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2007-11-13 Management Partner ReportCITY OF ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA SUMMARY OF CITY COUNCIL AND EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT TEAM PRIORITY SETTING WORKSHOP HELD ON NOVEMBER 13, 2007 December 2007 ,o MANAGEMENT PARTNERS I N C O R P O R A T E D City of Alameda Summary of Priority Setting Workshop — November 13, 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS NOVEMBER 13, 2007 PRIORITY SETTING WORKSHOP 1 PRIORITY SETTING PROCESS PURPOSE 1 NOVEMBER 13 WORKSHOP AGENDA 1 WORKSHOP GROUND RULES 2 RECAP OF SEPTEMBER 1 1 WORKSHOP: 2 BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 12 AND NOVEMBER 13 2 REVISED CITY PURPOSE STATEMENT 2 CITYWIDE POLICY OBJECTIVES 3 CURRENT PROJECT/WORK PLAN REPORTING FORMATS 3 DISCUSSION OF HIGHEST CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES 4 CITY COUNCIL REFERRAL PROCEDURES 5 ISSUE BIN 6 NEXT STEPS 6 ATTACHMENT A - LIST OF HIGHEST AND HIGH COUNCIL PRIORITIES 7 City of Alameda Summary of Priority Setting Workshop -- November 13, 2007 NOVEMBER 13, 2007 PRIORITY SETTING WORKSHOP on November 13, 2007, the City Council and Executive Management Team met from 6 - 10 p.m. in the Library for a priority setting workshop. Jan Perkins and Nancy Hetrick of Management Partners facilitated the workshop. The workshop was the second of two sessions planned. The priority setting process began with staff creating work plans to articulate the special projects of City departments. This process is timely because of the start of the next two -year budget cycle in early 2008, and the addition of new members to the Executive Management Team. Priority Setting Process Purpose The purpose of the entire priority setting process is to: • Provide Council direction on priorities for the work plan for the next 2 -3 years • Provide an opportunity to strengthen Council understanding of staff's current work plans and resources available to carry them out • Create mutual understanding and agreement between the Council and Executive Management Team on a process of reporting progress on work plans • Create mutual understanding and agreement between the Council and Executive Management Team on a process of modifying priorities once adopted (adding /deleting projects to meet changing needs) that includes adjusting existing priorities or adding resources to ensure new projects can be completed and Council priorities met The focus of the workshop held on September 11, 2007, was the following: • Identification of factors affecting the City over the next several years • Confirmation or modification of draft citywide objectives • Understanding of current work plans for City departments • Initial understanding of Council priorities November 13 Workshop Agenda 1. Welcome and Introductions 2. Finalize objectives and purpose statement 3. Discuss progress reporting on highest priorities 4. Develop procedure for adding to or modifying the work plan 5. Public comment 6. Wrap up and next steps Management Partners, Inc. 1 City of Alameda Summary of Priority Setting Workshop — November 13, 2007 Workshop Ground Rules The ground rules for the September 11th workshop, set by the Council and staff, were used for the November 13t'' workshop. The ground rules were: • Keep a sense of humor • Be direct and diplomatic • One person speak at a time • Everyone participate — have an open dialogue • Listen • Respect the work that went into this Recap of September 11 workshop: • Discussed Alameda's recent successes ■ Presented and discussed an Environmental Scan prepared by staff ■ Conducted Strengths, Weaknesses /Limitations Opportunities, Threats brainstorm ■ Reviewed and modified citywide policy objectives ■ Reviewed departmental work plans (programs /projects) ■ Council members identified highest and high priorities Between September 12 and November 13 • Management Partners prepared report summarizing work accomplished at the 9/11 workshop, including next steps ■ Staff discussed progress reporting format to ensure Council is informed ■ Management Partners provided information about how cities address new initiatives, and staff brainstormed how such a process might work in Alameda ■ Management Partners prepared agenda for 11/13 workshop Revised City Purpose Statement The Council reviewed the proposed purpose statement and made the following revision: The City of Alameda focuses its resources on providing services that enhance the quality of life for its residents and promote the prosperity of its business community. Management Partners, Inc. 2 City of Alameda Summary of Priority Setting Workshop -- November 13, 2007 Citywide Policy Objectives Council reached consensus on the following revised Citywide Policy Objectives: O Continue progress in the redevelopment of the former naval property. O Identify funding and develop master plans for providing and maintaining infrastructure improvements. O Take measures to improve and promote the community's economic health. O Develop or update and implement land use, transportation /traffic, parking and also environmental sustainability planning strategies, tools, and documents. O Provide quality youth and senior programs, services, and facilities. O Recruit, retain, and develop a skilled and responsive workforce. O Continuously improve internal operations, systems, and management practices in order to provide high - quality customer service. As staff reflected on the discussion by the Council on November 13th about priorities, staff identified an eighth objective pertaining to the safety of the community. Staff proposes the following citywide policy objective be added to the list: O Deliver high - quality services that improve and promote the safety of the community. Current Project/Work Plan Reporting Formats Deputy City Manager Lisa Goldman presented the current ways the staff updates the Council on the work plan. The three methods are: 1. Off Agenda Reporting 2. Detailed Quarterly Reports 3, Formal Council Reports She then presented the staff's suggested new method of reporting on Council priorities: • CMO Quarterly Report: Updates on the highest priorities reported align to citywide policy objectives (referred to as the "Lisa Report") ■ Department quarterly reports: Will sequence order of update by level of priority (highest priorities first, high priorities next, all remaining items to follow) and will include information on Hot Topics/ Emerging issues Council feedback on reporting formats: • Use the "reasonableness rule" for how much information to include ■ Need to discuss /consider the timing and schedule — streamline with other reporting cycles ■ "Lisa's report" could be in bullet format -- keep it easy to read ■ Departmental quarterly reports are informative but lack context tin terms of departmental or city priorities); context will make more useful ■ Goals and time lines are very important and need to be incorporated into quarterly reports Management Partners, Inc. City of Alameda Summary of Priority Setting Workshop — November 13, 2007 ■ Consider modifying the current work plan template to make it a tool to provide updates rather than the quarterly reports standardize the format ■ Need to identify impacts /trade -offs of work plan activities ■ A punch list approach to the status pending in process would be useful (and context will be helpful) ■ Current quarterly reports are read or at least skimmed regularly and are helpful ■ Provide info on the origin of the request (i.e. council directive) -- either in the work plan template or in the quarterly report format ■ The quarterly report is a "newsy report" -- lots of narrative (some Councilmembers like that) ■ Don't want to lose the lower priorities/ info by focusing on only highest/high priorities ■ Possible to provide single packet to Council? ■ Continue to provide easy to ready information • Interest in keeping it as report Staff input on reporting process and formats: • Bullets /outline approach would be good; staff receptive to summary format ■ Would like a format that fits and meets more than one purpose; streamline it ■ If ok to provide more of a summary approach, Council can ask for additional info ■ Headings and bullet points ■ Like idea of aligning to goals, objectives and timelines Final Council Direction on Work Plan Reporting: • Report format will be created by EMT, and it will evolve • Use the "reasonableness rule" for how much information to include Discussion of Highest City Council Priorities The Council had a short discussion of the highest priorities as identified at the September 11th Council /EMT workshop. The Council decided to discuss the priorities at a future Council meeting in order to refine them. • Address telecom financial issue - implement plans /recommendations • Work with the Housing Commission to develop an acquisition and development plan for expanding affordable housing opportunities using the remaining Measure A Guyton exemption (Alameda Hotel, Islander) • Former Navy base redevelopment- secure conveyance of Alameda Point from Navy and negotiate development entitlements with Suncal • Transportation Element update (General Plan) - Transportation master plan, pedestrian pl an • Customer Service Improvement Committee work items (project ADD) • Transportation /traffic planning (transportation master plan, pedestrian plan) • Disaster preparedness /update Disaster Mitigation Plan and the ECO plan • Soft -story seismic retrofit incentive program • Prepare and implement comprehensive review of Golf Course operations • Deliver high - quality public safety services. Council members offered the following comments on the priorities: • #8 delete "incentive" • Add something regarding protecting fiscal health of the City Management Partners, Inc. 4 City of Alameda Summary of Priority Setting Workshop — November 13, 2007 ■ Combine #4 and #6 • Add something about workforce ■ Planning and development ■ Concern about the items being too specific ■ Department vs. citywide (Council) priorities — currently seems disproportionately a few depts. • Need to clarify structure of objectives to priorities /work plan; what is the framework; are the "City Objectives" actually "policy objectives" ■ Tie priorities back to budget City Council Referral Procedures The purpose of this discussion was to create an orderly process through which Council members and staff can be clear about work that is being requested, whether the work can be done in a reasonable period of time, and whether it is consistent with Council direction. There are times where one Councilmember will have an interest in the staff exploring something or preparing a report on an issue; staff is not always clear about whether the one Councilmember is representing the interests of the entire Council. Since staff has a full work program, it means re- directing staff from existing priorities and Council direction. This can inadvertently re- arrange Council priorities. Additionally, during the year, needs will emerge, requiring new attention, and it means we need to be able to modify our priorities. Therefore, the purpose of this portion of the agenda was to create a process that Council and staff can follow. Management Partners prepared a memo, which described the process used by several cities that have created methods of handling Council requests. The memo was reviewed at the workshop and a discussion then took place. The question posed for discussion was: 'When new issues arise from a Councilmember, what are our options for dealing with them ?" Several methods are used by other cities to determine Council direction on a Council member's request, including: 1. If the request can be handled in approximately one hour, and it is consistent with current Council policy and direction, the City Manager can assign it to be done. This is referred to as the "one -hour rule." 2. A Councilmember prepares a "Council referral" which is written in advance and placed on Council Agenda for discussion. 3. The City Manager gives a verbal or written report on what would be required to handle the request. 4. There is no change in policy or practices without Council direction. 5. Copies of information provided to one Council member goes to all Council members Council and EMT Comments: • Management needs to better clarify the impact or time involved to respond to a request. The impact of a request needs to be part of the Council's consideration of the request from a Councilmember. What are the costs in staff time, dollars, impact on other priorities, other costs? ■ Routine operational items should not be affected by a new process (i.e. citizen complaints). A new process should only apply to special requests or new initiatives, since we're talking about impacts on or shifting of priorities or resources. Management Partners, Inc. 5 City of Alameda Summary of Priority Setting Workshop -- November 13, 2007 ■ City Manager needs to clarify or provide input if what is involved to fulfill a request is more than was expected or is not feasible (i.e., cruise line research too many hours of work, impacting other priorities). Give Council the information needed to make an informed decision about whether the request is important enough to pursue. Use the "reasonableness test." ■ Staff asks that the Council be clear about the direction; staff does not feel comfortable asking if all other Councilmembers are interested in pursuing something (seems disrespectful), and assume if a Council member requested it then staff must do it. This is the reason for a need for a clear procedure so everyone understands the request and what is involved. New Council Referral Process A consensus of all 5 council members resulted in the following process: 1. Apply "One Hour" Rule, but expand the timeframe to a few hours (does not refer to constituent complaints or routine operations; only special requests) 2. Use Fremont Model of "Council Referrals." Councilmembers agendize information requests or new assignments for Council consideration and staff inform as to what will be involved in responding and impacts on other work. 3. If changes in priorities or information requests come out at Council meetings, Council will give specific direction to staff, and staff will seek clarification when needed, as well as providing information on impacts. 4. If no clear direction is given, then it's not direction from the Council. • Clarify direction at end of an item -with consensus (through the City Clerk) 5. If more time is needed, the item has to go back to Council for direction: • Use the Council referral process ( agendize) • Requests first go through City Manager or Assistant City Manager issue Bin During the course of the workshop, various items were raised to be handled at another time and place. Those items were: • Would like to have a 2nd discussion of priorities -- will be placed on a Council agenda • Consider a document retrieval database • Review Palo Alto protocols Next Steps At the end of the workshop, the next steps in the priority setting process were reviewed, as follows: • EMT will create and implement a revised reporting format, to be further revised as useful improvements are identified. • Council discussion of priorities will be set for a future Council meeting. • Council referral process will be written up and implemented. • Objectives and priorities (once agreed to at a Council meeting) will be incorporated into the decision - making process for the next two -year budget. Management Partners, Inc. 6 City of Alameda Summary of Priority Setting Workshop — November 13, 2007 ATTACHMENT A - LIST OF HIGHEST AND HIGH COUNC1L PRIORITIES The following projects are listed in order of the number of votes given by Council members at the 9/11/07 Council /EMT Priority Setting Workshop. The bold items are those receiving at least 3 "highest priority" dots on 9/11/07. All projects receiving at least one dot (either "highest" or "high" priority) on 9/11/07 are listed below. These will be reviewed, modified and/or confirmed at a future Council meeting. Some of the items have been modified in response to comments made by Council members at the 11/13/07 Council /EMT workshop. Those changes. are noted below in italics. AP &T Address Telecom financial issue -- implement 5 highest plans/recommendations 2. Housing Authority Work with the Housing Commission to develop an acquisition and development plan for expanding affordable housing opportunities using the remaining Measure A Guyton exemption (Alameda Hotel; Islander) 3. Development Services Former Navy Base Redevelopment -- Secure Conveyance of Alameda Point from Navy and negotiate development entitlements with SunCal 3 highest 1 high 3 highest 4. 5. Planning & Building Public Works [Note: two projects have been combined into this one] Planning & Building Transportation Element Update (General Plan) TransportatioMraffic Planning (Transportation master plan; pedestrian plan) 3 highest 2 highest 1 high Customer Service Improvement Committee work items (project ADD) 3 highest 6. Public Safety Disaster Preparedness/Update Disaster Mitigation Plan and the EOC Plan 1 highest 3 high 7. Planning & Building [Note: the word "incentive" was eliminated between "retrofit" and `program'] Soft -story seismic retrofit program 1 highest 2 high 8. Recreation, Parks and Golf Prepare and implement comprehensive operation review of Golf Course operations 3 high 9. Planning & Building Housing Element Update (General Plan) 2 highest 10. Recreation, Parks and Golf Renovate Godfrey Field; Ritt ler Field; Lincoln Park Field Replace Krusi Park Recreation Building 2 highest 11. Library Develop a long range plan for library service (includes Measure 0 funds allocation for branch improvements) 1 highest 1 high Management Partners, inc. 7 City of Alameda Summary of Priority Setting Workshop — November 13, 2007 Management Partners, Inc. 8 1 !' } S 12. Development Services Former Navy property development - Conduct homeless /PBC screening for Coast Guard Housing and related Community Reuse Plan amendment. Includes lease of ball field /park area and coast guard housing 1 highest 1 high 13. Administrative /Support Services Review web hosting, design and maintenance services and conduct needs assessment of current contributors 1 highest 1 high 14. Administrative /Support Services Review compensation system (broadened to include review of full system) 1 highest 1 high 15. Planning & Building Public Works [Note: two projects were combined into one] Prepare Local Action Plan for Climate Protection Environmental Protection 1 highest 1 high 1 high 18. Public Works Continuous improvement of systems (Street tree master plan; sewer master plan; storm drainage master plan) 1 highest 1 high 17. Administrative /Support Services Explore options to generate revenue for infrastructure improvements 1 highest 18. Administrative/Support Services Budget review and tracking (project ADD) 1 highest 19. Planning & Building Land Use Element -- Retail and Business Services Section Update (General Plan) 1 highest 20. Planning & Building Develop a Facilities Master Plan: identify funding and prepare master plans for building infrastructure improvements 1 highest 21. Library Provide facility and service improvements to both Bay Farm Island and West End Libraries 2 high 22. AP &T Enhance Energy /Environmental Sustainability — evaluate alternatives for reducing carbon footprint 2 high 23. Administrative /Support Services [Note: "and Workforce Strategy" was added to this project] Develop Succession Planning and Workforce Strategy (including youth outreach component) 2 high 24. Public Works Transportation planning 2 high 25. Fire Conduct Fire Station 3 feasibility study 1 high 26. Development Services CDBG - funded project to implement the 'West Alameda: Woodstock to Webster Neighborhood Improvement Plan" . 1 high 27. Recreation, Parks and Golf Implementation of a Youth Advisory Commission to advise Council on youth - related issues 1 high Management Partners, Inc. 8 City of Alameda Summary of Priority Setting Workshop -- November 13, 2007 28. Recreation, Parks and Golf Review business and financial plan of the Alameda Museum 1 high 29. Recreation, Parks and Golf Estuary Park Task Force — initiate meetings with Task Force to identif • otential fundin • 1 high 30. Administrative/Support Services Develop a compliance plan for GASB -45 regulations by performing an actual study and reviewin • o • tions with Council 1 high 31. NI Administrative/Support Services Labor agreement negotiations with public safety bar • ainin • units 1 high Public Works Transportation — Safe Routes to School (Implement innovative approach to encourage walk/bike /car • ool to school 1 high Management Partners, Inc. 9