TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Mark Danaj, City Manager
SUBJECT:Title
City Council Retreat Outcomes (City Manager Danaj).
ADOPT
Line
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the 2014 Council Retreat Outcomes, including:
a) Council's expectations of the City Manager;
b) What the City Manager can expect of the Council;
c) City Manager's expectations of the Council;
d) What the Council can expect from the City Manager; and
e) Attributes of a High-Performing Governing Body.
Body
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action.
BACKGROUND:
On August 14 and 15, 2014 the City Council, City Manager and City Attorney attended a facilitated City Council Retreat to share perspectives and opinions regarding various aspects of governance, as well as expectations. Consequently, the City Council and City Manager developed a set of mutual expectations, and the City Council directed the City Manager to present this report for formal Council adoption.
The following report provides the results and outcomes from the retreat. The attached documents, represent the compilation of the various mutual expectations developed at the retreat. These will serve as a foundation for building the relationship between the governing body and the City Manager.
DISCUSSION:
With the appointment of a new City Manager, the Council Retreat served as an opportunity for the City Council and City Manager to align and share mutual expectations of each other. The retreat, held over a 2-day period, included a robust agenda and outcomes:
· Forms of Government: An overview of different forms of government was provided (Council-Manager and Mayor-Council) to gain an understanding of the implications of the roles and responsibilities of the various players (Council, City Manager, professional staff, and the Community). The Council concluded that the City Manager, as the chief administrative officer, is accountable to the governing body as a whole.
· Leadership Styles and Team Profile: An understanding and appreciation of the various leadership styles and the overall team profile of the governing body and the City Manager was reviewed with a focus on the strengths of each person.
· Governing Body/City Manager Relationship: The Council and City Manager discussed and established mutual expectations and obligations of the governing body towards one another and the City Manager, and developed strategic themes that capture the desired future of the community with shorter-term objectives. The concept of a psychological contract was introduced, consisting of expectations and obligations that each party has toward the other. The Council's expectations and obligations of the City Manager are listed in Attachment 1. Attachment 2 includes the City Manager's expectations and obligations of the City Council. It also includes the City Manager's management philosophy. The Council decided to revisit in 3-6 months the expectations/obligations involved in the relationship between Council and the City Manager.
· High-Performing Governing Body: The Council also discussed and identified the attributes of a high-performance governing body, and the obstacles to high-performance. They also explored political and administrative perspectives on governing and decision-making. The Council focused on three areas:
o An understanding of the four political values-representation, efficiency, social equity, and individual rights--that underpin discussion/conflict among issues where "after all the facts are known, we can still disagree over what we ought to do;"
o An understanding that the lack of formal hierarchy within the governing body raises issues of how City Councilmembers will hold themselves and other Councilmembers accountable for protocols they agree upon; and
o An understanding of political and administrative frames of logic. The Council also discussed the need for staff and Councilmembers who may act as "bridge builders," helping to translate political and administrative logic and facilitating bridging of the gap between "political acceptability" and "administrative sustainability." Attachment 3 provides the list of attributes and the number of Councilmembers who chose each item as a priority. Each Councilmember was asked to identify four of the attributes he/she regarded as most important.
· Next Steps to Strategic Planning: The Council was asked to identify themes in their responses to a discussion around the following question: "You have been absent from Manhattan Beach for 10 years. You have heard nothing about the city in your absence. You return, and you drive around town observing and you visit with residents. You come away thinking, 'This is perfect; I could not have wished for more.' What have you seen and heard that leads you to this conclusion?"
o Environment
o Community/small town feel
o Respect for city government
o Contemporary facilities and eco-friendly investments in infrastructure
o Vibrant economy, including Sepulveda corridor.
As a follow-up to the Council Retreat, the City Manager asked the organization to provide a listing of workplan items. The work plan that was discussed on September 30, 2014 by the Council and is meant to serve as an interim document until the ideal strategic planning process is evaluated, selected and executed at a later date. Concurrently, the City Manager will also initiate expanded civic engagement and social media efforts.
Attachments:
1. Council's expectations and obligations of the City Manager
2. City Manager's expectations and obligations of the City Council
3. List of attributes