City Council Minutes 2017 08 29 - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council Meeting Minutes August 29, 2017 Page 3 of 8 conversation revolved around some of the same previous comments about using the city manager as the filter for requests from the public, from council, and from boards. Staff stated they would like the manager to set boundaries with boards and allow staff the time they need to complete their normal work load. Staff noted their plates keep getting full with multiple requests and they want a city manager who can say no and prioritize work. Councilmember Leh stated the city manager is supposed to hold people accountable, but was there a sense that employees want more management of directors Ramos stated she heard no direct comments about directors Councilmember Loo stated the staff data sounds like there are a lot of dissatisfied staff members. The idea that staff doesn't want to be contacted afterhours made her angry because Council and the city manager work many hours at all times Ramos noted the comment was really that staff wants to be responsive, but there needs to be some reasonableness about when staff is expected to respond Ramos stated what a new city manager can do is to get a higher level of positive engagement She noted staff likes their fobs and their citizens but don't want Council in their day to day business. Councilmember Loo noted the city manager needs to tell both council and staff what the other expects and what pressures they face. Councilmember Leh noted the goal is to look forward with this information not backward. He noted the word visionary was used a lot and he asked if that is what Council wants versus more of a caretaker in the city manager position He stated Council should be setting the vision, not so much the city manager Ramos stated one citizen did ask for a problem solver, a project manager, not a visionary Many respondents noted they want the council to set the vision and city manager to translate that vision into daily work. Many wanted someone who is about big picture thinking that will get results. Mayor Pro Tem Lipton stated he wants someone with vision but it needs to be someone who can help develop a shared vision with the Council and be collaborative in the process. Ramos stated that on the staff side people are looking for organizational vision from the city manager. Councilmember Maloney stated the vision has to be shared between Council and the city manager and then the city manager can execute it Mayor Pro Tem Lipton wants someone who can help the community create a vision and then execute it. Councilmember Stolzmann sees the position as facilitating a community vision Ramos summed up the conversation as: the Council wants someone who can be collaborative and consensus based in developing a shared vision with the Council.