Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-02-23 Special Minutes - City Council Retreat City of Tukwila City Council Annual Council Retreat Retreat Notes Suquamish Clearwater Resort – Suquamish, Washington February 23, 2008 – 8:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. – Chief Seattle Meeting Room February 24, 2008 – 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Chief Seattle Meting Room PRESENT Electeds: Jim Haggerton, Mayor; Joe Duffie, Council President; Joan Hernandez; Pam Linder; Dennis Robertson; Verna Griffin, Kathy Hougardy and De’Sean Quinn Staff: Rhonda Berry and Kimberly Matej SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2008 How to Make the Most of Your Meetings A four-hour workshop was presented Guila Muir of Muir & Associates. Ms. Muir specializes in training trainers, presenters and facilitators on how to make a difference in meetings. The workshop focused on: Creating and utilizing outcome based agendas Agreement and guidelines for meetings made known to all participants Orchestrating the meeting process for the need of a content expert and/or a facilitator Decision making rules and clarity on the decision-making process Ms. Muir spoke on the need for meetings to result in an outcome. In turn, if an outcome or change cannot be determined as a result of the meeting, the meeting should not be held. Roles and Responsibilities of Councilmembers & A Bit About Process Kimberly provided several handouts regarding the roles and responsibilities of councilmembers for everyone to insert into their retreat binders. Highlights included: Setting Policy Adopting Policy Council Powers Responding to Citizen Complaints Council and Staff Communication Practical Advice form Other Electeds Common Questions and Answers Summary of Differentiating Roles of Mayor and Council An overview of process as outlined in the Tukwila Municipal Code (TMC) was also discussed. Items included: Agenda Procedures Council Committees Executive Sessions After the discussion, Kimberly identified a need for a single source that Councilmembers could rely on for specific information regarding policies and procedures pertaining to Council. The TMC is not the most appropriate place to outline such detailed information. Additionally, the City Attorney has commented that Council Retreat Notes February 23- 24, 2008 – Page 2 several areas of the TMC related to Council could be updated to streamline processes. The group was in agreement that it would be beneficial for the creation of a Council policy and procedure manual to be added to Kimberly’s workload. The Mayor Role and Using Staff Effectively Jim and Rhonda spoke about the responsibilities of both the mayoral and city administrator positions. Jim discussed the importance of open communication and shared some of his goals for the upcoming year. The group was reminded that all department heads report to Rhonda as the City Administrator. Therefore, any concerns, workload impacts, etc involving staff should be directed to Rhonda. Additionally, although Mayor Haggerton welcomes an open and interactive environment between Council and department heads, he discussed his preference not to challenge staff to labor intensive requests without support by the full Council. Jim encouraged all Councilmembers, especially those who are new, to take and participate in field trips relating to City issues whenever possible. He stated that interactive field trips can significantly improve a person’s ability to understand issues from different sides. Accomplishing 2008 Council Goals Staff facilitated a work session for Councilmembers to provide suggestions and specific action-based examples on how to accomplish each goal. Additionally, they determined the Council Committee each goal would be assigned to for tracking and follow-up. 1.Seek out opportunities for Councilmembers to further their knowledge, experience and awareness of the different cultures represented within the Tukwila community. Action Items Host and attend The Refugee Project: Walk In My Shoes. Attend Latino Parent Night and other culturally based school meetings. Host a council work session with a guest speaker regarding cultural issues within the Muslim community (invite other interested participants: i.e. police, fire, parks and recreation). Research King County’s upcoming social equity initiative. Committee Assignmen t Community Affairs and Parks 2.Support programs and services that provide a sense of stability, community and unity throughout Tukwila’s residential neighborhoods. Action Items Host a Council Chat at a local coffee shop every Saturday for three months from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Committee Assignment Community Affairs and Parks 3.Work together in cooperation with nearby cities to address common problems in the Highway 99 corridor and Military Road. Action Items Talk with the City of SeaTac about the possibility of hosting a joint Town Hall meeting to identify some common issues in the corridor. Committee Assignment Finance and Safety 4.Provide legislative support and encouragement to Tukwila residents living in rental communities through programs that hold owners and/or property managers accountable for providing safe places to live through the implementation of a rental licensing program. Council Retreat Notes February 23- 24, 2008 – Page 3 Action Items Staff is working on this program that would be useful to the City. Currently, there are no Council action items applicable to accomplishing this goal. Committee Assignment Community Affairs and Parks 5.Approve a development agreement that benefits the City and facilitates the annexation of Tukwila Valley South. Action Items Staff discussions are moving forward relative to Tukwila Valley South. Currently, there are no Council action items applicable to accomplishing this goal. Committee Assignment No Committee assignment. 6.Support efforts to locate a permanent Neighborhood Resource Center in a visible location on the Tukwila Village site. Action Items Walk the site/property so that when each Councilmember has done so, they will have a better understanding of the City-owned property involved. Committee Assignment No Committee assignment. 7.Implement a system for tracking progress and resolution of citizen complaints and concerns that are brought to Council’s attention. Action Items No action items at this time. Staff will work towards providing different tracking options to Council. Committee Assignment No Committee assignment. Currently, assigned to Council President for oversight. 8.Identify specific technology needs of the Council and determine the best way to meet those needs; including but not limited to offsite network connections that support consistent and reliable communication. Action Items Currently scheduled for discussion at the February 25 Council meeting. Committee Assignment Finance and Safety SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2008 It’s All New to Me! With a new mayor and two new councilmembers, the group took the opportunity to talk about overall City business and the intricacies of working with each other. As the 2008 Council President, Joe took the opportunity to explain his theme for the year, Together We Stand, Divided We Fall. He talked about the importance of working as one for the City and the community rather than making decisions based on individual needs and wants. Kimberly explained her role as Legislative Analyst and the benefits and importance of utilizing her position as the Council liaison for City departments, community groups and outside agencies. Council Retreat Notes February 23- 24, 2008 – Page 4 Responding to Groups within Our Community A discussion took place regarding community groups that exist within Tukwila and the different needs of such groups (group examples: special interest, social, neighborhood, culture-specific). It is important to remember that, as a City, it is vital to treat all groups the same when dealing with similar issues. Kimberly distributed copies of Uniting Cultures in Portland: Bridging Gaps in City Policy for the group to review. The Council may find certain portions of this report useful as they work towards accomplishing the 2008 Council Goals. Odds and Ends – Issues and Information Based on Councilmember requests as well as staff suggestions, the information regarding the following topics was provided to each attendee: Status of Rental Housing Inspection Program Overview of Local Improvement District Process Tukwila Village Draft Request for Qualifications Council Technology