16 - PROPOSED CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION

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Item No. 16 memorandum TO: Mayor & City Council FROM: John Godwin, City Manager SUBJECT: PROPOSED CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION DATE: September 18, 2017 BACKGROUND: During our budget discussions, some council members discussed a possible goal -setting type meeting of the city council. This would be a special meeting, conducted probably in the evening, but depending on the length of the agenda, possibly a Saturday. Such meetings are not uncommon in some cities, and at times are expanded to the extent of being a sort of council retreat, at which issues, priorities, and goals can be discussed and plans made for the year ahead. STATUS OF ISSUE: At this point, I am not sure what consensus we have as to the types of things council members want to address, how long they wish to invest into such a meeting, the style of meeting anticipated, and whether it would be led by council, staff, or a facilitator. This would be an open meeting of course, and the public could attend. I would recommend against public participation, however; this could cause the meeting to run too long and meander over a number of differ subjects. It is always important to have an agenda to stick to, and reserve time at the end to reach tangible conclusions so that the meeting produces something useful to you and the community. Open meeting dates include October 30 and November 6, both of which are Mondays. BUDGET: A facilitator would charge a fee, as well as travel expenses. RECOMMENDATION: Provide direction to staff on the type, potential agenda, and preferred dates for a special council goal -setting work session.