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[ Board of Aldermen Strategic Planning Work Session on October 5, 2023.]
GO AHEAD AND CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER OF THE OCTOBER 5TH, 2023 PLANNING WORK SESSION.I ASK AU DOYLE IF SHE WOULD UP IN THE PRAYER, PLEASE.
OUR PRAYER TODAY THAT YOU BLESSED PRODUCTIVITY WITH RESULTS THAT WILL IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL RESIDENTS.
BLESS OUR EFFORTS, BLESS OUR OUTCOMES THAT WILL MAKE NEW BERN THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK AND GROW.
AND ABOVE ALL THAT EVERYTHING WILL COME TOGETHER HERE.
WE THE FLAG, I THE LEADERS TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS NATION UNDER GOD IN LIBERTY.
UH, MR. HUGHES, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU, SIR.
SO THIS IS THE, THE SECOND MEETING OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
UM, WELL, UM, GOOD NEWS IS LAST TIME WE WERE HERE, THERE WAS A THREAT OF A HURRICANE AND IT DIDN'T SEEM TO MATERIALIZE TOO BADLY, SO I'M THANKFUL FOR THAT.
UM, AND SO WHAT WE WANTED TO DO IS TO PICK UP WHERE WE HAD TO LEAVE OFF.
UM, MAKING THAT PREPARATION IS, UM, KEY FOR THAT.
UM, AND SO THERE WERE A COUPLE OF PIECES THAT WE WANTED TO PICK UP ON DAY TWO AND, UM, REALLY CONTINUE THE WORK THAT WE HAD STARTED ON DAY ONE.
AND AS YOU RECALL, WE, UH, WE WERE LOOKING AT KIND OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING AROUND US TO KIND OF GET A SENSE OF CONTEXT FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING.
UM, AND WE DID THAT EXERCISE WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT SORT OF WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS HAPPENING, WHAT POLITICALLY, MAYBE ENVIRONMENTALLY, UM, SOCIETALLY, UH, TECHNOLOGICALLY, LEGALLY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY THAT COULD INFLUENCE, UH, YOUR FUTURE.
UM, AND WITH THAT IN MIND, WE DOVE INTO SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT, UM, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU THINK IS WORKING REALLY WELL HERE? UM, WHAT ARE THOSE STRENGTHS? WHAT ARE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE AROUND? WHAT IS IT THAT YOU ALL AS A ELECTED BODY AND A GOVERNING TEAM WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, UM, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU ASPIRE TO? AND WHAT KIND OF RESULTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR, UM, FOR YOUR COMMUNITY? BECAUSE THOSE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN YOUR ENVIRONMENT WILL CONTINUE, UH, UNLESS YOU DECIDE TO MAKE THOSE THINGS DIFFERENT IN SOME WAY.
SO TAKING A, MAKING IT CLEAR THAT YOU WANT TO HAVE A HAND IN SHAPING THE FUTURE OF YOUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND IT WAS ABOUT THAT TIME WHEN WE WERE GONNA, UH, DO A FEW MORE THINGS AND DECIDED I THINK THAT WAS REALLY WHERE WE NEEDED TO LEAVE IT.
THANK YOU FOR, UM, HELPING US PUT TOGETHER SOME OF THOSE NOTES, UH, ALL OF THOSE NOTES FROM THE LAST CONVERSATION.
SO, ONE THING I'LL SAY IS THAT STRATEGIC PLANNING IS NOT A LINEAR PROCESS.
IT DOESN'T GO FROM POINT A TO POINT B NEATLY AND IN ONE FELL SWOOP, IT FEELS A LITTLE BIT TO ME, LIKE YOU KIND OF WANDER AROUND A WHILE, UH, YOU DIVE DEEP INTO SOME OF THE DETAILS AND SEE IF THEY ACTUALLY CHECK OUT WITH SOME OF THE BIG PICTURE PIECES THAT YOU'RE DOING.
UM, SO FROM THAT CONVERSATION, WE PUT TOGETHER NOTES THAT I THINK, I HOPE WE'LL, YOU'LL SEE, WE'LL REPRESENT THE CONVERSATIONS AND HELP US THEN KIND OF TAKE THAT INFORMATION AND MOVE FORWARD.
SO TODAY, WHAT I WANTED TO DO, UM, AND YOU ALL, IS TO BEGIN TO KIND OF FLESH OUT THAT FRAMEWORK, THAT STRATEGIC PLANNING FRAMEWORK.
YOU SHOULD BE CONNECTED NOW, SO, OKAY.
DID YOU WANT TO LOG INTO YOUR EMAIL? YEAH, I'LL HAVE TO DO THAT, BUT LET, UM, YEAH, I'LL HAVE TO DO THAT.
SO I, I REALLY WANNA HAVE A VISUAL OF THAT FRAMEWORK.
UM, SO, AND MY APOLOGIES FOR SOME REASON I SAVED PIECES OF WHAT I NEEDED TO YESTERDAY, BUT NOT THE WHOLE ENTIRE, UM, YOUR HONOR, IF I FORWARD THIS TO YOU.
UM, BUT CAN I CALL YOU YESTERDAY ON MATERIALS, I THINK ON THE EMAIL LAST NIGHT? I THINK SO MAYBE YOU CAN PULL YOURS UP WHILE I CONTINUE TALKING.
UM, YOU DO, YOU DO HERE, DO IT ON THERE.
SO THE FRAMEWORK, AS YOU RECALL, UM, WHEN YOU GET THE VISUAL PULLED UP, THERE'S A SORT OF A TRIANGLE AT THE HEAD OF THAT IS THE VISION, RIGHT? KIND OF THE OVERARCHING LONG TERM, UM, ASPIRATIONAL WHERE YOU WANT TO HAVE, HAVE
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THIS COMMUNITY AND WHAT YOU ENVISION FOR, FOR YOUR, UM, RESIDENTS.AND THEN THE MISSION REALLY DEFINES MORE CONCRETELY THE ROLE OF THIS ORGANIZATION IN, IN FURTHERING THAT VISION.
UM, AND THEN THERE ARE GOALS OR GOAL AREAS WHERE IT'S, THESE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT, UH, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS ACROSS THAT SPECTRUM.
UM, AND THEN INCREASINGLY WE'LL GET MORE DETAILED IN TERMS OF HOW YOU SUPPORT THOSE GOALS, ET CETERA.
UM, AND TODAY WHAT I WANNA DO IS FLESH OUT USING THE INFORMATION THAT YOU GENERATED LAST TIME, FLESH OUT THAT VISION, FLESH OUT THAT MISSION, UM, FLESH OUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THOSE GOAL AREAS.
SO WHAT I'M WORK ON, AND WE'LL WORK A LITTLE BIT MORE THIS AFTERNOON EVEN THAN THIS MORNING, UM, BUT YOU ALL ARE ONLY ON THE HOOK FOR THIS MORNING, UH, IS TO THINK ABOUT VALUES AND THOSE CORE VALUES THAT REALLY DRIVE THE WAY THIS ORGANIZATION DOES THEIR BUSINESS.
UM, AND IT, IT WOULD REALLY SET THE CONTEXT FOR, FOR DOING THIS WORK, UM, BUT ALSO BE CLEAR TO OTHERS HOW IT IS THAT YOU SEE THIS VIEW, THIS ORGANIZATION, UM, AND THE PEOPLE IN IN IT AND HOW YOU DO YOUR WORK.
SO, UM, AT SOME POINT WHEN WE FURTHER DEVELOP THAT, WE'LL EVEN GET AS SPECIFIC AS, WELL, WHAT ARE THE KIND OF BEHAVIORS THAT REALLY SUPPORT THOSE VALUES.
UM, I'M THINKING OF AN EXAMPLE FOR A, FROM ANOTHER COMMUNITY WHERE THEY HAD THE VALUE OF OF, OF SERVICE AND THE CONVERSATIONS.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? AND I WON'T FORGET THE, UM, MANAGER TALKING ABOUT HAVING BEEN ON THE JOB FOR NOT EVEN A, A, A MONTH.
AND HE HAD WENT OUT TO A CALL WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THERE WAS A FIREFIGHTER, AND I CAN'T DO THIS TODAY, UM, 'CAUSE I WON'T BE ABLE TO GET BACK UP.
BUT HE GOT DOWN ON ONE KNEE AND WAS TALKING WITH A LITTLE KID, UM, EYE TO EYE ABOUT JUST TRYING TO CALM HIM DOWN 'CAUSE THERE'D BEEN AN ACCIDENT.
AND HE SAID TO ME, THAT WAS AN EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT GENTLEMAN DID THAT FIREFIGHTER DIDN'T NEED TO DO.
UM, HE DIDN'T NEED TO GET DOWN ON ONE KNEE AND HAVE THAT ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATION.
BUT THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF ABOVE AND BEYOND AND A AND A PUBLIC SERVICE SPIRIT.
SO THAT, THAT'S, UH, I THINK THE WAY IN WHICH THESE VALUES WILL EVENTUALLY, UM, HELP, UH, OTHERS KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHAT IS IT THAT WE WANNA BE DOING AS EMPLOYEES OF THIS ORGANIZATION, UM, IN TERMS OF HOW WE CARRY OUT THE WORK THAT'S IDENTIFIED, UM, IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND OTHER KINDS OF THINGS.
SO THERE'S REASON IT'LL NOT ALLOW ME TO LOG IN ON THIS COMPUTER.
SO YOU WANT PUT MINE, I GUESS.
WELL, I'M GONNA LET YOU, LET'S SEE, I CAN PROBABLY, LET ME JUST DITCH THE SLIDES FOR A FEW MINUTES.
THIS IS THAT DEATH BY POWERPOINT.
UM, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER WHAT ELSE I WANTED TO TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
I THINK WE'VE GOTTEN SORT OF A REMINDER FOR WHERE WE WERE.
EVERYBODY HAD THE NOTES FROM, FROM THE LAST CONVERSATION WITH THEM.
UM, I HOPE THAT YOU HAD A CHANCE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE NOTES.
UM, BUT EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T, I GUESS HERE'S MY QUESTION.
I'D LIKE TO KIND OF OPEN UP, PARTICULARLY WITH COUNSEL, WHAT'S KIND OF STUCK WITH YOU FROM THE LAST CONVERSATION? WHAT, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU RECALL? WHAT IS IT THAT'S STICKING WITH YOU FROM THE LAST TIME WE WERE TOGETHER AND TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE AND THE CONTEXT, THE CURRENT CONTEXT AND THE FUTURE? YES, SIR.
I'M A LITTLE OFF TRACK, BUT I'M ON TRACK WHY I'M WITH YOU THERE, BY THE WAY.
AND I GUESS THAT YOU ARE PIECES AND, UH, EVERYBODY COMPREHEND THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
AND I WAS JUST LOOKING AT HOW DO THIS GOVERNED BODY PLAN, EXCUSE ME, TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT HOW DO WE FUNCTION? AND, UH, AND YOU, YOU'RE THROWING SOME OF THAT IN AS WELL.
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WE LOOK AT A LOT OF THE NEW MEMBERS, UH, ARE LEARNING, UH, THEIR WORK, WHAT, UM, IN TERMS OF OPERATIONAL, WHAT IS THE ROLE OF EACH INDIVIDUAL? MM-HMM.SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT THE MAYOR RUNS EVERYTHING, BUT IT'S THE BOARD.
I'M JUST SPEAKING ON CONVERSATION.
SO LOOKING AT THAT, THAT'S ONE AREA THAT NEEDS TO REALLY BE DISCUSSED, UM, AND PLAY AS A GROUP, I THINK.
AND YOU'RE TALKING REALLY ABOUT THE, THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES WITHIN THE GOVERNING BOARD.
LOOKING AT, UM, UH, WHEN IT IS TIME TO PLAN FOR DEPARTMENTS TO PURCHASE THINGS, UH, WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY REALLY NEED.
SOME OF US MAY KNOW, SOME OF US MAY NOT KNOW.
HOW DO YOU PLAN FOR THAT? WHAT ARE THEIR WEAKNESS AND THEIR STRENGTHS? HOW DO WE LOOK AT HOW STRONG WE ARE WITH, WITH MEN POWER, LET'S SAY BY, BY BY TWO TRUCKS? I THINK YOU NEED TO HIRE THESE FIVE MEN BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE A CATASTROPHIC TYPE OF SITUATION, YOU HAVE TO PULL FROM TWO OR THREE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
SO I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER TYPE OF PLANNING THAT WE MAY, THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT.
HOW DO YOU REACH THAT? SO I APPRECIATE, UM, THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
CONVERSATION ISN'T A CLEAR, CLEARLY AN IMPORTANT ONE TO HAVE, NOT NECESSARILY THE ONE THAT WE PLANNED FOR, FOR TODAY.
UM, UM, THE SECOND ONE ABOUT SORT OF STAFFING LEVELS THAT MATCH GROWTH PROJECTIONS.
I DO THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PLAN.
UH, AND THINKING ABOUT, UM, HOW THAT PLAN CAN THEN HELP GUIDE YOUR CONVERSATIONS AS A, AS AN ELECTED BODY, BUT ALSO, UH, HOW IT CAN AL HELP YOU ALLOCATE RESOURCES RIGHT AT BUDGET TIME, FOR INSTANCE.
UM, AND SO IF YOU ALL REMEMBER I HAD A SLIDE UP THAT SORT OF WAS THE, THERE WAS AN AIRPLANE ANALOGY, THINKING ABOUT THE, THE BIG, HIGH, BIG PICTURE IN TERMS OF WHERE THIS COMMUNITY GOES AND POLICIES, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S REALLY YOUR REALM.
AND THE, THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE GOAL AREAS AND KIND OF WHERE YOU WANNA PUT THE EMPHASIS AND WHICH ONES TAKE PRIORITY.
AGAIN, YOUR REALM INFORMED BY THE PROFESSIONALS THAT YOU WORK WITH.
UM, AND THEN THE DETAILS IN TERMS OF SORT OF HOW TO, HOW DO YOU GET THERE? UM, MUCH OF THAT IS SHARED RESPONSIBILITY AND PROBABLY FALLS MORE TO THE STAFF.
AND THAT'S WHERE I THINK THAT THIS PROCESS, UM, WHICH WE'RE JUST REALLY KIND OF GETTING STARTED, UM, WILL HELP FLESH OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE FROM, FROM THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, FOR INSTANCE, IN THIS ROOM.
UM, AND SO I DO HOPE THAT YOU END UP WITH SOME, SOME GUIDANCE AT THE BIG PICTURE, SOME SPECIFICITY, UM, ALSO IN TERMS OF WHICH THINGS TAKE PRIORITY.
UM, AND MY GOAL WOULD BE THAT YOU HAVE ALSO SOME TIMING IN TERMS OF WHICH ONES ARE SHORTER TERM, WHICH ONES ARE LONGER TERM, WHICH ONES ARE MORE MEDIUM TERM, UM, TO GET YOU TO THE VISION THAT YOU HAVE AND THE, THE CORRECT SERVICE LEVEL.
BECAUSE REALLY BUDGET ALLOCATIONS ARE ABOUT WHAT KIND OF SERVICE TO WHOM AND, AND HOW MUCH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY THE BUDGET IS, AND THAT'S WHAT I HOPE YOU CAN BEGIN TO FLESH OUT, UM, IN YOUR PLAN.
DOES THAT START TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? NOT REALLY, BUT, UH, I'M LISTENING.
UM, IT IS JUST LIKE PLANNING, UM, BY DOING THE BUDGET CYCLE TO ACTUALLY FIND OUT, UH, UH, PLANNING TOGETHER, UH, THE GROWTH, WHAT WE NEED, WHAT WE GOTTA HAVE.
I GUESS THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE SAYING.
UM, UH, I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD A LITTLE BIT, NOT THAT LONG, BUT A LITTLE BIT.
AND, UH, THIS IS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF, UH, UH, UH, UH, UH, STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR ME THAT IT, IT IS GO TO THE LOST ME AND I'M TRYING TO FIND MY WAY THROUGH WITH TALL GRASS TO PUT A SOFTBALL TO THROW.
UM, I JUST WANT TO BE VERY EFFECTIVE AND ABLE TO LEARN TO KNOW THAT THE GOVERNED BODY ARE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
UH, SOMETIME YOU WILL HAVE, UH, A PLANNING, UM, SOMETIME PEOPLE WILL SPEAK UP, SO THAT MEANS
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THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND.YOU HAVE SOME THAT WON'T SAY ANYTHING.
SO THAT MEANS THAT THEY ARE ALL IN AGREEMENT ON WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND I'M JUST TRYING TO LOOK AT, LIKE, WE BUY A BUILDING WE BUILT, WE BOUGHT A $4 MILLION ELEVATOR, AND WE HAVE LIKE 17 MEETINGS A YEAR, AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ONLY COMES IN AND BRING UP ABOUT MAYBE FOUR PEOPLE OUT OF THE WHOLE YEAR.
YOU KNOW, AND NO ONE'S REALLY BROUGHT THAT TO THE ATTENTION TO THE BOARD TO DISCUSS OR TO LOOK AT, TO SAY, OH, WAIT A MINUTE HERE.
YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT, UM, I'M LOOKING AT.
I CAN'T SPEAK FOR NO ONE ELSE.
I'M ONLY SPEAKING FOR ME, LOOKING AT THE, THE REAL HARD ISSUE.
UH, UH, HOW MANY, UH, UH, UH, POLICEMEN DO WE NEED? HOW MANY FIREMEN, HOW MANY GUYS WE NEED IN PUBLIC WORK? SO WHAT KIND OF EQUIPMENT DO THEY NEED TO HAVE? WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT OUR HIRING PRACTICES, YOU KNOW, UM, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THERE.
AND I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY OF THOSE TYPES OF, YOU MAY SEEN THOSE THINGS, BUT, SO HERE'S WHAT I WILL SAY TO THAT IS THAT, UM, I'M TRYING TO LOOK FOR THAT AIRPLANE GRAPHIC, WHICH IS ACCORDING TO THE VERY, VERY BACK, BACK OF THIS, HERE WE GO.
UM, WHAT I'LL SAY ABOUT THAT IS THAT, UM, RIGHT NOW I'M TRYING TO HELP US HELP YOU FOCUS ON THIS PURPOSE AND VISION, THIS 50,000 FOOT LEVEL MM-HMM.
THAT THIS IS REALLY, I THINK THE BULK OF THIS IS YOUR WORK.
UM, AND THEN AS WE GO FURTHER DOWN TO SORT OF FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE THE BIG PICTURE GOALS, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE RIGHT MATCHES FOR THE LEVEL OF SERVICE? WHERE DO WE WANT GROWTH TO HAPPEN? UM, WHAT KIND OF SERVICE PROVIDER DO WE WANT TO BE? YOU KNOW, HOW IS IT FULL SERVICE? IS IT MINIMAL SERVICE? YOU KNOW, THAT'S A KIND OF A PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWPOINT.
AND, AND THAT I THINK ARE EXAMPLES OF KIND OF THE, THE STRATEGIC GOALS THAT YOU ALL WOULD SET.
UM, AS YOU GET FURTHER DOWN PRIORITY ACTION ITEMS, WHICH I SEE, FOR INSTANCE, SOME OF THE EXAMPLES THAT YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE, WHERE DO WE NEED TO, IF, IF WE'RE ENCOURAGING GROWTH TO BE OVER HERE, THAT MEANS IT'S A FIRE STATION OVER THERE.
UM, HOW MUCH STAFFING IS THE RIGHT THING? AND ONCE WE BUILD THE BUILDING, WE HAVE TO STAFF IT, WE HAVE TO OPERATE IT, ET CETERA.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE WOULD THINK YOU WOULD HEAR YOU ALL INVOLVED IN TERMS OF ESTABLISHING THE BIG PICTURE.
BUT SOME OF THAT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PRIORITY ACTION ITEMS REALLY COMES FROM YOUR STAFF.
SO THE LOWER THAT YOU GET IN TERMS OF LIKE HOW MANY PEOPLE AND WHAT KIND OF EQUIPMENT, MY ASSUMPTION WOULD BE THAT YOUR STAFF THEN WOULD BE STEPPING UP IN MORE OF A LEADERSHIP ROLE TO SAY, HERE'S OUR RECOMMENDATION ABOUT THAT BASED ON OUR PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY IN OUR PROFESSIONAL TRAINING.
BUT YOU SEE, WE DON'T GET A CHANCE.
SOME KIND TO ACTUALLY, THEY CAN PUT IT IN AND BEFORE IT COMES TO US, IT'S BEEN REJECTED.
BUT THEY KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE DOING A STUDY.
A STUDY IS AN EXCUSE THAT SHE MADE FOR THE BOOKSHELF TO SAY, THIS IS GONNA DO A STUDY ON THIS, THIS IS WHAT WE ARE GONNA DO.
AND THEN WHEN IT GOES SOUR, WE PUT IT ON THE STUDY.
SO, SO I MEAN, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T STEP UP TO THE PLATE, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S SOMETHING I'M TRYING TO LEARN TO DO TO BECOME A BETTER AND EFFECTIVE INDIVIDUAL.
I WAS SHARING WITH THE MANAGER, HE TOLD ME TO GO AHEAD AND EXPRESS MYSELF AT THIS PLANNING TO HOPE THAT THE OTHER MEMBERS WOULD CHIME IN AND SEE WHAT THEY NEED TO SAY, OR THEY DON'T NEED TO SAY.
BUT OBVIOUSLY I'M ONLY SPEAKING FOR MYSELF.
I TALK WITH STAFF AND SOMETIMES A TLD, I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT THESE GUYS BACK ON THE SPOT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THEM TO GET SCARED AND BE SHAKY DURING THE OB I'M JUST KIDDING.
BUT, UH, TO LOOK AT WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE, WHAT WE NEED TO DO, LET'S SIT DOWN AND DISCUSS IT, NOT HAVE ONE PERSON COME THROUGH.
AND I'M GONNA SAY THIS, JUST LIKE OUR COURTROOM, WE HAD ONE PERSON TO DECORATE THE THING.
WE DIDN'T HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT, YOU KNOW, IT SUPPOSED TO BE A BOARD DECISION, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT I'M TRYING TO HOPE THAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND PARTICIPATE IN.
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I DIDN'T HAVE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU DID HAVE ANY CUTTING THING TO DO WITH THE COLOR OF THE RUG, OF GETTING THE FACT THE CUSHIONS IN THE SEED.I DIDN'T BECAUSE I FRANKLY DON'T CARE.
SO, AND, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT THAT TO ME IS AN EXAMPLE OF, OF A PROJECT OR EVEN DAY TO DAY WORK WHERE IT, IN THIS ANALOGY THAT THAT WOULD BE MORE OF A STAFF RESPONSIBILITY AND LESS OF A COUNCIL.
I CAN SEE HOW THE KIND OF SEATS YOU SIT IN MIGHT BE A NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART CONVERSATION.
UM, BUT, BUT OVERALL, THAT KIND OF LEVEL OF DETAIL, IT IS USUALLY RESERVED FOR STAFF DECISIONS, NOT NECESSARILY FOR, I'M GONNA GET OFF MY SOAPBOX AND LET YOU GO ON WITH YOUR, OKAY.
UM, BUT I APPRECIATE THAT THAT IS A ONE REFLECTION, UH, IS THAT YOU HAVE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU'D REALLY LIKE TO, TO DIVE INTO AND THAT I LIKE TO SEE THIS, I LIKE TO SEE THE BOARD PARTICIPATE IN THE OPERATIONS IN THE DAY TO DAY DEALINGS OF THE CITY.
I LIKE TO SEE 'EM HAVE A, A, A A, AN OPINION.
I LIKE TO SEE THEM DISCUSS IT.
I LIKE TO, THAT'S WHAT I LIKE TO SEE.
I, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR NO ONE ELSE.
AND I THINK YOU DID GIVE AN INVITATION TO OTHERS IF THEY'D LIKE TO PIPE UP.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF, IF YOU WANNA HAVE THAT CONVERSATION KIND OF ABOUT THAT WE CAN, WE CAN DO THAT.
BUT TODAY I WAS HOPING THAT WE COULD FOCUS ON IT'S A WHOLE DECISION, NOT PROBABLY.
WELL, I, I UNDERSTAND, UM, FRUSTRATION, I HAVE TO DISAGREE WITH HIM.
WHERE HE WOULD LIKE TO GET MUCH MORE INVOLVED IN THE, OF THE OPERATIONS.
WE DON'T OPERATE UNDER COUNCIL.
WE, THAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO CITY MANAGER AND PROFESSIONAL STAFF.
THEY HANDLE THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS.
SO I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN AND FRUSTRATION.
BUT AFTER RESPECT THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT THAT WE OPERATE UNDER, AND AS FRUSTRATED AS IT MAY BE, YOU JUST NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT.
I, IT'S BEING ACKNOWLEDGEABLE.
IT'S JUST THAT, UM, YOU LOOK AT THE OPERATIONAL OF HOW THE BUSINESS IS DONE, THEN YOU WOULD SEE WHAT I'M SAYING.
SOMETIMES YOU GET A CHANCE TO OVERLOOK A LOT OF THINGS BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO SAY ANYTHING.
AND, UH, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO STAND UP AND SPEAK AND SPEAK WHAT YOU BELIEVE, NOT WHAT YOU FEEL IS WHAT YOU KNOW IS RIGHT.
WELL, I, I FOR WANT REMIND YOU THAT ALL, AND THE MAYOR AND I OFFERED TO HAVE A THIRD COURT RECESSION MEETING EVERY MONTH SO THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
AND THE MAJORITY OF THE BOARD SAID NO.
WAS THAT ONE OF THOSE? YES, YOU WERE.
AND ONE OF THE OTHER WAYS TO THINK ABOUT THIS IS WHEN, IF YOUR PLAN KIND OF SETS THE BIG PICTURE, IT ALSO REALLY DRIVES THE AGENDA OF YOUR WORK, OBVIOUSLY WITH THE WORK OF THE STAFF AS WELL.
UM, AND THOSE KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO DIVE IN DEEPER IN WITH WORK SESSIONS AROUND PARTICULAR TOPICS OR PROJECTS.
YOU KNOW, AS YOU START TO GONNA GET, UH, LOWER ON THIS LIST TO LOWER TO THE GROUND, YOU KNOW, THAT MIGHT BE THE WAY TO REALLY KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHAT THE DETAILS ARE AROUND THAT PROJECT.
MY HOPE IS THAT WE KIND OF BEGIN TO SORT OF SET THOSE BIG PICTURE PIECES, UM, AND THEN THE SMALLER PIECES WILL BEGIN TO FALL IN LINE UNDER THAT.
I MEANT PERSONALLY, I, I THINK THE REALITY OF HAVING THIS PLAN IN PLACE ACTUALLY REMOVES US, THE GOVERNING BOARD EVEN MORE FROM THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS BECAUSE WE'VE SET THE OVERALL VISION AND EXPECTATIONS AND THIS OF THE STAFF TO IMPLEMENT THAT.
WHEREAS RIGHT NOW, WE CAN TAKE ISSUE BY ISSUE.
AND IF THERE WAS AN OVERARCHING DIRECTION, HIS STAFF WOULD KNOW, HEY, THERE'S NO NEED IN EVEN BRINGING THIS TO THE BOARD BECAUSE THIS DOESN'T FIT WITHIN OUR, OUR VISION OR STRATEGY.
WHEREAS RIGHT NOW, STAFF IS COMPELLED TO BRING EVERYTHING TO THE BOARD TO DISCUSS BECAUSE THEY DON'T DUNNO WHAT APPROACH.
YEAH, I, I WOULD SAY THAT I WOULD, I WOULD THINK THAT THE, THAT THIS KIND OF GUIDANCE FROM, FOR,
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FROM THE BOARD TO THE STAFF WOULD BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL IN TERMS OF HELPING THEM, UM, PRIORITIZE WHICH THINGS DO COME TO YOU ALL.UM, AND THAT REALLY THE ABILITY FOR YOU ALL TO INFLUENCE THE DIRECTION OF THIS COMMUNITY, UM, LIES AT THE, AT THE HIGHER LEVEL AND AT THE LOW LEVEL AS WELL.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THAT THAT'S A ON THE GROUNDS KIND OF DECISION, BUT THE TRAJECTORY THAT YOU SET NOW, UM, WON'T BE REALIZED IN YOUR LIFETIME, TO BE HONEST.
IT WILL BE A GENERATION FROM NOW.
UM, BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT REALLY LONG TERM DIRECTION.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER REFLECTIONS FROM, UM, OUR GATHERING LAST TIME OR COMING INTO TODAY? WELL, I KNOW I, I FOR ONE HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY.
IT WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, BREAKING INTO GROUPS AND THEN DOING, UH, INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS.
UH, TO ME IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO KNOW SOME OF THE STAFF A LITTLE BETTER, A LITTLE MORE, UH, ESTABLISHED AND MORE TRUST ACTUALLY, UM, BETWEEN MYSELF AND THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF.
SO I KNOW THAT WASN'T REALLY WHAT WAS GOING ON, BUT, YOU KNOW, BUT IT'S, IT'S A STEPPING, RIGHT? YEAH.
IT PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE BOARD OF AL TO TALK IN GROUPS AND REALLY GET SOME CLARITY AND UNDERSTANDING THEIR, THAT ABSOLUTE.
AND I DUNNO IF IT'S MADE ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, ONE DAY
WE, WE, I, I AGREE WITH, WITH ALL, UM, KENZIE IN THAT REGARD.
UM, I CAME ON BOARD I NEW, UM, ONE YEAR IN, AND IT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL EVEN AS WE TRANSITION ON THE BOARD TO HAVE SOME LEVEL OF MENTORING.
SOME, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH GROWING, GROWING IN THE FIRE AND YOU SWIM OR SINK OR IN THE WATER OR WHATEVER, YOU LEARN AS YOU GO, UH, I THINK IT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY AWESOME AND, AND PROBABLY THE STAFF MIGHT FEEL THE SAME WAY.
YOU KNOW, WE TAKE ON POSITIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES AND DEFINE ROLES AND WHO SHADOW, WHO SHADOW MENTORS, WHO WALKS US THROUGH HARD PLACES.
AND I KNOW STAFF HAVE A LEVEL OF COMRADERY OF COURSE, AND, BUT STILL IT'S VERY MEANINGFUL AND HELPFUL WHEN WE SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER.
AND I THINK THAT'S, BUT SUPPORT IS VERY CRITICAL.
AND I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, A CONVERSATION LIKE THAT, SORT OF THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES IS YOU, IS IS TYPICALLY A, A RETREAT TOPIC THAT NEWLY ELECTEDS DO ENGAGE IN TO THINK ABOUT HOW YOU WANT TO DO YOUR BUSINESS TOGETHER.
IT'S NOT THE WAY WILL BE HAD DESIGNED NECESSARILY, BUT YES, I WAS ACTUALLY TRYING TO KNIT YOU ALL AND GET YOU A CHANCE TO KNOW EACH OTHER BETTER BY WORKING TOGETHER, UM, NOT ONLY WITH EACH OTHER, BUT ALSO WITH, WITH WITH YOUR STAFF.
SO THAT WAS PART OF THE DESIGN OF THE LAST TIME.
UM, AND I, I'M OPEN IF YOU ALL WANNA HAVE, UH, OF THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT WORLD RESPONSIBILITIES, UM, I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE AN AGENDA FOR THAT.
I'M HAPPY TO EVEN BE INVOLVED IN THAT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT DOES SORT OF HELP YOU ALL THEN THINK ABOUT THE CLARITY, WHERE WHERE MIGHT YOU HAVE, UM, DIFFERING EXPECTATIONS AND WHY MIGHT THAT BE? AND HOW CAN YOU RESOLVE THOSE KINDS OF THINGS? THAT WOULD BE WELCOME.
SO I'LL JUST SAY THAT IT, THAT'S NOT TODAY'S CONVERSATION, BUT IT CAN BE AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE IF WE COULD SORT OF PUT IT ON IMPORTANT, BUT NOT FOR TODAY.
OR SOME PEOPLE CALL IT THE PARKING LOT, BUT I DON'T LIKE TO DISMISS IT AS THE PARKING LOT.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF I'M THINKING WERE YOU GONNA HAVE A REFLECTION OFFER? ANYONE ELSE? ROBERT? UM, THEN WHAT I WANTED TO DO, I THINK, LET'S SEE.
SO, SO WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT SORT OF SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS WE BEGAN TO GENERATE THE DATA ABOUT, UM, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
NOW IT'S JUST THE START OF A GENERATION.
AND TODAY WHAT I REALLY WANNA DO IS BEGIN TO ESTABLISH THAT PRELIMINARY VISION AND THE MISSION, UM, AND SOME MORE WORK AROUND GOALS AND VALUES IN THE AFTERNOON.
UM, I'VE GOT STAFF ON TAP TO REALLY KIND OF FLESH OUT SOME OF WHAT YOU ALL ARE WORKING ON THIS MORNING.
[00:30:01]
EMPHASIS FOR THIS AFTERNOON IS LOOKING AT ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES.AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A LINEAR PROCESS AND IT, UH, AND WE WILL, UM, WANNA COME, WE WILL BE COMING BACK TO THIS.
UM, THE OTHER PIECE FROM, FROM LAST TIME THAT WE DIDN'T GET TO REALLY IS THE AROUND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, AND MOST FOLKS WILL, AND I THINK BEST PRACTICE IS TO REALLY GROUND YOUR PLANNING, UM, IN WHAT YOU BELIEVE THE COMMUNITY VALUES.
UH, AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, YOU'LL WANNA BE ENGAGED IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, IN, IN SOME WAY, IN SOME FORM AND FASHION, UM, TO BE ABLE TO, TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
UM, BECAUSE IN REALITY WHAT YOU HOPE IS THAT, UM, IT'S NOT JUST, UM, UH, YOUR PERSPECTIVES THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY PUTTING INTO THIS PLAN.
IT'S THE PERSPECTIVES OF OTHERS AS WELL IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO THAT IT WILL TRANSCEND ANY ELECTION, UM, AND BE MORE DURABLE AND USEFUL IN THE LONG TERM.
UM, SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THIS MORNING IS THINKING ABOUT THE ENGAGEMENT, UM, AND ALSO COMMUNICATION AROUND THE PLAN.
UM, WHAT IS IT YOU WANNA SAY TO WHO? UM, AND, AND AT WHAT POINT, AND I THINK THAT'LL BE HELPFUL.
I KNOW FOR COLLEEN BACK THERE, UM, AND, AND FOR YOU ALL ALSO IS TALKING ABOUT WHAT ARE THE TALKING POINTS THAT YOU WANNA HAVE AND WHEN YOU'RE TALKING WITH COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
SO THAT IS WHAT I HOPE WE COULD, UM, GET THROUGH THIS MORNING.
IS THAT OKAY? EVERYBODY ON BOARD WITH THAT? ALRIGHT.
UM, AND AGAIN, JUST TO SAY THAT THIS, THIS MODEL SUGGESTS THAT WE ARE, UM, HERE, YOU KNOW, AT THE VERY BEGINNING, UNDERSTANDING CONTEXT AND REALLY IN THIS, IN THIS REALM HERE OF ENVISIONING CREATING GOALS AND POTENTIALLY OBJECTIVES, UM, BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE GENERATED SO FAR, UM, TALKED ALREADY ABOUT THIS.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING OF A NESTING, UH, PIECE AS WELL IS THAT THERE CERTAINLY WILL PROBABLY BE MORE SPECIFICITY AND MORE OF THE OBJECTIVES AND THE ACTIONS, UM, FEWER GOALS.
ONE MISSION ONE, ONE VISION, MANY CORE VALUES.
UM, BUT WE'RE GONNA BE SPENDING THIS MORNING, WE ARE LOOKING AT DIVISION MISSION AND SOMEWHAT ABOUT THE VALUES.
UM, AND JUST AGAIN, TO REMIND FOLKS THAT REALLY THAT VISION IS, IS WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT TO HAPPEN, RIGHT? BY FOCUSING ON THIS, UH, IT SHOULD STATE WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE? IT SHOULD SET A DIRECTION.
UM, IT SHOULD BE ASPIRATIONAL.
THE MISSION IS THE ONE THING THAT REALLY CLARIFIES THEN THE ROLE OF THIS ORGANIZATION IN FURTHERING THAT, UM, THAT VISION.
IT, IT SHOULD BE THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL DO THAT NOBODY ELSE DOES AS AN ORGANIZATION, WHAT DOES IT DISTINGUISH? AND IT MIGHT ACTUALLY TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE WAY IN WHICH YOU DO THAT WORK, UM, AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN VALUES ARE, ARE REALLY THE CORE PRINCIPLES THAT DEFINE LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT STYLE.
THEY SHOULD BE A GUIDANCE FOR, UM, FOLKS ABOUT HOW TO DO THEIR WORK.
WHEN IN DOUBT, WHAT DO OUR VISIONS, WHAT DOES OUR VISION SAY? SO TO DO THIS WORK TODAY, UM, WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS PUT YOU BACK IN SOME SMALL GROUPS.
UM, AND THE REASON I'M DOING THIS IS BECAUSE OF SOME OF THAT GET TO KNOW YOU A LITTLE BIT BETTER, UM, AND ALSO GET TO KNOW YOUR DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS.
UM, I'D LIKE TODAY TO JUST SORT OF DO FOUR GROUPS OF FOUR TO FIVE MEMBERS, BUT I'D LIKE, UM, A BOARD OF ALDERMAN MEMBER TO BE IN AT LEAST ONE OF THOSE GROUPS.
SO WE HAVE 3, 4, 5, SO THAT THE MATH WORKS OUT TODAY.
UM, AND WHAT I'M GONNA ASK YOU IS TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE DATA THAT YOU HAVE, UM, FROM LAST TIME AND THINK ABOUT WHICH ONE MIGHT BELONG IN THE FRAMEWORK FOR DRAFTING A VISION STATEMENT, A MISSION STATEMENT, AND ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES.
SO EVEN YESTERDAY I WAS DOING THIS, UM, AND I TOOK OUT YOUR NOTES FROM THE LAST TIME THAT MARIAH PROVIDED.
UM, I DIDN'T SO MUCH FOCUS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN, BUT I LOOKED AT THE, UH, SO EXERCISE, THE STRENGTHS, OPPORTUNITIES, ASPIRATIONS, AND RESULTS.
AND I JUST KIND OF WENT THROUGH AND THOUGHT WHICH ONE BELONGS TO WHICH KIND OF CATEGORY.
SO FOR INSTANCE, I'M ON PAGE TWO OF THOSE HAND OF THAT HANDOUT UNDER COMMUNITY ANALYSIS.
AND THE FIRST ONE UNDER STRENGTHS SAYS CUSTOMER SERVICE FOCUSED ORGANIZATION.
AND IN S RELIABLE, TRANSPARENT, AND ACCESSIBLE.
TO ME THAT SOUNDS LIKE A VALUE.
SO IF I'M WORKING ON A FRAMEWORK FOR VISION, MISSION, AND VALUES, I MIGHT DECIDE THAT MIGHT GO ON THE VALUES PAGE, RIGHT? UM, RELATIONSHIPS WITH NONPROFITS, MUTUAL AID AND COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS.
TO ME THAT'S MORE LIKE A GOAL AREA, WHICH IS NOT WHAT WE'RE GONNA
[00:35:01]
BE WORKING ON YET THIS MORNING.UM, FURTHER DOWN THE LIST, ADAPTABLE PROFESSIONAL CITY STAFF WHO PROVIDES VIABLE SOLUTIONS TO COMMUNITY PROBLEMS. TO ME THAT SOUNDS A LITTLE BIT MORE LIKE A MISSION STATEMENT, LIKE HOW IT IS THAT YOU DO YOUR WORK.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO DO IN THESE SMALL GROUPS IS REALLY THINK ABOUT THESE THREE THINGS.
UM, AND, AND WE'RE GONNA ACTUALLY ASK YOU TO SEE IF YOU CAN'T IDENTIFY A FEW ELEMENTS.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A WELL-WRITTEN VISION STATEMENT AT THIS POINT, OR MISSION STATEMENT.
JUST WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU SEE BASED ON THIS WORK FROM LAST TIME AND MAYBE EVEN SOMETHING ELSE.
IF YOU WERE GONNA PUT THE ELEMENTS TOGETHER AROUND A VISION, MISSION AND ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES, WHAT WOULD YOU PUT DOWN? UM, AND I'M ASKING EACH GROUP TO DO ALL THREE, THEN WE'LL POST IT AND KIND OF SEE WHERE WE HAVE SIMILARITIES.
AGAIN, TODAY MIGHT FEEL A LITTLE FRAGMENTED BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO KIND OF GENERATE SOME STUFF.
UM, AND THEN IF YOU, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL THEN ORGANIZE IT A LITTLE BIT AFTER THE FACT AND PRESENT IT BACK TO YOU WITH SOME OPTIONS OF, OF LANGUAGE.
WE HOPE THAT MIRRORS, UM, THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY TALKED TO US ABOUT.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IF I MAY AS WELL? SO THE LAST MISSION STATEMENT THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE GOVERNING BOARD WAS IN 1993.
I WANNA READ IT TO YOU JUST, JUST SO YOU'LL KNOW WHAT, WHAT THE CURRENT ONE IS.
AND IT SAYS, THE EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF MOVEMENT SHALL STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE, WHICH WILL ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY BY WORKING TOGETHER TO PROVIDE ACCOUNTABLE AND EQUITABLE SERVICE TO ALL CITIZENS.
AND THEN THERE WAS SOMETHING UNDERNEATH THAT AT THAT TIME THEY CALLED IT PRINCIPLES, BUT AGAIN, YOU CAN COMPARE IT TO THE VALUES AND, AND THERE WERE FIVE DIFFERENT THINGS.
COMMITMENT, QUALITY OF SERVICE, PRODUCTIVITY, PERSONAL GROWTH AND OPENNESS.
JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THAT.
OKAY? AND ONE THING WE'LL DO IS WE'LL WRITE THOSE UP HERE, UM, SO YOU ALL CAN HAVE THAT AS REFERENCE.
UM, AND IT'S NOT THAT THOSE ARE BAD, RIGHT? BUT I DO THINK THAT 19, WHAT 19 93, 19 93 WAS A WHILE AGO.
UM, AND SO ONE OF MY CHILDREN WASN'T EVEN BORN YET.
UH, AND SO I THINK AT LEAST REFERENCING THAT IS FINE.
UM, BUT I THINK, UM, A REVISIT WOULD PROBABLY BE WORTHWHILE.
UM, SO WE DO HAVE FOUR AND FOUR TABLES AND I I'M GONNA JUST ASK THAT YOU ALL AS COMMISSIONERS, PICK A TABLE, UM, AND THEN AS STAFF TO, UM, BREAK UP AND JUST BE WITH THEM, UM, THIS IS I THINK TO SOME EXTENT A, A A, UM, ELECTED BODY DRIVEN WORK.
BUT I HOPE THAT YOU, UM, CAN APPRECIATE THE RESOURCES THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS AS WELL.
UM, SO WE, WE ONLY HAVE I THINK 15, LEMME JUST SAY FOUR GROUPS.
THEY MIGHT BE THREE TO FOUR, NOT FOUR OR FIVE, RIGHT? THAT MATH.
UM, AND I'M GONNA ASK YOU, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU ABOUT 30 MINUTES TO DO THIS, BUT I'M GONNA CHECK IT AND SEE IF THAT WORKS.
SO A AGAIN, WHAT WE'RE HOPING IS FROM EACH GROUP, THREE PAGES, SO WE CAN BEGIN TO SEE WHERE THE COMMON ARE CLEAR OF EACH TOPIC OF EACH UHHUH
FOUR GROUPS, THREE TOPICS IN EACH GROUP.
SO, AND I'D IMAGINE THAT YOU'RE GONNA START WITH SOME THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TAKE A LOOK, TALK ABOUT WHICH ONE OF THESE THINGS DO YOU WANT TO PULL OUT, PROVISION WHICH ONE, PERMISSION AND WHICH ONE'S FOR VALUES.
AND THEN WE'LL PUT THE OTHER INFORMATION HERE.
WELL, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FOUR GROUPS MEANS WE'RE GONNA HAVE PROBABLY TWO ELECTEDS AT ONE TABLE SOMEHOW.
THAT'S HOWEVER YOU WANNA DO IT.
I THOUGHT YOU SAID COME TO THESE FOUR TABLE.
SO DO I GET A PRIZE FROM THE ONE POLYGRAPH FOR FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS? YEAH.
UM, WE'RE GONNA COME AROUND WITH SOME, WITH SOME, UM, ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A TABLE IN THE BACK NOW IN WHICH
[00:40:01]
WE ARE GONNA REQUIRE SOME FOLKS TO GET UP AND JOIN THIS TABLE.I'LL GO, THAT'LL LEADERSHIP RIGHT THERE, GEORGE.
I DUNNO IF IT'S LEADERSHIP OR SLAUGHTER OR THE LAMB RIGHT HERE.
SHE SAID THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOAL.
THE RELATIONSHIP WITH NON SOUNDS LIKE A GOAL AND SAID THAT'S NOT A VISION, NOT A YES SIR.
WE WE'RE READING THROUGH TO SEE WHICH ONE IS A PATIENT OR NATION OR ORGANIZATION.
EVERYTHING COMES TOGETHER HERE.
WELL, WE JUST, THE FIRST TWO SERVICE.
SO WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AND EFFICIENT IN GENERATING REVENUE? IS THAT A GOAL? I MEAN, I WOULD THINK IT
[00:45:10]
PROFESSIONAL CITY STAFF SAY LEADERSHIP TO CONSENSUS.IS THE LEADERSHIP ABLE TO REACH CONSENSUS? WELL PULL OUT, PULL OUT THE, THAT YOU THINK GOAL REALLY FIT WITH A VISION, FIT WITH A MISSION AND FIT FOR VALUES.
AND THEN WHAT I'D LIKE KIND COMPARE NOTES.
NOT NECESSARILY, BUT YEAH, I MEAN JUST IF YOU WERE TO WRITE IT FROM SCRATCH OR IF YOU HAD ANY ELEMENTS TO WRITE IT FROM SCRATCH, HOW WOULD YOU SAY PAPER HISTORY, LOCATION, QUALITIES, RECREATION, EVERYBODY SEE THAT AS A VISION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMONALITY, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE SO MANY.
THIS COULD BE WAS IT, IT WAS, YEAH, I AGREE.
AND THAT'S WHY I THINK PUT THIS THERE IS GETTING AFTER I, YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT DEPENDS HOW YOU READ THE, READ THE STATEMENT.
I WOULD VALUE COLLABORATIVE BECAUSE I DO, YEAH, STREAMLINE ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS.
[00:50:27]
YOU CAN WORK THROUGH THIS LIST.YOU CAN ALSO, IF THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT WASN'T IN THE NOTES, FEEL FREE TO ADD AS THERE SOMETHING ISN'T TO CREATE A ENVIRONMENT THAT AFFORDABLE AND WELCOMING COMMUNITY, NEW TECHNOLOGY, BETTER SERVICES, ADEQUATE PERSONNEL, EQUIPMENT, RESOURCES.
IF I CAN, MY GOAL IS TO BE SUPPORTED BY YOUR VISION.
I BUILD INTERNAL CAPACITY AND MAINTAIN PEACE OF VISION, HEALTHY AND SAFE.
WHEN YOU DO THIS PRETTY MUCH ON WITHOUT DIFFICULT, BUT I CERTAINLY CAN.
WE'LL SEE IF THEY DO OUT INCREMENTAL POPULATION.
[00:55:09]
OKAY, GOOD WORK EVERYBODY.I SEE SOME PENS ARE STILL, UH, WRITING.
WHAT I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO DO IS KEEP THIS IN MIND AS YOU WALK AROUND AND READ WHAT OTHER GROUPS HAVE WRITTEN.
WHAT, WHERE ARE THERE COMMONALITIES OR WHERE ARE THERE QUESTIONS? DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OF A PARTICULAR GROUP ABOUT WHAT THEY'VE, WHAT THEY'RE SAYING? UM, AND WHERE DID YOU SEE THINGS THAT ARE JUST, UH, THAT YOU ALL TALKED ABOUT AS WELL.
SO I'M GONNA INVITE YOU TO SPEND A FEW MINUTES WALKING AROUND AND READING THESE, UM, POSTERS THAT YOU ALL HAVE CREATED.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL CONVENE AND KIND OF SEE WHAT, WHAT YOUR IMPRESSIONS ARE.
OKAY? SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES TO DO THAT.
HOW YOU DOING, SIR? SOUNDS GREAT.
HOW ARE YOU? TOWARDS YOU NEXT TUESDAY.
[01:01:16]
HAS EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO KIND OF WALK AROUND AND SEE WHAT OTHERS HAVE? BRAD, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU BACK ONE MORE MINUTE.DID YOU DO, ARE YOU LEFTHANDED? SO WHAT ARE YOU NOTICING AS YOU WALK AROUND? JUST ABANDONED FRONT.
YOU ARE WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THINGS ARE POPPING OUT AS, AS, UH, COMMON AMONG THE GROUPS, ACROSS THE GROUPS.
UM, I SEE THE THING ON BALANCED GROWTH.
I'VE SEEN THAT A COUPLE PLACES TOO.
THE, YEAH, WELL, IT'S KIND OF WHAT IT'S ABOUT.
ANYTHING ELSE THAT POPPED OUT? THE VALUES REALLY DO OBVIOUSLY FOCUS, I THINK ON THE, ON THE PEOPLE AND KIND OF THE PEOPLE AND HOW YOU WANT THE PEOPLE TO BE WORKING AND YEAH.
DID ANYBODY GO BACK TO THE, UH, ORIGINAL, THE OG MISSION BACK HERE FROM 1993? AND AS YOU, AS YOU DID YOUR MISSION DISCUSSION, UH, DID IT SOUND LIKE THIS AT ALL? THAT THEY SHALL STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE, WHICH WILL ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY BY WORKING TOGETHER TO PROVIDE ACCOUNTABLE AND EQUITABLE SERVICES TO ALL CITIZENS? DID THOSE IN ANY OF THOSE ELEMENTS COME UP IN YOUR DISCUSSION ABOUT MISSION? YES.
SO, AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THE ESSENCE OF WHAT YOUR MISSION STATEMENT MIGHT BE MIGHT HOLD OVER TIME, BUT MAYBE GETS TO BE TWEAKED IN THE 30 YEARS OR SO, EVERY 30 YEARS OR SO.
IT SHOULD BE AT LEAST, UH, REAFFIRMED, UM, POTENTIALLY TWEAKED AS THINGS, AS THINGS CHANGE AS CONTEXT CHANGE.
UM, BUT YOUR VISION AND YOUR MISSION AND MAYBE EVEN YOUR VALUES PROBABLY ARE NOT GONNA BE SHIFTING TERRIBLY MUCH, ESPECIALLY IN THE NEXT 10, 20 YEARS, 10 15 YEARS.
UM, THESE PRINCIPLES, UH, OR WE COULD CALL THEM VALUES.
DID THESE KINDS OF THINGS COME UP IN YOUR CONVERSATION? COMMITMENT, QUALITY OF SERVICE, PRODUCTIVITY, PERSONAL GROWTH AND OPENNESS.
WHAT ELSE DID YOU ADD TO THAT LIST? CULTURE COLLABORATION WAS GOOD.
WE PROBABLY DON'T EVEN USE THE, A LOT OF THE, THAT COLLABORATION WORD, WHICH SOMETIMES GETS A LITTLE OVERUSED.
I, I PERSONALLY THINK, UM, AND DEFINING THAT AND REALLY THINKING ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS, UM, WILL BE PART OF THAT.
THAT VALUES DEVELOPMENT, SHARED VISION, COMMUNITY, BUY-IN COMMUNITY, BUY-IN, YEAH, THAT'S NOT REALLY NECESSARILY UP THERE EITHER.
AND AGAIN, THERE'S SHIFTS AND TRENDS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND I THINK THIS NOTION OF ENGAGING
[01:05:01]
YOUR COMMUNITY IS NOT SOMETHING, UH, I'LL TURN TO MY FORMER MANAGER, NOT SOMETHING THAT REALLY WAS THE WAY A LOT OF MANAGERS WERE BROUGHT UP.I MEAN, YES, TO SOME EXTENT, BUT NOW IT FEELS TO ME LIKE IT'S A, IT'S A SHIFT, UM, IN, IN THE PROFESSION TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS AN ENGAGED PIECE.
YEAH, I, I MEAN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THE NINE THREE MISSION IS THAT IS VERY MUCH INTERNALLY FOCUSED.
UM, WHEREAS MANY OF THE THINGS THAT WE WROTE DOWN, EVEN IN OUR VALUES WHERE EXTERNALLY FOCUSED, BUT HOW THE CITY FITS INTO THAT EXTERNAL FOCUS, I GUESS, BECAUSE I MEAN, LIKE, UH, GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH CITY PARTNERS AND COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, TO YOUR POINT, THAT'S ONE OF OUR THINGS THAT WE PUT DOWN AS A VALUE, WHEREAS, BUT AS MANY OF YOU ALREADY SAID, ISN'T SMOKE THERE AT ALL? YEAH.
AND THOSE THINGS, UM, WOULD BE LIKELY SHOW UP IN YOUR, IN YOUR GOAL AREAS POTENTIALLY AS WELL.
UM, IS IF THIS IS, IF THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS IN WHICH YOU, IT'S WHAT YOU VALUE OR IT'S WHAT YOU, THE WAY YOU THINK IS PART OF HOW YOU SHOULD DO YOUR WORK, UM, IT MIGHT SHOW UP IN, IN A, AS A GOAL AREA AS WELL, IN TERMS OF PROCESS PRIOR, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW YOU ACTUALLY DO THE WORK AND WHO YOU WORK WITH IN TERMS OF KEY PARTNERSHIPS, UM, OF, OF SEEING THAT IN PLANS WHERE IT'S MAYBE A THEME THAT CUTS ACROSS GOALS OR EVEN CALLED OUT AS A SPECIFIC GOAL IN TERMS OF THE WAY YOU DO YOUR WORK.
ANY OTHER OBSERVATIONS OR REFLECTIONS? WE, WE TALKED QUITE A BIT ABOUT EDUCATING THE PUBLIC BECAUSE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND FEEDBACK, GREAT.
BUT WE'RE ALL SITTING HERE FOR THE SECOND DAY NOW TALKING ABOUT THIS SORT OF STUFF.
AND COLLEEN SHARED IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
EVERYBODY'S GONNA HAVE THEIR OPINION AND EVERYBODY'S GONNA BE AN EXPERT ON THE TOPIC WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE ANY OF THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
SO HOW DO YOU BALANCE GARNERING FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO MAKE A DETERMINATION? AND THIS, THIS PARKING LOT THING IS THE LATEST EXAMPLE.
PEOPLE ARE SAYING, WE'RE CONVERTING PARKING FREE PARKING DOWNTOWN.
PARKING IS NOT A PARKING LOT PARKING, IT'S A PAID PARKING LOT.
THE MORE YOU ASK FOR FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC, THE MORE WE'VE GOTTA GIVE THEM THE INFORMATION SO THEY CAN PROVIDE SUBSTATIVE RESPONSES SPOT ON.
AND THAT'S ACTUALLY WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SORT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH REGARD TO STRATEGIC PLANNING, IT'S A CONVERSATION I WAS HAVING WITH MARIAH AT THE BREAK, WHICH IS OFTEN, IF YOU WANNA ASK FOR INFORMATION, YOU NEED TO ACTUALLY PROVIDE EDUCATION FOLKS AROUND THE TOPIC FIRST, BECAUSE OTHERWISE THEY DON'T KNOW.
AND THEY'RE GIVING YOU BASICALLY FEEDBACK THAT'S NOT RELEVANT TO THE TOPIC, NOT ON POINT, AND YOU CAN'T USE IT.
UM, SO I AGREE THAT THERE IS A HAND IN HAND IN EDUCATION, AND THAT IS ACTUALLY ONE WAY IN WHICH YOU CAN USE AN EVENTUAL STRATEGIC PLAN IS AN AS AN EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT.
UM, NOW WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOMETHING WE WANT TO GO OUT AND TALK ABOUT.
WE MIGHT NEED TO START WITH WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT? UM, AND, AND EVEN POTENTIALLY HOW IS CITY VERSUS COUNTY? WHAT ARE THE ROLE? YOU KNOW, MOST PEOPLE DON'T CARE.
AND AND MAYBE IT'S NOT EVEN RELEVANT TO START THERE.
UM, NO, IT IS, BUT IT, WELL, VERY MUCH SO
SO THAT, THAT THE WHOLE POINT OF THAT ENGAGEMENT IS PAIRED WITH, UH, AN AN EMPHASIS ON EDUCATION POTENTIALLY.
SO, SO THESE THINGS WILL INFLUENCE KIND OF WHAT YOU DECIDE TO FOCUS ON FOR YOUR GOAL AREAS TOO.
ANY OTHER REFLECTIONS OR, UM, OBSERVATIONS? JUST PIGGYBACKING OFF OF WHAT MAYOR ODOM SAID, WHAT WOULD BE THEN A WAY TO EDUCATE AND PUBLIC IF WE WANT FEEDBACK, HOW DO WE INFORM THEM? I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, GEORGE BROUGHT UP ONE ON ONE ABOUT HOW SUCCESSFUL THAT'S BEEN, BUT THAT'S JUST A SMALL CORE GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ASKING TO PARTICIPATE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN HALLS THAT SOME OF YOU HAVE DONE.
UM, AND IT, I THINK THAT'S REALLY A CHALLENGE BECAUSE WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS IN THIS REGION, I'LL SAY THAT THEY HAVE A NEW ADDRESS AND THEY THINK THAT THEY'RE A CITIZEN OF NEW.
AND I'VE HAD, I'VE HAD SOME HEALTHY DEBATES WITH FOLKS THAT SAY, YES, I AM.
HERE'S WHY I'M TRYING TO EXPLAIN THAT TO 'EM.
[01:10:01]
UM, AND HELPING POINT THEM IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.SO IF WE COULD, I MENTIONED ONE ON ONE AND HAVING AN ONLINE VERSION OF THAT TO WHERE SOMEBODY COULD JUST, YOU KNOW, SPEND TIME AT THEIR LEISURE TO GO THROUGH AND, AND LOOK AT ALL THAT STUFF WE TALKED ABOUT.
MAYBE, UH, I'LL SAY IT ONE, ONE DAY A MONTH.
MAYBE IT'S ONE DAY A QUARTER, BUT ALL THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE AN OPEN HOUSE AND ADVERTISE THAT.
SO IF YOU'RE OUT ON JAMES CITY ON KALE ROAD AND YOU WANNA STOP BY CHARLIE'S PLACE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE FOURTH TUESDAY OF THE MONTH OR WHATEVER IT IS, THEN ALL OF OUR OFFICES ARE OPEN AND HAVE THAT ABILITY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH ENGAGEMENT YOU'RE GONNA GET PEOPLE.
THE, THE PROBLEM IS IN SOCIETY TODAY, IT'S TOO EASY TO PULL SOMETHING UP RIGHT HERE, FORM AN OPINION IN TWO SECONDS AND START COMMENTING WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AND HOW YOU CURB THAT.
I THINK OUR GOAL IS GONNA HAVE TO BE TO REACH THE PEOPLE THAT'S WILLING TO LISTEN AND JUST, YOU KNOW, DISMISS THOSE THAT'S NOT WILLING TO LISTEN AND THEY JUST WANNA FORM AN OPINION BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T HELP ANYBODY.
THOSE ARE SOME GREAT SUGGESTIONS IN TERMS OF, THAT WOULD BE, UM, SORT OF SOME SPECIFIC ACTIONS TO TAKE IF WHAT OF YOUR GOAL AREA WOULD BE AROUND SORT OF MAKE ENGAGING CITIZENS FOR BETTER GOVERNANCE OR SOMETHING.
UM, AND ONE OF THEM MIGHT BE IN TERMS OF OUTREACH MIGHT BE AN OBJECTIVE, RIGHT? TO OFFER THE SPECIFICS STANDING IN THE WAY, THE DEFINITION AND PROVIDE INDICATION OF HOW WELL GOALS ARE BEING MET.
AND THEN TACTICS WHICH REALLY DESCRIBE THOSE STEPS.
YOU KNOW, MAKING CHOICES ABOUT HOW DO YOU WANT TO DO THAT.
UM, AND WHETHER IT'S OPEN HOUSES FOR INSTANCE, THAT'S A LEVEL OF, I CALL THEM SORT OF NESTING, RIGHT? SO YOUR GOAL MIGHT BE BIGGER, YOUR OBJECTIVES WOULD BE LESS BIG, AND YOUR ACTIONS WOULD BE MUCH MORE DETAILED AND MUCH MORE SHORT TERM.
AND, AND IN THIS PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN, THE GOALS, MISSION, VISION, AND THE VALUES, THOSE ARE PROBABLY GONNA BE, LIKE I SAID, NOT UP FOR MAYBE TWEAKING, BUT NOT UP FOR DISCUSSION AND WHOLESALE REVAMPING ALL THAT.
OFTEN YOUR OBJECTIVE, HOWEVER, YOU SHOULD BE REACHING THESE AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OR WHATEVER THE TIMEFRAME IS, AND YOUR ACTIONS SHOULD BE ON A TIMETABLE AS WELL.
SO THESE PIECES WILL DEFINITELY SHIFT AND IT MIGHT INFLUENCE GOALS.
AND OF COURSE, AS YOU GO BACK EVERY HOWEVER THAT OFTEN THAT IS THEN I MIGHT SUGGEST EVERY YEAR, NO MORE THAN TWO TO GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR PLAN AND SEE WHAT SHIFTED IN THE ENVIRONMENT THAT MAYBE TO INFLUENCE THESE GOALS OR THESE OBJECTIVES FOR THESE ACTIONS.
UM, SO I LOVE THAT IDEA OF THE ONLINE.
I LOOKED AT MARIAH LIKE, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA, GREAT STUDENT PROJECT.
UM, WE, WE HAVE SO'S ANOTHER SOURCE STUDENT SELF-PROMOTION.
THE SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT RUNS THIS PROGRAM CALLED LEAD FOR NORTH CAROLINA AND IT'S UNDERGRADS THAT WE'RE HOPING TO INFLUENCE, UM, AND INTRODUCE TO, UM, LOCAL GOVERNMENT WORK.
AND MANY OF THEM GO ON AND THEN APPLY FOR OUR PUBLIC, OUR MASTER'S IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND GO ON TO WORK IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
UM, BUT THEY ARE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COSTS ARE, BUT THEY'RE BASICALLY STUDENT HELP.
UM, THAT'S AVAILABLE AS A PERFECT KIND OF PROJECT FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO CONVERT WHAT YOU HAVE INTO AN ONLINE FORMAT.
UM, SO JUST SAY THERE'S RESOURCES.
UM, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY ALL COST MONEY, UM, TO DO SOME OF THESE THINGS.
SO YOU BEGAN TO REALLY, UM, WHAT WE ARE GONNA DO WITH THIS INFORMATION IS TAKE IT BACK, UM, AND DO A LITTLE MORE ANALYSIS.
UM, AND AGAIN, PUT IT IN A FORMAT, FIND THE COMMON THEMES AND YOU'LL HAVE A CHANCE AGAIN TO SEE IT AGAIN.
AND, AND WE DON'T WANNA SPEND A LOT OF TIME WORDSMITHING IN THIS, IN THESE SESSIONS.
UM, BUT, BUT AT SOME POINT WE WILL WORK TO GET IT JUST WHERE YOU WANT IT TO BE.
UM, BUT ALREADY IT'S BEGINNING TO SEE, WELL, LET ME ASK THIS QUESTION.
IN THE WORK THAT YOU DID, DID YOU FIND THINGS THAT MAYBE STILL DON'T FIT IN THESE CATEGORIES BUT MIGHT FIT IN THE GOAL AREAS? YES.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GONNA GO NEXT, UM, IS TO REALLY, UM, DIG IN AND SEE WHAT THE GOAL AREAS COULD BE.
BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, UM, I WANT TO, UM, SPEND SOME TIME LOOKING AT WHAT THE GOLD BUCKETS BECAUSE, UM, IF YOU TELL ME THAT THE GOAL IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, I WOULD SAY THAT'S A GOAL AREA OR A GOAL BUCKET, THAT IS NOT A GOAL TO ME, A GOAL REALLY NEEDS TO BE A STATEMENT OF KIND OF WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT OUTTA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT, UM, UH, A, A, A DIVERSE, UM, PROFILE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPTION OR ECONOMIC OPTIONS FOR YOUR COMMUNITY, UM, SO THAT EVERYBODY CAN BE EMPLOYED TO BE, THAT MIGHT BE A MORE COMPLETE CONDITION AND A GOAL.
I'M JUST MAKING THIS UP, UM, VERSUS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UM, SO WHAT I WANNA FOCUS ON IS REALLY KIND OF WHAT ARE THE BIG BUCKETS THAT YOU MAYBE SAW OR WHAT WE SAW ACTUALLY COMING
[01:15:01]
OUT OF THIS.UM, AND AGAIN, SORT OF THE, THE GOAL IS REALLY THE DESIRED CHANGE THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, THE PRIORITY TO ACHIEVE.
UM, I THINK ABOUT IT AS AN OUTCOME.
YOU MENTIONED AN OUTCOME THIS MORNING IN YOUR OPENING PRAYER.
UM, THINKING ABOUT IF YOU WERE SUCCESSFUL, WHAT WOULD YOU WANNA HAVE HAPPEN IN THAT AREA VERSUS THE OBJECTIVE, WHICH IS GET, AGAIN, JUST GETTING MORE SPECIFIC.
UM, SO HERE, FOR INSTANCE, AND THE, AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE I SHARED THE LAST TIME, ENSURING THE ECONOMIC FUTURE OF THE LUMBER RIVER COG BY INCREASING INCOME AND OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES.
THIS WAS AN INWARD LOOK FOR THEM, UM, OR AN INCREASED ENGAGEMENT, UH, COG MEMBERS ARE AWARE OF AND KNOW HOW TO ACCESS COG SERVICES.
THOSE ARE STATEMENTS, AND THOSE ARE SORT OF GOAL, GOAL GOAL AREAS WITH A DEFINITION, WHICH IS THE WAY I, I LIKE TO DO THIS.
SHARING REGIONAL RESOURCES REALIZED COST EFFICIENCIES, EFFICIENCIES FOR MEMBER GOVERNMENTS BY FACILITATING MORE JOINT ACTIVITIES AND OR SERVICES.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE THERE WOULD JUST BE MORE THINGS THAT COME OUT OF THAT.
SO WHEN MARIAH DID THE, UH, ANALYSIS OF YOUR NOTES FROM THE LAST TIME SHE CAME UP WITH THESE SIX THEMES THAT WERE EMERGING, UM, SAFE AND WELCOMING, IMPROVED COMMUNITY PROSPERITY, UM, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, GREAT PLACE TO WORK, EXCELLENT SERVICE DELIVERY, AND PLANNING FOR A VIBRANT FUTURE.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS DISCUSSION IN YOUR GROUPS ABOUT THOSE, UM, OR IF YOU FEEL THAT THESE ARE INDICATIVE OF KIND OF WHERE WHAT YOU DISCUSSED.
AND THE REASON I'M PUTTING THESE UP, AND THEN I'M GONNA OFFER ANOTHER SET TO LOOK AT IS THAT I'D LIKE FOR US TO AT LEAST HAVE THE GOAL BUCKET AREAS IDENTIFIED BY THE END OF THE DAY, UM, MAYBE EVEN SOME MORE SPECIFICITY AROUND WHAT THAT MEANS AND WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE SUCCESS.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA GET FAR DOWN THE ROAD IN TERMS OF A WELL-DEVELOPED GOAL AT THIS POINT, UM, BECAUSE THEN WE'RE GONNA TURN OUR ATTENTION, UH, TO THE DISCUSSION ABOUT ENGAGEMENT AND HOW MUCH WE WANT AND WITH WHOM, ET CETERA.
UM, BUT I DO THINK IT'D BE IMPORTANT IF WE COULD KIND OF COME UP WITH THE GOLD BUCKETS TODAY, UM, SO THAT MAYBE THE ENGAGEMENT COULD BE AROUND THOSE GOLD BUCKETS.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? AND THEN THE LAST THING I NEED TO SAY, BECAUSE MR. PRILL REMINDED ME THAT MAYBE I WASN'T VERY CLEAR, UM, WHEN WE SET THIS DATE LAST TIME, UH, WE SET ASIDE A WHOLE DAY, HOWEVER, I HAD DESIGNED THE AGENDA FOR JUST THE BOARD THIS MORNING, AND THEN YOU CAN GO ON AND DO YOUR OTHER THINGS.
UM, AND WE'LL CONTINUE WITH DEPARTMENT HEAD DIRECTION, UH, DISCUSSIONS THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WAS, THAT WAS CLEAR FOR EVERYBODY.
SO LEST YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD TO BE HERE TILL FOUR OR FIVE, NOT TODAY.
UM, SO I'LL JUST OFFER THIS OTHER SET.
UM, AND IT'S FROM, UM, A BUDGET STIMULATION EXERCISE THAT THE SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT DEVELOPED IT'S ALMOST A DOZEN YEARS AGO AT THIS POINT.
AND WE USE IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.
ONE OF THEM, UM, IS IN CITIZENS ACADEMIES.
SO IN YOUR NEW BERN 1 0 1, FOR INSTANCE, UM, I THINK IT'S A PERFECT WAY TO USE IT.
WELL, WE USED TO, WE DON'T, RIGHT AT THE MOMENT, USE IT WITH NEWLY ELECTED FOLKS WHERE IF YOU COME TO ESSENTIALS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, UM, TRAINING AS A NEWLY ELECTED UM, UH, LEADER, UH, YOU HAVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT YOU TALK ABOUT DURING THAT DAY OR DAY AND A HALF WHEN IT USED TO BE TWO FULL DAYS, WE WOULD CAPSTONE IT WITH THIS DISCUSSION OF GROUND BUDGET OPOLIS.
IT'S A BUDGET STIMULATION WHERE YOU HAVE, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEFINE YOUR COMMUNITY BY PICKING FROM THESE SUGGESTED 10 COMMUNITY VALUES.
UM, AND THEN YOU ARE PUT IN GROUPS OF AS ELECTED BODY AND ASK TO MAKE DECISIONS, UM, ABOUT BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS.
SO EITHER BUDGET CUTS OR REVENUE, UM, RAISING TAXES OR RAISING CERTAIN REVENUES, UM, OR PULLING OUT OF YOUR RESERVE.
SO IT'S DESIGNED TO REALLY, UM, RAMP UP THE PRESSURE AND THINK ABOUT THE VARIOUS STRATEGIES THAT YOU WANT TO EMPLOY THE PURPOSE FOR TELLING YOU ABOUT THAT.
AND, AND AS AN EDUCATION TOOL IN THE CITIZENS ACADEMY, YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT COULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO TALK ABOUT A BUDGET IN A GAME.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE FUN AND YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT BUDGET, IN MY MIND THAT'S A PRETTY BIG WIN.
UM, AND IT'S VERY ENGAGING FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
SO I THINK THAT'S, UM, THAT'S A REALLY GREAT USE FOR IT.
THE REASON I PUT THEM UP HERE IS BECAUSE THESE ARE THE ONES THAT WE TYPICALLY START WITH.
AND AS WE BUILT THE GAME A DOZEN YEARS AGO, IT WAS, WHAT ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS, UM, AND I WOULD SAY THESE COULD BE GOAL BUCKET AREAS, UM, THAT COMMUNITIES USUALLY FOCUS ON.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT IS ON THE LIST, UM, HERE ON THE LEFT.
UM, FULL EMPLOYMENT, SAFE AND SECURE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, THAT MAY ALREADY BE UP THERE.
CLEANING GREEN ENVIRONMENT, PHYSICALLY AND CULTURALLY ENGAGED RESIDENTS, AFFORDABLE AND SAFE HOUSING, WHICH I HAVEN'T SEEN MUCH AT ALL,
[01:20:01]
UM, IN YOUR, UH, WORK SO FAR AROUND HOUSING.SO THAT WAS ONE THING I NOTED THAT WAS, WAS THAT WAS DIFFERENT.
I WAS, I WAS ACTUALLY JUST GONNA BRING THAT UP.
SO HISTORICALLY, THE CITY OF NEW VERNON HAS HAD ZERO INVOLVEMENT TO MY KNOWLEDGE WITH HOUSING.
I MEAN, NO INVOLVEMENT AT ALL.
WE DON'T GET INVOLVED WITH THAT OTHER THAN FROM A LAND USE AND A DEVELOPMENT SERVICE STANDPOINT FROM PERMIT.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT COMES UP A LOT, BUT I FEEL LIKE THAT MAY BE ONE OF THOSE EDUCATIONAL PIECES WHERE THE PUBLIC HAS THIS MISCONCEPTION THAT THE CITY HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH PROVIDING AFFORDABLE AND SAFE HOUSING.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE FOR THE CITY.
OBVIOUSLY STATUTE ALLOWS US TO GET INVOLVED WITH HOUSING IF WE WANT TO, BUT TO ME, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STRATEGIC PLAN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THIS BOARD PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE THINKING ABOUT, HOW INVOLVED WE WANT TO GET INVOLVED WITH THAT.
YEAH, AND IT COULD ALSO BE ONE THAT IN, IN A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CONVERSATION COULD BE ONE YOU COULD TEST THE WATERS ON, UH, AS WELL IN TERMS OF WHAT, WHAT THE PER PERCEPTIONS ARE AROUND THAT.
UM, AND THERE ARE A VARIETY OF WAYS YOU COULD GET INVOLVED.
MAYBE NOT JUMPING IN COMPLETELY, UH, YOU KNOW, PUT YOUR TOE IN OR PARTNER.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS YOU COULD DO THAT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING I NOTICED THAT WASN'T ON YOUR LIST IN YOUR DISCUSSION SO FAR.
UM, LIVABLE AND WELL MAINTAINED NEIGHBORHOODS, FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE FINANCES, THAT ONE WAS ALL OVER.
UM, WELL MAINTAINED STREETS NURTURING AND FAMILY FRIENDLY, CITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT GROWTH.
AND I KNOW WHEN I READ THROUGH THE NOTES, I SAW THINGS ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, IN THERE AS WELL.
SO I, I OFFERED IT ONLY AS A CONVERSATION STARTER.
UM, AND THE MAYOR HAS ALREADY SORT RAISED ONE THING THAT HE SEES ON THIS LIST THAT MAY BE FOR CONSIDERATION HERE, UM, AND DISCUSSION.
UM, BUT ALSO JUST TO SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD ACTUALLY MEAN SOME OF THESE THINGS IN WHAT YOU HAVE IN THIS THEMATIC REPRESENTATION OVER HERE.
SO I'M CURIOUS, UM, WHAT, WHAT FEEDBACK YOU MIGHT HAVE, BECAUSE AGAIN, WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO IS KIND OF PULL OUT THE GOLD BUCKET AREAS.
HOW DO THESE COMMUNITY VALUES DIFFER FROM THE ASPIRATIONS? UM, I THINK THAT THEY, HOW DO, HOW DOES THE NOTION OF A COMMUNITY VALUE DIFFER? FROM DIFFER? YEAH.
FOR THE THINGS THAT WE HAD, UH, PRESENTED, I WOULD SAY THAT THAT IS KIND OF WHAT WE WERE DRIVING TOWARDS WAS THE ASPIRATIONS, UH, OF, OF GOAL AREAS WITH THAT QUESTION AND THAT ASPIRATIONS.
AND HOW DO THE SPECIFIC ONES, I, I'M, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT IS HOW MUCH, HOW THEY MAY BE DIFFERENT.
A LOT OF THE ONES ON THE LEFT SIDE THOUGH THAT I CAME UP WITH, THOSE CATEGORIES OF GOAL AREAS CAME FROM THE SOAR EXERCISE WE DID, WE DID LAST TIME OF TRYING TO GROUP THINGS TOGETHER, UM, IN A WAY THAT MADE SENSE TO ME AT LEAST.
DOES SO WHAT MAKES SENSE TO, TO YOU ALL IN TERMS OF WHAT THE AREAS MIGHT BE? I THINK JUST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ONES THAT WE HAVE ON THE LEFT SIDE REALLY HAVE A LOT OF CONTEXT AND DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAVE HAD AS BOARD MEMBERS AND DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, SAFE AND OR IMPROVED COMMUNITY PROSPERITY.
THE SECOND ONE THERE, I MEAN, TO ME THAT INCLUDES FULL EMPLOYMENT.
THAT INCLUDES SOME OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT INCLUDES THE AFFORDABLE AND SAFE HOUSING, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE CONFINES OF WHAT THE MAYOR HAS SAID.
SO TO ME, THE ONES ON THE LEFT SIDE HAVE A LOT OF CONTEXT ALREADY FOR US, AND WE KIND OF KNOW HOW WE DEFINE THOSE ALREADY AS WELL.
IS FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, AND YOU'VE MADE A POINT THAT I THINK IS WHAT PEOPLE IS, WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT AS YOU DIG DOWN INTO WHAT THESE ACTUALLY MEAN, MAYBE YOU HAVE SUB SOME OF THESE SUBSUMED, THESE, THESE OTHERS ON, ON THE LEFT, ON THE, YOUR LEFT.
YOUR, TO ME, I DON'T HOW, AGAIN, I, I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE I DON'T WANNA GO OFF ON A PAGE.
IT IS A, IT IS A START, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST MAYBE WHAT WE DO IS START THEN WITH THIS, THIS AS OUR HEADERS.
AND IF THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU FIND, AGAIN, MINING THE DATA THAT YOU'VE ALREADY GENERATED, IF YOU FIND THAT SOMETHING DOESN'T FIT OR YOU NEED TO STRETCH THE DEFINITION MAYBE
[01:25:01]
TOO FAR, AND THAT, THAT WOULD THEN ARGUE THAT THERE MAY BE SOMETHING ELSE BUCKLING UP TO THE LEVEL OF A GOAL BUCKET THAT DOESN'T FIT HERE, UM, THE WAY I WOULD THINK ABOUT IT.SO ARE WE OKAY WITH STARTING? UM, 'CAUSE WHAT I WANT TO DO, I'M GONNA TAKE A BREAK AND THEN WE'RE GONNA, UM, AGAIN PUT YOU INTO GROUPS, BUT WE'RE GONNA DO A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY THIS TIME.
UM, I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS A, UM, AN ADMINISTRATIVE PERSON IN WITH EACH, EACH GROUP OF, UM, BOARD FOLKS.
HOW MANY, WHAT DID I SAY? SORRY.
I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU IN A SECOND, BUT WE'LL HAVE THE, THE, A GROUP OF BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION AND THEN WE'LL TAKE THESE SIX AREAS.
AND ONE OF THE FEEDBACK YOU ALL GAVE LAST TIME WAS, OH, WE BROKE UP.
WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY PAY ATTENTION TO OUR EXPERTISE THIS TIME.
SO AS DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT WHERE YOU WANNA STAND, IF THESE ARE THE SIX GOAL AREAS YOU'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, WHICH ONE, UM, ARE YOU MOST ALIGNED WITH IN TERMS OF YOUR EXPERTISE, BECAUSE I'M GONNA HAVE YOU STAND BY THAT SPOT, UM, AS, AS THE PAIR OF BOARD AND ADMIN FOLKS GO AROUND AND CONTRIBUTE TO THIS DISCUSSION ON THAT GOAL AREA.
SO, UM, CHIEF POLICE CHIEF, IF YOU'D LIKE TO STAND BY THE SAFE AND WELCOMING COMMUNITY, THAT'S MY GUESS IS WHERE THAT'S WHERE YOU ARE THE RESOURCE PERSON FOR THAT, UM, THAT PARTICULAR AREA.
UM, IF YOU ARE, WELL, KIMBERLY'S NOT HERE, BUT IF YOU ARE A FINANCE PERSON, IF YOU WANNA STAND BY THE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, UM, AND THEN GREAT PLACE TO WORK, THAT'S KIND OF A WIDE OPEN.
SO BACK TO YOUR POINT, HOW DO YOU ALL DEFINE THAT ONE? I WAS CURIOUS, WHERE IS THE GREAT PLACE TO WORK? THE CITY AS AN OPERATION OR THE CITY OF NEWMAN AS A WHOLE? YEAH, I THINK WHEN I WAS USING THAT, THAT PHRASE I WAS THINKING INTERNALLY OF, YOU KNOW, HAVING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO IF WE USE THAT DEFINITION THAT COULD HELP US THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU WANNA PUT IN THAT THEN EXCELLENT SERVICE DELIVERY, I MEAN, TO ME THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE OF VALUE.
UM, WHAT, WHAT WAS WHEN YOU CREATED THAT, UM, IS THERE ANOTHER WAY TO SLICE WHAT WENT UNDER THERE? YEAH, I THINK IT WAS A LOT OF THE CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, LIKE EFFICIENCY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT CUSTOMER SERVICE ORIENTATION AS WELL, KIND OF A COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO.
SO IN SOME WAYS THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY, I, I COULD MAKE AN ARGUMENT FOR INSTANCE, AND I'M NOT SURE I WILL TODAY, BUT THAT THESE THREE THINGS COULD SOMEHOW BE THAT FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, THE GREAT PLACE TO WORK, AND THE SERVICE DELIVERY COULD ACTUALLY BE AN INTERNALLY, LIKE AN ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE KIND OF BIG GOAL.
UH, IN WHICH CASE THEN YOU, YOU, YOU WOULD HAVE, YOU WERE TO WORK WITH, UM, OTHER, AND IF WE DID SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHAT WOULD YOU MISS, IF ANYTHING OBVIOUS? AND FOR YOU ALL ON THE BACK WHERE YOU HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN THIS, COULD YOU SEE YOURSELF IN THESE THINGS? UM, I, I DON'T REALLY WANT TO COLLAPSE THEM NOW.
LET'S, LET'S KEEP THEM SEPARATE FOR NOW AND THEN WE'LL SEE WHERE WE GO WITH THAT.
HOW'S THAT? UM, BUT ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IT WAS A GREAT QUESTION ABOUT WHAT IS THE FOCUS ON THAT? SO THAT WAS AN INTERNAL FOCUS.
ARE THERE OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THESE GET DEFINED? AND YOU MAY WANNA TALK ABOUT THIS EVEN AS YOU WALK AROUND AND ADD TO IT.
SO I'M STRUGGLING WITH THAT EXCELLENT SERVICE DELIVERY.
AND THE REASON WHY I'M STRUGGLING WITH THAT IS NOT THAT THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT, THAT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, BUT THE TERM EXCELLENT IS SUCH A SUBJECTIVE TERM.
SO IF I HAVE A GOAL AND THE GOAL OUGHT TO BE MEASURABLE, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU MEASURE EXCELLENCE, YOU CAN MEASURE, INCREASE THE EXCELLENCE MAYBE, OR INCREASE SERVICE DELIVERY.
UM, SO IN TERMS OF A GOAL, I GOTTA MEASURE IT.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MEASURE JUST THOSE THREE WORDS NOW THAT JUST COULD BE A HEADER.
AND BELOW THAT THERE'S AN EXPLANATION.
UM, I HAVE, I ABSOLUTELY WOULD SAY THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE, UH, JUST LIKE THE PLAN THAT I SHOWED, SORT OF HAS THE AREA, AND I, I KIND OF AGREE, I'M NOT SURE I WOULD PUT EXCELLENT IN THAT AREA, BUT I WOULD USE A SENTENCE TO DEFINE THAT.
AND THEN I MIGHT PUT THE MORE MEASURABLE PIECES
[01:30:01]
AS OBJECTIVES UNDERNEATH THAT.SO WRITING, WRITING SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY VERY CLEAR.
IDENTIFYING WHAT THE CHANGE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE AREA IS YOU'RE GONNA FOCUS ON, MAYBE WHAT THE CHANGE IS, MAYBE WHAT THE TIMEFRAME, YOU KNOW, USING THOSE SMART, UM, OBJECTIVES IN THAT WAY.
UM, LET'S, SO I, IT IS A GOOD QUESTION AND I THINK WHAT I WOULD ASK IS THAT WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU WALK AROUND FOR THESE AREAS, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS LIKE THAT FOR CLARIFICATION, LET'S JUST TRY TO GET IT ALL IN.
I MEAN, THE, THE, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO WRITE ALL OF THIS TOGETHER AS A GROUP, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO CAPTURE AS MUCH INFORMATION FROM YOU AS WE CAN.
SO WE CAN GO BACK THEN AND PULL OUT AND THEN PUT IT BACK OUT THERE FOR YOU TO SEE IF WE CAPTURED IT CORRECTLY.
UM, SO A ANY NOTES THAT YOU HAVE AROUND QUESTIONS FOR CLARIFICATION OR, UM, DEFINITIONS FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO ADD, UM, TO THAT.
SO WHY DON'T WE TAKE ABOUT A 15 MINUTE BREAK, WE'LL SET THIS NEXT EXERCISE UP AND THEN I'LL GIVE YOU SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT WHAT TO DO.
SO I HAVE FIVE TILL, SO A 10 AFTER.
SO I'M GONNA ASK YOU AGAIN TO GO IN, IN GROUPS OF, UM, TWO OR THREE, UH, A MIX OF BOARD MEMBERS AND, UM, ADMINISTRATORS HERE.
AND THE SIX, THERE ARE SIX STATIONS, IF YOU WILL, UM, AROUND THE ROOM, UM, THAT MIMIC THESE SAFE AND WELCOMING THROUGH THE PLANNING FOR A VIBRANT FUTURE.
AND WE'VE ASKED YOU TO REALLY TAKE A LOOK AT TWO THINGS.
UM, REALLY NOW WE'VE EXPANDED IT TO THREE THINGS.
SO THE FIRST PAGE IS OFFERING YOUR DEFINITION.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THAT IS INTERNAL TO THE CITY OR IN PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER YOU THINK THAT THAT MEANS, WHICH WE'RE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO JUST KIND OF CREATE THAT SENTENCE THAT GOES UNDER THAT BUCKET AREA FROM THE ELEMENTS THAT YOU'RE GONNA PUT ON THERE.
SO HOW DO YOU DEFINE THAT? THERE'S ALSO A COLUMN ON THAT FIRST PAGE FOR QUESTIONS.
LIKE, WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE? YOU HAVE A RESOURCE PERSON, UM, WHICH WILL BE YOUR DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS HOPEFULLY STATING THERE.
YOU MIGHT ASK THOSE QUESTIONS, UM, AND THEY GET ASKED AND ANSWERED.
I WOULD ASK THAT THE, THAT YOU AS A STAFF JUST MAKE A NOTE SO WE KNOW WHAT THE QUESTIONS ARE AND TO BE ABLE TO ANTICIPATE THOSE.
UM, OR IF WE CAN'T AN ANSWER THEM, WRITE OUT THE QUESTIONS.
BUT THEN THE TWO PIECES THAT ARE REALLY CRITICAL I THINK IS WHAT ARE THE CHANGES THAT YOU SEEK IN THAT GOAL AREA? YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU HOPE WILL BE DIFFERENT? WHAT DO YOU WANNA INFLUENCE TO BE DIFFERENT IN THAT AREA? AND THEN HOW ARE YOU GONNA KNOW WHEN YOU'VE ACHIEVED SUCCESS IN THAT AREA? OKAY, SO REALLY THAT'S AGAIN, TRYING TO KIND OF SHIFT FROM THINKING ABOUT THE WAY IT IS NOW, BUT WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES THAT YOU'RE HOPING TO CREATE AND HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU'VE GOTTEN THERE? UH, SO, UM, I DUNNO IF I NEED TO DO AN EXAMPLE THE, FOR THE FIRST ONE HERE, FOR A WELCOMING COMMUNITY, UM, AND IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING LIKE HOW YOU HOPE WILL BE DIFFERENT.
UM, AGAIN, THAT MAKES A JUDGMENT AND I DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THIS WOULD BE.
SO THINKING ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT, THAT NEWCOMERS FEEL, UM, THAT THEY UNDERSTAND, UM, UH, WHAT'S AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY AND THAT THEY FEEL APPRECIATED AS NEW MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
YEAH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT EXAMPLE.
UM, SO FOR LIKE THE TALENT APEX, FOR EXAMPLE, A WELCOMING COMMUNITY IS ONE OF OUR PILLARS.
AND A BIG PART OF THAT IS LIKE, UH, CULTURAL AWARENESS AND ACTIVITIES.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE A CRICKET PITCH BECAUSE WE HAVE THE SOUTH ASIAN POPULATION.
SO THAT'S LIKE KIND OF THE ROLE THEY WERE THINKING OF, OF WHAT DOES WELCOMING COMMUNITY MEAN? IT MEANS THAT PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT PLACES, BECAUSE WE HAVE A VERY DIVERSE POPULATION, THERE HAVE A PLACE WHERE THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEIR CULTURAL ASPECTS.
SO ACTIVITIES, UM, BUT MAYBE A WELCOMING COMMUNITY MEANS SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
UM, THAT'S ONE OF THOSE VERY BROAD TERMS. SO SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT HERE.
SO I'M GONNA ASK YOU THEN, DO YOU HAVE A MARKER OF SUCCESS THAT YOU WOULD LIST FOR THAT ONE IN APEX? UM, I THINK, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW WE WE'RE STILL IN OUR FIRST YEAR, SO WE'RE ABOUT A YEAR AHEAD OF YOU GUYS RIGHT NOW.
AND SO LOOKING AT THAT IS, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE MEASURE IS LIKE OUR GREENWAYS, OUR PARKS AND HOW MUCH PEOPLE ARE PARTICIPATING.
UM, BUT BECAUSE THAT'S A BIG PART OF OUR COMMUNITY THERE.
UM, SO WE MEASURE LIKE ATTENDANCE OF THESE PARKS AND ATTENDANCE OF EVENTS.
WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT CULTURAL EVENTS AND APEX IS A LITTLE OVERWHELMING, HONESTLY.
AND SO MEASURING ATTENDANCE AT THOSE THINGS OF LIKE, OH, WE HAVE A HISPANIC HERITAGE EVENT.
WAS THERE, WERE PEOPLE ATTENDING? WAS IT SOMETHING THEY'RE INTERESTED IN? OR DO WE NEED TO FOCUS ON SOMETHING ELSE? AND IT MAY BE THAT EVEN YOUR COMMUNITY, I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU DO THIS, BUT YOU COULD, UH, DO, UH, SORT
[01:35:01]
OF A COMMUNITY IMPRESSIONS SURVEYS PERIODICALLY.UM, AND THOSE ARE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU COULD ASK, DO YOU FEEL WELCOME IN YOUR COMMUNITY? UM, AND, AND YOU COULD USE THAT AS A MEASURE OF SUCCESS.
THAT WOULD NOT BE SOMETHING YOU WOULD NECESSARILY DO EVERY, EVERY YEAR, UM, BUT MAYBE PERIODICALLY AND IN THE CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE FOR INSTANCE, DOES THAT MM-HMM,
UM, SO THOSE ARE THE TWO REALLY BIG PIECES, BUT OBVIOUSLY THE, THE DEFINITIONS ARE FOUNDATIONAL.
AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS HAVE YOU, UM, AGAIN, IN A PAIR, BUT THEN THE RESOURCE EXPERT OR THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR WOULD BE THERE.
UM, AND YOU STAY BY ONE OF YOUR SIX STATIONS AND THE PAIRS ROTATE AROUND AND MAKE COMMENTS.
UM, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? BECAUSE I WANT YOU ALL TO GET TO ALL SIX OF THEM.
SO, UM, I'M GOING TO, AND EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE A MARKER IF YOU DON'T ASK ME AND I'LL GET YOU ONE.
UM, SO I'M GONNA ASK YOU DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS TO STAND BY YOUR STATIONS AND THEN FOR YOU ALL TO MAKE PAIRS.
AND I'M GONNA GIVE YOU, I'M GONNA, IT'S GONNA HAVE TO GO FAST.
IT'S PROBABLY NO MORE THAN FIVE MINUTES, UM, AT, AT EACH STATION.
SO I'LL GIVE YOU A FIVE MINUTE CALL, UM, IF YOU NEED IT.
SO GROUPS
I DON'T HOW DO IT? YES, WE HAVE TWO BACK HERE POINT.
BRENDA, ARE YOU GONNA PARTICIPATE? I THINK THAT'S YOU RIGHT THERE.
SO ONE OR TWO PERSONS WE HAVE GONNA GIVE US WHATEVER WHICH PART FOR NO, THE GROUP FOLKS.
YEAH, JUST BECAUSE I WANT YOU, I WANT YOU ALL HERE.
T SERVICE DELIVERY, INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL SERVICE.