16 - PROPOSED CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSIONItem 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.