning
of the Relationship
Establishing rapport and communication styles early on will help throughout the board members’ and executive’s appointment tenure.

Ongoing Communications/No Surprises
A mutual goal in executive/board member communications is for each to keep the other informed of developments relevant to the others’ roles and responsibilities. Another important goal is to avoid situations in which either elected officials or the chief executives are surprised.

Board Workshops
A board workshop, or series of workshops, can help to set goals and priorities for the agency. Workshops and communicating about decorum are key tools for the governing body. Such workshops enable the board to establish overall goals and priorities the community and objectives for the chief executive to pursue. Workshops can also create mutual expectations among board members on how they will work together to achieve goals.

Role of the Chair
One member of the board may be selected to serve as chair of the board. The chair may handle issues among the electeds as they arise so staff is not in the middle of any situations. An executive can work directly with the chair on agenda setting and logistical priorities.

Tailored Communications Methodologies
On a more day-to-day basis, regular communications between the chief executive and elected officials are advisable. How those communications occur will vary according to the preferences and styles of the individuals involved. Elected officials are likely to vary in how, when and where they want to engage in Board/Executive Staff
Communications Strategies
Agenda Item #5.1.

Board/Executive Staff Communications Strategies December 2015 | www.ca-ilg.org | 2 communication with staff. As one former elected official observed, “One size does not fit all, but all need to feel fit.”
Although the mode of communication may vary; all board members should receive the same information.

The method and amount of time for delivering and receiving communication may differ among members.

Understanding the communication needs of each elected official is a key executive task.

Regular in-Person Meetings
Experts suggest that one-on-one meetings between the agency chief executive and each governing body member should occur frequently - if not weekly, then biweekly or monthly.  Regular meetings with governing board are especially important when the body is divided.1If the chief executive meets only with members of the majority, the executive may undermine perceptions of staff objectivity and neutrality.
 Although staff is bound to implement the policy adopted by the majority, the relationship the chief executive develops must be with the body as a whole as well as with each individual who makes up the body.

Weekly Updates
Some agencies find a weekly newsletter/email from the chief executive to governing body is helpful practice.
 These should be informational only - not an effort to achieve consensus among decision-makers outside open and publicized meetings.2
 Executives and governing board members also need to be aware that such communications are public documents subject to disclosure to the media or in litigation.

Voice-to-Voice for Sensitive Matters
Communications relating to confidential or sensitive matters are best accomplished in person or by telephone.

Newly Elected Official Orientations
A helpful practice is for each newly-elected governing board member and the chief executive to meet individually early on. The meeting can include a tour of agency facilities and a briefing on key issues, as well as a preview of issues to be covered in any additional orientation sessions planned. It also offers elected officials the opportunity to get their most pressing questions answered.3 For more information, visit ILG’s New to Public Service resources at: www.ca-ilg.org/new-public-service.

Agenda Item #5.1.

Board/Executive Staff Communications Strategies December 2015 | www.ca-ilg.org | 3 Staff Reports
Another form of communication between staff and elected officials (and others) are the staff reports the governing body receives in preparation for meetings. Good communication between the governing board and staff about the board’s needs and expectations is important. In general, the following are recognized as good practices.4
 Complete Information. Staff reports should contain all of the information necessary to make an informed decision. This includes options and alternatives when appropriate, as well as anticipating questions and concerns.
 Usability. Complete information is useful only if it is in useable form. Executive summaries, graphics, tables and decision-trees are ways to summarize complex information in an easier-tounderstand manner.  Plain Language. Acronyms, jargon and technical language should be avoided. Any term that is likely to be unfamiliar to the average resident should be either defined or avoided in favor of more easily understandable wording. Be succinct and prepare executive summaries for the members as often as possible.
 Analytic Framework. Agency staff should use a consistent framework for presenting policy analyses. Typical components include: problem definition, options and alternatives, evaluation of options, staff recommendation, implementation and evaluation.

Subjects of Communication
Board/executive communications should include not only what is happening or needs to happen, but how decision-making processes occur. This can be especially important on major or potentially contentious issues. The governing body may feel it needs additional time to evaluate the difficult issues presented or engage in additional public engagement processes to hear and consider public input.

Agenda Item #5.1.

Board/Executive Staff Communications Strategies December 2015 | www.ca-ilg.org | 4 More Resources
International City/County Management Association and National League of Cities, Working Together: A Guide for Elected and Appointed Officials (1999)
International City/County Management Association and National League of Cities, Leading Your Community:

A Guide for Local Elected Leaders (2008)
This resource reflects the insights and thoughts of a number of individuals, including: Kevin C. Duggan, West Coast Director, International City/County Management Association, Pete Kutras, Retired County Executive, Santa Clara, and Principal Consultant, Municipal Resource Group, LLC, Richard A. Haffey, County Executive Officer, Nevada County, and William Chiat, Director, CSAC Institute for Excellence in County Government.

References
1 Julia Novak and John Nalbandian, Preparing Councils for Their Work, PM Magazine (August 2009) available at http://webapps.icma.org/pm/9107/public/feature3.cfm?author=Julia%20Novak%20and%20John%20Nalbandian&title=Preparing%20 Councils%20for%20Their%20Work&subtitle
2 See Wolfe v. City of Fremont, 144 Cal. App. 4th 533 (2006); Cal. Gov’t Code § 54952.2(b):
(b) (1) A majority of the members of a legislative body shall not, outside a meeting authorized by this chapter, use a series of communications of any kind, directly or through intermediaries, to discuss, deliberate, or take action on any item of business that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the legislative body. (2) Paragraph (1) shall not be construed as preventing an employee or official of a local agency, from engaging in separate conversations or communications outside of a meeting authorized by this chapter with members of a legislative body in order to answer questions or provide information regarding a matter that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the local agency, if that person does not communicate to members of the legislative body the comments or position of any other member or members of the legislative body.

See also Open and Public IV: A User’s Guide to the Ralph M. Brown Act (2010) at 17 (noting that chief executive officer briefings can be a violation of the state’s open meeting laws when the process reveals information about governing body members’ respective views).
3 From Mike Conduff, Council Relations, PM Magazine (June 2012), available at http://webapps.icma.org/pm/9405/public/council.cfm?author=&title=Council%20Relations&subtitle 4 International City/County Management Association, Partnerships in Local Governance: Effective Council-Manager Relations (1989) at 42-45 (chapter by Kevin C. Duggan and Terry Ellis “Preparing Staff to Work with the Council”).

Agenda Item #5.1.

Dealing with Bumps in the Road December 2015 | www.ca-ilg.org | 1 At some point in the journey, the board/executive relationship may encounter difficulties. In fact, a consistently comfortable relationship could in itself be an indicator that one or both parties may be avoiding both testing ideas and possible conflict to the detriment of the agency and public they serve.

Strategies to Try1

1. Avoid Complacency. Strong relationships require ongoing investment of time. The environment, challenging situations, changes in players, unanticipated demands and day-to-day politics all place stress on board/executive relationships. Take time to step back and assess relationships on an ongoing basis. Be prepared to adjust approaches if necessary.

2. Communicate. Often, communication is the first place where relationships begin to suffer.

Something happens; human nature can be to avoid confrontation and uncomfortable discussions.

When communication barriers emerge, schedule time for a private face-to-face and earnest discussion with the individual in question. Acknowledge any elephants-in-the-room, share perspectives of what happened, and explore how to improve the relationship.

3. Address Issues Directly. Avoidance tends to make problems fester; rarely does avoidance cause problems to go away.

4. View the Relationship as a Partnership. Work together to address community needs without focusing on distinctions between policy and administration. Each party to the relationship should feel that their contributions are valued and respected.

5. Avoid Being a Barrier to Staff Contact with Electeds. Electeds may prefer to deal with staff directly; staff should keep the chief executive in the loop when significant issues come up in their conversations with members of the governing body.

6. Focus Credit and Attention on Elected Officials2. The center of positive attention at governing body meetings or at community meetings should be elected officials, not staff.

7. Try to See the Situation from Others’ Perspectives. Ask open-ended, non-judgmental and even-toned questions. Take a step back to assess what happened and is happening in the relationship. Ask clarifying questions to understand the perspective of the other person; share your own perspective in neutral terms. Examine the problem and not the individuals. Treat the situation as a learning opportunity to avoid future missteps.

Dealing with Bumps in
the Road
Agenda Item #5.1.

Dealing with Bumps in the Road December 2015 | www.ca-ilg.org | 2 Red Flags for Relationship Attention2
 Instinct. If your sense is something isn’t as
good as it might be, you may well be right.

Don’t hope it goes away.
 Information Flows Diminish. Sometimes
one party will feel the other isn’t keeping
them properly informed or they aren’t getting
the information they need to do their
respective jobs well. Other times, the issue
may be that people communicate less and
less frequently or information isn’t being
shared equally.
 Interpersonal Relations. Another warning
sign is when the chief executive or board
member stops being included in
conversations that he or she would ordinarily
be included in. Watch for any signs of
changes in the relationship changes (less
forthright/more evasive)
 Performance Reviews. Avoiding an annual
review (the board doesn’t want to give one
or the chief executive doesn’t want to
receive one) can be a sign of trouble.
 Badmouthing. This usually signifies
significant frustration levels.
 Focal Point is the Staff. Another potential
sign of trouble is when the chief executive or
other staff become the focus of media or
election attention.
 Dissatisfaction with Staff. Governing board
members are dissatisfied with key staff and
the chief executive is perceived as not
addressing the problem and/or being able to
get things done.
 Trust Diminishes. The governing board
regularly second guesses the executive’s
recommendations.

8. Delve Deeper. Listen for the meaning behind the
words. Try to identify the underlying issues,
which may have both a logical and an emotional
dimension. What are the values, beliefs and
anxieties that might be at stake? Sometimes the
issue is not more data and facts; it is about
connecting on a more personal level. Sometimes
people just want to be acknowledged and
understood.

9. Accept Responsibility. You have surely
contributed to the difficulties in a relationship,
intentionally or unintentionally. Accept
responsibility, apologize if necessary, discuss
how to avoid a repeat and move on.

10. DWYSYWD (“Do What You Say You Will Do”).

People may judge your commitment to a
board/executive relationship by what you do, not
what you say. If a relationship has been
damaged, the first thing people will look for is
evidence of commitment to rebuild the
relationship. Do what you said you will do. It will
be noticed. Start with simple steps (for example,
gather information, arrange a meeting, resolve a
problem, or create a follow-up plan). These can
be immediate and observable demonstrations of
your sincerity in wanting to address concerns.

11. Find a Confidant. Serving as an elected official
or a chief executive can be a solitary world.

Identify an objective sounding board to bounce
ideas off of and test assumptions and theories.

The best confidants are typically outside your
organization. They say what you need to hear,
not necessarily what you want to hear and can
help you navigate through difficult issues.

12. Take Care of Yourself. Maintaining a balance in
the demands of public service and personal life
is challenging. Make time to get away, to
decompress, to work off frustrations, to reflect,
and create space between public service and
your private life. Working through difficulties requires a certain mental and emotional stamina. In addition, people can overreact when they are tired and under stress. Even if it is only an hour at the gym or a long weekend, make time for yourself.

Agenda Item #5.1.

Dealing with Bumps in the Road December 2015 | www.ca-ilg.org | 3 About the Institute for Local Government
This tip sheet is a service of the Institute for Local Government (ILG) whose mission is to promote good government at the local level with practical, impartial and easy-to-use resources for California communities.

ILG is the nonprofit 501(c)(3) research and education affiliate of the League of California Cities, the California State Association of Counties and the California Special Districts Association. © 2015 Institute for Local Government. All rights reserved.

References
1 Heifetz, Ronald A. and Marty Linsky, Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive through the Dangers of Leading, 2002, Harvard Business School Press, Boston.

2. International City/County Management Association and National League of Cities, Working Together: A Guide for Elected and Appointed Officials, 1999 at pages 63-71.

Agenda Item #5.1.

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
Agenda Item #5.1.

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.

Agenda Item #5.1.

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.

Agenda Item #5.1.

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.

Agenda Item #5.1.

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.

Agenda Item #5.1.

KEVIN DUGGAN AND

MIKE CONDUFF
MAKING IT WORK:

THE ESSENTIALS OF

COUNCIL-MANAGER RELATIONS
Agenda Item #5.1.

ICMA advances professional local government worldwide. Its mission is to create excellence in local governance by developing and advancing professional management of local government. ICMA, the International City/ County Management Association, provides member support; publications, data, and information; peer and results-oriented assistance; and training and professional development to more than 10,000 city, town, and county experts and other individuals and organizations throughout the world. The management decisions made by ICMA’s members affect 185 million individuals living in thousands of communities, from small villages and towns to large metropolitan areas.

Copyright © 2016 International City/County Management Association, 777 North Capitol Street, N.E., Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20002. All rights reserved, including rights of reproduction and use in any form or by any means, including the making of copies by any photographic process or by an electronic or mechanical device, printed or written or oral, or recording for sound or visual reproduction, or for use in any knowledge or retrieval system or device, unless permission in writing is obtained from the copyright owner.

ISBN: 978-0-87326-431-0
Item number: e-44010
The views expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors and are not necessarily those of ICMA. Cited Internet sources were valid as of March 2016. Because URLs and websites are constantly changing, we cannot vouch for their current validity. (They were last accessed on June 6, 2016.) To locate other ICMA print and digital publications, please visit icma.org/press.

Agenda Item #5.1.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations iii

CONTENTS
Foreword vii
Acknowledgements viii
About the Authors ix
Chapter 1: Overview of Council-Manager Relations 1
How roles, purpose, and mutual respect shape the context for achieving effectiveness
Your Roadmap for This Publication 2
Critical Nature of the Relationship 3
Establishing and Clarifying Roles 3
Developing Mutual Trust and Confidence 5
Managing the Group Process 9
Sidebar: More on Policy Making 6
Key Notes 11
Chapter 2: The Quality of Relationships 13
Using interpersonal and communication skills to sustain a solid foundation
Reinforcing Good Habits 14
Knowing Your “Audiences” and Those of Your Council 16
Understanding the What, How, and When of Communicating 17 Establishing the Manager-Staff and Council-Staff Relationships 20 Being Professional 23
Sidebar: If Having Good Council Relationships Is a High Priority, Act Accordingly 15
Sidebar: The “End Run” Situation 21
Key Notes 25
Chapter 3: Governance 27
A comprehensive system of players, roles, and rules that propel good government
The Governing Body 28
Understanding the Difference Between Owners and Customers 28 Roles Distinguished by the What and the How 31
Setting Targets 31
Identifying Risks 33
Delegating the Work 36
Assessing Performance 36
Practicing Discipline 38
Reporting Back 38
Agenda Item #5.1.

The Chief Administrator 38
Key Role 38
The Implementation Process 39
Other Players 39
Sidebar: Showing Your Colors 29
Sidebar: Timing Is Everything 30
Sidebar: Articulating Overarching Values 32
Sidebar: Strategies to Help Board Members Support Smart Risks 34 Sidebar: Clarifying Conflicting Directives 37
Key Notes 40
Chapter 4: New Council Member Orientation 43
Positive relationships start here
An Investment with a Solid Return 44
Reasons for Conducting an Orientation 46
An Opportunity Missed? 47
Structure of Effective Orientation Programs 49
Questions About Who, What, and When 49
Components of Effective Orientation Programs 51
Topics to Cover During Orientation 53
Common Types of Orientation Programs 59
Meeting with Manager Only 59
Formal Overview Orientation 60
Formal In-Depth Departmental Orientation 60
How to Plan Your Orientation Program 60
Effective Orientation Practices 63
Final Word 64
Sidebar: Starting Early: Orientations Before and After the Election 45 Sidebar: Ethics and the Elected Official 48
Sidebar: Designing Orientations to Meet the Needs of Individual Council Members 50
Sidebar: Orientation Notebook: What to Include 52
Sidebar: Visualized Life Stories Enhance Orientation Program 54 Sidebar: Communication Guidance for Elected Officials in the Age of “Going Viral” 57
Sidebar: Sharing Resources Between Two Orientation Programs 58 Sidebar: Extensive Council Member Manual 61
Additional Resources 64
Key Notes 65
Chapter 5: Council and Board Meetings 67
Where local government democracy takes center stage
The Right Ingredients 68
iv Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA Agenda Item #5.1.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations v Meeting Protocols 69
Longer Term Agenda Planning 69
The Relationship Between Goals, Work Plans, and Meeting Agendas 70 Spacing Complex or Controversial Issues 70
Agenda Preparation and Planning 71
Who Sets the Agenda 72
Who Places Items on the Agenda 72
Factoring in Agenda Preparation Time 72
Providing Advance Public Notification 72
“Clocking” the Agenda 73
Weighing the Items 73
Ordering Agenda Items 73
Staff-Prepared Reports 73
Who Prepares the Reports 73
Training and Guidelines for Report Preparation 74
Report Sections 74
Final Report Approval 75
Recommendations 75
Working Through Controversial and Complex Issues in Advance 76 The “Multiple Touch” Rule 76
Receiving Council/Board Questions in Advance 77
Establishing Working Norms 77
Handling the Surprises 78
Staff Presentations at the Meeting 78
Who Presents 78
What Is Presented 79
Presentation Training 79
Style of Presentations 79
Staff Preparedness 80
Role of the Mayor or Chair at the Meeting 80
Role of the Manager at the Meeting 81
Letting the Council Decide 82
After the Meeting 82
When Things Do Not Go Well 83
The Right Ingredients for Successful Meetings 83
Final Word 84
Key Notes 84
Chapter 6: Best Practice Council Retreats 87
An essential tool for helping councils achieve their goals

1. Select a Facilitator 88

2. Develop a Purpose 88

3. Conduct Pre-Meetings 89
Agenda Item #5.1.

4. Use a Personality Profiling Instrument 89

5. Set the Agenda 90

6. Choose the Venue 90

7. Design the Room Setup 90

8. Be Thoughtful About Timing 91

9. Designate the Attendees 91

10. Carefully Design the Follow-up 92

11. Conduct a Debrief 92

12. Do Damage Control If Necessary 93

13. Delegate the Follow-up 94

14. Convey the Delegation 95
Sidebar: Retreat Checklists 94
Key Notes 95
Chapter 7: When Things Go Wrong 97
Learning how to manage the bumps in the road
The “Bad Apple” Governing Board Member 98
Undermining by Staff 103
The Organizational Misstep 105
The CEO Risk 105
Being Placed in Transition 106
Sidebar: Experience Is a Good Teacher 100
Sidebar: The One, Two, More Communication Approach 102
Sidebar: Addressing Problematic Situations or Individuals 104 Case Study: [Year 2002] Councilmanic Interference: When a Council Member Crosses the Line 108
The Problem 109
Investigation and Trial 110
Media Blitz 112
Form of Government on Trial 113
The Verdict 113
Lessons Learned 114
Conclusion 115
Key Notes 116
Chapter 8: “May the Force Be With You”: A Set of 12 Best Practices in Council-Manager Relations 119
Mastering the essentials
Final Final Word 123
Related Resources 125
vi Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA Agenda Item #5.1.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations vii

FOREWORD
Establishing, nurturing, and maintaining good relations with their elected officials is one of the key components of every city and county manager’s job.

No matter how good you are at organizing, delegating, motivating, and implementing, if there is significant friction or loss of trust between you and the elected body, the organization and, by extension, the community will suffer.

If this relationship gets too bad, progress grinds to a halt, people start taking sides, and organizational life gets very difficult. On the other hand, when the relationship is based on mutual respect, understanding of roles, and open communication, the sky can be the limit.

Fortunately, these relationship competencies can be learned, practiced, and polished—hence this book.

Additionally, we all work in a much more diverse and representative world than in years past, and developing protocols, processes, and pathways moves governance forward in very positive ways. Think of the best relationships in your life—in almost every case, these important connections revolve around shared meanings. Having mechanisms to create connections allows us to forge the bonds necessary to tackle the difficult issues that face us all from time to time and, as with relationship competencies, these process competencies are learnable.

In our roles serving ICMA—Kevin as the West Coast Regional Director and Mike as Special Liaison for Governance—we have been asked to put forth what we currently believe to be best practices in these competencies.

If you are young in the local government administration world, we hope you will find these insights particularly valuable. If you are seasoned, perhaps they can help you adjust your behavior just a bit. Of course, you may be much better at some of these than others, and you may indeed have found practices1 that work even better for you.

In any event, we want to encourage you to bring the same professionalism, ethics, and passion you use in your management world to your relationships with your elected governing bodies. In general, these are folks who care deeply about the community—as you do—and can benefit greatly from your dedication in helping them govern with excellence!
We hope you enjoy the journey!
Kevin Duggan Michael A. (Mike) Conduff
1 Speaking of practices, ICMA’s “Practices for Effective Local Government Leadership” outlines 18 core areas critical for effective local government leadership. ICMA recognizes the leadership role of local government managers in creating and maintaining resilient and livable communities. While all of the practices are relevant to the management and leadership of local government, these four practices are specific to council-manager relationships: #2, Policy Facilitation; #8, Democratic Advocacy and Public Engagement; #14, Advocacy and Interpersonal Communication; and #17, Integrity.

You’ll find a complete listing and explanation of the practices in the ICMA University area of ICMA’s website.

Agenda Item #5.1.

viii Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA Acknowledgements
We are grateful to several individuals who have influenced the course and quality of our respective careers. I, Kevin Duggan, wish to acknowledge with thanks the work of ICMA Life Member Nadine Levin, who was my co-author on the orientation chapter. I also wish to acknowledge ICMA Life Member and former city manager Terry Ellis (Peoria, Arizona, and Kirkland, Washington), who collaborated with me on some of my early council-manager relations articles on which some of my current writings are based.

And I, Mike Conduff, wish to acknowledge my mentors Buford Watson (Lawrence, Kansas), and Bob Herchert (Fort Worth, Texas)—who very early on helped forge my perspective of how to work with city councils—and my best friend (and fellow city manager) Stan Stewart, who was always my accountability partner. I also owe a debt to my training colleague and frequent co-author Jim Hunt, past president of the National League of Cities and a 28-year member of his hometown city council, who continually gives me the opportunity to peek behind the curtain of elected officialdom and has refined my thinking on so many fronts.

Likewise, we both wish to thank our families for their unwavering support.

We’d also like to acknowledge the ICMA staff (you know who you are) with whom we’ve shared many career-shaping opportunities over the years. We are particularly grateful to Ann Mahoney, who as editor of this book, compiled our sometimes disparate voices into a single, coherent volume.

Agenda Item #5.1.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA About the Authors ix
About the Authors
Kevin Duggan is an ICMA Credentialed Manager and was appointed ICMA’s West Coast Regional Director in May 2011. Prior to that he worked in California city government beginning in 1971, the last 27 years as a city manager for the cities of Campbell and Mountain View. As West Coast Regional Director, Duggan serves as the primary staff link between ICMA and members and professional associations in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Arizona, and Nevada.

Duggan began his career as an administrative intern for the city of Mountain View while earning a bachelor of arts in political science from San Jose State. He then served as an intern for the city of Campbell while obtaining his master of public administration, also from San Jose State.

Duggan worked for Campbell for 18 years, the last 6 as city manager. He then returned to Mountain View in 1990 as city manager, where he served until April 2011.

Duggan has served as president of the both the City Manager’s Department of the League of California Cities and Cal-ICMA. Other professional activities have included serving on the California State Board of Fire Services, participating in an International Management Exchange with Limerick County, Ireland, and serving on ICMA’s Task Force on Organizational Structure and Governance. Duggan has served as an ethics trainer for ICMA and has written a number of articles for professional journals on topics ranging from budgeting during tough economic times, city council/city manager relations, and ethics.

Kevin Duggan, ICMA-CM
ICMA West Coast Regional Director
Mountain View, California
[email protected]
Agenda Item #5.1.

x Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA Mike Conduff is the president and CEO of The Elim Group—Your Governance Experts, a leadership training and organizational governance consulting firm headquartered in Denton, Texas. He is an ICMA Credentialed Manager, speaker, multiple-time best-selling author, and corporate coach, and has extensive leadership, management, and governance experience.

During his 30-year career in local government, Conduff served as the city manager of four university communities in the United States, each with extensive municipally owned utilities.

Conduff also served on the executive board of the International City/County Management Association; is a National Academy of Public Administration® Fellow; and is the Special Liaison for Governance for ICMA, in which capacity he writes a regularly occurring governance column for the internationally distributed Public Management magazine.

Conduff is the past chairman of the board of the International Policy Governance® Association, a worldwide organization of leading governance practitioners. His books on governance have been widely recognized and his book, The On Target Board Member—8 Indisputable Behaviors, now in its fourth edition, has been nominated for numerous awards.

Michael A. (Mike) Conduff, ICMA-CM
ICMA Special Liaison for
Governance and President
and CEO, The Elim Group
Denton, Texas
[email protected]
Agenda Item #5.1.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA Overview of Council-Manager Relations 1 Chapter 1

OVERVIEW OF

COUNCIL-MANAGER

RELATIONS
How roles, purpose, and mutual respect shape
the context for achieving effectiveness
Agenda Item #5.1.

F
ew factors are as critical to the success of local government professional managers and the organizations they lead as is the quality of the relationship between the elected officials and the manager. A productive and positive relationship results in greater job satisfaction for all concerned and the effective translation of policy decisions into action.

On the other hand, when the elected policy makers and the manager are not working well together, it invariably ripples through the organization and impacts effectiveness at all levels—ultimately resulting in the public not being well served.

This publication offers a variety of suggested techniques and strategies to maximize the likelihood of establishing and maintaining an effective working relationship with your governing board. Recognizing that not all the factors required for an effective relationship are in the manager’s control, we created this guide to improve your ability to effectively address those factors over which you have influence.

The relationship of an appointed professional chief executive to an elected policy-making body constitutes certain basic characteristics that are constant regardless of a jurisdiction’s size or form of government. And it is our intent that the principles and practices described here serve not only as a useful resource for new and aspiring managers but also as a helpful “refresher” for experienced managers.

Your Roadmap for This Publication
Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations starts at the heart of the matter. In this Overview chapter you’ll learn why getting the relationships right from the very start is so important; how to achieve clarity of roles, desired outcomes, and policy development—and why; and what steps to take to establish mutual respect with your elected leaders. The very next chapter speaks to the skills you’ll need to complement your technical and managerial expertise, offering suggestions on how to develop and use effective interpersonal and communication competencies.

Subsequent chapters offer a helpful perspective on the nature of governance; the why and how of conducting new council member orientations; how to plan and prepare for effective council meetings; the 14 steps to planning, conducting, and following up on council retreats; and things you can do to prevent or mitigate circumstances when things don’t work out favorably for you. The final chapter encapsulates the advice offered throughout the book, and the resources list aggregates resources mentioned in the chapters. By the way, each chapter ends with a bulleted list of takeaways, or “Key Notes.”
Also please note that throughout the text we use the terms chief appointed official, professional manager, manager, chief administrator, and CAO interchangeably. Likewise, we refer to the governing body also as the council, the board, policy makers, council members, elected officials, and elected leaders. We also interchange use of the word manager (third-per2 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA Agenda Item #5.1.

son voice) with use of the pronoun you (second-person voice) as dictated by the immediate context.

Enough stage setting . . . let’s begin!
Critical Nature of the Relationship
What factors make the board-manager relationship so critical? The most fundamental is that the council-manager form of government is based on the professional manager’s effective translation and implementation of policies established by the elected officials. A positive and productive relationship between policy makers and the manager greatly increases the odds that these outcomes will occur:
• Clear policy direction provided by policymakers
• Effective implementation of policy by the manager and staff • Shared confidence among the council, manager, and staff • Respect for varying roles and responsibilities
• Effective service delivery to the public
• Confidence of the public in the local government.

Without an effective relationship, just the opposite is likely to occur.

The trust level is likely to be low, policy direction is less likely to be clear, instances of role conflict can increase, and a lack of clarity regarding organizational direction can result, affecting both staff performance and public confidence in the institution.

When the board-manager relationship is not working well (see the “When Things Go Wrong” chapter), the likelihood of reasonable risk taking and innovation is greatly diminished. Even worse, the organization can become risk adverse, with its staff focusing on self-preservation instead of organizational effectiveness and excellence.

Establishing and Clarifying Roles
As manager, one of your greatest challenges is working with elected officials to clarify roles and responsibilities. No doubt one reason for this challenge is that under the council-manager plan, the manager has significant authority and responsibility.

While the council-manager plan (i.e., form of government) was carefully constructed to result in a well-balanced distinction between the policymaking and management roles, these roles are not necessarily intuitive to the public and elected policy makers. Here are a number of ways to achieve mutual understanding of role responsibilities:
• Explain the purpose and history of the council-manager plan. The reality is that few members of your community, including quite possibly new council members, are familiar with how their local government operates and why it is structured the way it is. You can show council members why the plan exists and how it works.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA Overview of Council-Manager Relations 3 Agenda Item #5.1.

Resources such as those available through ICMA’s Life, Well Run program help demonstrate that this system of local government has a long and successful history and is not unique to your jurisdiction. They also help avoid the misimpression that you are promoting a government structure in your local setting to provide yourself significant power and authority. • Start the orientation process early. Use council candidate and new council member orientation programs (discussed in more detail in Chapter 4) as an opportunity to review roles and responsibilities, both during the campaign and as soon as possible once candidates have been elected.
• Describe the difference between policy making and administration. Explain the differences between roles (recognizing that there are overlaps) and why council members are best positioned to determine the overall policy direction of the organization while you and your staff, by virtue of your education, training, and experience, are best able to implement their policy directives.
• Emphasize that elected officials are the ultimate source of organizational authority. While the manager often has very significant responsibilities (many of which the public might incorrectly assume are “owned” by elected officials), be clear regarding the role of elected officials as the ultimate organizational authority. Make it clear that elected officials, through their authority to determine who will be the manager, have the power to establish organizational goals, approve the budget, adopt laws, and exercise related powers—that is, they possess the ultimate authority for determining the direction of the organization and community.
• Support the elected officials in their role. Do all you can to make sure council members feel they are playing a meaningful role in the organization. To whatever extent they feel that they are not having a meaningful impact, they may seek to expand their roles beyond appropriate limits. You can, for example, assist elected officials in identifying and undertaking strategic planning, master planning, and the development of legislative policy guidelines. Such policy activities are much more likely to succeed with the active support and encouragement of the manager and staff.
• Demonstrate that working through you is the best way to achieve responsiveness to council members’ constituents. Nothing is more important to elected officials than being able to demonstrate effectiveness (getting something done) to their constituents. Show them that the best way to get things done is by working through you. This will give elected officials the confidence they need and will help them avoid directly involving themselves in the implementation of policies. • Promote discussion of mutual needs. It is important to initially and periodically discuss mutual understandings regarding what types of behaviors are needed for both parties to effectively perform their jobs. 4 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA Agenda Item #5.1.

Nothing is more
important to elected
officials than being
able to demonstrate
effectiveness
(getting something
done) to their
constituents. Show
them that the best
way to get things
done is by working
through you.

You might actually make a list of these behaviors for review and discussion. Since mutual support and cooperation are so critical to success, the investment in such structured conversations usually pays high dividends. For example, a conversation can incorporate these two sides of the relationship coin:
▪ The manager can help support the council by
» Providing thoughtful, well-prepared, and clear recommendations » Not playing favorites among council members
» Being responsive to citizen requests forwarded by council members » Keeping the council well informed with timely information. ▪ The council can help support the manager by
» Respecting the manager’s areas of responsibility and authority » Not jumping to conclusions regarding citizen complaints about staff » Not criticizing the manager or staff in public
» Setting reasonable expectations for goals and projects based on available resources.
▪ Leave the policy-making role to the council. At times it’s tempting to try to fill a “policy-making void.” This can occur when elected officials are either unwilling or unable to take on important/challenging public policy issues. There are even times when one or more elected officials expect/request the manager to take the lead on important public policy issues.

It is usually best to leave the policy-making role to elected officials.

Exceptions to the concept may be appropriate when the manager is viewed as a more impartial voice on an issue or when the issue has significant technical characteristics.

Developing Mutual Trust and Confidence
Nothing is as fundamental and critical to the council-manager relationship than being able to establish and maintain mutual trust and confidence. If the elected officials do not trust you, or lack confidence in you, all else will be futile. You can establish and maintain the trust and confidence of your elected officials in a number of ways:
• Demonstrate your honesty and integrity. Without this, a positive and productive working relationship is not possible. While that may seem intuitive, many of us can take this simple fact for granted. It is also possible to squander that trust by a lack of vigilance. While most people we work with will understand that no one is perfect and that we can, and will, make mistakes, overcoming a betrayal of trust is much more difficult. And often such a betrayal of trust can occur for relatively insignificant reasons.

We all understand that we should say what we mean and act as we profess, however, we also recognize how challenging that can be. Still, Copyright ®2016 ICMA Overview of Council-Manager Relations 5 Agenda Item #5.1.

Keep in mind
that it is hard
to defend the
appropriateness of
expecting elected
officials to refrain
from becoming
directly involved
in the management
of the organization
if you become
directly involved
in their policymaking arena.

Here are some ways you can advance role clarity around
policy development:
• Appreciate the difference between affecting policy and advocating.

Of course, there is no “bright line” distinction between issues of policy versus issues of management. Managers invariably have an impact on policy by virtue of the many recommendations they are required to make. However, there is a distinction between affecting policy development and actively advocating policy positions.

Keep in mind that it is hard to defend the appropriateness of expecting elected officials to refrain from becoming directly involved in the management of the organization if you become directly involved in their policy-making arena. It can also be very challenging when some of your council members want you to become involved and others do not. If you have a clear and consistent philosophy regarding how you do or do not engage in policy discussions, requests from one or more council members to do so are easier to address.
• Provide elected officials skills training to be effective policy advocates. Not many elected officials come into office already possessing experience or skills in this area. Training can include preparing elected officials to make public presentations, providing guidelines to effectively deal with the media, and showing how to represent the organization to citizens and various advocacy groups.

By helping council members develop such skills, you decrease the likelihood that you will be requested to play the advocacy role. • Create a framework for the council’s community policy development. Rather than just assuming that the council knows how to develop policies to guide the organization, managers can assist councils in developing structures within which the council can develop and communicate its vision for the community.

Techniques for doing this include
▪ Establishing a formal process for examining organizational mission and values
▪ Agreeing on a formal goal-setting and evaluation process ▪ Establishing a framework for getting early input from the council regarding policy direction in development of the annual budget ▪ Developing a yearly legislative agenda or calendar to identify policy issues the council wishes to pursue.
6 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA

SIDEBAR

MORE ON POLICY MAKING
Agenda Item #5.1.

there is no reason to be blunt or rude in order to be straightforward and accurate. Likewise, as important as diplomacy is, it must not evolve into misrepresentation or duplicity. Managers need to be aware that even a modest shading of the facts can easily be construed as misrepresentation and dishonesty.

Sometimes it is necessary to convey the hard truths, even if you know they will not be well received. Communicating these truths honestly and openly, and in a timely manner, will demonstrate that you have the strength of character to make difficult but necessary decisions.

When you accept a new position, you work hard to develop the kind of reputation that will carry you through both good and bad times. Take the need to do so seriously. Once you have established that reputation, avoid doing anything that will squander it.
• Show that you respect and value the council’s role. Managers often do not fully appreciate how important it is to demonstrate to elected officials how much their role in leading government is valued and appreciated. Whether elected officials are veterans or new to office, look for opportunities to show your respect for their office and to recognize their role in the organization. Appropriate respect and deference to their roles can greatly impact how council members view themselves as well as you.
• Communicate information clearly and accurately, and in a timely manner. Elected officials rely greatly on the information staff provides, particularly information from the manager. They must have confidence in the accuracy of the information they receive and that they are well informed, especially when the news is bad. Officials do not like to be surprised, so be sure to consistently communicate relevant information in a timely manner.
• Present recommendations fairly (don’t “spin”). There are times when managers are so invested in a staff recommendation that they try too hard to convince the governing board to agree with the staff’s opinion.

Leaving out relevant facts, not impartially communicating the pros and cons of various approaches, and artificially limiting potential options are all ways that staff can inadvertently damage their credibility with the governing board.

You need to provide information in ways that make it difficult to be accused of inappropriately managing information. When it comes to issues of significant policy impact, it’s particularly important to offer the council legitimate alternatives, including a thorough review of the pros and cons of each option.
• Make follow-through a high priority. Consistent and reliable follow-through, whether relating to a major policy decision or a relatively minor citizen service request, is one of the best ways to establish and maintain the trust and confidence of elected officials. Effectively carrying out a policy decision that was not supported by staff communicates a Copyright ®2016 ICMA Overview of Council-Manager Relations 7 If the elected
officials do not
trust you, or lack
of confidence
in you, all else
will be futile.

Agenda Item #5.1.

powerful message in regard to the respect and value you and your staff have for the policy-making process. And there is no better way to establish the confidence of your elected officials in the ability of staff to undertake major projects than to effectively respond to less significant tasks—including citizen service requests—and to follow up with officials once the matter is resolved in order to close the feedback loop.
• Allow the democratic process to play out and respect the result.

The final decisions of your governing boards will not always be consistent with your preferences and recommendations. It’s especially important at those times to remind yourself and your staff that local government is operating within democratic institutions, and the ultimate right to make many decisions resides with the elected officials and/or the citizenry.

While hard to sometimes accept, elected officials even have the right to make wrong (or what you believe are wrong) decisions.

By being willing to accept such decisions (and implement them faithfully), you clearly communicate your respect for “the process,” and you develop the confidence of your elected officials that you understand and appreciate both their roles and yours.
• Tolerate imperfection. None of us as individuals, and certainly when we operate in groups, is perfect in what we do and how we do it. The key issue is how we react to that imperfection.

One of the unique challenges in the public sector is that those imperfections often play out on a more public stage than in the private sector. If you have a mature understanding of this as a reality of the world managers operate in, you will decrease your personal frustration level. The less you are frustrated, the more effective you can be in addressing the organization’s challenges. Additionally, once you appear to become personally frustrated, the more difficult it becomes to maintain a positive working relationship with your elected officials.
• Direct public recognition to elected officials and not to yourself.

Public recognition is a major (if not primary) motivator and compensation for being a council member. Managers need to be extremely careful to not appear to compete with their councils for this “compensation.” While we all enjoy positive public recognition, managers should direct as much of that recognition as possible to their council members.
• Play up the public perception (and reality) of the council’s community leadership role. Avoid at all costs upstaging or outshining the council. It is amazing how successful managers can be in initiating important projects and initiatives and carrying them through if they don’t need to personally take credit for these successes. • Do the “small stuff” well. Managers always need the trust and 8 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA While hard to
sometimes accept,
elected officials
even have the
right to make
wrong (or what
you believe are
wrong) decisions.

By being willing
to accept such
decisions (and
implement them
faithfully), you
clearly communicate
your respect for
“the process.”
Agenda Item #5.1.

confidence of their elected officials, and they particularly need it when making significant recommendations to the board or council on important strategic issues and projects. Often these recom-mendations are related to complex and technical issues about which elected officials will need to rely on their trust of staff’s honesty and competency to move forward. The best way to establish the trust and confidence needed to achieve “big things” is to consistently do the small things well.

You and your staff regularly are asked to deal with relatively minor issues (often constituent based) that c an be viewed as getting in the way of or taking time away from more important tasks. While these issues may appear to be relatively unimportant in your frame of reference, they may be very important to the constituent and the elected official. Elected officials rely on the manager and staff to solve the problems of their constituents; the elected officials’ credibility is dependent on the follow-through of the staff.

Both your overall credibility and your working relationship with your elected officials are directly affected by your response to these lowpriority requests.

Managing the Group Process
You are probably familiar with the traditional rule of thumb that an employee should only be responsible to one supervisor. Well, that’s not the reality of local government managers. Managers have multiple “bosses” (i.e., the elected officials) yet their direction comes not from elected officials as individuals but as a group.

Your ability to increase the likelihood of receiving consistent and clear policy direction from your elected board is a key factor in your effectiveness. These tips can help create a favorable environment:
• Establish whose job it is as early as possible. One of the major sources of conflict between governing boards and managers relates to differences of opinion regarding roles.

Life is much easier for the manager when there is clarity and mutual understanding/agreement regarding the appropriate roles of both parties. Sometimes one or both parties simply don’t want to follow the established understandings. In other instances, however, an elected official may not have been provided the necessary background information to understand the reason for the distinction in roles.

At the same time, managers need to exercise discipline by staying in their appropriate role based on their understanding with the governing board. Deviating from agreed-upon boundaries is seldom a result of a conscious decision to interfere with the governing board. Rather, it is much more likely a result of passionately believing that a certain course of action is best for the organization and/or community and that the manager’s direct involvement and influence are necessary to It is amazing how
successful managers
can be in initiating
important projects
and initiatives and
carrying them
through if they
don’t need to
personally take
credit for these
successes.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA Overview of Council-Manager Relations 9 Agenda Item #5.1.

achieve the desired outcome. Nonetheless, if managers are perceived to be interfering with the governing board’s policy authority, the board’s respect for the manager’s managerial authority will erode. • Seek clarity (even occasionally when clarity is not necessarily intended). In most instances, direction from governing board members must come from the governing board as a group. Particularly in circumstances when an issue is complex and/or controversial, the direction of the governing body may not be clear. This can be a result of a true lack of clarity, or an instance when the governing board would prefer vagueness in its direction (usually when the governing board is trying not to overly antagonize a constituency on a controversial issue), or when there is a lack of consent or cohesiveness among council members.

In these instances, you need to determine whether the lack of clarity significantly compromises your ability to effectively implement the decision. Usually the lack of clarity is not intentional, and the governing board will appreciate your desire to have clear direction. • Know when (and how) to intervene in the relationships between elected officials. Not surprisingly, conflicts between governing board members often affect the functioning of the board as well as the effectiveness of the organization. There are times when one or more members of the board expect the manager to intervene. Proceed with caution:
▪ Involvement can backfire. While most managers have the desire to try to assist their elected officials in a variety of ways, intervening in their working relationships can be difficult and have significant ramifications. You need to consider that while some members may welcome your involvement, others may not. Even worse, if you do become involved, and the issue does not improve, you may end up being blamed for the difficult relationship. Blaming the manager can become a substitute for board members taking responsibility for their own conduct.

One approach is to provide informal feedback and suggestions to governing board members while avoiding becoming directly involved as a go-between or mediator.
▪ Seek allies, starting with the chairperson. Often a better alternative to a manager’s direct intervention in the relationship between governing board members is encouraging others, particularly other governing board members, to do so. Usually the first place to start is with the chair of the governing board. It is, in fact, the responsibility of the chair to facilitate the effective functioning of the governing board.

At times, you may need to encourage the chair to become involved and/or offer suggestions on how to address the issue. Of course, it is possible that the mayor or chair may be the one wanting your direct involvement! In which case you may need to work with the mayor 10 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA Copyright ®2016 ICMA ...if managers are
perceived to be
interfering with the
governing board’s
policy authority,
the board’s
respect for
the manager’s
managerial
authority
will erode.

Agenda Item #5.1.

or chair to explain why you are not the best individual to take on the role.
▪ Get outside assistance. Another alternative is to seek a qualified outside facilitator to assist with relationship issues. The manager can play an important role in these circumstances by explaining the value of outside assistance as well as assisting (to the degree requested) in identifying potential facilitators. If possible, the ideal situation is to have a qualified outside facilitator with not only well-developed skills but also an outside perspective (in addition to an assumed position of objectivity).

KEY NOTES
• Start the council member orientation process early—even as candidates are campaigning—and as soon as possible once candidates have been elected.
• Do all you can to make sure council members feel they are playing a meaningful role in the organization.
• Keep in mind that if you become directly involved in the policy-making arena, it’s hard to expect elected officials to refrain from becoming directly involved in the management of the organization. • Communicating the hard truths honestly and openly, and in a timely manner, demonstrates that you have the strength of character to make difficult but necessary decisions.
• Effectively carrying out a policy decision that staff did not support communicates a powerful message about the respect the manager and staff have for the policy-making process.
• It is amazing how successful managers can be in initiating important initiatives and carrying them through if they don’t need to personally take credit for these successes.
• The best way to establish the trust and confidence needed to achieve “big things” is to consistently do the small things well.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA Overview of Council-Manager Relations 11 It is, in fact, the
responsibility of the
chair to facilitate
the effective
functioning of
the governing
board.

Agenda Item #5.1.

Agenda Item #5.1.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA The Quality of Relationships 13
Chapter 2

THE QUALITY

OF WORKING

RELATIONSHIPS
Using interpersonal and communication skills
to sustain a solid foundation
Agenda Item #5.1.

T
he knowledge and skills local government leaders tap into range from basic administrative/management competencies, such as finance and budgeting, human resources, and capital planning, to many specialty areas, such as public safety services, recreation/library services, and various maintenance activities. And, of course, managers need to have strong analytical skills, strategic problem-solving skills, and a long-term vision for their communities and organizations.

Yet it is often interpersonal and communication skills and talents that dictate to a greater degree a manager’s long-term success. These skills ultimately translate into the quality of managers’ relationships with their elected officials and other key constituents. See the “If Having Good Council Relations Is a High Priority, Act Accordingly” sidebar. No matter how technically skilled and talented a manager may be, without being able to establish and maintain effective working relationships with key constituents, primarily the elected board, the manager will not be able to maintain long-term success.

Reinforcing Good Habits
It surprises some managers to find out to what degree their expertise in technical areas can be overshadowed in the minds of their elected officials by their perception of the quality of their relationship with the manager.

Chapter 1 described many good habits (see “Developing Mutual Trust and Confidence”) that help solidify your relationships with elected officials.

Steve Bryant (ICMA state liaison for Oregon) offered his own quick list of the “top five habits” essential to effective working relationships between managers and their councils in a November 2015 Public Management article.

In addition, keeping the following points in mind can help you reinforce the habits that strengthen your relationships with your council members:
• Don’t underestimate the “soft skills” that fortify relationships.

Managers are apt to put less emphasis on the soft skills early in their careers when they’re refining their technical skills, which managers appreciate as critical to their success. As managers advance in their careers, the soft skills become most critical because they are fundamental to success in working with elected officials and other key constituents.

It’s not uncommon for relationship-related issues and challenges to be the greatest source of difficulty facing managers—and they are often the toughest to deal with. A 2015 survey of 250 California city and county managers revealed that they considered relationship-related issues (versus technical issues) to be by far their biggest area of challenge in their work with elected officials.
• Be open to feedback. It can be quite problematic if you do not accurately understand how you are perceived by others—including by elected officials. Being open to, and even soliciting, feedback is an important strategy to better understand if how you intend to 14 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA Agenda Item #5.1.

Managers know that their job security, how they feel about their job, and their effectiveness in the job all directly relate to the quality of their relationship with their elected officials. Yet managers don’t always give the time and effort the relationships need. These two tips might help turn that around. (Also see “Developing Mutual Trust and Confidence” in the previous chapter.) • Reach out proactively. Chief administrators have to balance many demands and must prioritize where they put their time and focus. Reacting to council member requests is a necessary but not sufficient aspect of a solid working relationship. You must also simply “put in the time” to proactively develop and maintain an effective relationship.

New and first-time managers generally recognize the critical need to develop these relationships early in their tenure. But sometimes, over time, managers drift into spending less time proactively reaching out to and communicating with council members. This happens for a variety of reasons, including the demands of other work or possibly simply finding other aspects of the work more pleasant and/or fulfilling. However, not keeping these relationships (and the time necessary to maintain them) a high priority can ultimately be damaging. • Reinforce the relationship. Council members also often develop a sense of how important the manager perceives them to be by the amount of time and effort the manager takes in establishing and maintaining a relationship with them. Although the need for such reinforcement can vary greatly among elected officials, you should never underestimate it.

The basics of relationship maintenance include ongoing communication about important issues and policy priorities, as well as quickly responding to council member questions and concerns. Reinforcement goes beyond those actions to proactively reaching out to gauge how council members are doing and how they are perceiving the work of the organization.

You can assume that your council members did not run for office in order to feel unimportant or ignored; don’t inadvertently communicate that message by failing to focus on your relationship with them.

SIDEBAR

IF HAVING GOOD COUNCIL RELATIONS IS A HIGH PRIORITY, ACT ACCORDINGLY Copyright ®2016 ICMA The Quality of Relationships 15
Agenda Item #5.1.

be perceived is how you are actually perceived. Obtaining regular performance evaluations from your governing board, while not always the most enjoyable experience for managers, is critical to increasing the odds of understanding how your performance is matching the expectations of your elected officials. In addition to other techniques to solicit feedback, techniques such as 360-degree evaluation instruments can be helpful in improving your understanding in this critical dimension of your performance. ICMA offers the ICMA Manager Evaluations Handbook as a guide for developing an evaluation tool that reflects a process mutually agreed upon by you and your elected body. • Develop a feedback plan. Since the area of interpersonal and communication skills is one where there will always be room for growth and improvement, consider developing and periodically updating a plan for personal development. Develop a system of evaluation to provide feedback that will enable you to identify and assess your shortcomings.

This will help you determine how you can grow further and identify resources to help you improve.

Knowing Your “Audiences” and Those of Your Council
Both the council and the manager have multiple and often diverse “audiences” that are important to their effectiveness. In most cases the audiences are the same, though the nature of the relationship can vary based on the differing roles of the manager versus the elected officials, as well as on the style each party brings to the relationships. Understanding who those audiences are and how to develop effective relationships with them is another key ingredient to a local government manager’s success.

A primary, if not the primary, audience for the manager is the council.

Establishing and maintaining an effective working relationship with the governing board occurs in the following important contexts:
• Other working relationships. You will not be successful, and will not maintain the governing board’s support, if you are not able to establish and maintain an effective working relationship with a variety of other key constituent groups. Typical key audiences for the local government manager are
▪ Governing board
▪ Department heads
▪ Community groups
▪ Neighborhood associations
▪ Employees
▪ Employee organizations/unions
▪ Newspapers/media
▪ Business groups
▪ Community nonprofit organizations
16 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA Agenda Item #5.1.

▪ Other jurisdictions with which a manager’s organization must collaborate.
• Effective relationship strategies. From the outset, a local government manager has to develop useful strategies to work effectively with diverse groups of constituents. One significant challenge is prioritizing your time between the various groups and individuals with whom you need to relate. Another challenge occurs when you must make a decision or recommendation that will please one set of constituents but will be viewed unfavorably by another. That, frankly, is inevitable.

The key, however, is to maintain a reasonable relationship with groups or individuals even when you can’t make decisions in the manner that they are advocating. You increase the odds of being able to maintain those relationships when
▪ You have worked to establish and maintain a positive relationship at times when a major issue is not in play. Develop a reservoir of goodwill before a potentially divisive issue needs to be confronted. ▪ The manner in which you communicate/explain your decisions is professional and thoughtful. Being able to demonstrate that you seriously considered the concerns/perspective of the constituent group, even if you came to a conclusion different than what they advocated, can sometimes ameliorate their reaction to your action/position. • Impact of other relationships. You need to be mindful of the impact that your relationships with various constituent groups will have on your relationship with the governing board and its members. The governing board will usually also share most if not all of these key constituent groups. And in the case of governing board members, they may view their relationship with such groups as a critical factor in how successful they are in their political careers.

Even in situations where you have a reasonably positive working relationship with the governing board and its members, a challenging relationship with one or more key constituent groups can cause the governing board relationship to suffer. Managers have been removed from their positions not primarily because they were unable to work effectively with the governing board itself, but because they were unable to establish a reasonably positive working relationship with key constituent groups of the governing board.

Understanding the What, How, and When of Communicating
How and when you communicate with your policy makers is one of the most important components of your relationship with them. A lack of timely and sufficient communication, or a disconnect regarding the style of desired communication, can be both a symptom and cause of a problematic working relationship. • Gauge what and how often to communicate, knowing that council members can use the amount and type of communication as an Copyright ®2016 ICMA The Quality of Relationships 17
Develop a
reservoir of
goodwill
before a
potentially
divisive issue
needs to be
confronted.

Agenda Item #5.1.

indication of their priority in your frame of reference. We often underestimate the degree to which council members look for subtle indications of how important the manager views their relationship.

A perceived deficiency in communication or a disconnect regarding communication style can have a major impact on whether or not elected officials believe the manager values them, their working relationship, and their role in the organization.

How much time you are willing to devote to communicating with council members, the information you are willing to share, the timeliness of the communication, and the style in which the information is shared can all significantly impact the relationship.
• Make sure the council always hears bad news from you first.

Nothing will damage the manager-board relationship more quickly than surprising council members regarding important information— particularly bad news. The worst “surprises” are when council members learn the information regarding significant and sensitive community issues from others (the press, community members, etc.). Additionally, if a council member needs this information in time to react to the public but you only provide it at the last minute, the effect can be similar.

You never want your members to appear to the public as uninformed (or even out of touch) about what the organization is doing or about other important community issues. Bad news is difficult enough to deal with, but helping your council members by keeping them informed on a timely basis not only helps them adjust and appropriately respond to the news, but also avoids the impression that you are withholding information from them.

A common reaction of managers is to wait to communicate bad news until more facts are gathered or until a solution to a problem is identified. While that can sometimes be an appropriate strategy in the short term, waiting too long can put council members in a very awkward spot, can damage their credibility with the media and the public, and can seriously, if not irreparably, damage your relationship with them. • Make sure the council is prepared to communicate to the public and media in advance of or during and immediately after a crisis.

Elected officials will often be under intense scrutiny during emergencies or crises. Keeping them well informed during such times is particularly critical. Whether or not elected officials are designated to be the face of the organization during critical situations, they always will be expected to know what’s going on, and the public will look to them for accurate and up-to-date information. While the demands on the manager are likely to be intense under such circumstances, time must be taken to assure that elected officials are kept well informed.
• Communicate in the manner that works for individual council members. Individuals, and certainly elected officials, vary in regard to their preferred communication style. While it would be easier for the 18 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA Agenda Item #5.1.

local government manager to use only one style of communication with every board member, the manager doesn’t have that luxury.

The variations in communication preferences are many and stem from time constraints, personalities, and work styles. For some members of the council, significant “face time” and one-on-one meetings are important. For others, written communication with considerably less meeting time is preferred. Additionally, managers need to recognize variations in the amount of information desired—from broad issue overviews to detailed reports with lots of background information.

While it is possible to develop a consensus with the council in order to close the gaps on the extremes of these preferences, it makes no sense to communicate in exactly the same way to all elected officials when their communication preferences are quite different. If you don’t have flexibility in this regard, you will inevitably leave one or more of your elected officials dissatisfied or feeling uninformed. Those council members can quickly become dissatisfied.

Your challenge is to determine how to make sure you communicate a “baseline” of important information so that no council members can legitimately say they were not equally informed.
• Keep the council informed of major issues and important decisions outside its area of authority. A council often cares about important issues beyond its direct authority. Keeping the council informed regarding key issues and decisions outside its area of direct authority can increase the council’s confidence that you are taking care of these issues while also demonstrating that the council’s involvement is not required.
• Learn when and how to say no. Often managers are required to say no to a variety of groups and individuals, including council members. That can be one of the most challenging positions for a local government manager, but it is inevitable. There are too many examples where a failure to say no has resulted in the manager becoming embroiled in ethical scandals, failing in professional obligations, and/or losing the faith and confidence of the remaining council members.

However, often the key is not whether or not you say no, but how you say it. It’s important to convey empathy to the person who has made the request. In addition, showing that you are willing to work with that individual (or group) to help identify other ways to address the goal can be very useful. Whenever possible, try to avoid making the issue “personal”—focus on the facts and your professional opinion. • Recognize that communicating with your elected officials doesn’t “get in the way” of you getting your job done. It is your job. Develop the mindset that communicating with your elected officials is an important component of your job, and not a distraction from your job.

While you may prefer to spend your time on other tasks or there are times when it appears your time is not being well spent, remember that Copyright ®2016 ICMA The Quality of Relationships 19
...it makes
no sense to
communicate
in exactly the
same way to all
elected officials
when their
communication
preferences are
quite different.

Agenda Item #5.1.

the time you spend with your elected officials is usually very valuable to them and to your relationship with them. Never forget that you are the link between the organization and the council. This is why effective communication—and devoting adequate attention to maintaining the relationship—is an integral part of your job.

Establishing the Manager-Staff and Council-Staff
Relationships
The relationship between the manager and elected officials does not operate in a vacuum. It is affected not only by the relationship the manager has with his or her own varied constituencies but also by the council’s varied constituencies and audiences. One very important group affecting the success of both the manager and the council is the organization’s staff.

As manager you must be able to select, lead, and maintain a qualified and effective group of staff, especially at the department head and managerial level. Likewise, it is important for key staff members (those who are most visible to the elected officials and community) to be able to establish and maintain the confidence of not only the manager but also the elected officials.

Managers can often run into challenges when their elected officials perceive that the manager is not maintaining a high enough standard for key staff members (i.e., the manager is perceived to be “protecting staff”) or when they don’t sense that the manager has an effective relationship with key staff members whom the council regards highly.

Therefore the need for the manager to establish and maintain a positive relationship with key staff is often a critical component of the manager’s relationship with the elected body, as is the need to establish and maintain the credibility of the staff with the elected officials. Use the following observations as friendly reminders:
• Remember that a manager’s performance is tied to organizational performance. You should never forget that you will be evaluated on not just your personal knowledge, skills, and performance, but also on that of the organization as a whole. Your ability to select quality staff members and, when necessary, change the composition of the staff, is a key area on which you will be judged. Your performance cannot be separated from the performance of the organization. Managers can often be judged harshly when they are unsuccessful in selecting quality staff members who are able to establish confidence in their performance with the council.
• Build the relationship with key staff. The absence of an effective relationship between the manager and key staff could have a significant negative impact on organizational performance and also could erode the council’s confidence in the manager’s abilities. It follows, then, that you need to devote considerable effort to establishing and maintaining a positive and supportive relationship with key members of your staff. 20 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA Agenda Item #5.1.

One of the most common and challenging issues managers can face in working with their elected officials is when one or more elected officials “end run” the manager in reaching out directly to staff. Regardless of variations in rules, regulations, and expectations regarding elected official contact with agency staff, it is a fundamental principal of the council-manager form of government that council members will not direct staff other than through the manager.

In some cases, all direct contact is discouraged. In other cases, asking questions is considered acceptable, particularly if directed at higher level employees such as department heads. Regardless of the specific protocols and expectations in your organization, the key is to start by creating as much clarity as possible regarding this topic. Without an early and clear discussion of the topic, you can expect that things will not go well.

Over the line. Unfortunately, you are likely to encounter circumstances at some point in your career when your elected officials will in fact “step over the line” and contact the staff either for answers to questions, to offer “suggestions” to the staff, or even to attempt to direct them to either do or not do something.

Easy adjustment. When this occurs, it’s possible the elected officials simply didn’t understand that they were not being consistent with expectations and protocols of the organization. In those instances resolution may be as simple as bringing this to the attention of the elected officials.

More difficult adjustment. However, in many cases you may encounter elected officials who don’t want to “follow the rules.” They may feel they can get what they want achieved more quickly/ directly by reaching out to staff. They may also want to “demonstrate their authority” by doing so.

Resetting expectations. In those cases a more serious discussion with that elected official may be necessary. It will be important to point out why the reporting structure is set up the way it is (i.e., the reason for the form of government, why it is important, how it is not reasonable for employees to try to respond to direction from multiple sources, etc.). You can also point out how these actions can undermine your authority to effectively lead the organization and can actually result in a less effective response to their concerns. It is helpful to emphasize (and demonstrate) that the most effective way to get the information they need or action they request is through you.

Enlist support. You may also need to enlist the mayor or the council as a whole in cases where you are unable to have an impact on the conduct. They can help deliver the message about the expectations regarding elected official-staff contact.

Advise staff. It is also important to make expectations regarding council-staff contact clear to staff—including what to do if contacted by elected officials. Often it is helpful to give staff permission to say, “Sorry, that is a topic you need to take to the manager.” While a difficult thing for a staff member to say to an elected official, if authorized to do so, it can make it a lot easier. Also, the staff needs to know that they should keep the manager informed of council contacts—and even let the elected official know that they will be letting the manager know.

ICMA members can access an excellent May 2004 Public Management magazine article on this topic, entitled “Six Reasons Why It’s Best to Work Through the Manager,” by Ken Hampian.

SIDEBAR
THE “END RUN” SITUATION
Copyright ®2016 ICMA The Quality of Relationships 21
Agenda Item #5.1.

22 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA • Start early to develop the relationship between key staff and the council. A high priority for managers is the development of their relationship with newly elected officials early in their tenure. An almost equally high priority is establishing early on the relationship between the council and department heads and/or managerial team. Key staff members should be an integral part of the orientation program for newly elected officials. (See the “New Council Member Orientation” chapter.) The sooner these new officials understand the professional credentials of these staff members and begin to appreciate them as individuals (and not just titles), the better. Not establishing the protocols of these relationships can produce uncomfortable and usually unproductive encounters; see “The ‘End Run’ Situation” sidebar. • Help establish staff credibility. Look for opportunities for key staff to demonstrate their skills to elected officials. You could achieve this by having staff make presentations at council meetings, committee meetings, or other meetings with the public where elected officials are present. It is also important to bring to the attention of elected officials the accomplishments of staff, including professional recognitions. Such exposure to elected officials helps establish staff’s credibility. Above all, assisting staff members in understanding and meeting the performance expectations of the elected board is critical to their success. • Assist elected officials and staff in understanding the legitimately different perspectives each can bring to their roles. It is natural for elected officials to bring a “nontechnical/community” perspective to their roles, whereas staff, quite naturally, bring a more “technical/ professional” perspective. This is an appropriate by-product of local governments being both service providers and democratic institutions. • In a sense, the manager must be the translator between these different points of view. You must be able to serve as an effective connection between these parts of the organization, helping each understand, appreciate, and respect the perspective of the other. If this is not done effectively, the by-product of these naturally different perspectives can be a lack of trust and confidence.
• Establish and enforce high performance expectations for staff. For the manager to maintain credibility, he or she must be able to maintain high staff performance. If the work of staff is not consistently meeting council or community expectations, this becomes a serious problem for the manager. The selection of key staff members is likely to be one of the most important factors on which a manager will be judged.

While sometimes personally uncomfortable, you must be willing to establish and enforce standards of performance. If you are perceived as overly protective of staff or unwilling to address perceived performance issues, this can become a critical issue between you and the council.

Challenges often occur when the manager determines there are performance issues with a key staff member who is viewed favorably The selection of
key staff members
is likely to be
one of the most
important factors
on which a manager
will be judged.

Agenda Item #5.1.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA The Quality of Relationships 23
by one or more elected officials. In this circumstance, the manager needs to carefully assess how to proceed, including determining how to communicate to elected officials his or her assessment of that staff member’s performance and providing evidence to serve as the basis for that assessment. This is often a critical step prior to taking action in regard to that staff member.

While managers do not control all the ingredients to achieve a positive and successful council-manager relationship, the manner in which managers undertake their roles and responsibilities can have a significant impact on the likelihood of achieving a high-performing organization.

Being Professional
The manager’s ability to establish and maintain professionalism is critical to success and will serve as an important resource throughout her or his career. A well-informed understanding of the fundamental principles of the profession of local government management and the council-manager plan will always serve managers well. Bolster your professionalism with these actions:
• Adhere to the ICMA Code of Ethics. A fundamental guidepost for local government professionals is the ICMA Code of Ethics. The code informs managers’ decisions regarding many issues associated with their work.

A clear understanding of the code allows managers to do their jobs in a manner that is consistent with the accepted professional standards that have been developed and modified over the last 90 years.

Due to the nature of a manager’s work, including the responsibilities and authority he or she exercises, it is not uncommon for others, including council members, to ask managers to undertake their responsibilities in a manner inconsistent with their professional and personal values. The manager’s knowledge of, and ability to refer to, the ICMA Code of Ethics and the principles of the council-manager plan will be helpful in responding to requests that are not consistent with these standards.

Your familiarity with these topics allows you to explain to others why you cannot do something they may be requesting you to do. It is also less confrontational to refer to the requirements of the code or plan than to simply say you do not agree with the request.

Educating the council and the community regarding the ICMA Code of Ethics can be a good way to establish realistic expectations. Indeed, introduction to the code is an essential component of any council/ board orientation.

One ICMA member has actually written op ed pieces in local newspapers in two of the communities she has served. She used these pieces to review and explain the ICMA Code of Ethics and her obligations relating to the code.

The manager’s
knowledge of . . .
the ICMA Code
of Ethics . . . will
be helpful in
responding to
requests that are
not consistent
with these
standards.

Agenda Item #5.1.

24 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA Seek ongoing professional development. You demonstrate your commitment to the profession and the relevancy of your professional skills through constant professional development. You cannot assume that the skills and knowledge you have today are going to be adequate to address the challenges of the future. Your willingness to continue to grow and develop as a professional not only enhances your skills but also communicates an important message to elected officials and fellow staff members regarding your commitment to high-quality performance.

The ICMA Voluntary Credentialing Program is a focused and systematic way to promote ongoing learning and personal professional development. • Share your professional judgment, not your personal opinion. An important way to maintain professional respect from others is to act in a way that always demonstrates that you are expressing professional versus personal opinions. You are not hired because of your personal opinions and preferences. You are hired to offer informed professional opinions.

You can quickly lose credibility and the respect of others regarding your professional skills if it appears that your actions are primarily influenced by personal preference and not professional judgment.
• Seek guidance from colleagues. One of the most important resources for managers facing challenges or simply seeking advice is their professional colleagues. Many whom we encounter don’t fully understand or appreciate our “world”—a profession with unique characteristics, responsibilities, and experiences. This can lead to managers feeling isolated and, at times, unable to share with others the issues and concerns they are facing.

Your professional colleagues can be a tremendous resource when facing challenges or simply seeking career advice. They share a unique vantage point with you that can help them relate to what you are experiencing. In many cases, they may have already experienced circumstances similar to those you are facing. Because of this, they can offer what has worked or has not worked in their experience. At other times, a colleague can just lend a “friendly ear” to listen to your concerns without necessarily offering advice.

Some areas have an established senior advisor program, which can be a tremendous resource. (On ICMA’s website you’ll find a description of the program and a roster of current senior advisors by state.) Senior advisors are experienced former managers who have likely either personally experienced (or know others who have experienced) similar challenges. It is often helpful simply to learn that others have encountered (and survived!) similar circumstances. If you need any more convincing, be sure to read Frank Benest’s online “City Managers Need Coaches Too” column (Career Compass No. 45), which offers the reminder that everyone can benefit from a coach.

It is important to create a network of colleagues (whether local, regional, in your state, or even in other states) to be able to consult when Agenda Item #5.1.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA The Quality of Relationships 25
necessary. Even managers who work in rural areas without colleagues in close proximity can use organizations such as ICMA to develop a network of colleagues. Such relationships are enriching during good times and often critical during tough times.

KEY NOTES
• Keeping council members informed about bad news on a timely basis not only helps the council adjust and appropriately respond to the news, but also avoids the impression that you are withholding information.
• It makes no sense to communicate in exactly the same way to all elected officials when their communication preferences are quite different.
• Never forget that you are the link between the organization and the council, and that is why effective communication is an integral part of your job.
• The manager’s knowledge of, and ability to refer to, the ICMA Code of Ethics and the principles of the council-manager plan are helpful in responding to requests that are not consistent with these standards. • Develop a reservoir of goodwill before a potentially divisive issue needs to be confronted.
• Establishing and maintaining good relationships with key staff members is particularly important because failing to do so can erode the council’s confidence in the manager’s abilities.
• Being open to and soliciting feedback is an important way to better understand if how you intend to be perceived is how you are actually perceived.
• Your network of colleagues will serve you well, especially when you’re looking for advice or are in need of a good listener.

Agenda Item #5.1.

Agenda Item #5.1.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA Governance 27
Chapter 3

GOVERNANCE
A comprehensive system of players, roles, and
rules that propel good government
Agenda Item #5.1.

I
n the context of local government and for the purposes of this publication, the term governance is used to describe the full spectrum of control of an organization, from the elected governing body through the appointed chief administrator and on to the operations staff and employees. In this systems approach, the organization’s success depends on all participants in the process functioning well in their defined roles. This chapter articulates who the players are, what parts they play, and the procedures they can use to be most effective.

Because so much of a manager’s job satisfaction and ultimate success hinges on a productive relationship with the governing body, this chapter describes the governing role and how the manager can help the governing body understand it and operate effectively within it. Obviously the chief administrator cannot do this job for the governing body, or even make the governing body do it, but a thorough understanding of the value the governing body adds to the governance process is critical.

It is also helpful to describe this in some detail so that you can recognize good governance on the part of elected officials when you see it, and help them achieve it when it is lacking.

The Governing Body
Understanding the Difference Between Owners
and Customers
One of the hallmarks of our profession is that the elected governing body represents the collective community. The governing body articulates on behalf of others the desired vision of the community. Think of the governing body as similar to the board of directors of a corporation—in this case, a local government corporation. The governing body seeks to understand the will of the various individual owners and translate it into a collective sense of direction. This is generally referred to as the policy arena and is clearly the domain of the elected officials.

As the local government professional, the chief administrator can often help elected officials—especially new ones—understand their role because, unfortunately, they often do not. It is not unusual for individuals to run for local elected office without much—or any—experience governing.

Consequently, as is discussed elsewhere in this book, the chief administrator’s skill in providing this educational component to elected officials can be critical for long-term organizational and governance success.

Who are the owners? One of the governing body’s first and most important tasks, which the manager or other professional can help facilitate, is discussing, deciding, and understanding who the community “owners” are, what they want, and of what they want, what they are willing to pay for. Property-owning residents is an easy first cut on the “Who are the owners?” question. But what about nonresident property owners? What about residents who are not property owners? What about corporate prop28 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA The governing
body articulates
on behalf of
others the
desired vision of
the community.

Agenda Item #5.1.

This discussion of owners, customers, and levels of service can get very involved, especially since the governing body members generally fall into both categories.

One of the recent ICMA Program Excellence Award winning communities uses a “placard fan” approach to institutionalize this insight. During retreats or more informal work sessions, they print the various roles from which an individual governing body member might operate on colored card stock hand fans (one color per role) and ask members to hold up the appropriate role placard when they are speaking so that the other members and the staff can visualize them in that role and interpret their comments appropriately.

For example, the mayor is also a property owner, a customer, a school board member, and a volunteer in community organizations as well as the parent of children active in the school and in community programs. When discussing fee philosophy for parks programming, the mayor might hold up the mayor placard and talk about establishing fees that are competitive with neighboring and peer communities. Then later in the conversation, the mayor might hold up her parent placard and speak about the challenges associated with paying for multiple participants in city-sponsored programs.

The value of course is that while it is the same person speaking, the role—and consequently the governance component of the comment—is easily recognized and treated appropriately.

SIDEBAR

SHOWING YOUR COLORS
erty owners? What about other institutions: churches, nonprofit organizations, service providers, school districts, universities, and so on? Who are the customers? A subsequent question that helps clarify the nuances of ownership is about the customers of the organization. Customers are easy to spot in such areas as utilities, recreation and parks programs, and the like, where folks choose to sign up, pay a fee, and consume a product or use a service. But what about a casual visitor who simply enjoys a quiet moment in a park? The renter whose utilities are included in the monthly payment? That student at the local university who lives on campus? What about that nonresident involved involuntarily in the municipal court process?
The insight, of course, is that most people fall into one or the other and often both the owner and customer categories. That’s why it’s so important for the governing body to look at the underlying good it is trying to do, on behalf of which segment of the community, clearly separating the issue from the individual or party.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA Governance 29
Agenda Item #5.1.

Many communities start this good governance education early by conducting a council candidate orientation after the local filing deadline and ahead of any election.

They use the time to underscore the value of the relationship between the governing body and the professional administrator, the role that each plays in the governance of the community, and how inquiries from the campaign trail can be handled. While only some of the candidates will be successful, these orientations are a great way to help educate interested individuals about the council-manager form of government.

Following the election, these communities conduct new council member orientations to further clarify the roles and responsibilities of the elected/appointed partners and the behaviors appropriate to each arena.

Administrators then fairly quickly use a retreat process to solidify relationships among the governing body members and to revisit any significant outcomes that the governing body is pursuing.
30 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA The private sector is very clear about this difference in ownership and customership. Owning stock in a major fast food company does not entitle you to short circuit the line at the drive through. Even a significant ownership stake in a major amusement park company does not allow you to use the park outside of normal operating hours. An owner and a customer can be the same person, and very often are, and still be treated differently depending on the issue at hand.

In other words, before tackling items brought to it by the staff or citizens, the governing body should ask itself, “Is this an ownership or customership issue?” And since the governing body by definition is the steward of the community on behalf of the owners (however owners are defined), then the governing body has an obligation to focus on that ownership perspective.

This of course means that the administrator is responsible for providing customer service at the level the community is willing to pay for. Missing the mark in this arena is one reason why governing body members often insert themselves in operations—either out of a desire to “help” the staff or “fix” the process. When the governing body is clear about the level of customer service it expects—and is willing to pay for, then the administrator can implement the procedures and processes necessary to provide it.

SIDEBAR

TIMING IS EVERYTHING
Agenda Item #5.1.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA Governance 31
Roles Distinguished by the What and the How
Best practice governing bodies are clear about their role—they know their job and are disciplined about staying in their appropriate arena. The members of the governing body work together to provide policy decisions that benefit the community as a whole and provide quality service to all. They alone can answer the what question and must also refrain from engaging in the how implementation. They ask themselves, “On behalf of the owners, what do we want, when do we want it, and how much are we willing to spend to get it?” With these parameters clearly laid out, governing bodies can then determine risk and assess organizational performance against their standard.

Many governing bodies choose to articulate their job in a manual or job description. Elsewhere in this e-book we discuss what types of behaviors and responsibilities such a manual might cover. Additionally, many local governments have charters or state laws that prescribe the range of responsibilities. From a governance perspective, it is sufficient to say that understanding the difference between articulating a desired outcome and directing how it is to be achieved (the latter being the role of professional staff) is most critical. It is a foundation of good governance.

Here again the chief administrator can greatly assist the governing body by providing education about what good governance entails. The administrator can also maintain and keep up-to-date any documents that are developed in the form of a council manual.

Setting Targets
With a thorough understanding and acceptance of owner values, the governing body can best assure the accomplishment of its desired state by setting targets. In fact, the clearer the target and the better delineated the bull’s-eye, the greater likelihood staff will accomplish the desired outcome.

Stephen Covey, of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People fame, called this “beginning with the end in mind.” As staff you recognize that when the governing body articulates the desired future state, it makes it much easier to understand the work necessary to achieving it.

Starting with values, vision, and mission. With the concentration clearly on the owners, the governing body can look to the future and describe that future in terms as if it had already occurred. This tried-andtrue method of articulating values, vision, and mission is a great place to start. What the community values is a critical question. While the values of safety, health, and attractiveness might be somewhat universal, many others are not. Do the owners desire ultra-low density with not much public infrastructure, or would they rather see moderate density with significant public infrastructure? Is homogeneity prized over mixed use? Neighborhood parks or regional parks? Preservation of natural beauty or repurposing? Do aesthetic considerations outweigh being development friendly? Rapid growth, slow growth, no growth?
...when the
governing body
articulates the
desired future
state, it makes
it much easier to
understand the
work necessary
to achieving it.

Agenda Item #5.1.

32 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA Agreeing on the community’s values. This rigorous focus on the future of the community is the true and significant purview of the governing body.

With the community’s values discussed and agreed upon, the conversation on vision becomes more thoughtful, and any disagreements or discussions can be evaluated against these values. Again, what do the owners want, and what are they willing to pay for? It is in this community visioning process that individual community identities begin to become most clear. “Our city is a safe, clean, affordable city. We are a family-friendly community of strong moral character, solid values, and a caring spirit. We strive to provide the right balance of cosmopolitan and rural areas by offering a well-planned and growing community that focuses on a wide variety of business, educational, cultural, entertainment, and recreational opportunities. We are a diverse, friendly city that encourages individuality and excellence.” This vision is clearly different than, “Our city combines world-class events, science and technology, arts and culture, and history and architecture with great neighborhoods and opportunities for all.” And both are different from, “Our city is an oasis of natural beauty that maintains open spaces in balance with distinctive development, trails, and quality-of-life amenities amid an ever-expanding urban landscape.” Again, note that these statements all occur in the present tense, even if this desired state has not yet been achieved, and leave sufficient room for When the governing body discusses values, vision, and mission, it is important to note that these are not operational values, or even the group values of the governing body. These are community values best understood by input from the community—formally or informally. Some councils use formal listening sessions on certain topics to gain insight from attendees. Others use surveys, coffees with the mayor, council district constituent meetings, or neighborhood or home owner association meetings to gather this input. Particularly in very diverse communities, this owner input piece can be challenging. Still, irrespective of the methodology, the intent is to hear from community members about what they value so that the governing body can coalesce the input into overarching values.

It is in this
community
visioning process
that individual
community
identities begin to
become most clear.

SIDEBAR

ARTICULATING OVERARCHING VALUES
Agenda Item #5.1.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA Governance 33
the professional staff to make reasonable interpretations of their meanings and, consequently, the mechanisms to achieve them. Management of a city or county becomes a unique endeavor once the vision is articulated, and so the implementation must reflect the values and vision of the council.

Identifying Risks
As in all things, there is risk associated with local government. Some of these risks are inherent in a 24-hour-a-day, 7-days-a-week operation with many separate lines of business. Each time a police officer makes a traffic stop, each time a sanitary waste worker descends into a manhole, each time an electric lineman climbs a pole, each time a parks worker starts a gang mower, there is the potential for bad things to happen. These are obvious job-related risks.

Other risks include portfolio protection, credit risk protection, human resource risk, customer protection risk, confidential information risk, economic risk, business continuity risk—the list seemingly goes on and on.

It is the responsibility of the governing body to be thoughtful about the risks it faces and, more importantly, to decide how to mitigate those appropriately through delegation to the chief administrative officer. The governing body does not deal with the organization risk directly; it simply defines its collective degree-of-risk comfort zone and delineates the limits of the risk it is prepared to take. As the professional staff, the chief administrator can determine recommended best practice, solicit local comparable practice, and even (if asked) provide recommendations to the governing body as they debate these significant constraints on executive latitude.

For example, policing is inherently dangerous, with inexperienced officers certainly more likely to make mistakes than seasoned ones. The council’s comfort zone in this arena might simply be that all officers be adequately trained and supervised, with the directive to the chief administrative officer not to allow undertrained, unsupervised officers. Within this parameter the administrator might interpret this to mean only seasoned officers can be hired, or conversely, that inexperienced officers can be hired and then must have a prescribed number of hours with a field training officer before they can operate independently.

Financial risk is another huge arena where the council should define its comfort zone. Is the council comfortable with self-insuring some risks, or is commercially available insurance more acceptable? If commercial, at what level—100% replacement, 80%, and so on. Is this different for rolling stock than real estate? What about employee health insurance? How about hiring practices? Is the governing body comfortable with simply adhering to appropriate law, or is a higher standard desirable for its particular community? What about human resource practices? Customer treatment? Other risks?
Taken in conjunction with owner input about the articulated quality of life in the community, the governing body’s decisions need to reflect a level of service and level of protection that align with the community’s The governing
body’s decisions
[about risk
tolerance] need to
reflect a level of
service and level
of protection
that align with the
community’s vision.

Agenda Item #5.1.

So, how can the chief executive help board or council members take responsible risks? Our practice as long-time city managers in various communities, plus now as consultants promoting innovation and good governance, suggests that boards must help create a safe environment for responsible risk taking. There is no perfect way, but here are some suggestions on how you can support boards in their risk tolerance:

1. Don’t allow people to personally criticize staff for well-intentioned efforts. This is critical if your board is serious about promoting innovation. Residents can criticize ideas or policies but not the people involved. As a chief executive, you can work with your council to develop and adopt a list of protocols to promote decorum and minimize staff bashing at public meetings.

As part of a new board member orientation or an annual board training session, you can discuss the rules of decorum. Finally, if the board chair fails to encourage board members or the public to adhere to these standards, you can ask for a break and remind everyone about civil discourse and a need to focus on ideas, not people.

2. Call everything a “pilot” (even if it really isn’t!). Why? Residents will more likely expect some mistakes or failures if it is a trial from which the local government will learn what works and what does not.

3. Do a risk assessment in public. Discuss in public that innovation does not occur without some risks and inevitable errors. Provide a risk assessment as part of an innovative proposal and discuss what is a responsible risk versus what may be a gamble or reckless risk. As part of the risk assessment, thoughtfully balance potential downsides and upsides.

4. Tie the innovative proposal to the larger agenda. It is easier to promote a risk if it can be linked to the board’s already approved priorities or strategic plan, or if it can be discussed as an extension of another public or private investment already underway.

5. Seed innovation by creating a small risk fund. Propose to the board that it create a small pool of money that groups of employees and perhaps community partners can compete to spend on creative ideas. Ensure that the competition process is fair and that reports are provided to the board on what is learned for future innovation. Identify wherever possible the return on investment over time. The net gain (e.g., cost savings, productivity improvements, and crime or traffic reduction) will offset the losses from other projects that do not pan out.

6. Engage in proactive media communications. While there are never any guarantees about fairness when dealing with local media, it is always a good idea to proactively meet with media representatives so that they understand the rationale for the innovative approach, what is being proposed and what is not, and the risk assessment that is being conducted.

7. Take action before every question or concern has been addressed. The great organizations in the private and public sectors have a “ready, fire, aim” orientation. Suggest to the board that staff wants to get things “roughly right” and explain that any creative approach will need fine tuning as efforts unfold.

This may prevent a board from sending an innovative proposal back for more staff work countless times until the idea dies or staff just gives up.

SIDEBAR

STRATEGIES TO HELP BOARD MEMBERS SUPPORT SMART RISKS
34 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA Agenda Item #5.1.

8. Partner with a nongovernmental group and spread the risk. Collaborating with a nongovernmental partner can generate more and sometimes better ideas on how to address the challenge. Given the “trust deficit” experienced by many local governments, the partner can also take the lead and “front” a particular innovation. This approach also spreads the risk and some of the costs to more groups.

9. Take an incremental approach to risk and innovation. If the local government takes a few incremental steps in starting a project, it is easier to back off a risky project if things go terribly wrong or if the city gets hit with significant opposition. Typically, such initial steps do not require a heavy financial investment at the beginning. In other words, it is “reversible.” Conversely, if the initial efforts create positive results, the local government can slowly build momentum and public support for the endeavor.

10.Be transparent about all results, especially about any mistakes, yet encourage the board members to demonstrate reasonable restraint in their criticism. Ensure that the staff disclose any shortcomings or failures and what is being done to correct the situation. Encourage the board members to express any concern about the lack of progress or any failure to achieve what was intended and make any helpful suggestions without personal criticism.

11. Debrief the experience with the board and community. At key points along the way as well as at the end of an experiment, help the board and staff in public session address the following questions:
a. Given our goals, what has gone well?
b. What has not gone so well?
c. How did we respond to inevitable problems?
d. What did we learn for the future?

12.Celebrate “fabulous flops.” Of course most of us are good at scheduling time on a board agenda to recognize a successful project and the staff involved. However, it is even more powerful to celebrate at a public meeting an audacious effort that falls flat. Such “fabulous flop” awards encourage staff and community partners to experiment even if they fail. [Adapted from “Is Your City Council Stifling Innovation? Tips to Promote Smart Risk-Taking” by Frank Benest. © 2014 League of California Cities®. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from the April 2014 issue of Western City ® magazine, the monthly publication of the League of California Cities®. For related information, visit www.westerncity.com.] Copyright ®2016 ICMA Governance 35
Agenda Item #5.1.

36 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA vision. These are clearly governing body decisions, but as in most of the governance arenas, a strong partnership with the chief administrator is hugely valuable.

Note that while many of these decisions seem pretty clear and are often taken for granted, it is important to have these conversations in advance of any pressing need. Discovering whether buildings are insured to replacement value, original value, or depreciated value after a disaster is often problematic. Any of these situations may be quite viable and acceptable, but it is important that everyone understand what they are, to avoid surprises and pointed fingers. The sidebar “Strategies to Help Board Members Support Smart Risks” provides tips on creating an environment that enables councils to take responsible risks.

Delegating the Work
Once the governing body has agreed on the risks it faces, it can then effectively delegate the achievement of the targets within the appropriate parameters. This is truly where a professional credentialed CAO can have the biggest impact. It is his or her job to understand, interpret, and articulate what the governing body has asked for, translating it into organizational performance activities that stay within the established risk boundaries. A well-managed local government demonstrates efficient, effective operations focused on outcome achievement appropriately delegated throughout the organization.

Again, the value of the council-manager form of government is most clearly on display in this handoff from desired outcomes to the implementation of activities to accomplish them. The governing body holds the CAO accountable for achieving the targets and staying within the risk parameters. The governing body does not have to “help” the CAO accomplish the outcomes; indeed such help is generally a hindrance not a help in implementation. This is not to say the governing body cannot offer advice and counsel or serve as a sounding board for suggested activities. After all, they in many cases have a great sense of how constituents and community members might react to any given activity, and the CAO would be foolish to not factor this wisdom into the decision-making process. It is important, though, for the CAO to let the governing body members know in advance that, while seeking their feedback, it is still an administrative decision on how to proceed.

When governing bodies have the discipline to maintain this separation, it allows them to hold the manager fully accountable and removes the “Well, I was just following your suggestion” excuse when there are challenges.

Assessing Performance
The governing body is also the only group that can appropriately judge progress toward its desired targets with operations that stay within the The governing
body holds the
CAO accountable
for achieving
the targets and
staying within
the risk
parameters.

Agenda Item #5.1.

Many community charters clearly delineate that the chief responsibility of the governing body is to determine policy and to hire the CAO. State law then prescribes the ministerial acts of the governing body, which sometimes include approval of all expenditures, ratifying contracts, and approving such items as plats or zoning changes. This often results in lots of confusion. If the governing body has to “ratify” a contract, do they need to be involved in setting the terms? If they have to “approve” all expenditures, do they have to see those expenditures prior to funds changing hands?
Most communities adopt procedures that clarify these conflicting directives. For example a Texas city whose council recently was awarded the “City Council of the Year” designation separates its agenda into Statutory, Consent, Regulatory, and Governing categories, with definitions of each making it clear when the governing body is merely approving an action that was already taken in accordance with previous direction versus when it is having significant policy conversation about future direction.

SIDEBAR

CLARIFYING CONFLICTING DIRECTIVES
Copyright ®2016 ICMA Governance 37
defined risk parameters. It must assess whether the CAO appropriately understood what was asked for and designed an organizational response that is effective and appropriate given what was said about risk.

For example, a commonly articulated outcome is that the community be “safe.” Many governing bodies go further to articulate what safe means to them. They might do this in terms of performance against a standard such as, “The community enjoys a part one crime rate (as defined by the Uniform Crime Reporting Program) that is in the lower quartile for communities of our size.”
With this objective in mind, the CAO can implement the method and scale of policing that is appropriate and affordable. And he or she can assess the myriad other factors—such as lighting, neighborhoods, infrastructure, and communication—that affect and impact safety and that are all in play in the achievement of the desired outcome.

Because the chief administrator is tasked with a result, the governing body can refrain from establishing a committee, a subcommittee, or a task force that inserts itself into the operational process. Establishing predetermined times for the governing body to examine progress toward the outcome and compliance with the risk parameters is a step that helps the governing body maintain its focus on policy.

Agenda Item #5.1.

38 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA Practicing Discipline
While good governance—that is, each element of the organization-wide system knowing its role and how to execute the role—is not so hard to achieve, maintaining good governance requires dedication and discipline.

The temptation on the part of the governing body to suggest solutions and strategies is constant. In fact, pressure from the community and the positive feedback for getting involved in operations often make it especially enticing. It is common for those in elected office to want to help, to serve others, and to problem solve, and these desires often lead to forays out of the policy and outcome arenas into the procedures component of the organization. Of course, as soon as the governing body suggests or even approves a particular methodology of achieving one of their outcomes, they have absolved the CAO of responsibility for it. After all, if the governing body tells the CAO how to do something, the governing body owns the results—good, bad, or in between.

Reporting Back
Since the authority to govern begins with the owners, and because it is their resources that are used for the collective benefit, it is incumbent on the governing body to inform the owners of what the organization has done on their behalf and seek feedback. This “full-circle linkage” is ultimately the beginning of a new cycle of understanding what the community wants and providing direction.

Many cities do this through a year-end report—similar to a corporate annual report—or through a series of community meetings, or even a stateof-the-city address with feedback sessions.

The Chief Administrator
Key Role
Much like any CEO, the chief administrator is specifically charged with fulfilling the governing body’s vision in an effective and efficient fashion.

Considered an implementer rather than an initiator of policy, the chief administrator’s role is to interpret what she or he has heard from the governing body into actionable items for the staff to accomplish. Since the governing body is acting in good faith, it is incumbent on the chief administrator to ensure that the organization is as well.

The governing body provided the targets as part of its efforts. Next the chief administrator has to clearly understand and translate the targets into actions for the organization to undertake within the resources available.

Sometimes this means interpreting what the governing body meant by what it said. This interpretation must be reasonable within the confines of the resources, and the action steps to achieve them should be clearly stated, tied to budgets, and with progress measured.

We discuss in some detail in the Overview chapter of this e-book the components of the relationship between the chief administrator and the Agenda Item #5.1.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA Governance 39
governing body, so for the purposes of good governance, suffice it to say that a strong elected/appointed partnership is critical for successful implementation of articulated goals or targets. Communication is key.

The Implementation Process
Ideally each component of the organizational implementation can be directly traced to the appropriate council outcome. Think of these implementing components as strategies for accomplishment, which in the aggregate result in a strategic plan, or what some communities call a “strategy map.” For the sake of transparency, each strategy can have accompanying action items or tactics necessary to support or achieve the desired result, with the responsible staff person(s) identified, all of which is linked directly to the strategy map. Additionally, the budget document can be tied to the strategies with monies very clearly associated with the relevant council outcome. Efforts are measured and accomplishments reported regularly. In short, both elected officials and management are aligned in such a way as to provide the best possible results for the community.

Both parties recognize and appreciate the special value of good governance when the CAO’s management of the organization aligns well with the governing body’s stipulated organization outcomes.

Other Players
While we are dealing largely with the relationship between the CAO and the governing body, the CAO of course must rely on the members of her/ his team to implement these strategies. Depending on the size of the organization, this can involve deputies or assistants through key directors and/or department heads. The CAO needs to be sure each member of the team understands the outcome, the strategy, the resources, and the key performance indicators, and then must hold each member accountable for successful implementation.

These accountability methodologies can vary significantly from community to community, but most have the commonalities of agreed outcomes, agreed time frames with check-ins, agreed data capturing, and appropriate report outs. Many CAOs use a staff leadership retreat following the governing body retreat to provide clarity about direction and get leadership team buy-in. The process here is not as important as ensuring that the organization knows that each member has a role to play in implementing council outcomes and will be held appropriately accountable for results.

These critical individuals must in turn do the same for their individual teams so that at the end of the day, each and every employee can know that their contribution to the success of the organization is real and appreciated.

Good governance requires that all parties in the municipal organization understand their unique roles. It is the governing body’s responsibility to focus on its unique connection with the “owners” and convert owner desires into appropriate community and organizational outcomes. And it Both parties
recognize and
appreciate the
special value of
good governance
when the CAO’s
management of
the organization
aligns well with
the governing
body’s
stipulated
organization
outcomes.

Agenda Item #5.1.

40 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA is the chief administrator’s responsibility to translate those outcomes into organizational activities that accomplish the outcomes.

Good governance occurs when these separate functions are accomplished with full respect for everyone involved in the process. This core principle of good governance, in combination with the principles articulated in the Overview and Working Relationships chapters, constitutes the basis of the following tip sheet for creating effective relationships with your elected officials:
• Understand how elected officials define success in their roles. • Make yourself available to talk to/meet at their discretion. • Be a careful listener to both what is said and what is meant. • Always give the impression that elected officials and their concerns are a priority to you and the organization.
• Make sure that the follow-up to the council’s and its constituent’s issues is timely and responsive.
• Never allow disagreements to become personal.
• Always show due respect for the roles elected officials play. • Be patient and avoid demonstrating frustration.
• Demonstrate emotional maturity.
• Always be truthful and accurate—never “shade” or “spin.”

KEY NOTES
• Good governance happens when the players (the governing body, the chief administrative officer, and staff) truly understand and respect each other’s roles in the process.
• The governing body by definition is the steward of the community on behalf of the owners (however owners are defined) and has an obligation to focus on that ownership perspective.
• It’s never too early to offer good governance education; a council candidate orientation prior to any election makes sense in many situations.
• A rigorous focus on the future of the community is the true and significant purview of the governing body.
• It is in the community visioning process that individual community identities begin to become most clear.
• The governing body coalesces community input into overarching values and articulates the desired outcome(s).

Agenda Item #5.1.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA Governance 41
• The CAO directs how this vision is to be achieved and implemented. • The governing body defines its collective risk comfort zone—a level of service and level of protection that align with the community’s values. The CAO uses these parameters in interpreting how to achieve the desired outcomes without crossing boundary lines. • Establishing predetermined times for the governing body to examine progress toward the outcome and compliance with the risk parameters is a step that helps the governing body maintain its focus on policy. Just as real estate is all about location, location, location, good governance is all about communication, communication, communication—be it with the community, the governing body, or staff.

Agenda Item #5.1.

Agenda Item #5.1.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA New Council Member Orientation 43
Chapter 4

NEW COUNCIL
MEMBER

ORIENTATION
Positive relationships start here
Agenda Item #5.1.

E
arly orientation for new members of the council is both a responsibility and an opportunity for local government managers. A well-organized and informative orientation program must help council members clear the hurdles they encounter while adjusting to their new roles and responsibilities. At the same time, an orientation helps new council members establish effective working relationships with peers on the governing board and with staff. And not least of all, a solid orientation program ensures a good first impression for newly elected council members.

It’s easy to undervalue the effectiveness of new council member orientation: Managers and staff may not fully appreciate how difficult it is for most individuals to adjust to the roles and responsibilities of a local elected official. With the rise of social media and other forms of electronic communication, council candidates and newly elected council members are more frequently exposed to—you might even say bombarded by—more information from more sources. While some of this information is accurate, much may not be.

An Investment with a Solid Return
Your thoughtful and comprehensive outreach to candidates (see “How to Plan Your Orientation Program” later in this chapter) and newly elected members increases the likelihood that they will start their careers in local government with a foundation of accurate information. Although an effective program requires considerable time to plan and execute, the effort will result in a rewarding orientation for all involved.

Most newly elected council members have some sense of the local government administration, staff responsibilities, and the organization as a whole, and these impressions will be either reinforced or modified by their experiences during their first few weeks and months on the job. Design your orientation program to play a significant role in forming those impressions. No one approach works best. The orientation should reflect the circumstances of the community, the needs of the new council members, and the manager’s and organization’s style.

While the program is unique to the people and organizations at hand, it also consists of fundamental components and practices that seem to work well in most situations. This chapter starts by examining more completely the reasons for and benefits of conducting an orientation program and then takes a look at these common elements of successful orientation programs:
• Structure of effective orientation programs
• Components of effective orientation programs
• Topics to cover during orientation
• Common types of orientation programs
• How to plan your orientation program
• Effective orientation practices.

Note: This chapter is adapted from “New Council Member Orientation: Developing a Positive Relationship,” by Kevin Duggan and Nadine Levin, InFocus, Volume 46, Number 2, 2014. ©ICMA. 44 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA Agenda Item #5.1.

Mountain View, California
The goal of Mountain View’s candidate orientation program is to have candidates who are better informed about city operations and issues, with the hope of having less misinformation during the campaign. The orientation can also have the benefit of alerting candidates to the complexity of the issues they will confront, with the potential that candidates will be less likely to take premature positions without adequate information during the heat of a campaign.

A candidate orientation also provides a forum to cover state or local regulations related to election campaigns. Better informed candidates are likely to be more responsible campaigners and eventually better council members. Once the voters make their decision, Mountain View implements a newly elected council member orientation.

Source: City of Mountain View, California, Administrative Procedures Manual.

Lake Forest, Illinois
Term limits and the election cycle necessitate that Lake Forest annually conduct new aldermen orientations. From Lake Forest’s experience, it is best to start the process as early as possible.

Local government managers in Lake Forest start providing information to candidates as soon as their names have been certified for the ballot.

All candidates receive city council and board and commission informational packets (except for confidential information). Examples of other documents provided are budgets, zoning codes, and strategic plans. After the election, Lake Forest staff conduct a one- to two-day orientation tailored to the needs and interests of the individual elected official. Staff describe their approach as “structured, but informal” and emphasize “one-on-one” meetings with the city manager, mayor, and department heads.

Source: City of Lake Forest, Illinois, city manager’s office.

SIDEBAR
STARTING EARLY: ORIENTATIONS BEFORE AND AFTER THE ELECTION Copyright ®2016 ICMA New Council Member Orientation 45
Agenda Item #5.1.

46 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA Reasons for Conducting an Orientation
As highlighted here, the reasons for taking the time to develop and implement an orientation program for newly elected council members are compelling.
• Becoming an effective council member is hard work. Many individuals elected to local government office have had little or no direct experience either with the organization they have been elected to lead or with local government in general. Additionally, new council members have little opportunity to grow into the job. Immediately upon taking office, they are required to exercise the full authority of the office—no internship or apprenticeship here!
In most communities, elected officials have to become acquainted quickly with a wide variety of topics to which they have had little or no exposure. Likewise, citizens almost immediately expect them to be experts on topics ranging from law enforcement to library collection, information technology, and social media policies.

Although it will be appropriate and relatively easy for council members to refer inquiries on many of these topics to staff, the public that elected them will expect them to know at least some basics about all these topics. • Important decisions often will not wait. It is rare for cities to have the luxury of deferring important decisions until newly elected council members are fully acclimated to their new roles and responsibilities.

Issues often have their own critical path and may need to be addressed regardless of the tenure of council members.

An effective council member orientation program is not a guarantee that new council members will be able to rise to the occasion of tough and important decisions early in their tenure, but it certainly increases their chances.
• Staff can demonstrate the importance of the transition. Early in their tenure is when new council members are likely to be most in need of staff’s support. An informative orientation program demonstrates that you and your staff appreciate the importance of a council member’s transition to a public role and are committed to assisting and supporting council members in their new responsibilities.
• The manager can learn about new council members. Too often, orientation may be viewed as a unilateral benefit wherein the new council member is the sole beneficiary, learning about local government issues and operations. Yet an orientation also presents a valuable opportunity for the city or county manager and senior staff to learn about a new member’s interests, knowledge of local government and the issues, and his or her experiences.
• The manager can jump-start relationships with council members. It has been demonstrated in more than one poll of city managers that the Early in their
tenure is when
new council
members are
likely to be
most in need
of staff’s
support.

Agenda Item #5.1.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA New Council Member Orientation 47
relationship between the council, the manager, and staff is one of the most important factors in determining the manager’s job satisfaction.

An effective orientation program can create a good first impression by modeling the type of open and informative communication with council members to which staff are committed.

Orientation is also an excellent time to encourage staff (not only the local government manager and the executive staff) and council members to get to know each other outside the spotlight and formalities of a council meeting.
• Council members take on new legal responsibilities. After their election, new council members have legal responsibilities much different from those of private citizens. They have financial disclosure obligations, and they will certainly (and suddenly) discover pitfalls to avoid, including conflicts of interest (see “Ethics and the Elected Official” sidebar). The sooner they are aware of their new obligations and the full implications of their new status, the less likely they are to run into problems.
• Council members may be surprised about the public nature of community input engagement and group decision making. Newly elected council members may have little or no experience in considering public comments and group decision-making dynamics. It is even less likely that they will have had experience doing so in the very public atmosphere of the council meeting. The sooner they gain an understanding of these dynamics and learn how to function best in this environment, the more likely it is that they will be effective in their new role.
• Council member issues and priorities can be identified early. A council election campaign will often provide plenty of clues about the priorities of the newly elected members, but an orientation program offers an opportunity to confirm and clarify those priorities. It can often be interesting to learn what was and was not said (or, possibly, what was and was not meant) during the heat of the campaign. The orientation process can provide helpful information about the priorities of new council members that might not be immediately apparent through formal council meetings.

An Opportunity Missed?
Conducting an orientation for new council members is routine in many jurisdictions, for the many reasons outlined here. However, two mistakes are also common:
• Going through the motions. It is tempting to conduct a rudimentary, quickly thrown-together program in order to minimize time and effort.

In addition to missing the opportunity to realize the many benefits of an effective orientation, a poorly prepared orientation can create a negative first impression.

Agenda Item #5.1.

One of the most important topics to review with newly elected officials relates to the area of ethics. No area creates more problems for newly elected officials than making errors relating to ethical/legal conduct. Newly elected officials are often surprised by how much expectations regarding their conduct change once they take office.

First, elected officials need to be informed of any legal requirements to which they are now subject. Often the agency’s legal counsel takes the lead in this regard. The legal requirements could be state laws/regulations, local charters, municipal codes, and the like. Typical topics include conflict of interest, “sunshine” laws, and election regulations.

Second, newly elected officials should know that they are now subject to expectations beyond legal requirements. Conduct that might be viewed as reasonable for a private citizen or a private business person may no longer be appropriate for a public official. Elected leaders are now subject to the expectations of voters, the press, community groups, business associations, and others. An example of the private-public behavior distinction concerns doing a “favor” for a friend or supporter. In the context of a private business transaction, this may be quite appropriate, but may no longer be in the context of public business. (Also see a discussion of the ICMA Code of Ethics in Chapter 2.)
A good understanding by those new to office of the laws, regulations, and expectations that now apply to them is critical to keeping them and your organization out of the legal/ethical bull’s-eye.
48 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA • Delaying the orientation. Getting around to an orientation only when time permits greatly reduces the value of the orientation when it is eventually conducted.
• Much of the value of an orientation can be lost if it is not conducted quickly after an election because
• Early in their terms, new council members are not yet in the midst of council work and deliberations, and they will still have time to take a global view.
• Orientation introduces new council members to resources and vocabulary that they will need early in their tenure.
• New council members can meet department personnel and begin building good working relationships.

SIDEBAR

ETHICS AND THE ELECTED OFFICIAL
Agenda Item #5.1.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA New Council Member Orientation 49
Structure of Effective Orientation Programs
Many factors—including the resources and organizational complexity of the individual local government—cause orientation programs to vary. Despite individual variations, consideration of the following questions and alternatives will help you develop a program that best fits the needs of individual council members and the local government organization. The best answer to the questions posed here is often “it all depends,” because each local government is different, and the individual circumstances in each community will greatly influence what approach is best.

Questions About Who, What, and When
Among the questions that arise in deciding how to structure an orientation program to the unique situation of each jurisdiction are these:
• Should the chief elected official and continuing council members be included in the orientation?
Some agencies find it of value to include the mayor/chief elected official [hereafter referred to simply as the mayor] or even continuing members of the city council in the orientation (or at least offer them the opportunity to sit in on all or a portion of the orientation). The value and appropriateness of this is very dependent on the local circumstances. Consider, for example, the role of the mayor in the particular organization, the personality/style of the official, the relationship between the newly elected member(s) and the mayor, and the relationship between the manager and the mayor.

In some instances, public agencies involve outgoing elected officials in some portion of the orientation to offer the perspective of those who have already served in the role. Again, the appropriateness of such an approach is very dependent on the community and its circumstances. • Should the orientation be formal or informal?
Orientation programs can be as informal as convening one or more meetings with the local government manager supplemented with written material. More formal orientations can include the addition of presentations and tours of facilities involving various staff members, with materials specifically created for that purpose. (Also see “Common Types of Orientation Programs” later in this chapter.)
Formal presentations require more staff time than informal orientations because more individuals are involved, but they take up approximately the same amount of time for the manager. The success of an orientation does not necessarily depend on whether it is formal or informal but rather on the quality of the presentations and the time provided for exchange and dialogue.

To whatever degree organizational resources allow, the more comprehensive the orientation, the better. The more information that can be provided within reason, the better. The more key staff new To whatever
degree
organizational
resources allow,
the more
comprehensive
the orientation,
the better.

Agenda Item #5.1.

Peoria, Arizona
Local government managers in Peoria, Arizona, believe it’s best to tailor their orientation program to the interests and needs of individual council members. Peoria provides a base level of information to all newly elected council members, then also varies the process (including tours of city facilities) to match the interests of individual council members. Among the baseline topics covered in the City Council Reference Manual are • An overview of the city
• Laws, regulations, and basic parliamentary procedures • Principles of team work and cooperation
• City council meeting procedures
• Requesting financial and staff resources.

This core information is supplemented by briefings and tours based on the interests and preferences of the individual council member. Council members are also encouraged to attend training offered by the League of Arizona Cities on topics such as working with the city manager and the council member’s role in budgeting.

Source: City of Peoria, Arizona, City Council Reference Manual. 50 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA council members can meet and get to know, the better. However, formats may vary significantly.

Formal meetings are a well-organized or prepared format during which information is provided and new council members have an opportunity to ask questions and engage in meaningful dialogue with staff. • If more than one new council member is coming on board, should there be a joint orientation or separate orientations for each new member?
If an informal format is used, it may be best for the local government manager and any other staff involved to meet with no more than two new council members at a time. Small briefings can be less formal and more tailored to each person’s needs, and you and your staff can encourage more dialogue between each council member and staff.

In deciding whether to provide group or individual orientation, it is a good idea to talk with each new council member about personal

SIDEBAR

DESIGNING ORIENTATIONS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS Agenda Item #5.1.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA New Council Member Orientation 51
preferences for orientation—with the manager and staff alone or with other new council members.
• Should the orientation be immediate or somewhat later? As manager you must decide whether to conduct the orientations immediately after the election; shortly before the new members take office; or somewhat after they take office and, if this is the choice, how long afterward.

The best answer, however, is “the sooner, the better”! The choice of time frame will depend on the schedules and availabilities of the newly elected individuals, but the sooner they get the information necessary to do their jobs, the better. Regardless of when their terms actually begin, they will see themselves and their constituents will view them as council members immediately after they are elected.

The sooner you are aware of new council members’ interests, priorities, and possible misunderstandings regarding issues (not an unusual consequence from an election campaign), the better. If possible, try to complete at least one phase of the orientation (e.g., the meeting with the local government manager and department staff) before the new council members assume office. Tours of facilities can be scheduled after their terms begin.

Components of Effective Orientation Programs
While each orientation program should be designed to meet local needs and circumstances within the constraints of local resources, the following components are common to most orientations:
• Meetings with the local government manager and other
council appointees
One meeting or a series of meetings with the local government manager is absolutely critical to a positive transition. This relationship needs to start on as positive a note as possible by using clear and timely communication. If your community has other council appointees (e.g., clerk, attorney, and auditor) whom new council members should know, then include early meetings with these individuals in the process. • Orientation notebook
A notebook (in print or digital form) of important orientation materials is a key component of the orientation program. Because the volume of information presented to a new council member is challenging to absorb, a comprehensive set of core documents is critical as a resource and reference.

The notebook is an effective way to avoid overwhelming newly elected council members with too much information. Also, it can be expanded as the orientation proceeds and updated after the orientation is completed. An increasing number of jurisdictions are providing agenda materials to board members on mobile devices such as tablets; orientation materials can be provided this way as well. [See “Orientation . . . try to complete
at least one phase of
the orientation . . .
before the new
council members
assume office.

Agenda Item #5.1.

Documents you might find a tad dry will probably actually be enlightening to a new council member not yet familiar with them. Here are a variety of items you could include:
• City charter or similar enabling document
• Budget
• General community plan
• Strategic plan organizational goals
• List of key officials including advisory commissioners • Financial reports audits
• Staff reports on key issues
• Organizational chart
• Policy procedures manual, including travel and expense policies.

Just remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. That is, too many documents delivered in one sitting can be overwhelming. Orientation notebooks are intended to be a repository of information that you can update or add to at a later time—which also happens to be a good argument for creating digital notebooks.
52 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA Notebook: What to Include” sidebar for examples of what you might include in an orientation handbook for newly elected council members.] • Departmental presentations
Presentations by individual departments can provide additional insight into the daily operations of your local government. A group of departments can make their presentations during a combined meeting if time and resources demand it, but individual meetings with each department increase the opportunity for in-depth discussion and dialogue.
• Organizational/departmental videos
With the ease of creating and disseminating videos on a variety of platforms, consider to what degree videos can be useful for your orientation program. If your staff have developed a video or digital production about the local government and its services for new employee orientation or other purposes, you may want to show it during the new council member orientation or provide it for future viewing. Additionally, resources are available through ICMA, including its Life, Well Run

SIDEBAR
ORIENTATION NOTEBOOK: WHAT TO INCLUDE
Agenda Item #5.1.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA New Council Member Orientation 53
program, which can be used to help orient newly elected officials to local government and the role of the professional manager.

Videos can be a helpful supplemental tool for such things as demonstrating various activities undertaken by city staff, touring city facilities, and/or summarizing major projects, including capital improvement projects. Videos are not necessarily the best method to communicate other, more sensitive information, such as a description of roles and responsibilities.
• Facility tours
Tours of local government facilities are a very informative and useful alternative or addition to written or formal presentations. Tours give new council members a feel for government services and facilities and show council members how the decisions of the governing body affect the work accomplished.

Don’t rush participants through a tour of everything at once. Instead, choose fewer sites for each tour and allow time for questions and demonstrations that show rather than tell the local government story. • Future orientation opportunities
If your state municipal league conducts an academy for new council members, encourage your new members to attend. Although this program may cover topics that extend beyond the member’s role in your community (such as proposed state legislation), it will orient new members to the role that the state plays in municipal affairs, making it an important component of the overall orientation.

It can also be valuable for newly elected officials to hear the “messages” about effective local government from individuals other than the local staff—including, for instance, elected officials from other jurisdictions. This is another area where information and documents available through ICMA’s Knowledge Network can be of value (e.g., check out the “Elected Officials” topic page).

Topics to Cover During Orientation
Whether your orientation program is formal or informal, you will want to cover information that specifically relates to councils as well as several other important topics, including communication, finance, technology, and emergency preparedness.
• Council-specific information
Council-specific information includes all the items that relate to council members themselves in their new role. Some topics are best covered by the government clerk or attorney, so including them in these discussions makes sense. Examples of council-specific information include ▪ Council member compensation (how they are paid), benefits received, expenses that are appropriate
Agenda Item #5.1.

Falls Church, Virginia
The local government manager of the city of Falls Church, Virginia, uses a multiphase approach to the city’s new council member orientation, with the goal of engaging, empowering, and understanding the new council member. A unique aspect of the orientation is what they call public values and life stories. Borrowing a similar approach from Prince William County, Virginia, Falls Church uses a process of involving the new member and the city manager and senior staff in talking about and/or visualizing their life stories that inform their roles as public servants.

Source: City of Falls Church, Virginia, city manager’s office.

SIDEBAR

VISUALIZED LIFE STORIES ENHANCE ORIENTATION PROGRAM
54 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA ▪ Legal requirements (including financial disclosure and conflicts of interest)
▪ Expectations regarding ethical conduct
▪ Provisions regarding sunshine laws or open meetings laws ▪ Council norms, policies, procedures, and regulations
▪ Council meeting protocols (seating, use of technology at the dais, meeting etiquette, Robert’s Rules of Order)
▪ Council members’ roles regarding council subcommittees and service on regional boards and committees ▪ Media relations (including social media) and protocol, particularly during a crisis
▪ Conference and training opportunities
▪ Contact and communication with staff.
• Communication
One of the most important and sensitive topics to review with newly elected members involves being as clear as possible about existing protocols regarding communication between the council and the manager and staff. It also involves establishing from the outset how Agenda Item #5.1.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA New Council Member Orientation 55
to appropriately communicate citizen questions and concerns to the organization.
• Finances and fiduciary responsibility
Initial understanding of the financial workings of the local government is critical for new council members. They need to learn about the basics of the community’s financial structure and condition and to understand their fiduciary responsibilities. Obviously this orientation will be only the beginning step in the council member’s financial education.

During this introduction to the subject, it is important to present ▪ The financial position of the local government
▪ An explanation of fund structure
▪ An overview of the most recent CAFR (Comprehensive Audit and Financial Report)
▪ The operating and capital budget cycle
▪ Investment and treasury policies
▪ A schedule for financial reporting to the council
▪ Unfunded liabilities (e.g., post-employment benefits). • Land use, economic development, and planning
In many cities, newly elected officials must quickly gain familiarity with land use and related issues. If new officials weren’t contacted during the election campaign, they may immediately be contacted by interest groups such as developers and neighborhood groups promoting their views on both general and specific projects. The sooner new members are brought up to speed, the sooner they will be able to respond effectively to these contacts. The materials to be reviewed during the orientation will depend on how active and contentious the land use issues are.

Present in as much detail as possible in the time allotted the following materials and issues:
▪ Review of land use planning terms
▪ Role of council in land use matters
▪ Role of planning or zoning commissions/boards
▪ Schedule of general plan, precise plans, or other policy documents that are coming to the council in the upcoming year
▪ Status and trend of new development (infill or raw land) permits and building permits over the past five years
▪ Preview of development projects that will appear before the council in the upcoming year.
• Personnel and labor relations
Although council members’ responsibility for personnel issues and labor relations will ideally be limited to overall policy direction, personnel issues and labor relations can be among the most difficult The sooner new
members are
brought up to
speed, the sooner
they will be able
to respond.

Agenda Item #5.1.

56 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA and challenging areas. An early and complete briefing on these topics can be critical. As in the case of land use decisions, interest groups (especially unions) will very quickly want to explain issues to new council members from their perspective. Context will be critical for new council members to be able to deal with these overtures.

Include in your orientation an overview of bargaining groups and the number of employees who are represented by each, the status of agreements, and the issues that management is hearing about from the labor groups.
• Local government organizational structure
Knowing which departments are responsible for specific services and who is responsible for what within departments is an important component for newly elected council members. They also need to know each department’s critical issues. At the orientation provide a list of department heads and their contact information. How—and in what circumstances—it is appropriate to contact staff is information that can assist a smooth transition.
• The government’s technology strategy
Both the public and elected officials expect local governments to effectively use technology. Elected officials, quite understandably, anticipate that technological solutions will be applied to the efficient delivery of services, internal operational efficiencies, communicating with the public, or a variety of other uses.

As a starting point, newly elected officials need to understand how their local government is currently using technology and how it stays abreast of technological advances. It is also important that elected officials know how to stay informed about local government’s use of the specific tools available to them.

This is increasingly critical to how elected officials communicate and respond to their constituents and the city staff. The widespread use of such tools as digital agenda packets is on the increase. The sooner newly elected officials understand the technology strategies of the organization and the tools and information it makes available to them and their constituents, the smoother their transitions to their new leadership roles.

Note that while we see that local governments’ use of digital communication is quickly evolving, we recognize that many local governments are still very early in their adoption of digital communications. We are cognizant of how many of our members come from smaller communities with more constrained resources. It comes down to needing to address newly elected officials in whatever way works for them. While not ideal, it’s better to give them the information in writing rather than that they not read it at all.

Newly elected
officials need to
understand
how their local
government is
currently using
technology. . . .

Agenda Item #5.1.

It is safe to assume that most newly elected officials are already using e-mail on a regular basis, and many are also engaged in social media. The difference now is that they will be using these tools not as a private citizen but as an elected official.

The rules of the game change when using e-mail and social media as a public figure. As chief administrator, you can help your newly elected officials navigate this new context by reminding them of the far-reaching impact their electronic communications can have:
• Let your newly elected officials know that they will see a marked increase in the level of interest in their comments and opinions in comparison to when they were private citizens.

You can help them understand that it’s easy to underestimate the number of individuals who will be interested in their communications, and that in their public capacity little if nothing will go unnoticed. They need to appreciate how their communications can “go viral” with the touch of a button.
• Additionally, their comments, demeanor, and representations will be viewed through a much different lens than when they communicated as private citizens. A “funny photo” or humorous comment on Facebook or Twitter can easily be misconstrued or taken out of context. You can alert newly elected officials that the level of scrutiny they receive and the standard on how they are judged change now that they are in public office. • Remind newly elected officials that the opinions they express will likely be viewed as not only their opinions, but also potentially those of your public agency. That means that with every e-mail and social media engagement, elected officials need to appreciate the potential impact on the organization and its colleagues. • Be sure to make your new council members aware that in many states, their electronic communications can now be considered a public record. This can result in a very “rude awakening” for the newly elected official whose previous experience was that such communications could be considered private. Too many have learned of this new reality only when the local reporter asked to examine their e-mails. • Point out that electronic communication does not allow for the nuances of in-person communication or even of a phone conversation. Elected officials are often engaged in communications regarding sensitive, and for some, even emotional topics—so how they come across in such communications is especially important. You can also warn them that it is dangerously convenient to quickly respond to a provocation in a way they may soon regret. Depending on the circumstances, the best response might be no response, or one that reflects more thoughtfulness than speed.

Helping newly elected officials understand that their world has changed in regard to electronic communication will well serve the elected official, the manager, and the organization.

SIDEBAR
COMMUNICATION GUIDANCE FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE AGE OF “GOING VIRAL” Copyright ®2016 ICMA New Council Member Orientation 57
Agenda Item #5.1.

Glenview, Illinois
The city of Glenview, Illinois, shares resources between its trustee (council member) orientation program and its commissioner orientation program. While the trustees are elected and the commissioners are appointed (by the village president with consent of the board of trustees), a significant amount of information is important for success in both roles. While the differences in role and responsibilities are clearly outlined in an extensive packet of written materials, a great deal of common information is provided as well:
• Community history
• Organizational structure (including the council-manager form of government) • Community demographics
• Finance and budgeting.

By using many of the materials for both groups, Glenview obtains more benefit from its efforts than if the material developed was only used for newly elected trustees.

Source: City of Glenview, Illinois, city manager’s office. 58 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA • Social media initiatives and protocols
To the extent that your organization uses social media to communicate with its constituents, getting prospective and newly elected council members enrolled in your social media efforts is an important tool in communicating information. (See “Communication Guidance for Elected Officials in the Age of ‘Going Viral’” sidebar.) This is the time to clearly convey the organization’s practices and guidelines when it comes to using social media, particularly as they relate to council members’ use of social media and how social media is deployed during community emergencies.
• Emergency preparedness
Due to the unique and critical role local governments play in regard to emergency preparedness, a briefing on this topic needs to be a key part of orientation programs. The police chief and/or fire chief should give a high-level briefing on emergency preparedness during the orientation and invite participants to attend a more in-depth briefing to be given by a public safety employee charged with emergency preparedness. A preliminary briefing should touch on such issues as how communication to the public occurs during an emergency, what resources are available, and how the emergency response organizational structure varies from the normal organizational structure. And since an emergency incident

SIDEBAR

SHARING RESOURCES BETWEEN TWO ORIENTATION PROGRAMS
Agenda Item #5.1.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA New Council Member Orientation 59
can occur at any time, it is important for newly elected members to be briefed as soon as possible regarding their role in the event of a community emergency. Confusion or misunderstanding regarding this issue can be very challenging in the midst of an emergency event. • Biographical information about the executive team
Enabling council members to begin to learn about the background of the organization’s leaders is important to building strong relationships.

Communicating the education, professional training, and career experience of key staff members helps develop elected officials’ confidence in the staff.

Common Types of Orientation Programs
Among local governments with orientation programs, you’ll find several commonalities as well as elements that are unique to the culture of each community. Commonalities include these aspects of the orientation:
• Briefing materials in digital or print form are given to new members before the orientation.
• The local government manager is personally involved.
• Department functions are discussed at a high level.
• Strategic and critical issues are identified.
• Clear designation is given about the contact person for specific questions and problems and additional information.
• Opportunities are created for newly elected council members to ask questions and express their interests and aspirations.
• Orientation programs in local governments differ according to each unique jurisdiction, but they usually fall into three basic types:

1. A meeting with only the manager

2. A formal overview orientation

3. A formal in-depth departmental orientation.

Meeting with Manager Only
In this instance, the manager schedules a one-on-one meeting with a new council member. As manager you present basic information about the community, such as an overview of the local government organizational structure, council roles and relationships, policies and procedures, legal constraints, methods of communication with you and your staff, and key issues and goals.

This two- to three-hour meeting is supplemented by materials that include council policies and procedures, city code, council goals and work plans, fiscal year budget, most recent CAFR (Comprehensive Annual Financial Report), organizational structure, and biographies of the executive staff. The initial meeting may be followed by additional meetings to discuss specific departments.

Agenda Item #5.1.

60 Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations Copyright ®2016 ICMA Formal Overview Orientation
A more formal and longer orientation can run from a few hours to a full day or multiple days. Formal overview orientations are often found in larger communities, where council appointees (e.g., clerk, attorney, auditor) and/or department heads make presentations, including presentations on all major service areas rather than on specific departments. The presentations are often followed by a tour of facilities and major capital projects in progress.

This orientation includes comprehensive materials that describe each department in greater detail, summarize recent performance and budget information, and present the council’s policies and procedures.

In some communities, newly elected council members represent specific districts, and their work with the local government staff will be partially oriented toward the specific issues of those districts.

Formal In-Depth Departmental Orientation
An orientation conducted over several days (depending on council member preferences and time considerations) is the third common type of program. Each department (or departments jointly by service area) provides a briefing at its facility and includes the top management of the department. Ideally these briefings are consistent in format across departments and include
• Organizational structure of the department
• Major services provided
• Current issues
• Strategic plans and longer-range issues
• Type of constituent contacts with the department
• Contact information
• Tour of facilities.

Dialogue between the department head, staff, and the newly elected council member is a significant aspect of this type of orientation.

In addition to the department-by-department orientation, the local government manager usually conducts one-on-one meetings with the newly elected members when this format is used.

How to Plan Your Orientation Program
Some of the logistics of putting together an orientation program include consideration of what material other organizations may already have compiled and how the orientation itself will unfold. Some of those considerations follow. • Identify resources. You don’t have to rely on local resources alone.

You can build on existing programs and materials offered by state associations, other local governments, and national associations.

In many states, the municipal league or county association can provide In many states,
the municipal
league or county
association can
provide advice
on planning
your orientation
program. . . .

Agenda Item #5.1.

Extensive Council Member Manual
Local government managers in Denton, Texas, use an extensive Council Member Manual as a foundational component of their orientation program. The major sections of the manual cover the following topics:
• Explanation of city government (charter, council-manager form of government, and mission and values statement)
• Responsibilities (legal and policy requirements)
• Meetings (including types of meetings, agendas, rules of order, and participation guidelines) • Logistics (ranging from supplies and resources to travel policies).

Also appended to the manual as additional resources are a series of documents including the city charter, the city’s strategic plan, the ethics policy, the travel policy, and a contacts list. A new council member orientation session is held with an agenda that includes a review of the manual, a review of the organization’s structure, and presentations by key staff and other city council appointees. There is also an orientation session regarding city council chamber equipment and a tour of city hall.

Source: City of Denton, Texas, Council Member Manual.

Copyright ®2016 ICMA New Council Member Orientation 61
advice on planning your orientation program, and most provide information about relevant state laws. Several of these organizations publish orientation manuals or handbooks for newly elected officials and offer orientation or training programs for newly elected officials throughout the state. A state orientation program provides a valuable opportunity for members of the governing body to discuss with colleagues the challenges and difficulties of elected officials in a variety of communities across the state.

In some areas, the county and jurisdictions within it combine their resources to conduct one program for all newly elected officials.

Other communities have looked to a council of governments, a private organization, or a consultant to develop a program for their local officials. Contacting managers in neighboring jurisdictions may be your best strategy for learning about your options.

Also familiarize yourself with the resources available through national organizations. ICMA as well as the National League of Cities (NLC), the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM), and the National Association of Counties (NACo) all provide workshops and written materials.

SIDEBAR

EXTENSIVE COUNCIL MEMBER MANUAL
Agenda Item #5.1.