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05/27/1997 - City Council SpecialAGENDA SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING Tuesday May 27, 1997 5:00 p.m. Municipal Center Building I. ROLL CALL & ADOPTION OF AGENDA II. VISITORS TO BE HEARD III. COUNCIL DISCLaSSION IV. OTHER BUSINESS V. ADJOURNMENT TO: FROM: DATE: MEMO city of eagan HONORABLE MAYOR & CITY COUNCILMEMBERS CITY ADMINISTRATOR HEDGES MAY 23,1997 SUBJECT: SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING/MAY 27,1997 A Special City Council meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, May 27, 1997 at 5:00 p.m. at the Municipal Center Building with no specific agenda items other than "Council Discussion." At the retreat held on April 22 at the Holiday Inn Select, there was a desire by the City Council to hold periodic meetings without any specific agenda. It was suggested that a meeting be scheduled for May or early June on either a Tuesday evening or Saturday morning. Possibly, in the future consideration could be given to the fifth Tuesday of the month or a Saturday morning. It was the City Council's desire to not include any department heads at the first work session, allowing this meeting to be a follow-up to the April 22 retreat. In the future, it was suggested that these work sessions without a specific agenda could be structured: 1) as a Council/City Administrator dialogue and retreat; 2) the City Council/City Administrator and one department head, which provides a departmental theme for the meeting; or 3) City Council/City Administrator and all department heads for the consideration of goals. To provide some information and preparation for the meeting on Tuesday, there are three questions that might provide some framework for a general discussion: 1. What is our purpose? +Mission Statement 2. How do we measure our effectiveness? ♦ Customer surveys, focus groups, community surveys, community reach -out 3. What is our future vision? ♦ Comprehensive guide plan update ♦ Community reach -out ♦ Community visioning process The following attachments might be of interest in preparing for the meeting on Tuesday: 1. Attached on pages __q_ through _Y is a copy of the City of Eagan's Vision Statement that was prepared by the City- Council and management team at a two- day retreat held several years ago at the IDS Retreat Center. 2. Enclosed on page � is a simplified Mission Statement that addresses the main focus of the City. which is to provide specific service delivery needs. (This is not an official Mission Statement, but was developed as an example of how the Vision Statement could be condensed into one or two sentences.) 3. Also enclosed on page is a copy of an article that appeared in American City & Counri� dated Decem er 1996 entitled, "Village strives for stronger sense of community." This is a case study of one community which established some goals that essentially brought the entire community into a process with the City Council. This is similar to the City Council's approach to involve the community in the comprehensive guide plan update discussion at the work session on May 19. The study reflects how the culture has changed in recent years and the community's desire to be a part of the process through either focus groups or other forums. 4. Also enclosed on page 3_ is an article entitled, "Government isn't what it used to be" that was written by Jim Miller and appeared in the Minnesota Cities October 1996 edition. This article talks about how citizens expect their opinions to be persuasive with their elected officials no matter how complex or multi -faceted the issue. Again, the change in culture that was addressed at the May 19 work session applies to citizen involvement and expectations. 5. There are numerous studies that exist regarding vision which reinforce vision as a means to achieve our mission. The whole interest by the City Council to consider a visionary leadership format is possibly best summarized in a one page article entitled, "Visionary Leadership" appeared in the May 1997 edition of The Rotarian. The article, enclosed on page �, talks about the Rotan- Club moving into the next century and how Rotarians must be proactive and innovative practitioners of what the author calls visionary leadership. The article could very easily substitute City Council for Rotary. 6. Also enclosed on pages la through �is a copy of the Positioning Anal,%Isis which the Wallace Group facilitated with the City- Council and staff. This is provided as a reference. In summary, I thought some of this reading material might be helpful both in the discussion on the future, a visionary process and how the City Council wants to design its leadership objectives for the future. Aril 22 Q3, Council Retreat Enclosed on pages -d through ?3 is a summary of notes that were recorded by the City Administrator at the April 22 Council retreat. These are not official minutes. The City Council may want to discuss certain aspects of the retreat. /S/ Thomas L. Hedges City Administrator 3 CITY OF EAGAN VISION STATEMENT VIEW OF MISSION The City of Eagan exists to serve the needs and interests of its present and future citizens by providing quality public services, personal and property protection, a healthy environment, a stable tax base, attractive amenities, a sense of community and ethical representation. The City will endeavor to reflect community values in an effective, responsible, efficient and visionary manner. VIEW OF CONSTITUENTS The City of Eagan considers everyone with whom it interacts as a constituent and as a customer. First and foremost among these customers is its citizens. To serve its customers, the City is committed to equal representation, personal dignity, the value of diverse opinions, democratic participation and the importance of honest feedback. In its interactions with citizens and all other constituents, the City of Eagan is committed to the qualities of fairness, openness and responsiveness. Quality customer service will be central to all interactions with the City. VIEW OF SERVICE DELIVERY The City of Eagan is committed to being responsive in meeting the needs of the community within the fiscal parameters the community will support. Services will be provided effectively and efficiently for the quality and level of service desired by the public, through the employment of highly -qualified, creative, dedicated employees and the application of the highest standards of responsible fiscal management. VIEW OF QUALITY OF LIFE The City of Eagan encourages the maintenance and enhancement of all aspects of its quality of life. This includes its commitment to economic opportunity, educational excellence, efficient service delivery, environmental integrity, recreational variety, attractive neighborhoods and community pride. VIEW OF THE ENVIRONMENT The City of Eagan will proactively protect its natural environment. The land, water and air, as well as the things which live in them and on them, are important assets to be preserved and enhanced for our own enjoyment and well-being and that of future generations. The City's role with respect to the environment shall be that of active steward and conservator. Pollution, abuse of the environment and unnecessary modifications of the environment will be opposed. The City, collectively and individually, will endeavor to maintain the environment, mitigate impacts on it and enhance it to the extent possible. I VIEW OF DEVELOPMENT The City of Eagan is committed to encouraging and fostering orderly, high-quality development and redevelopment. The City will maintain a balanced variety of housing types, diversity of commercial and industrial development and effective integration of land use types. Eagan is planned to be a fully developed city in the future and efforts will be made to effect that growth in a rational, deliberate manner in the best interests of all -residents, both present and future. The City will maintain its standards while recognizing the need to be sufficiently flexible and creative to permit quality development to occur. VIEW OF ECONOMIC VITALITY The City of Eagan recognizes the need to foster an attractive and desireable business environment in order to ensure employment opportunities for its citizens, a strong tax base, retail services for its citizens and economic opportunities for entrepreneurs, The City of Eagan will encourage the formation of head of household jobs, clean industries, economic diversity, commercial stability and effective relationships with the regional, state, national and international economies. VIEW OF ROLE IN THE REGION AND STATE The City of Eagan recognizes the importance and value of intercommunity and intergovernmental relationships in the advancement of the interests of its constituents. In this regard, the City is committed to active participation in activities and organizations which further these interests. The City is further committed to balancing its interests with the needs of the region and the state and will conduct its affairs in a manner that recognizes the interests of its neighbors. VIEW OF IMAGE The City of Eagan will encourage community identity and community and neighborhood pride by fostering an image of quality in its built environment and excellence in its services and amenities. VIEW OF THE FUTURE The City of Eagan recognizes that its future is shaped by the decisions made today. It is also bounded by current circumstances and their dynamics over time. While growth and economic vitality continue, services must continually adapt over time to meet the changing needs of a diverse population, technological change and a global, service -based economy. To meet these needs, the City must plan with vision, encourage balanced services and welcome orderly change. s CITY OF EAGAN MISSION STATEMENT The City of Eagan exists to serve the needs and interests of its present and future citizens by providing quality public services, personal and property protection, a healthy environment, a stable tax base, attractive amenities, a sense of community and ethical representation. The City will endeavor to reflect community values in an effective, responsible, efficient and visionary manner. rWA Village strives for stronger sense of community Vernon Hills, Ill., is an emerging "edge" city 30 miles north of Chicago. Although the village is the largest non -home rule municipality in the state without a property tax, it boasts an AA bond rating as a result of prudent public service budgeting and land use deci- sions made within a larger eco- nomic development strategy. The municipality's strategy has brought rapid growth, cre- ating a relatively young com- munity that is surrounded by more established towns. To compete more effectively in the region- al market and ensure the village remains an attractive place to live and work, Vernon Hills is striving to forge a stronger sense of community. To that end, the village adopted a plan in 1994 that established a vision statement and a series of objectives, all aimed at promoting a greater sense of community. The objectives included building community facilities, organiz- ing community activities and reforging the newly built environment with community -oriented planning. This attempt to reconsider the building blocks of community, based on residents' input, was the heart of the Vernon Hills Tradi- tional Neighborhood Design Charrette. Though other plan- Infrastrucrure Management Services • Pavement Testing and Evaluation • Pavement Management Software • Bridge Deck Evaluations • Automated Mapping/GIS • Video Logging • Pavement Investigation • Training/Customer Service Offices Throughout U.S. and Canada 1 -800 -IMS -7110 Etnaii: dgatto@imschLcom Circle No. 36 on Reader Service Gard 36 December 1996 ning charrettes have been conducted, Vernon Hills' effort was unique in that it was initiated by a local government and its citizens. At a public meeting in May 1995, the village's board and planning com- mission embarked upon the charrette with a focus on the Ranney Property Planning Area. This area was a collec- tion of parcels, located across from a commuter rail station to be opened in 1996, that represented one of the last remaining large tracts of land in the village. Some of the goals outlined in the meeting included: • exploring "neo -traditional" plan- ning opportunities; • opening up the process to the entire community and designing the site plan in accordance with the input that residents provided; • facilitating collaboration among all stakeholders; and • publicizing the process so that oth- er communities could benefit. The charrette began with a neigh- borhood planning survey and the notion that each resident could be a village planner. A video showing 30 images of a wide range of existing developments in the region was pro- duced in-house, and residents viewed the video on local cable TV, recording preferences on a sliding scale. In all, 14 percent of the village's residents responded to the survey. Next, a "Traditional Neighborhood Tour" enabled charrette participants to experience the different environments depicted in the survey. Working with the local mass transit agency, the vil- lage secured a bus and participants spent a Saturday morning visiting tra- G ditional neighborhoods built before Vernon Hills was incorporated in 1958. Most post-war suburban develop- ments do not resemble the evocative, small town neighborhoods that survey respondents said they preferred. Thus, it was imperative that all charrette stakeholders actually visit older neigh- borhoods, to experience the sense of place and take note of nuances like lot size and setbacks. The third step in the design process was a series of work- shops involving residents, vil- lage staff and elected officials, plan- ning -area property owners, staff and elected officials from other public orga- nizations serving the property and Planners/architects retained by the developer. The intensive workshops continued for an entire week, during the day and evening, and included a series of visioning exercises and con- ceptual site studies. This approach and the openness that was encouraged was a marked contrast to the customary development review process, in which parochial interests and more closed processes have so often limited the outcome to an assuredly typical product. The charrette concluded in July 1996 with the approval of a conceptual design for the planning area. With a budget of less than $150 for printing and food, the Vernon Hills charrette accomplished each of the established process and site specific goals. The tra- ditional neighborhood project is now under construction. The charrette has been so widely reported that the village has delivered several presentations in the last year on this unique approach to economic development. Vernon Hills has also drafted a model ordinance based on the project, working with the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission, the regional planning commission for the Chicago metropolitan area. The Traditional Neighborhood Design Charrette conducted by Vernon Hills now stands as an example for oth- er communities attempting to better address environmental, aesthetic and social issues in their on-going econom- ic development programs. Q AMERICAN CITY &, COUNT Government isn't what it used to be JIM MILLER ne of the most perplexing questions facing local government officials today is why. despite their best efforts. their dealings with citizens often seem to be increasingly acrimonious. There is also growing frustration among these officials because at times it appears no matter what actions they take, many individuals see them as ineffective and non-responsive. The reasons for this are elusive and may vary from community to community. However, I think there are at least three major trends occur- ring in our society that help explain this sense of growing dysfunction. The first is reflected in the rising intolerance for representative govern- ment. By this I mean we are now less willing to let elected officials and appointed representatives make decisions that we might disagree with. Rather, citizens increasingly seem to believe that their opinions should be persuasive with elected officials no matter how= complex or multi -faceted the issue. Several examples illustrate this observation. In one instance, a mayor of a city in southwestern Minnesota, when com- menting on the upcoming municipal election, indicated that the C.AX.E. group was very active and supporting candidates against him and several other incumbents. The mayor was quick to explain that the acronym stood for Citizens Against Virtuall Everything. Since that conversation. I have talked with many other local officials who immediately recognize this as a very Al, E - 3, E I T appropriate description for groups in their community as well. Perhaps an even more ominous example of eroding acceptance of representative government is conveyed by a conversation with another mayor. He told me that while he had enjoyed contributing to the community, he could no longer afford to do so. When I asked him what he meant, he said that his business, by his estimation, had lost several hundreds of thousands of dollars over the last few months. He attributed the loss to his vote on a yen' controversial decision in that city; "Citizens increasingly seem to believe that their opinions should be persuasive with elected officials no matter how complex or multi- faceted the issue." apparently many were unable or unwilling to separate his livelihood from his public service. Or, consider that another mayor has received death threats on several occasions because her stand on an animal control issue is unpopular with some in her commu- nity. The very real personal risk and price which local elected officials find they must pay when some disagree with decisions made on their behalf is simply becoming too high. The second factor explaining this growing dysfunction relates to the declining level of personal accountabil- itv in this country. I recently talked to a prominent :Minnesota public opinion pollster about this supposition and he recited some very chilling polling results as confirmation. He noted that for some years his firm has sampled public willingness to become invol ed in a number of non -threatening situations, such as responding to a crying child. For each of the past three years. respondents in increasing numbers have said they would not become personally involved. When asked the follow-up question of what they would do in these situations. respondents said more and more often that they would call the police or another government agency. When personal accountability and responsibil- ity decline, they transfer to others. In the case of some of the most difficult to solve and contentious issues, they transfer to government. It isnot surprising, then, that we are seeing a rising level of demands and expecta- tions. The third changing trend relates to the civility (or, more precisely, the lack of civility) with which we treat each other and our governments. The League of Minnesota Cities recently conducted focus groups with city officials to learn what they see as the most pressing city issues. This was done as the first part of a more comprehen- sive survey of city officials to be con- ducted later this fall which will result in the League's first State of the Cities report. Related to the current discus- sion, participants in these focus groups consistently noted that the amount of acrimony and personal attacks beyond the issue under discussion continue to escalate. They also commented that the number of late night telephone calls they receive is increasing. and that people are becoming less tolerant at public hearings. not onl of the ultimate decisions, but of the process as well. It is perhaps best summed up in the statement increasing) recited at public hearings—"You are not listening to me." when what is really meant is: "You are not agreeing with me." [ Jim Miller is executive director of the League of Minnesota Cities. WNNESOTA CITIES OCTOBER 1996 .tea MESSAGE FROM I TILD THE J WITH AMO. s� � ANDsIO N *Z_CK BY IBM -_� Visionary Leadership f Rotary is to move bravely forward into the next century, then Rotarians must be proactive and inno- vative practitioners of what I call "visionary leader- ship." What do I mean when I talk about vision? Let me start by telling you what vision is not. Vision is not the same as mission. We might say that Rotary's mission is to pro- vide service within our communities and promote inter- national understanding and goodwill. That has been the purpose of our organization for many years and it will re- main so forever. Vision is how we achieve our mission. The right vision moves people to action and establishes a standard of ex- cellence in which everyone can take pride. The right vi- sion also creates meaning in the lives of everyone involved in the organization. The right vision offers an idea so energizing that it, in effect, jump-starts the future by calling forth the skills, talents, and resources to make it happen. There is a story about three cooks during the French Revolution. When asked to describe their jobs, the first cook said simply, "I boil potatoes," while the second re- plied, "I'm feeding the troops," and the third declared, "I am aiding the Revolution." The third cook had vision. He could see beyond what he was doing to understand why he was doing it. What was essentially a mundane task took on new meaning. In Rotary, there is much work to be done and some of it may be tedious. To persevere, we must always remem- ber why we are doing this work and what it will allow us to accomplish. That is why we need the right vision that prevents us from being overwhelmed by immediate problems. It enables us to distinguish what is truly im- portant and to pay attention to those things that really matter. Jonathan Swift said that "Vision is the art of seeing things invisible." And that is essentially true. Vision is a creation based on assumptions we make about the fu- ture, combined with our own judgments of what is pos- sible and worthwhile. Vision is utopian and idealistic in nature, offering a positive and exciting view of the future that will attract the energy of others. To have a vision that is shared by others is to have power to shape the future and to transform the nonexist- ent into the existent. It also enables you to literally re- shape reality. We can look to history for examples of visionary lead- ers. In India, we saw how Mahatma Gandhi galvanized the people to follow his vision of an independent nation. And in the United States, Martin Luther King, Jr., articu- lated his vision of justice and equality in his legendary speech, "I Have a Dream." Both of these great men not only developed the right vision, they lived it every day of their lives. As we develop our visionary leadership—for our clubs, our communities, and the world at large—we must look within ourselves to that innate sense that our lives are part of a larger purpose, which is what attracted so many of us to Rotary in the first place. Let's work to see Rotary advance into the next century with a firm sense of vision, action, and cooperative spirit. The task ahead of us is immense, but it is work that will have lasting effects on the quality of life for all humanity. Together, let us implement our visionary leadership and BUILD THE FUTURE WITH ACTION AND VISION. ACTION VISION AVENUESTHE ROTARY t11AGE LEADERSHIP OF SERVICE FOUNDATION IDEALS MEMBERS STRUCTURE SERVICE FROG THE ROTARIAN/MAY 1997 33 City of Eagan Positioning Analysis Purpose The positioning project was undertaken to provide direction and discipline to the city's communications efforts, enabling all elements to contribute to creating the image desired for the City of Eagan. This desired image could not be in conflict with the truth, yet it can encompass hopeful fulfillment of the city's aspirations. The positioning is in large measure imagery, an emotional and colored description as opposed to a concrete recitation of statistics. It is evocative, not literal, and should be compatible with Eagan in the future. The positioning has to fit Eagan today and, we hope, for the next decade, at least. With the positioning in hand, we have a tool that can help shape public perceptions. It can guide communications efforts and give us the common themes to incorporate as opportunities arise. Consistency develops attitudes and shared knowledge and understanding, as opposed to varying, ad hoc descriptions that can create confusion and misunderstanding. /o Eagan Positioningipage two Meet'nes A dual track process was employed in developing a positioning for the City of Eagan, with City Council Members and the City Administrator comprising one panel and City department heads making up the other. Each group met twice, first to explore the issues and then to finalize a statement that represented its thinking on the topic. A final joint meeting blended the two draft statements and a final version was approved. As anticipated, the two panels were not far apart in their judgments as to the qualities to be incorporated in the positioning statement, although some differences were noted. In general, the department heads tended to be more literal in describing the city, while the council members were somewhat more liberal in attaching color words and attractive characteristics. This difference in specificity is, perhaps, a reflection of the varying ways in which members of the two groups often interact with the public. A department head may receive a complaint or inquiry about a specific problem at a certain location, while a council member may get a generalized statement about the way the city doesn't perform the way it used to in a general operational area. Council members also tend to see the City of Eagan as more distinctive from its neighboring communities than the department heads. While both groups tend to view the performance of city government as well above the norm, department heads see greater correlation with cities of similar size. Council members, on the other hand, are more likely to cite the city's location and other characteristics as giving it a unique position in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. �tJ Eagan PositioningZpage three Meetings (more) This is understandable in that department heads frequently interact with professionals from other municipalities and other levels of government and would tend to have greater shared terminology. A phrase commonly associated with the City of Eagan by members of both groups was "fast growing," a term that naturally comes to mind given the city's rapid expansion. While certainly accurate, the rate of growth is diminishing and this description would not provide the long term context desired in a positioning statement. The emphasis is on characterizations that the city can live with on an ongoing basis. Both groups focused on the attractive scenic qualities of Eagan, the rolling hills and wooded areas that tend to set the city apart from many of its neighbors. The convenience of Eagan as a place to live and do business also was highlighted, with council members underlining ease of access to Minneapolis, St. Paul and the airport while the department heads looked upon access to the metropolitan area The willingness of participants in both groups to take some time to consider carefully the implications of various color words and phrases contributed greatly to a successful outcome. Thoughtful comments and receptivity to the suggestions of others made the process most constructive and fruitful. /a Eagan Positionin"age four Outcome Some have wondered whether the positioning developed in the meetings is sufficiently provocative or unique to give Eagan a true identity. An overall identity is the sum of many parts, including established knowledge, media coverage over time and conscious efforts to create an identity. The positioning provides the objective for communications efforts, an idea of where one wishes to come out at the end. The agreed upon positioning is workable, does not strain credibility in any way, and has elements that can easily be worked into the city's communications. It cannot., of course, be reduced to .a simple slogan, such as "City of Lakes." A ,slogan or one liner also may be useful, focusing on a single aspect of the city, but it must be compatible with the overall positioning. Next stens Ensure that all communications from the city incorporate elements of the positioning statement as appropriate. It is an agreed upon list of qualities to be associated with the city. Naturally, if the issue addresses tax rates it is not recommended that the response include the rolling hills and woods. But, as opportunities arise in media interaction and, as the city moves ahead with -existing and enhanced communications efforts, there will be innumerable occasions to present this view of Eagan. Over time, .a discernible shift in public opinion will be the result of such a deliberate campaign to shape the image of Eagan. 13 Final Positioning City of Eagan March 7, 1996 Overall Positioning "With its ponds, trees, green space and extensive parks and trails, Eagan is a successful, progressive community, conveniently located equidistant to Minneapolis and St. Paul and minutes from the airport, that offers its residents growing employment opportunities, quality housing and good schools while its major corporations and small businesses benefit from a well educated work force, vigorous economy, and conservative tax policies" Business/Community Development- positioning subset "Equidistant to Minneapolis and St. Paul and enjoying easy access to the international airport, Eagan is a dynamic, successful community amid rolling hills, lakes and ponds that offers growing companies an educated work force, conservative fiscal policies, quality housing and an attractive corporate environment" Public Sector- posltioning subset "Eagan is a progressive and innovative suburb, equidistant to Minneapolis and St. Paul, that has met the challenge and benefited from the opportunity of dramatic growth by providing the infrastructure needed to serve its residents and numerous corporate citizens in an environmentally conscious and financially conservative manner" City of Eagan Council Members Proposed Positioning "With its ponds, trees, green space and extensive parks and trails, Eagan is a successful, progressive city, strategically located for easy access to Minneapolis, St. Paul and the airport, that offers its well educated residents growing employment opportunities, quality housing and good schools, while its many corporate and industrial businesses benefit from a vigorous economy and conservative tax policies" /S Subsets Business audiences/community development "Equidistant to Minneapolis and St. Paul and enjoying easy access to the international airport, Eagan is a dynamic, successful community that offers growing companies an educated work force,.conservative fiscal policies, quality housing and an attractive corporate environment" Public Sector/government "Eagan is a progressive and innovative suburb, equidistant to Minneapolis and St. Paul, that has met the challenge and opportunity of dramatic growth by providing the infrastructure needed to serve its educated population and numerous corporate citizens in an environmentally conscious and financially conservative manner" /6 City of Eagan Department Heads Proposed Positioning "Located amid rolling hills, woods and lakes, Eagan is a successful, dynamic, and youthful community with easy access to the entire metropolitan area, offering residents, families, major corporations and small businesses a high quality economic and social environment" "Located amid roiling hills, woods and lakes, with easy access to the international airport and the entire metropolitan area, Eagan is a successful, dynamic, and youthful community offering residents, families, major corporations and small businesses a high quality economic and social environment" Subsets Business audiences/community development "Equally convenient to Minneapolis and St. Paul and the international airport, Eagan is a dynamic community that offers growing companies an educated work force, low tax rates, and amid roiling hills, lakes and ponds presents high quality office and industrial parks and a full range of housing types" Public Sector/government "The City of Eagan is an innovative suburb, convenient to Minneapolis and St. Paul, that has guided dramatic growth by providing the Infrastructure and services to benefit the residents, businesses and the many corporations based in its beautiful community" IE� city of eagan TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCILMEMBERS FROM: CITY ADMINISTRATOR HEDGES DATE: MAY 21,1997 MEMO SUBJECT: APRIL 22 CITY COUNCIL RETREAT/FACILITATOR CARL NEU The City Council workshop/retreat that was held at the Holiday Inn Select on April 22 was facilitated by Carl Neu. The handout Carl used as a syllabus for the meeting included the ten habits of highly effective councils. He also included ten factors that determine the effectiveness of your City's Council (governing body). I. The following are notes that were recorded during Carl's presentation regarding the ten habits of highly effective councils: 1) Think and Act Strategically • A strategic leader always comes at you from the future (a visionary) • Responsibility 4 where Eagan should be twenty years from now • The Council is elected to lead; outsourcing to a virtual organization • Discuss the Burnsville committee alliance model • Council feedback --Council Direction to City Administrator/need to provide timetables and priorities: --Need to vote on direction 2) Understand and Demonstrate the Elements of Teams and Teamwork • Councils by law exist and have authority only when their members convene as a "body" to do business 3) Mastery of Small Group Decision Making ■ The team is a product of how each member interacts with each other 4) Clearly Define Roles and Relationships • Each team member's contribution to and relationship with the team must .be defined in terms of roles to be assumed and how that role is to be carried out through one's behavior. /9 City Council Retreat May 21, 1997 Page 2 • The difference between mediocrity and greatness is the feeling the players have for each other (relationships). 5) Establishing and Abiding by a Counci!/Staff Partnership • Policy making — implementation is a continuum of thought and relations that transform ideas and visions into defined ends or outcomes such as buildings, streets, etc. • Council and staff share this continuum as partners ensuring each other's success. 6) Systematic Evaluation of Policy Implementation • Councils need periodic feedback on policy results 7) Allocating Council Time/Energy Appropriately • Councils need to focus on goal setting, study sessions, legislation and interaction in the community. • City Council considered use of the fifth Tuesday of each month as a Council study/work session (the first one is scheduled for May 27). 8) Having Clear Rules and Procedures for Council Meetings • Need literature on how to conduct effective/productive meetings and adhere to the rules and procedures. It was noted that the Eagan City Council has such a document that is adopted and distributed each January. 9) Getting a Valid Assessment of the Public's Concerns and Evaluation of Council's Performance • Carl indicated elections or contests among individuals vying to become a member of the Council. Elections are not a valid objective assessment of the public's feeling about the quality of our Council's performance as a governing body and whether or not it's addressing issues effectively. • Highly effective councils seek feedback through "market research" tools such as focus groups, surveys and questionnaires. 10) Continuous Personal Learning and Development as a Leader • Take advantage of the myriad of opportunities to learn and perfect skills by reading, going to Municipal League and National League of Cities workshops so that the Councilmembers can expand skills to lead and govern well. Il. The facilitator asked each participant to write down two or three examples of how the City Council is supporting the team and also to write examples of how Councilmembers are getting in the way of an effective team. The following is a City Council Retreat May 21, 1997 Page 3 recap of the list that was provided by the City Council and City Administrator at the retreat: SUPPORTING • Council respect for public • Consistency with overall vision • Support of City Administrator and key staff • Good working relationship with staff • Good with advisory commissions • Council supports community • Council has a good working relationship with business community * Council is good at planning • Complimentary of other Councilmembers on issues • Build up incomplete concepts • Encourage other Councilmembers on tough issues • Professional staff + Nice people • Councilmembers can express opinions and ask questions of each other • Independence of Councilmembers • City Administrator understands the issues of the City Council WHAT'S GETTING IN THE WAY + Lack of definitive closure on topics discussed at special and regular City Council meetings • Personal agendas and interests • Need to respect Council as a group • Need to respect each City Councilmember as part of the group • Show too strong a support for each other • Turning backs to each other during meetings • Non-verbal negative facial gestures • Lack of formal meeting tactics • God like attitudes • Self-centered attitudes • Nit picking • Dwelling on irrelevant matters • Being argumentative • Unexpected surprises at meetings • Not allow others the floor • Exaggerated differences • Letting people talk too long • Council should ask the Mayor when to speak • Politics is often the motivating factor for decisions • Going off in different directions 0? / City Council Retreat May 21, 1997 Page 4 + No City Councilmember should commit the entire City Council to an action + Don't speak loud enough • We did not do this before (a killer phrase) • Not giving clear direction to staff + Disrespectful/unprofessional behavior at times • Two people talking while someone else has the floor + Time wasters/reviewing bills Irrelevant information requests + No discussion/vision • Schedule/no time on agendas to bring up items Too often dwelling on the present, not enough discussion about the future Don't criticize staff Unscheduled issues • Presenters are too long winded/however this is getting better, especially by staff • Public bickering • Must learn to live with minority decisions III. There were several general outcomes and comments shared by the facilitator and City Council following the Supporting/What's Getting in the Way exercise. The following are notes the City Administrator recorded: • Praise publicly and criticize privately • Consider work sessions periodically either those months with the fifth Tuesday or as an alternative, a Saturday morning. These meetings would provide an open agenda for Council discussion. • Hold debriefings with Jim Sheldon after lawsuits. Also, the City Attorney should provide choices, not "whatever you want" as direction to the City Council. • Use focus groups for community visioning and policy planning • City Council as conductor of the community wide orchestra (vision). In order to reach a management action plan the Council, through it's own deliberations or with focus groups needs to develop an operating philosophy, key strategic issues, goals and strategies and establish their revenue/resource policies. • The facilitator stressed the need to be open as a Council team. • The Council and management group as a team will rise higher than any individual. • At the conclusion of the retreat there was a discussion regarding the history of the Bieter litigation. The Pulte Development Company is proposing a housing development for the same property and there is interest in knowing some of the history regarding that property. m City Council May 21, 199 Page 5 These are not official minutes but a general representation of discussion points that were made or recorded on flip charts at the retreat. City Administrator TLH/jeh a3