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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 466-09TO: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL ATTN: POLICY AND SERVICES COMMITTEE FROM: CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE DATE: DECEMBER 17, 2009 CMR: 466:09 SUBJECT: Discussion and Recommendation to Council of a Structure for Policy & Services Committee to Provide Feedback on Prioritizing Major Issues RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Policy and Services Committee discuss and possibly recommend to Council a mechanism and structure for the Policy & Services Committee to serve as a sounding board that would provide feedback to staff on prioritizing work on major City issues. DISCUSSION On July 15 and again on September 10, the Policy & Services Committee considered reports from staff on the purpose and scope of the Council Policy & Services Committee. One of the items that the Committee discussed was ways in which the Committee could help staff vet priorities (See Attachment A for excerpt from September 10 minutes on this topic). This would also include a mechanism for the City Manager to come to the Committee for a discussion when staff are presented with conflicting priorities. This issue will become even more important given the financial challenges the City is facing and the need to hold positions vacant in order to generate salary savings. In order to accomplish many of the Council priorities and special initiatives, there is a relatively small group of staff that needs to be involved in many, if not all, of these discussions. These staff must spread their time across a wide variety of projects, including the day to day management of the organization. The issue of priority setting is not a new challenge and is not something that staff has been particularly successful in accomplishing given the many issues of importance to the community, the Council and the organization. The meeting this evening will begin a conversation about how staff can effectively communicate the challenges related to priority setting. Some questions that help structure the conversation might include: CMR:466:09 Page 1 of2 1) How can staff effectively communicate current workload and status of major projects to the Committee and Council? How would the Council like to receive this information? How often? 2) How can staff work with the Council to reprioritize major projects, initiatives, and council priorities throughout the year and not just through the budget process? 3) How to identify the capacity of staff given current priorities and staffing challenges? 4) During the setting of Council priorities each year, how can staff realistically set expectations for the ability of staff to make progress on the priorities, especially if there is a new priority? How can the staff identify the resources needed to work on the Council priorities? RESOURCE IMPACT There are no resource impacts associated with the recommendations in this report. POLICY IMPLICATIONS This discussion is consistent with current Council direction and policies. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW This report is not a project requiring review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: Excerpt from September 10, 2009 Policy & Services Committee minutes PREPARED BY: CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: CMR:466:09 KELL Y MORARIU Assistant to the City Manager Page 2 of2 Attachment A Chair Espinosa said that he is suggesting, through the Motion, that after Councils Annual Retreat the Policy and Services Committee convene and map out an Agenda for 2010 based on the Council priorities set at the retreat. MOTION PASSED: 4-0 Chair Espinosa said it's only a few months, but we want to go through a few options to create a workplan for the remaining part of 2009. Ms. Morariu said there are a few items that are still outstanding and may come back to the Committee by the end of this year. One is the Legislative Program. Staff will come back to Council with the award of contract later this month. The plan is to have a Study Session with the Council in October to introduce the Council to the Consultant and hold a discussion around the Federal Legislative Priorities. The Prevailing Wage study is also something that might come back to the Committee by the end of the year. In October, Staff might bring back some of the Agenda changes as well. Chair Espinosa asked if the Committee had other items they would like to add to the list. Council Member Barton said the idea of working from the Council goals set in January makes sense. With the Economic Health category, most items will fit with the Finance Committee. That leaves Policy & Services with Environmental Protection and Civic Engagement for the Common Good. He said the Civic Engagement for the Common Good item is the one with the most work that needs to be done. Under the Environmental Protection subcategory, he cited some studies, one in the New York Times the week of September 1, 2009, and one in the San Francisco Chronicle the week of September 7, 2009, that indicate green standards may not be working and may actually be counter productive. LEED Certified Buildings, according to at least one study, perform worse than standard production buildings in regards to energy efficiency. The Council needs to look at the Ordinance to see if it is counter productive. Chair Espinosa agreed that the Civic Engagement category should be the one the Committee works with. Council Member Kishimoto said she wanted to add the City Recruitment Strategy to the table, but she prefers to think of it as a Restructuring Services. She said that Economic Development should be tied with the Environmental Goals as well. She also said the Comp Plan discussion has been pushed off. P&S: 090910 PS 5 City Manager, James Keene said that the Comp Plan has had phases that have been extended. But there is some timeliness and there are some broad strategy questions that need to be addressed. Council Member Kishimoto asked if there are any discussions planned on the Housing Element. Mr. Keene said that the Planning Staff is working with the Planning and Transportation Commission on vision statements that go beyond the elements. It was decided that there isn't enough time on the schedule to get this discussion to Council. A conversation like that might be a good start with the new Council in January because of the way the timing works. Council Member Kishimoto recapped that her priorities would be restructuring services, Economic Development with an emphasis on Green Economy, and getting started on the Comp Plan discussion. Chair Espinosa asked if there is a particular component to the Comp Plan that she wants the Policy and Services Committee to look at. Council Member Kishimoto said that the Comp Plan is something the whole Council should be involved in unless there is some vetting the Committee can do. Council Member Yeh said that Economic Development Strategy should be an open discussion about how the City can position itself to be attractive to businesses, whether through land use or taxes and fiscal policy. Regarding the recruitment strategy he said that it would be illuminating to have a better understanding of what brought workers to the City. He was interested in how Council Members can support the City Manager with the recruitment process. Chair Espinosa asked Staff to advise the Committee on which components of the Civic Engagement workplan they would like the Committee to offer input or . direction on. Mr. Keene said a good role for the Committee might be to serve a priority vetting role for Staff. They could help Staff determine priorities when they have ten issues and no way to get them all completed. Council Member Barton has a point regarding the great need for progress in Civic Engagement, but the City is doing a lot more than ever before. It has been difficult to gain any traction though, with the strategy presented as is. Staff needs to be able to have those conversations with the Council. He said it doesn't have to be a standing item on the Agenda. It would just be a way to know he can come to the Committee when he gets word from Staff that things aren't going to get done. He spoke P&S: 090910 PS 6 with 500 employees recently at the Town Hall meetings. Some feedback he got was that they have all these things that they have to do, with no mechanism to stop doing them, yet they always manage to get new work to do as well. There should be a process to reprioritize mid-year, not just in January. Chair Espinosa asked Ms. Morariu if there was something else she feels a discussion with the Committee could add value to. Ms. Morariu suggested the City's use of social technologies would be a place to strategize with the Committee. MOTION: Council Member Espinosa moved, seconded by Council Member Barton to approve the three month plan outlined: In October, Staff will come back with two items, 1) the Economic Development Strategy, or Revenue Generating Strategy, and 2) the Structure of a Sounding Board for Staffing, Option Weighing, and Priority Setting. In November Staff will come back to the Committee with, 1) Prevailing Wage, and 2) the Legislative Program Structure. And lastly, in December, Staff will present 1) the Restructuring Plan, and 2) the Social Technology Plan. MOTION PASSED: 4-0 4. Discussion of Upcoming Meetings and Topics. Assistant to the City Manager, Kelly Morariu said that the next meeting is currently scheduled for October 13, 2009. She had some concern because Council Member Klshimoto had a meeting in the Council Conference Room. Council Member Kishimoto confirmed that her meeting would be over by 4 p.m. Ms. Morariu said they can then proceed with the regularly scheduled Policy & Services Committee meeting on October 13, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. Chair Espinosa asked if Staff would confirm the remaining meeting dates for the year. Ms. Morariu said the remaining three dates are October 13, November 10, and December 8. Chair Espinosa asked if she would double check with relevant Staff to make sure they attend the meetings. ADJOURNMENT: Meeting adjourned at 9:43 p.m. P&S: 090910 PS 7