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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMin - City Council - 1992 - 05/16 - Regular�I ALLEN CITY COUNCIL d SPRING PLANNING SESSION MAY 15 - 16, 1992 Present: Joe Farmer, Mayor Counrilmnmbers• Kevin Lilly, Mayor Pro Tem Mickey Christakos David Bishop Mike Nichols (absent) Steve Terrell Sharon Hamner City Staff: Jon McCarty, City Manager �+ Judy Morrison, City Secretary (absent) Joel Blaylock, Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator Barbara Buehler, Library Director Richard Carroll, Chief of Police Ron Gentry, Fire Chief Bill Petty, Director of Community Development David Pitstick, Economic Development Coordinator Rhoda Savage, Director of Parks and Recreation Charlotte Smith, Finance Director Michael Stanger, Assistant to the City Manager David Whitehead, Director of Public Works Others present: Diane Kerr, Facilitator Chip Kerr, Facilitator FRIDAY, MAY 15, 1992 Call to Order (Agenda Item I) With a quorum of the Councilmembers present, the Spring Planning Session of the Allen City Council was called to order by Mayor Farmer at 2:01 p.m. in the Library Meeting Room, Two Allen Civic Plaza, Allen, Texas. Mayor Farmer welcomed everyone and called upon Michael Stanger, Assistant to the City Manager, for opening comments. Michael instructed Staff and Councilmembers on removing certain materials from their Strategic Issue Management Handbooks. L ALLEN CITY cOHNCIL SPRING PLANNING SESSION MAY 15-16, 1992 PAGE 2 Mayor Farmer introduced Chip and Diane Kerr, Facilitators for the meetings scheduled Friday, May 15, and Saturday, May 16. Start Up (Agenda Item 1I) Diane Kerr, Facilitator, began the Strategic Planning Workshop by listing ground rules for discussion during the Spring Planning Session. Chip Kerr, Facilitator, outlined the format that the discussion of issues and goals would follow. Diane Kerr led a discussion with the entire group regarding synonyms for the word "communicate" and the different aspects of good communication. She explained that good communication was one of the objectives of the Spring Planning Session. The Mission Context (Agenda Item III) Diane concluded with a discussion of "mission -driven teems" explaining that the value of teams is to have a common purpose, or mission, and to have a common identity. Both of these are features which are shared in the Strategic Planning process by City Staff and City Council acting as a single team. Discuss Strategic Issues (Agenda Item IV) Chip Kerr presented Issue #1 - Declining Tax Basel Increase Demand for Services. Chip invited Staff to describe progress made on this issue during the current year, as this issue is also an element of the City's FY 1991-92 Strategic Plan. Chip asked for participants to call out "opportunities and threats" facing the organization which relate to this issue. He listed those on flip charts. With consideration given to these opportunities and threats, the Facilitators then asked Staff and Council for a goal which would resolve this issue. Four goals were developed: • Cause development of vacant land for industrial use • Occupy vacant commercial space • Reduce reliance on property tax • Increase tax base and reduce demand for services Diane Kerr introduced Issue#2 - Employee Considerations. She explained that this issue also represented certain elements of a more broad and complex issue contained in the Strategic Plan from FY 1991-92. Staff offered comments on progress towards the current year's goal. Diane listed opportunities and threats facing the organization which were related to this issue. With consideration given to these opportunities and threats, Staff and Council then developed four goals: • During FY 1992-1993, strive to understand more fully each employee as an individual, to recognize their desires and potential, to create a focus for City operations, to develop a cooperative, supportive work climate, to eliminate barriers that prohibit maximum per£ormnce, to empower and enable employees and to improve work conditions. ALLEN CITY COUNCIL SPRING PLANNING SESSION MAY 15-16, 1992 PAGE 3 • Create an environment where individual employees feel empowered/ satisfied. • Compensate equitably. • Assess individual employees views on compensation and aspects of their job for satisfaction. Chip Kerr introduced Issue #3 - Multi-year Capital Improvements Program, another issue carried over from the existing FY 1991-92 Strategic Plan. Staff indicated that progress towards this goal has been held up due to long consideration of the update to the City's Comprehensive Plan. Chip then invited and recorded a list of opportunities and threats expressed by Staff and Council with respect to this issue. After consideration of these opportunities and threats, participants decided to retain the same goal from the current fiscal year but to change the date to June 30, 1993. The goal now reads as follows: • Adopt a multi-year Capital Improvements Program by June 30, 1993. Team Building Activity (Agenda Item V) Diane Kerr led all participants through a team building activity where participants were asked to line up without speaking in "birth date" order. The activity was designed to demonstrate the importance of communicating effectively and illustrate that this can !' occur with different methods. Discuss Strataidc Issues (Agenda Item VI) No action was taken on this item at this time. Recess Until Saturday. May 16 (Agenda Item VII) Mayor Farmer recessed the Spring Planning Session of the Allen City Council at 5:55 p.m. on Friday, May 15, 1992. SATURDAY, MAY 16, 1992 With a quorum of the Councilmembers present, the Spring Planning Session of the Allen City Council was called to order by Mayor Farmer at 8:03 a. m. in the Library Meeting Room, Two Allen Civic Plaza, Allen, Texas. Discuas Strateldc L3suea (Agenda Item I) Diane Kerr, Facilitator, introduced Issue #4 - Employee Training. After a brief definition of the issue, Diane invited Staff to offer comments regarding progress towards this issue, an element of the FY 1991-92 Strategic Plan. Diane asked participants for and listed opportunities and threats regarding this issue. After consideration of these opportunities and threats, Chip Kerr offered a goal for consideration which Staff and Council revised and accepted, alongside the current goal. SPRING PLANNING SESSION MAY 15-16, 1992 ALLAN CITY COONCIL PAGE 4 Increase current police officer training levels to an average of 80 hours every two years per officer, identify critical areas of training, and increase training by 20%. (Current goal) Continue/promote/increase developmental training. Chip Kerr introduced and briefly defined Issue #5 - Restricted Transportation System. Chip invited Staff to offer comments regarding progress towards this issue, an element of the FY 1991-92 Strategic Plan. Staff and Council discussed and Chip recorded opportunities and threats regarding this issue. After consideration of these opportunities and threats, Diane Kerr offered a goal which Staff and Council revised and accepted, alongside the current goal. Increase the mobility and capacity for vehicular traffic through a surface transportation system (by May 1, 1993). (Current goal) Improve inter -public communication concerning progress and needs. Diane Kerr introduced and briefly defined Issue #6 - Staffing Levels. Staff and Council discussed and Diane recorded opportunities and threats regarding this issue. After consideration of these opportunities and threats, Chip Kerr offered a goal which Staff and Council revised and accepted as follows: Create appropriate staffing levels at all times. In response to a question by Staff, Council members stated that "appropriate" means whatever staff is necessary to deliver levels of service authorized by Council. Staff should help define the appropriate level of staff for a given service level. Team Building Activity (Agenda Item II) Diane Kerr led all participants through a team building activity where participants were asked to form teams of two or three members and list all the possible things one could do with a brick. After reviewing the list each team generated, Diane gave the teams two more minutes to list more things to do with a brick. The activity was designed to demonstrate that true creativity happens after exhausting all the obvious solutions to a problem. Discuss Strategic Issues (Agenda Item III) Chip Kerr introduced and briefly defined Issue #7 - Re-establish Credit Worthiness. Chip asked participants for and listed opportunities and threats regarding this issue. After consideration of these opportunities and threats, staff developed the following goals for this issue. • Re-establish the credit worthiness of the City. • Participants recognized that this would be a multi-year, multi -faceted project. ALLEN CITY COUNCIL SPRING PLANNING SESSION ■�1'' MAY 15-16, 1992 PAGE 5 Diane Kerr introduced and briefly defined Issue #8 - Communications Between Council, Staff and Public. Diane invited Staff to offer comments regarding progress towards this issue, an element of the FY 1991-92 Strategic Plan. This issue was expanded by the addition of another current issue regarding "Additional Economic Development Marketing Efforts." Staff and Council discussed and Diane recorded opportunities and threats regarding the new issue. After consideration of these opportunities and threats, Chip Kerr offered two goals which Staff and Council revised and accepted, alongside the current goals. • Citizen communications and municipal awareness shall be increased. ( Current gam) • Continue to broaden distribution and frequency of information to the business and development community to encourage relocation, expansions and/or development of new facilities in Allen. (Current goal) • Continue and extend pre -active, bi-lateral citizen involvement. • Continue and extend pro -active and bi-lateral involvement among the Council and Staff. Chip Kerr introduced and briefly defined Issue #9 - Fire Protection/EMS. After a brief discussion, participants agreed that a response to this issue would be contained in the Multi-year C.I.P. goal. Therefore, no specific goal was developed for Issue #9. Diane Kerr introduced and briefly defined Issue #10 - Budget Process. After considerable discussion, participants agreed that Staff would handle this issue internally. Therefore, no specific goal was developed for Issue #10. Lunch at Ta Will's Restaurant in Allen (Agenda Item IV) At 11:56 a.m., Mayor Farmer recessed the Spring PlanninnP Session for lunch at Ta Molli's Restaurant, 602 E. Main Street, Allen, Taxes. Discuss Strategic Issues (Agenda Item V) At 1:05 p. m. , Mayor Farmer reconvened the Spring Planning Session and called upon the Facilitators to begin the next strategic issue. Chip Kerr introduced and briefly defined Issue #11 - Professional Treatment of Customers. Chip invited Staff to offer comments regarding progress towards this issue, an element of the FY 1991-92 Strategic Plan. Staff and Council discussed and Chip recorded opportunities and threats regarding the new issue. After consideration of these opportunities and threats, participants agreed to continue with the current goal, changing the wording slightly: • All City employees will deliver service in a consistent, professional and caring manner so that public image is improved. ALLEN CITY COUNCIL SPRING PLANNING SESSION MAY 15-16, 1992 PAGE 6 Diane Kerr introduced and briefly defined Issue #12 - Vehicle Replacement. Staff and Council discussed and Diane recorded opportunities and threats regarding the new issue. After consideration of these opportunities and threats, participants agreed upon the following goal: Develop a policy to facilitate timely replacement of vehicles and equipment. Chip Kerr introduced and briefly defined Issue #12 - Vehicle Replacement. Staff and Council discussed and Chip recorded opportunities and threats regarding the new issue. After consideration of these opportunities and threats, Diane Kerr offered a goal for discussion which participants agreed upon as follows: Provide enhanced police service in response to increased demand for public safety. Diane Kerr introduced and briefly defined Issue #13 - Central Personnel Department. Staff and Council discussed and Diane recorded opportunities and threats regarding the new issue. After consideration of these opportunities and threats, Chip Kerr offered two goals for discussion which participants agreed upon as follows: • Develop a policy which most effectively facilitates personnel issues. • Clarify/revise existing personnel practices and procedures. Chip Kerr introduced and briefly defined Issue #14 - Research and Development. Staff and Council discussed and Chip recorded opportunities and threats regarding the new issue. After consideration of these opportunities and threats, participants agreed upon the following goal: Create an environment to allow innovation and learning. Team Building Activity (Agenda Item VI) Diane Kerr led Council and Staff through an activity in which participants named personal hobbies they enjoyed. While standing in a circle, participants tossed a "koosh ball" to other participants, naming the hobby of the participant to whom each threw the ball. The activity was intended to enable participants to know each other better. Discuss Strategle Issues (Agenda Item VII) Diane Kerr introduced and briefly defined Issue #15 - High Taxes. After considerable discussion, participants agreed that a response to this concern would be contained in the goals for Issue #1 - Declining Tax Base l Increased Service Demands and Issue #8 - Communications Between Council, Staff and Public. Chip Kerr introduced and briefly defined Issue #16 - Infrastructure Maintenance. Staff and Council discussed and Chip recorded opportunities and threats regarding the new issue. After consideration of these opportunities and threats, participants agreed upon the following goal: ALLEN CITY COUNCIL SPRING PLANNING SESSION MAY 15-16, 1992 PAGE 7 Maintain City infrastructure so that it extends the life of the facility and promotes public confidence and use. Diane Kerr introduced and briefly defined Issue #18 - Procedures Guiding Council Work and Meetings. Staff and Council discussed and Diane recorded opportunities and threats regarding the new issue. After consideration of these opportunities and threats, Chip Kerr offered two goals for discussion which participants agreed upon as follows: Council will review current practices and procedures in doing its work (budget retreata, Spring Planning Session, etc.) • Revise( reconstitute/abandon current subcommittee structure. cloning Discussion (Agenda Item VIII) Diane Kerr recapped the objectives for the Spring Planning Session and expressed her belief that Staff and Council had achieved all of them. Mayor Farmer thanked Chip and Diane Kerr for their extensive, volunteer effort to prepare and facilitate the Spring Planning Session. Since Councilmember Nichols was absent, the Mayor explained that Council would delay ranking the issues until the next Regular Council Meeting on May 21, 1992. Issues Ranking by Council (Agenda Item IR) No action was taken on this item. Ad]ourn (Agenda Item R) Mayor Farmer adjourned the Spring Planning Session of the Allen City Council at 5:52 p.m., on Saturday, May 16, 1992. These minutes approved on the 4th day of June , 1992. APPROVED: 14e Jde Farmer, MAYOR ATTEST: