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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003 08-23 CCM Planning Session with Facilitator ..t coMpn�Y CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER, MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP Conducted on August 23, 2003 SUP�IMARY OF KEY OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS MADE BY THE PARTICIPANTS Submitted by Car1 H. Neu, Jr. August 26, 2003 ONeu and Company and the Center for the Future of Local GovernanceTM, 2003 CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER, MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP Conducted on August 23, 2003 SUMMARY OF KEY OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS MADE BY THE PARTICIPANTS Submitted by Carl H. Neu, Jr. August 26, 2003 L INTRODUCTION On August 23, 2003, the Mayor, City Council members, City Manager, and Assistant City Manager of Brooklyn Center conducted a City Council Leadership Workshop. A copy of the objectives and agenda for this workshop is included in this report as Appendix A. II. KEY OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS MADE BY THE PARTI�CIPANTS. A. Discussion of Issues Identified by Members of Council in the Pre- Workshop Questionnaire. In preparation for the workshop, the five council members were asked to complete a Pre-Workshop Questionnaire. A summary of the information obtained from the five respondents was presented to each of the participants for review and discussion. 1. Key issues/themes identified by the participants from the survey feedback information. The following items were identified by the participants as key issues or themes that seemed to run through the comments made by the respondents to the Pre-Workshop Survey: 2 Budget considerations Working well together and cooperatively as a council Productive use of time Necessity for a strong vision for the future of Brooklyn Center Purpose of council Effective use of council meetings. 2. Council meetings. Items frustrating council members about council meetings. Listed below are several items identified by the council members as points of frustration experienced with the various types of' meeting council uses to conduct its business: APParent redundancy Purpose of the meetings unclear Keeping the meetings and topics under discussion on track Trying to identify where it is appropriate to bring up new ideas and miscellaneous items Keeping meetings on focus. 3. Purpose of ineetings. a. Regular council sessions. The purpose of the regular council sessions was three-fold: To conduct official business of the council To take public input as appropriate and required Vote on ordinances and resolutions. b. Work sessions. Work sessions, typically conducted on the first or third Monday of the month, are designed to do the following: Provide an opportunity for council and staff to sort out options, identify the consequences associated with each 3 option, and to be fully informed about matters pertinent to each o tion P Prepare positions to be taken forward for further discussion and official action at regularly scheduled ublic meef p ings Provide an opportunity for council members to be better prepared and informed about items coming before the council at its regularly-scheduled public hearings Provide an opportunity for council to give direction to staff Ensure clarification of issues and information presented to council Provide an opportunity for staff to bring information and possible approaches to council for consideration. c. Study Sessions Study sessions usually are short meetings conducted on the second and fourth Mondays of each month just prior to open public forums and regularly-scheduled public hearing meetings. The purpose of study sessions is: Sharing of information before regular council meetings, pertaining to issues on the agenda for the meeting Eliminate redundancy during the public meeting debate and keep the issue on focus because information is provided to council members about agenda items Provide an opportunity for: o Council members to bring new information or obtain on minor items of interest to council o Ensuring that information provided to eouncil members has been shared amongst a11 council members, especially if the information pertains to an item on the agenda. Provide an opportunity for staff to seek "minor direction" from council on other items of importance to the council. 4 4. Recommendations pertaining to future scheduling of ineetings. The participants recommended the following: a. Continue with the practice of having a study session prior to each regular council meeting. b. Schedule a short work session to be conducted after each regular council meeting to: Provide an opportunity for council members to bring up new ideas and issues for future consideration by council To provide a work session consistent with the purpose for these sessions as identified above. In the event that a more extensive work session is required, it will be scheduled on an as-needed basis. 5. Establishing meeting schedules for 2004. The city manager recommended, and council members concurred, that as he frames the council's calendax for 2004, it will be decided how work sessions will be scheduled in the future. C. Goals for Calendar Year 2004. L Critical factors to be taken into consideration when establishing goals for Calendar Year 2004. Council members identified the following critical factors that need to be considered when establishing goals for calendar year 2004: Uncertainty of revenue availability Wage issues The squeezing of the city's capacity to do all that it and the council desire Resetting or reframing both the city staff's and the citizens' expectations about what the city can do realistically given its revenue and human resouree constraints. 5 Preserving a commitment by the city and its staff to do what they are able to do WELL. 2. Proposed goals for Calendar Year 2004. 2004 City Council Goals The City Council has identified the following proposed goals for calendar year 2004. Goals are not in any order of priority. Goal 1: Promote the Inclusion of all Residents in Brooklyn Center's Community Life By: emphasizing opportunities to include all residents in the eommunity's activities and plans initiating additional opportunities for the public to provide input to council members through the website and City Watts scheduling four remote council meetings annually at different locations throughout the City. Goa12: Continue and Improve Code Enforcement and Compliance Activities By: increased effort and focus on high-density areas, while continuing neighborhood enforcement developing a profile of code violations as a means to increasing code compliance. Goal 3: Enhance Crime Prevention Efforts By: continuing high visibility of police in neighborhoods and apartment complexes Neighborhood Watch Programs including public safety information in all City newsletters developing a compilation of, and trend information on, crime incidents experienced throughout the City increase number of 1�Teighborhood Watch Programs throughout the City. Goa14: Continue and Implement Long-Term Financial Planning Within the Constraints Imposed by State Legislature By: continued five-year planning for utilities and capital improvements reviewing and developing contingency planning continuing to evaluate the City's financial priorities. Goal 5: Sustain the Street Improvements Projects Plans By: advocating for Hennepin County's completion of Brooklyn Boulevard South of 65�' advocating for Brooklyn Park's completion of 73 Avenue in the year 2004 designing and building an annual neighborhood street project 6 developing sustainable funding for yearly street projects developing a new Five Year Street Replacement Plan. Goa16: Support Phase III of Joslyn Site Development By: working with the developer to complete Phase IIL Goal 7: rontinuing Tra�c Enforcement Efforts and Expand Information Available to the Public By: continuing enforcemenf efforts through multiple resources continuing and expanding information to the public on traffic safety and calming efforts enforcement of noise ordinances as they relate to noise originating from vehicles and vehicular use. Goa18: Utilize Recommendations Developed in the Opportunity Site Process to Adopt a Vision and Plan for Brooklyn Center's Central Business District By: additional public input on directions and priorities for development and redevelopment of the Central Business District establishing specific development priorities for the next five-ten years create a framework for modifying and updating the Comprehensive Plan consistent with the results of public input and planning processes developing a plan for closing out TIF District No. 3. III. RECOMMENDED FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES A. Reconsideration of use and scheduling of work sessions and study Sessions. The attendees decided to include a brief work session on the second and fourth Mondays after each regularly-scheduled council meeting. The council will continue to use study sessions as scheduled currently before each regularly-scheduled council meeting. More extensive work sessions will be scheduled as required. As indicated above, the city manager willpropose to council a meeting schedule for the year 2004 which will identify the scheduling of regular council meetings, work sessions, and study sessions. The key recommendation is to ensure that the meeting schedule for 2004 provides appropriate opportunities for council to do its work and that meetings are conducted in a manner consistent with their intended purpose. 7 B. Adoption of City Council Goals for the Year 2004. As in the past, the council should review and revise, as necessary, the wording of the proposed goals for 2004. Once council agrees upon the wording for the goals, they should be adopted by Resolution as an official council policy statement. I� 8 APPENDIX A I 9 CITY COUNCIL LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP August 23, 2003 8:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m. 1. Objectives. Upon completion of this workshop, the participants will have: a. discussed, and resolved, issues identified by the members of council in the pre-workshop questionnaire. b. evaluated action steps taken and progress made relative to the observations and recommendations made by members of council at the March 3, 2003, City Council Leadership and Team-Building Workshop. c. identified the most significant challenges and issues council must address when setting City Council Goals for 2004. d. esta.blished Council's Goals for 2004 and made any necessary course corrections to the Council's Goals for 2003. e. identified, and established specific approaches for achieving, desired improvements in procedures, practices, and relationships designed to enhance both council's performance as a deliberative/governing body and the quality of the council-manager partnership. f. addressed, time permitting, other items the participants wish to discuss. 2. Agenda a. Pre-Workshop Questionnaire to be completed and sent to Carl Neu by August 8, 2003. b. August 23 8:30 a.m. Welcome and review of workshop objectives. 10 S 8:45 a.m. Discussion of issues identified by members of council in the pre-workshop questionnaire. 10:30 a.m. Break 10:45 a.m. Review of actions taken and progress made relative to observations and recommendations from March 3, 2003, workshop. 11:30 a.m. Critical issues and challenges council must take into consideration while establishing goals for 2004. 12:00 Noon Lunch 12:45 p.m. Establishing: Council's Goals for 2004 Course corrections, if needed, to Council's Goals far 2003. 2:45 p.m. Break 3:00 p.m. Summarizing specific actions council wishes to institute to improve its performance as a governing body, enhance its ability to give "one voice" direction to the city manager, increase the effectiveness of its meetings, ensure compliance with open meeting and other statutes, and maintain its focus upon council's goals and priorities. 4:30 p.rn. Other topics raised by members of counciL 5:00 p.m. Conclusion 11