HomeMy WebLinkAboutPACKET OCT 12 1999 (2)•
PARTNERSHIP IN GOVERNANCE
THE
COUNCIL / ADMINISTRATION
RELATIONSHIP
0
OCTOBER 199 1999
u
PARTNERSHIP IN GOVERNANCE
THE
COUNCIL/ADMINISTRATION RELATIONSHIP
OCTOBER 19, 1999
11:30 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
TEXAS ENERGY MUSEUM
-UAW
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CITY COUNCIL ADMINISTRATION
David W. Moore, Mayor Stephen J. Bonczek, City Manager
John K. Davis, Mayor Pro-Tem Lane Nichols, City Attorney
Andrew P. Cokinos, At Large Barbara Liming, City Clerk
Becky Ames, At Large Kyle Hayes, Exec. Assistant to the City
Dr. Lulu Smith, Ward I Manager/Economic Development Dir.
Guy Goodson, Ward II Maurine Gray, Community Services Dir.
Bobbie J. Patterson, Ward IV Beverly Hodges, Finance Officer
Glenda Lundy, Human Resources Dir.
Kirby Richard, Central Services Dir.
Tom Warner, Public Works
John Labrie, Clean Community Dir.
Ingrid Holmes, Health Dir.
Luke Jackson, Parks & Recreation Dir.
Tom Scofield, Police Chief
Michel Bertrand, Fire Chief
S.A. Webb, Water Utilities Dir.
FACILITATORS
Vicki Holloman Michael Clayton
. Human Resources Manager President/CEO
Mobil Oil Corporation Better Business Bureau
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City of Beaumont, Texas
Mission
Working Together for a Better Beaumont
Providing our community with quality service
through courteous and dedicated employees
Guiding Principles
Integrity Doing the right thing all of the time
Communication Sharing information with each other and those we serve
Accountability Being responsible for our actions
Respect Treating each other with dignity and valuing our diversity
Empowerment Having the ability and commitment to act in the public interest
"Creating value in p ublic service"
PARTNERSHIP IN GOVERNANCE
EVENTS
Lunch
Introduction - Mayor/Council Expectations
Concepts of Consensus Building
PRIMARY EVENT
Partnership in Governance - The Council Administration Relationship
Roles and Responsibilities
Communication and Cooperation
Sharing of Concerns and Solutions
Implementation of a New Beginning
SECONDARY EVENT
Financial and Budgetary Challenges
Reinventing, Rightsizing and Re-engineering Government
- Ideas to reduce costs, generate revenue and increase service quality
-Customer service and continuous quality improvement
-Commitment to quality and value
Financing Alternatives
-User fees, reduction in service/staffing levels, use of fund balance, storm drainage
utility fee, recycling, sale of landfill capacity, impact fees, termination or transfer
of service responsibility
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Revised 2001 Budget Presentation
-Program/performance budget
-Citizen involvement in budget process
-2001 Budget calendar and review process
Strategic Issues
-2001 budgetary issues of significant impact
Action Plan
-Strategic directions - commitment to action
FORMAT
Dress: Casual or Business Attire
Participants: Mayor/City Council, City Manager, Department Directors,
Facilitator
Invited Guests: Chairperson of each advisory board, Chamber of Commerce
President, Union Presidents and news media
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0 PARTNERSHIP IN GOVERNANCE
MISSION
This meeting is planned to provide a forum for the Mayor/City Council and Administration
to develop a more effective relationship and achieve consensus on major fmancial/budgetary
policy issues facing the community and then for Council to provide direction to the
Administration.
ROLE OF MAYOR AND COUNCIL
The Mayor and Council will discuss issues of concem and bring the discussion to an agreed
upon closure. This closure will provide the Administration with the basis for a positive and
productive relationship with Council and operational direction in preparation of the FY2001
budget.
ROLE OF ADMINISTRATION
The City Manager and Department Directors are present for the purpose of providing the
Mayor and Council with information when required, to clarify discussions and to participate
in the dialogue as appropriate.
�
ROLE OF FACILITATOR(S)
The facilitator(s)will provide a brief introduction on the issue resolution process, then direct
discussion along the lines of the agenda stimulating participation from the Mayor, members
of Council and the Administration while bringing discussion to closure.
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PARTNERSHIP IN GOVERNANCE
THE COUNCIL/ADMINISTRATION RELATIONSHIP
As City Manager, I recognize that any success achieved in local government is dependent
upon a positive working relationship with the elected body. In the role of employee, I am
hesitant to offer you advice because of risks identified by Oscar Wilde--
"All advice is dangerous; good advice is fatal."
Effective and productive Council/Administration relationships do not occur by accident. As
in any good "marriage," they are nurtured and sustained through the conscious efforts of
Council members and Administrators who:
• Communicate openly and honestly to identify problems, discuss solutions,
develop plans, resolve conflicts, and praise good work.
• Value each other as individuals.
• Conduct interactions in a professional and caring way.
• Develop true partnerships in which all parties understand their roles and
responsibilities.
• Work diligently to establish and maintain professional trust and teamwork.
This opportunity in a special meeting will assist Councilmembers and Administration in their
continuous efforts to develop and sustain effective working relationships. Partnerships are
based on the following assumptions:
• Both the Councilmember and the City Manager are equally important
in the equation. To quote an old cliche, it takes two to tango. And it
takes both the Councilmember and the City Manager to operate effectively
and productively in the Council/Manager form of government.
• Relationships require continuous effort over time. Problems that occur
will reoccur if not addressed because conflicts do not fade away. And
everyone must stay engaged and involved if relationships are to remain
effective and productive.
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• Honesty is not more valuable than diplomacy and courtesy. Often
"telling it like it is" actually is thinly disguised hostility or gamesmanship.
Professionals pride themselves in their ability to say difficult things with
grace and style and still make their points understood. One must never
forget that business etiquette is always welcome in the public sector.
• People must have information in order to accomplish goals, fulfill their
roles and carry out their responsibilities. This means that everyone must
share information without using a hidden agenda. Political gamesmainship
eventually makes a loser out of even the most skilled player.
• People are almost never tolerant enough and need to be reminded that
different is not worse, just different. We often tend to believe that our
position on the totem pole gives us the best view. Maybe, maybe not. But
you can be sure that if we listen more, make fewer quick judgements, ask
more questions, and stop assuming, we will fmd out how our particular
point of view can be broadened.
• Fishbowls are nice for fish, but lousy places to develop meaningful
relationships. But that is where Councilmembers and Administrators
"live." It comes with the territory. Rather than complain, we need to find
constructive ways to cope with what can often be an uncomfortable
situation.
Councilmembers and Administrators face difficult decisions and situations in their service
to the public. As society grows more complex and as problems are magnified, team work
becomes critical to the effective functioning of local government. This part of the program
is designed to help us as elected and appointed officials refine our abilities to work together
effectively in the public interest. In the end, the way we work together affects our ability to
meet the needs of the community-- and that should be the bottom line for any municipality.
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SYMPTOMS OF A TROUBLED COUNCIL
Citizens have been increasingly concerned about the negative changes they sense in local
government, Council membership, attitudes and challenges presented to the Administration.
Why do so many Councils seem to have difficulty focusing on issues rather than
personalities, decisions rather than roadblocking or negativism rather than optimism? There
are many Councils that exhibit these concerns because of an inappropriate attitude towards
public service that uses personal gain in office, use of power and position and
misunderstanding of the elected role and revenue issues.
Whatever the causative factors for the increasing turmoil exhibited by some Councils, there
remains obvious and clear trends that can be identified that allow Mayors, Councilmembers
and Administrative Staff to function more effectively. The following are seven symptoms
of a Council headed for trouble:
1. All the Council energy stays focused on one issue.
2. When Council minority views are consistently more effective in meetings
than the majority.
0 3. When the Mayor or the City Manager becomes the only cure or reason for
Council problems.
4. There is no clear annual goals and objectives or strategic plan or process for
the City.
5. The Council bickering and conflict become more important than issues.
6. When Council integrity and values are compromised but not recognized.
7. When Council knows it all and the citizens are not consulted.
It is important for the Mayor, Council and Administration to discuss and focus on effective
measures and strategies to implement in order to perform the City charter responsibilities.
The Charter direction for this government is to act responsibly and cooperatively on policy
issues and take corrective actions when necessary to achieve consistent good government for
the citizens.
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CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EFFECTIVE TEAM
1. Clear Purpose. The vision, mission, goal or task of the team has been defined and
is now accepted by everyone. There is an action plan.
2. Informality. The climate tends to be informal, comfortable and relaxed. There are
no obvious tensions or signs of boredom.
3. Listening. The members use effective listening techniques such as questioning,
paraphrasing and summarizing to get out ideas.
4. Civilized Disagreement. There is a disagreement, but the team is comfortable with
this and shows no signs of avoiding, smoothing over or suppressing conflicts.
5. Consensus Decisions. For important decisions, the goal is substantial but not
necessarily unanimous agreement through open discussion of everyone's ideas,
avoidance of easy compromises.
6. Open Communication. Team members feel free to express their feelings on the
tasks as well as on the group's operation. There are few hidden agendas.
Communication takes place outside of meetings.
7. Clear Roles and Work Assignments. There are clear expectations about the roles
played by each team member. When action is taken, clear assignments are made,
accepted and carried out. Work is fairly distributed among team members.
8. Shared Leadership. While the team has a formal leader, leadership functions
shift from time to time depending upon the circumstances, the needs of the group
and the skills of the members. The formal leader models the appropriate behavior
and helps establish positive norms.
9. External Relations. The team spends time developing key outside relationships,
mobilizing resources and building credibility with important players in other parts
of the organization.
10. Self-Assessment. Periodically, the team stops to examine how well it is
functioning and what may be interfering with its effectiveness.
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PARTNERSHIP IN GOVERNANCE
COUNCIL EVALUATION
In an effort to enhance the ability of the Council to function effectively as a team, a self-
evaluation is provided on key responsibility areas for a legislative body. This essentially
becomes an internal review by Councilmembers of your perceptions on how well you work
together. The following Council evaluation form is provided from the ICMA Elected
Officials Handbook I- Setting Goals for Action (third edition), for your consideration. The
active involvement of the Mayor/Council and City Manager in the self-evaluation will
enhance understanding and further the important political relationship that exists.
The evaluation process can define those areas that may be an impediment to the Council
functioning as a participative team. Political ambitions and factionalism among elected
bodies can easily occur. This can hinder effective decision making and formulation of City
policy. A difference of opinion.for whatever reason is certainly an important part of the
democratic process. The key factor to be considered is that the Council makes decisions
based on a honest perception of what is in the best interest of citizens from all segments of i
the community.
GOAL SETTING
1. Are established Council goals realistic within the time frame stated?
Almost always Sometimes Never
2. Do Councilmembers participate sufficiently in implementing goals once they are
established?
Almost always Sometimes Never
3. Is the public adequately informed about Council goals?
Almost always Sometimes Never
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POLICY MAKING
1. Are Council positions and policies effectively communicated?
Almost always Sometimes Never
2. Does the Council make hard choices and politically unpopular decisions when
necessary?
Almost always Sometimes Never
BUDGETING
1. Does the Council clearly understand the City's financial resources and make sound
decisions on prioritizing public spending?
Almost always Sometimes Never
2. Is there adequate encouragement of broad public participation in the budgeting
process?
Almost always Sometimes Never
o y
3. Does the Council avoid unbudgeted appropriations?
Almost always Sometimes Never
4. Does the Council consider the budget"their budget" as opposed to thinking of it as
the "staff's budget?"
Almost always Sometimes Never
COUNCIL MEETINGS
1. Does the Council encourage adequate public input at Council meetings?
Almost always Sometimes Never
2. Does each Councilmember effectively participate in Council meetings?
Almost always Sometimes Never
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3. Does the staff have adequate opportunity for input before the Council makes decision
on an issue?
Almost always Sometimes Never
4. Is Council meeting time well utilized?
Almost always Sometimes Never
5. Are there items discussed by the Council that should be more properly handled to
allow for public and/or staff input?
Almost always Sometimes Never
6. Are relevant facts and opinions expressed before decisions are made or Council
position stated?
Almost always Sometimes Never
7. Is direction given to staff clear and concise?
Almost always Sometimes Never
ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMITTEES
1. Is there adequate public participation in board and/or committee member selection?
Almost always Sometimes Never
2. Are board/committee members selected based upon ability to serve the community
rather than personal friendships?
Almost always Sometimes Never
3. Does the Council place sufficient emphasis on balancing board/committee
membership in order to assure the total community is represented?
Almost always Sometimes Never
4. Does Council give appropriate consideration to board/committee recommendations?
Almost always Sometimes Never
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RELATIONSHIPS WITH STAFF
1. Does the Council provide a reasonable time frame for staff to accomplish
assignments?
Almost always Sometimes Never
2. Does the Council take the impact on staff time into consideration when changing its
priorities?
Almost always Sometimes Never
3. Does the Council give adequate consideration to staff recommendations?
Almost always Sometimes Never
4. Do Councilmembers use the established chain of command when dealing with
administrative issues?
Almost always Sometimes Never
COUNCIL RELATIONSHIPS
1. Allowing for differences of philosophy or opinions on given issues, do
Councilmembers respect one another's opinion?
Almost always Sometimes Never
2. Does the Council function as a team?
Almost always Sometimes Never
3. Do individual Councilmembers unduly consume Council meeting time?
Almost always Sometimes Never
4. Do Councilmembers deal with issues openly?
Almost always Sometimes Never
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5. Do individual Councilmembers excessively politicize the public process?
Almost always Sometimes Never
6. Do Councilmembers' attitudes and actions reflect a sense of public service rather
than personal interest?
Almost always Sometimes Never
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY MANAGER
1. Is the relationship between Councilmembers and the City Manager open and
honest?
Almost always Sometimes Never
2. Does the Council function as a unit in giving direction to the City Manager?
Almost always Sometimes Never
3. Is there mutual respect between the Council and City Manager?
Almost always Sometimes Never
4. Is there adequate opportunity for the City Manager to offer input into the decision-
making process?
Almost always Sometimes Never
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Council and Staff
•
Have Different Needs
By Cole Hendrix
e have all heard or used the term way is for the senior staff and councilmembers to explain
their expectations of each other. While that appears to be
easy,it often does not happen for several reasons:
"public servant," but I expect few
1. It is awkward to do so.
of us have examined what that term means 2. Expectations are not always easy to verbalize.
3. It is a difficult process to initiate from either side.
4. Many councilmembers are not used to this type of
as it applies to people in public service. dialogue with staff and do not feel comfortable
with it.
Let's consider it in the context of the rela- 5. politics often get in the way of good communication
with staff.
tionship between a municipal staff member 6. Not all parties can agree on the need.
neilmember, both of whom must Both groups want to be successful in their roles.
and a cou Staffers want to do a good job,and when they fully under-
; stand the expectations of the councilmembers for whom
work together to fulfill their roles as public they work, they can meet most of them. Working with
unspoken and unknown expectations,however,can be dif-
ficult.ficult. There are many more expectations of staffers by
councilmembers than there are expectations of coun-
The staffer is both a servant of the general public and of cilmembers by staffers. Numbers, however, should not
the councilmember.The staffer's role is literally to serve the impede the communication process. We can start the dia-
city,the organization,the council, and the public.The coup- logue by listing some of the expectations that we perceive
cilmember is a public servant because he/she is elected by to be important to both groups.
the citizens to serve the common good.An important respon-
sibility of any staffer is to support councilmembers in this EX(1 @Ctat10(1S Of COtIncil for Staff
public servant role.
1. Do not speak,write,or act in a way to cause public
In order for councilmembers to be successful, they need embarrassment to elected officials.
staff help that comes with a broad set of expectations. 2. Be non-political in the partisan sense.
Likewise, the staff has certain expectations of members of 3. Help make the council's job easier.
the council.Many times these expectations are unwritten and 4. Give councilmembers accurate and current data.
unspoken and therefore not well communicated.Therein lies 5. Leave personal bias out of reports; arguments
a problem that can manifest itself in some public embarrass-
should stand on their merit.
ment or chastising that makes both parties look foolish in the 6, provide guidance when requested to do so, and be
eyes of the citizens. sure it is unbiased.
7. Provide short,well-written reports.
The result is two or more angry parties who are not com- g, provide several options when suggesting possible
municating well.How do we avoid the staff vs.council pub- solutions to a problem.
lic controversy and improve the relationship? The simplest 9, Present requested information in a timely manner.
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10. Show councilmembers how to avoid known pitfalls 3. Examine all the facts on a given issue and make the
of recurring issues. best possible decision.
11. Be accessible to councilmembers. 4. Give criticism privately when it is appropriate.
12. Be respectful regardless of how you feel personally. 5. Give public thanks and praise when and where it is
13. Keep all councilmembers equally informed. Do not appropriate.
show favoritism toward one or more councilmem- 6. If you make a decision based on politics, somehow
bers. help the staff to understand that fact.
14. Provide historical continuity where appropriate.
If both groups can communicate about these issues,there
While staffers have a major responsibility to the city, should be few staff-council problems. Someone needs to
they also have a significant role in serving the council. A initiate the process, and ideally it should be the manager
wise staffer always will try to help councilmembers look 's or, better yet, the mayor.The important thing, however, is
good in the public eye as long as it does not require uneth- that the communication process gets started. It may take
ical or illegal behavior to do so. The public is best served the form of an agenda item on a council retreat or an infor-
when the staff and council are working together to resolves mal discussion after a regularly scheduled council meet-
problems and issues. Staffers who willingly help their 's ing. It should not be in the form of a report from staff to
bosses look good begin to build the trust that is so neces- the council. This topic requires two-way, face-to-face
sary for the two to work together effectively. ': communication.
Expectations of staff for council Your city will be a better place if any council-staff expec-
t tation problems are solved early in a new administration.
Staff members often have a few expectations of coun-
cilmembers,but each one is very important. Cole Hendrix served as city manager for Charlottesville,
Virginia from 1971 until 1995.He is president of community
1. Be fair in your dealings with staff. Do not assume relations for the University of Virginia's Health Science
automatically that staff is wrong and a citizen is Center.
right when there is a disagreement.
2. Read the material the staff has prepared. Ask € This article is a reprint with permission from Virginia
questions. Town & City,July 1996. #
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Checklist
Warning Signs and Strategies:
When the C-M Relationship is in Trouble
he literature on elected and appointed officials'effec- 0 Elected officials stop talking when the appointed official
tiveness is sprinkled with anecdotes about chief enters the room.
appointed officials who thought that everything about 0 The council begins to conduct meetings off-site without
their performance and their relationship with elected officials the appointed official.
was fine,until they had a performance review.These individ-
uals were completely caught by surprise and shocked to learn Dissent within the council.When councilmembers do not
that things were less than ideal. work well together,the community and the chief appointed
Some first learned that the relationship was failing at official feel the impact.Among the warning signs:
public meetings when their performance was an agenda item.
Others found out about performance problems after they 0 The council does not speak with one voice,thereby caus-
returned from a vacation or from being away on business for ing confusion among the professional staff about policy
a few days.While such surprises may not occur often,they do direction,and priorities.
occur on occasion.To diminish the surprise factor,both 0 Councils begin to resist making the hard decisions
elected and appointed officials have identified warning signs because a high level of frustration has come to character-
that indicate when the relationship between the two parties is ize their working relationships.
in trouble.
Performance reviews.It is hard for appointed officials to
Take Heed assess their own performance levels unless they have perfor-
Below are checklists of some of these warning signs and some mance reviews.Appointed officials should be cautious if the
strategies to use to improve council-manager relationships. council or board does not formally review their performance.
This information is not all-inclusive,but the submissions Among the warning signs:
came to ICMA directly from local government officials.Both
U official a
elected and appointed officials probably have noted other The council does not want to give the appointed o
ffi
performance review.
warning signs and developed other coping strategies.When
reviewing these checklists,think about your own situation. The appointed official does not want to receive a perfor-
Also,begin to think about how you can develop strategies to mance review.
overcome problems. Program service and/or delivery.Sometimes,trouble brews
Information flow.Information flow is vital. Information over how services and programs are designed,delivered,and
should be clear,consistent,and available to the chief evalua_ed via the budget and other processes.Among the
appointed official and all elected officials(also referred to warning signs:
here as the council or councilmembers).Among the warning
❑councilmembers are not satisfied with department direc-
signs: tors,and this situation remains unresolved.In such cases,
❑Communication stops:elected and appointed officials
the appointed official is the one who is held accountable.
stop calling or talking to each other. 0 The appointed official does not have a clearly defined per-
El Elected and appointed officials are not spending enough
formance measurement process by which to judge pro-
time together. gram success.
❑The appointed official begins to hear the statement
❑Appointed or elected officials complain that the other "Everything will be okay in the future"
party is not keeping them informed.
0 Neither elected nor appointed officials feel that they are 0 The council says,"The appointed officials can always find
getting the information they need. the money."
0 Some elected officials are getting information that others Loss of confidence.If both parties do not have confidence in
are not getting.
each other's abilities,they can accomplish very little.Among
Interpersonal communications.Healthy interpersonal com- the warning signs:
munication is the backbone of a good relationship.Among
the warning signs: El The council begins to meet in small groups.
❑There is a lack of trust between the elected and appointed
0 The appointed official and professional staff find them- officials.
selves badmouthing councilmembers,and vice versa. 0 The council is not accepting the appointed official's
0 Appointed and elected officials do not make eye contact recommendations.
with each other. 0 Councilmembers stop defending the appointed official
0 t.ppointed and elected officials do not say hello to each and professional staff in the face of criticism.
other. 0 Councilmembers openly and publicly(and on more than
15
one occasion)criticize the appointed official during a review process difficult because all contact must be public.
public meeting or in the press,and vice versa. In other communities,elected officials can deal with per-
sonnel issues privately.While performance reviews—private
Take Steps or public—are not easy,they are the appointed official's pro-
Listed in this section are strategies that you can try to tection against surprises and a way to turn around any diffi-
improve the relationship between elected and appointed offi- culties.
cials.Like the list above,this one is not comprehensive,and
you may already have your own strategies for improvement. O Ask the council to assess your performance on a regular
basis.
Information flow.These techniques may help local govern- El Conduct 360-degree(i.e.,multirater) reviews.
ment officials enhance the flow of information.Although a Agree on an evaluation format that also gives feedback to
few of these suggestions seem to be written specifically for elected officials.
only one type of local government official,they should be
read more broadly to apply to both elected and appointed Program service and/or delivery.These approaches pertain
officials. Improving the information flow also should help to working collaboratively to design policy and develop the
reduce dissent on the council. means to implement it.
❑ Learn about how others prefer to communicate,and ❑Engage in strategic and advanced planning.Plans will
shape your messages accordingly.For example,some become the vehicles for evaluating the performances of
people prefer to hear facts and details first,the big picture elected and appointed officials in achieving community
second;others prefer the opposite. goals.
❑ Do not replace personal contact with technology. ❑Structure processes so that the council or board focuses
❑ Keep the communication lines open:make time for one- on the big-picture policy items and not on the day-to-day
on-one meetings between the appointed official and each operations.One way to do this is through the budget pro-
councilmember(if allowed by law);go out to lunch cess:highlight the important things so that councilmem-
together;evaluate each other's performance and that of bens can focus on them.
the community. ❑Connect with community groups:schools,religious insti-
❑Contact each councilmember every day. tutions,and service organizations.
❑Conduct periodic retreats. Use these opportunities to dis- 0 Develop a method to educate newly elected and appointed
cuss information flow and to make sure that all parties are officials about the complexities of governing in the com-
satisfied. munity.
0 Do not use a lot of jargon when you communicate. 0 Make certain that all elected and appointed officials
❑Try to give the right amount of information at the right understand administrative procedures and processes.
time.
❑ Discuss what kind of information the other party would Loss of confidence.Many officials report that it is difficult to
like to receive,in terms,e.g.,of format and level of detail. repair a relationship when there is a loss of confidence.Here
are strategies that address this issue.
Interpersonal communication.Here are approaches that will
help you build and maintain healthy relationships.A number ❑ Be honest with each other.If there is a problem,discuss it:
of them involve getting to know individuals.A word of cau- ❑Work collaboratively to repaii a broken relationship.
tion about this:not everyone should become a best friend.By ❑ Involve a neutral third party to help you repair a broken
appreciating what is important to individuals and under- relationship.
standing their perspectives,you will be able to improve your
communications as well as your work relationships. Comprehensive lists of warning signs and strategies for
improvement are included in a new,self-paced workbook
❑Get to know the elected and appointed officials:their published jointly by ICMA and the National League of Cities
interests,children,hobbies,etc. called Working Together.A Guide for Elected and Appointed
❑Try to understand the elected and appointed officials' Officials.Users will want to sit down and read this workbook
roles from their own perspectives. with a pencil in hand.
❑Analyze the situation;replay in your mind both the posi- The workbook includes numerous questions to consider,
tive and the negative interactions to determine how you along with self-assessments,checklists,and activities designed
can improve your relations. to assess current relationships and to make necessary improve-
C] Maintain a sense of humor. ments.It also includes an action plan to record ideas to try.
The final chapter includes a wide variety of team activities to
Performance reviews.Elected and appointed officials should use during retreats,work sessions,and other group training
look for ways to assess the appointed official's progress.This sessions.
assessment will require communities to have clear goals and To order this workbook(item number 42442),visit
objectives,which can form the bases of the performance ICMA's on-line bookstore at http://bookstore.icma.org;or
review. In some communities,open-meeting laws make the call 800/745-8780.
16
City Council Relationships:
Building a Foundation for Collaborative Governance
Mary Thompson, Corder/Thompson& Associates
Trouble in River City
The City Manager of fast-growing River City, Texas has been asked by the City Council
to make city government effectiveness his number-one priority. Voters in the recent
election made clear their anger over politics and bureaucracy getting in the way of
service to the citizens. In his initiative to make city government decision making more
collaborative and effective, the City Manager faces one key obstacle: the seven City
Council members themselves.
Bill, who dwells on the details on each policy issue, is constantly at odds with John, a
risk-taker who thrives on taking action. Ruth's abrupt communication style tends to
discourage the input of Lynn, who would rather work things out behind Ruth's back This
might be tolerable if Ruth didn't suspect that Lynn was after her Mayor Pro Tem
position. Pete, who recently won a Council seat by campaigning against the
incompetence of the current Council is viewed with suspicion by everyone. Each council
member competes for influence (and undermines the City Manager) by contacting the
manager's staff directly with complaints and requests.
The Solution: A Forum to Address Working Relationships
Many city managers know that the key to making city government more collaborative is
to start with the city council. "If the council is not comfortable with their differences and
styles, they'll tend to have a win/lose approach to dealing with issues," says Jim Baugh,
City Manager of Desoto. "Council members who can see each other as people first and
respect their differences are the ones best able to find the compromises." A council's
ability to work together effectively can establish a strong foundation for collaborative
initiatives throughout the city organization, among other government entities, and with
key community groups. Because the city council represents the diverse views of a
community, council members have a unique opportunity to set the tone for citywide
discussion, debate and decision-making.
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Bob Herchert, former City Manager of Fort Worth and consultant to municipal
governments, suggests that council retreats can provide the time, structure, and setting to
get council relationships on track. "Council members are on a roller coaster- it's easy to
get bogged down in the daily issues of potholes and zoning. They need the time to stop
and look at the larger issue of how they work together." Although council retreats often
address a variety of topics such as strategic planning and staff reports, Texas city
managers are increasingly devoting part- or all - of the retreat to building more
collaborative working relationships.
Creating the Agenda
How can the agenda be structured to make sure the council gets to tackle the most
important issues regarding working relationships? Following are key topics to consider in
designing a retreat:
Communication and decision-making styles. One of the major obstacles to effective
working relationships is the misunderstanding and tension that arises from different
working styles. A council member who is action-oriented is likely to get into conflict
with a council member who needs to carefully investigate the specifics of each proposal.
A structured exercise or inventory can serve as a catalyst for council members to begin to
address, and even value, differences in working styles.
Guidelines for effective working relationships among council members. Council
members who can work together to identify obstacles to effective working relationships
and then agree on strategies for collaboration are more likely to function effectively even
during times of community conflict, crisis or political turmoil. The most important
discussion can be a candid exchange of what behaviors get in the way of effective
working relationships. Once these issues are on the table, the council can then develop a
set of priority goals for working relationships (examples might include trust, respect,
open and direct communication, ethical behavior, etc.) Once the goals are agreed upon,
the council can work together to develop, and commit to, specific guidelines to support
the priority goals.
Strategies for effective council/staff relationships. Many city managers bring key staff
people to observe and even to participate in council retreats. Some managers hold
retreats specifically designed for staff-council relationships. In many cases, a simple
18
question can lead to a candid exchange between a council and staff about both problems
and solutions:
What does the city manager need from council members in order to do his or her
job?
What do the council members need from staff in order to effectively do their jobs?
What are the characteristics of effective working relationships between council
and staff?
To maintain focus on council/staff communication in Cedar Park, City Manager Don
Bickner includes all city department heads in two of the four annual council retreats.
Skills for collaborative problem solving. A presentation on collaborative problem
solving or interest-based negotiation is often a step toward more effective relationships.
DeSoto's City Manager Baugh suggests, "The most effective council members are the
ones who have the skills to say, `Although this issue is not important to me, I can see it is
important to you; let's find a way to address it.' " In order to master this type of approach
to problem solving, the group might learn about and practice such skills as listening,
questioning, and identifying interests. Participants may also learn a collaborative
problem-solving process which they can then practice later in the retreat as they develop
an agreement on working relationships.
Factors for Success
What is the key to a successful retreat to address working relationships? "Get council
members' commitment to set aside a significant portion of time - to put aside their cell
phones and agree to really be present." says Bob Herchert. Cedar Park City Manager
Don Bickner agrees: "It is essential to get a genuine commitment to participate from each
council member." Birkner addresses this issue by planning all council meetings,
workshops and four annual council retreats a year in advance. College Station Mayor
Lynn McIlhaney suggests making sure the retreat meets everyone's needs through
initially gathering information on council members' expectations, or even working with a
planning committee of the city manager, mayor, and another council member.
How important is having a neutral facilitator? "On a scale of one to ten, a ten." says
Desoto Council Member Gil Saulter. "A facilitator is essential to make sure that
everyone can candidly share opinions. This also frees up the city manager, mayor or
other council members to fully jump into the discussion and not have to worry about
19
40 managing the conversation."
Participants need an environment which will help them focus on working relationships
and getting to know each other. "Take the group out of town," suggests City Manager .
Jim Baugh. "Council members and even city staff need to be separated mentally as well
as physically from the day-to-day issues that distract them from looking at the big
picture." "Create opportunities for people to interact informally in pairs or small groups,"
suggests Council Member Saulter. "For a city manager to find a few minutes to have a
cup of coffee with one or two council members provides an invaluable chance to begin to
know colleagues as individuals."
What happens after the retreat? "The retreat is just the starting point; what makes it
successful is the follow through," says Mayor Mcllhaney. By writing up their plan for
how to work together, a council then has a working document to help maintain focus on
their relationships and for re-evaluating the group's effectiveness. The College Station
Council and staff have implemented their discussions from previous retreats through the
development of a Council Relations Manual, which includes agreed-upon standards of
how council members will treat each other, interact with staff, and interact with the
media. The manual is also available to the public.
Finally, Herchert suggests that city managers themselves should have reasonable
expectations for this type of council retreat: "You may not hit a home run the first time,
but don't be discouraged; use each retreat to get the group's input on how to make the
next one even more successful."
This article is part of a series on collaborative processes for municipal government. Judy Corder
and Mary Thompson, Corder/Thompson& Associates, Austin, specialize in collaborative
approaches to dispute resolution, planning and policy development. For more information or to
suggest future topics, contact Judy Corder at (512)458-4427 or e-mail jkcorder @flash.net
20
C I T Y / C O U N T Y
M A N A G E M E N T
A. Ys.a
ou say wart
n
an evo u to
Their hostile beginnings are legendary, but elected and appointed
officials are turning steadily from combativeness to communication
and, ultimately, to cooperation.
By Paul Kane
couple of years ago, Dave Mora had made his choice. Did he served as Salinas' city manager for
Mora needed a police chief. hire right away? Not a chance. Not nine years. "When I first started in
As city manager for Salinas, before he had arranged for the top cop this business (in 1974), that wasn't
Calif., home to 130,000 people, Mora candidate to meet individually with done."
had all the responsibility and power to the mayor and each of the six city It still is not done in some commu-
make the decision. council members. nities, where friction between elected
After reviewing numerous resumes "I made sure the council was part of and appointed officials is a tradition
and conducting dozens of interviews, the process," says Mora, who has that perseveres. Other communities,
21
Intense partisanship often leads to chronic strain between
councils and managers. Without unity on the council, the
manager is forced to try to please two, three or more factions.
however, have overcome the histori- Regardless of their origin, divisions council's preparation of a "vision
cal conflicts and proven to be models in the council-manager relationship statement." Called the "Lynchburg
of council-manager (or commission- can limit accomplishment in all areas City Council Governance Model and
manager)cooperation. of the community.To overcome those Guidance System," the model details
divisions, the manager must team to the council's expectations for Church
MOST ARE IN GOOD SHAPE communicate with the council so and his administration. "Having a
By and large, council-manager rela- vision and a common understand-
tionships are mutually benefi= Y,�-- ing of what we want the community
cial, says Jim Svara, politi- to look like is a unifying thing,"
cal science professor at `3F Church says.
North Carolina State ✓ " Lynchburg's council has seven
University in Raleigh. Svara �"" members (four elected from geo-
has studied local governments: ' graphic wards, and three elected
for 15 years,and, in four stud- "' £ at large) who are elected in odd
ies of managers and council years. Following each election,
members, he has found that Church meets with the new
most participants report stable council, and each participant
levels of interaction within Y
outlines his 20-year vision for
-
their communities. the city.
-:°
However, with 2,900 council- 2". Each member of the group
manager governments nation- offers his or her input, and
wide, there are many reasons why the consensus is recorded
some of those relationships break graphically, in a triangle.
down. According to Svara, cities (See the table on page 30).
and counties with chronically The model ensures that
strained relations between their everyone is working on the
managers and councils usually have same page, Church says.
something in common: an intensely The council members and
partisan council. Without unity on manager know the city's
the council, the manager is forced to goals; the manager and
try to please two, three or more fac- his staff know their roles
tions,he explains. in achieving the goals;
Of course, the manager often can and everyone knows
be blamed for disharmony. In his most the values to be em-
memorable mistake, Mora — then ployed in reaching those
manager of Los Gatos, Calif. -- goals. Furthermore, to be successful,
turned a practical decision into a the model requires regular communi-
bureaucratic one, prompting cation between all parties, Church
objections from the public and, in that the council, in turn, can provide says.
turn, the council. meaningful assistance in planning and
It happened when Los Gatos resi- goal-setting, and in building and TAKING STOCK
dents requested -w
a four-way stop maintaining project support. While joint creation of a mission
When the request was made, Mora statement can open communication
instructed the public works depart- WORKING ON THE SAME PAGE early in the council-manager relation-
ment to conduct an engineering Lynchburg, Va., is one of the oldest ship, regular reviews can help ensure
study, the results of which showed council-manager cities, and it has a that the door stays open. It also can
that there was not sufficient traffic to history of solid relationships between help all parties stay on course, and it
warrant a stop sign. Based on those its elected and appointed officials. presents an opportunity for group
results, Mora denied the installation. Since adopting the council-manager members to evaluate their effective-
"I gave them a traditional bureaucrat- form of government in 1923, the city ness in working together.
is response," he recalls, and an uproar has had only six managers. George Caravalho has been city
ensued. The rookie manager soon As city manager for the last eight manager for Santa Clarita, Calif.,
realized that, if the community wants years, Charles Church has carried on since 1988 (the city was incorporated
a stop sign, it should get one. that tradition, participating in the in 1987). He believes that the annual
22
review process is critical in getting
feedback from the council and in rec-
ognizing where staff resources can best
be used each year.
However, getting candid feedback
can be difficult. In order for a review
to be useful,council members must be
frank in their assessments, regardless
of whether they are offering criticism
or praise. "That is not something
many council members like to do,"
Caravalho notes.
To make it easier for council mem-
bers to be candid in their remarks,
Santa Clarita hires a consultant to
assist in the council-manager review
process. (The city pays $3,000-
$5,000 per year for the service.) The
consultant meets individually with
Caravalho and each of the five coun-
tcil members, allowing for free discus-
sion of the manager's work and that of
the council members.
The consultant produces a detailed
report that the council reviews in a
closed-door meeting. Caravalho
Mutual trust
and confidence
are at the core
of the
productive
council-manager
relationship.
attends the meeting to view the report
and to receive feedback from the
council. "All I do is take notes. Some-
times I don't talk for an hour," he
says.
In the end, the council uses the
third-party review and subsequent dis-
cussion as the basis for Caravalho's
performance review, but the process
has other significant benefits. For
example, Caravalho says it provides
him with insight into the needs and
expectations of each council member,
giving him the means to forestall the
mistrust that plagues some council-
manager relationships. "At the core of
what you're talking about is trust and
confidence," he says. Finally, all par-
ties get a third-party assessment of
23
Mission-statements, independent reviews, one-on-one meetings,
e-mail and automated access to 'outcomes' data
are proving successful in strengthening communication.
their performance as a group, and that the council by issuing a bi-weekly that the strategies for their success
information has proven invaluable in "Manager's Bulletin Board," a written often can be simple.-.For example,
goal-setting and planning. summary of the top 10 or 15 things Svara notes that councils and man-
happening in Glendale. (Vanacour agers commonly participate in year-
INCLUDING AND UPDATING says the bulletin may include project end retreats as an exercise in team-
The sort of communication exhibit- updates or announcements of commu- building, using that time to look back
ed in Lynchburg and Santa Clarita— nity achievements — e.g., students and to look ahead.
characterized by inclusion,exchange Additionally, technology provides
and feedback — is equally impor- numerous ways for councils and
tant when councils and managers are +rte managers to enhance their
faced with the unforeseen. Popula- �1 �
g��,� >� interaction. In Lynchburg,
tions and community needs are for instance,Church uses e-mail
changing at a rapid pace, and open for daily contact with council
communication is imperative if members, and his office main-
councils and managers are to meet "' tains the city's web site.
the demands. ?Y y ' But Church notes that his
In 1970, when Marty Vanacour F most useful technological tool is
was assistant city manager for computer program that tracks
Glendale, Ariz., his community ' residents' complaints by district.
was a small suburb of Phoenix. Council members can log onto
Since then, Glendale's population their computers at any time and
has grown from 30,000 to more ^`' learn the nature of their con-
than 200,000, placing it 100th stituents' complaints, as well as
among the nation's largest cities. the city's responses to those
Additionally, census data shows complaints.
that the Phoenix metropolitan Like Lynchburg, Glendale uses
area has 2.8 million people,com- a computer program ti track its
pared to 1.6 million in 1980. customer service, and the city
"I've seen some really dynamic ;� council has automated access to
changes," says Vanacour, who that data. The same program tracks
has served as Glendale's manag- crime by district, giving council
er since 1984. members the information they need
With so much change, to suggest how, where and when to
Vanacour's job — including assign police patrols.
his interaction with the coun- Providing information is, of
cil — has expanded. He plays an course, the bulk of the manager's
assisting role in policy-making; the winning awards.) "I just try to give role in the council-manager relation-
council is involved with his office on them little tidbits every other week," ship. And it often falls to the manager
a day-to-day basis; and, together, they he says. to find avenues of communication
are representing Glendale on a grow- Additionally, realizing that council that work for everyone involved.
ing number of regional issues. "In members are covered up with paper- Therefore, as the council-manager
some cases, borders don't mean any- work, Vanacour uses colored paper to relationship continues to evolve, so
thing," Vanacour says. "So goes announce correspondence from his must managers' approaches to
Phoenix,so goes the entire region. office. That procedure allows the strengthening that relationship.
"The line between manager and members to cut through stacks of Industry conferences are one of the
council needs to be flexible," he adds. paper and identify the manager's best resources for getting new ideas,
"They always wanted to know what memos and bulletins immediately. Vanacour says. Managers should talk
was happening; now they want to "They know it's coming from me," to other managers and exchange war
know why it's happening." Vanacour explains. stories and success stories. "If you just
To keep the council up to date, come away with one idea, that makes
Vanacour has weekly, one-on-one OPENING NEW AVENUES a difference,"he says.
meetings with the members, as well as While the council-manager rela-
quarterly lunch or dinner meetings tionship can be complicated, Vana- Paul Kane is a Washington, D.C.-
with the group. He also connects with tour's use of colored paper suggests based freelance writer.
9 it
S PARTNERSHIP IN GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL AND BUDGETARY CHALLENGES
Reinventing and Re-engineering for the Next Millennium
In order to meet the increasing challenges of reduced or limited funding and increased citizen
expectations for service, the City must explore ideas to reduce cost, generate revenue and
increase service quality.
It is important to match the taxes and fees that the public is willing to pay with the cost of
services that the public demands. When a City government is involved in "rightsizing" a
service cost that means having the right number of people with the right kind of skills and
training, the right amount of supplies and just the right amount of physical plant and
equipment to provide service properly.
"If you downsize,you're cutting costs but you're not fixing
fundamental problems."
-W. Edwards Deming
Reinventing government is a process of changing the fundamental way government operates.
This process is comprised of the following 10 principles:
1. Catalytic Government: Steering Rather Thank Rowing
2. Community-Owned Government: Empowerment Rather Than Serving
3. Competitive Government: Injecting Competition Into Service Delivery
4. Mission-Driven Government: Transforming Rule-Driven Organizations
5. Results-Oriented Government: Funding Outcomes, Not Inputs
6. Enterprising Government: Meeting the Needs of the Customer, Not the
Bureaucracy
7. Enterprising Government: Earning Rather Than Spending
8. Anticipatory Government: Prevention Rather Than Cure
9. Decentralized Government: From Hierarchy to Participation and Teamwork
10. Market Oriented Government: Leveraging Change Through the Market
25
The concept of re-engineering extends beyond the basic improvement of an existing process.
It means fundamentally changing an existing process or eliminating it totally. Therefore,
reinventing and re-engineering are two approaches that are compatible and necessary if
significant changes are to be made to provide the most efficient and cost effective services
to our customers.
A reinventing/re-engineering process provides the Mayor and Council various policy options:
Provide services differently or at a different service level
Raise revenue (fees and/or taxes)
Ask for understanding for the decayed City and reduced service levels
The use of reinventing/re-engineering provides significant cost savings for the long-term
financial stability of the City by:
Determining services to be eliminated
Identifying subsidies to be discontinued
Determining appropriate service levels focusing the organization on mission,
engendering an entrepreneurial spirit throughout the organization
The reinventing/re-engineering process involves important activities to establish a proper
environment to realize cost savings and service quality enhancement.
COMPETITIVE GOVERNMENT
INJECTING COMPETITION INTO SERVICE DELIVERY
Most obvious advantage of competition is greater efficiency or more bang for the
buck.
Competition forces public or private monopolies to respond to the needs of their
customers.
Competition rewards innovation; monopoly stifles it.
Competition boosts the pride and morale of public employees.
Competition must be carefully structured and managed, if it is to work...unregulated
markets generate inequity.
26
PRIVATIZATION TECHNIQUES
Service Shedding. A form of total privatization in which government stops providing a
service entirely.
Contracting Out. The City contracts with a private organization, for profit or nonprofit,
to provide a service.
Public-Private Competition. Public in-house units compete against private firms to
provide a public service.
Franchise. A private firm is given the exclusive right to provide a service within a
certain geographical area for a limited time.
Vouchers. Government provides individuals with certificates redeemable for purchase of
a good or service on the open market.
Subsidy. The producer of the service is subsidized by the government contributing
financially or in-kind to a private organization to reduce the cost of private provision of
service to consumers.
Internal Markets. Government departments are free to purchase services from either the
private sector or internal support units.
Asset Sale or Lease. Government sells assets such as airports, utilities or real estate to
private firms, thus turning physical capital into financial capital.
Volunteers. Volunteers are used to provide all or part of a government service.
Self-Help. Community groups and neighborhood organizations take over a service or
government asset such as a local park.
Private Infrastructure Development. The private sector builds, finances and/or
operates infrastructure such as roads and airports, recovering costs through user charges.
Deregulation. Government regulations are eliminated to allow private providers to
compete against a government provider; for example, allowing firms to compete with the
U.S. Postal Service.
27
THE CORE CONCEPT
Does the activity fit the organization's strategic plan?
Does the activity produce more value for the customer than it consumes in
resources?
If not, why is the organization doing this?
Crucial to all downsizing or rightsizing efforts is deciding on what the organization does
well. Rational resource allocation simply means putting scarce resources to good use.
Government activity should produce more value than it consumes.
"Unless we change our direction, we are likely to end
up where we are headed."
- Old Chinese Proverb
The following are critical activities to support the reinventing/re-engineering process:
Create a mission and shared vision of the community and organization.
Embrace the primary values of the organization.
Mayor/Council sets strategic goals and objectives.
Mayor/Council sets priorities and eliminates programs that do not support the mission
of the City.
An effort is made to reduce organizational layers as part of streamlining the
administration.
All non-essential work that does not provide value to the customer is eliminated
through improving work processes.
Implement a quality improvement/customer service perspective.
Emphasize performance measures for all services areas.
Explore alternative service delivery approaches.
Create meaningful opportunities for citizen involvement.
Communicate the results of the process to the organization employees and
community.
Celebrate the success achieved!
28
ORGANIZATION GUIDELINES
Is it the right thing for the community or organization?
Is it the right thing for the department?
Is it ethical and legal?
Is it something you are willing to be accountable for?
Is it consistent with the organization values and policies?
When the answers to all of the above questions are yes, the guidelines state "just do it" and
don't bother asking for permission or forming a committee to decide. That is the sort of
policy manual that encourages employees to think; and when employees think, they can
come up with flexible, creative solutions and services for their customers.
The funding strategies to be utilized in reinventing/re-engineering focus on the following
areas:
Preserve and enhance the capital improvements program and planning
iprocess.
Commit to not substituting City funding for reductions in state or federal
funding programs.
Reduce personnel positions by attrition when feasible by managing
vacancies through a hiring freeze.
Identify best practices through benchmarking - search for best practices that
will lead to aggressive internal goal setting and ultimately improved
performance; best practices are compiled and become the standard against
which the local government compares itself.
Survey citizens to understand demands and expectations for service - use
surveys to understand the level of service citizens expect from their local
government.
Emphasize user fees as opposed to increase in taxes.
Maintain a reasonable fund balance reserve.
Develo p P roductivi ty initiatives and gain-sharing with departments that are
successful in reducing costs while maintaining or increasing service quality.
29
Initiate a trust fund to encourage and facilitate private sector donation.
Institute an aggressive program to procure federal/state grants to address
identified priorities to the City.
"The only person who likes change is a wet baby."
-Roy Z.M.Blitzer
There are other important aspects to reinventing/re-engineering that Mayor and Council need
to consider prior to a major commitment.
To be successful, long-term financial forecasting and planning is essential.
However, unexpected and unpredictable events can and will occur to
impact any forecast no matter how well prepared.
The Mayor, City Council and Administration need to commit to the process
and its potential outcome.
Reinventing/re-engineering can't be accomplished in one or two years. It is
a long-term commitment and a basic rethinking of the fundamental mission
on how government provides service.
It is important to solicit community understandmi g and involvement as the
process proceeds into reducing or eliminating programs and reviewing fees
for services.
A commitment must be made to enhance volunteer programs and
public/private partnerships in order to maintain existing levels of priority
services.
There is a need to renew commitments for education and training by
examining the type of training necessary to lead and change the
organization.
Sufficient time must be spent on communicating openly through focus
groups, staff meetings, public forums, citizen newsletters and other strategic
sources of information that can be identified.
"There is nothing more difficult to take in hand,
more perilous to conduct... than to take the lead in
the introduction of a new order of things."
-Niccolo Machiavelli,"The Prince"
30
IDEAS THAT SAVE COSTS AND INCREASE REVENUE/SERVICE QUALITY
Mayor/Council and Administrative Staff are agents of change. Change requires a driving
force and the most powerful change agent is financial stress. The City of Beaumont must
make major changes in the operation of government if financial stability and quality services
are to be continued.
The City should sell assets - land, buildings, equipment to the extent
possible in order to turn dormant physical capital into financial capital and
produce tax benefits.
Privatization of public services should be considered through a competitive
process with City employees when contracting provides a clear advantage
on cost savings and service quality. While the private sector can be an
effective agent for delivering public services, the responsibility for providing
services - determining the scope, level and conditions under which they are
delivered remains with City officials committed to the public interest.
Management improvement efforts many times focus on how to do unimportant
things cheaper. Instead, City leaders should ask - "should we be doing this at
all?" City government should limit activities to core functions and missions.
Does the City activity/service provide more value for the customer than it
consumes in resources? Is the service essential? Is the private sector already
providing the service or if not, is it capable of doing so better than government?
Does the program displace voluntary community or neighborhood networks?
This approach must be applied to all service areas with the intent to eliminate
activities that don't meet the criteria.
Utilize the state funded Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) to
generate more fine revenue from citations while increasing safety on city roads.
Solicit ideas from the Municipal Court Judges on saving operating costs and
generating additional revenue from the judicial system.
Staff is currently reviewing alternative methods for leasing phone lines which
service twenty-three key systems and the standard phones. Southwestern
Bell's Plexar system would allow the city to reduce the number of phone lines
leased. SWB would provide PBX type services thus reducing the number of
lines used by the non-switched systems. Savings of at least $2,000 per month
may be achieved. Also, other firths have entered the market for local phone
service. In preliminary conversations with these firms, the City may be able
to obtain even greater savings in lease line costs. Additional research is
required prior to a recommendation to Council.
31
The City Council and City Manager meet quarterly with the Beaumont
Independent School District to discuss common issues and priorities. The
Council and Manager also meet quarterly with the Chamber of Commerce and
all Beaumont governmental entities for the same reason. Programs, services
and taxpayer facilities should be identified for possible better coordination and
use. For example, the City and BISD could utilize joint facilities for
recreational purposes.
Investigate the potential cost savings through bi-monthly or postcard utility
billing. An analysis will be made on postage savings in comparison to lost
investment earnings. Also, a postcard eliminates the ability to enclose other
information in the billing envelope.
f
32
REVISED 2001 BUDGET PRESENTATION
The FY2001 bud g et process will focus on creating a program/performance based budget with
extensive citizen involvement. The following information provides more details on this
approach.
Program Budgeting
What is a program budget?
• A budget format in which all proposed expenditures are grouped according to
"objects" or cost centers. In most local government budgets, the "programs" are
department-specific. For example, the Human Resources Department may include
these program categories for budgeting purposes: Personnel, Benefits and Worker's
Compensation.
• The use of program budgeting focuses on the outputs and outcomes of programs.
Once a program format is established performance measurement may be more readily
analyzed and reported.
Performance Measurement
Why would a government use performance measurement?
• To provide to its citizens, through the budget document, a means to measure
its performance.
What are some of the measures or indicators used?
• Input
• Demand
• Output
• Efficiency
• Outcome
What are input measures?
• The amount of resources used for a specific program (i.e., number of dollars spent,
employee time).
33
What are demand measures?
• The amount of need for a particular service - a measure of the extent of a problem or
scope of work needed. (i.e., number of miles of streets to be cleaned, number/values
of residences requiring fire protection).
What are output measures?
• The amount of a'completed activity or effort that has been accomplished. (i.e.,
number of investigations completed, number of library books borrowed, miles of
road repaired).
What are efficiency measures?
• The cost to produce a unit of output(i.e., average cost per inspection performed cost
per ton of solid waste collected).
What are outcome measures?
• The quality of the program or process outputs. Effectiveness as a result of
responsiveness, timeliness, compliance, accuracy and customer satisfaction (i.e.,
average response time to fire calls, percentage of businesses inspected, average
citizen satisfaction with services delivered).
Engaging the Citizens in the Budget Process
Why should a city market their budget?
• The annual budget process is an opportunity to dialogue with citizens regarding
community goals and priorities and to create public support.
How would the City involve the citizenry in the budget process?
• Neighborhood meetings
• Citizen survey(PAFR distribution)
• Website
• Newsletter (water bill distribution)
• Channel 4 (local government access)
Relying on the public hearing process is in most cases "too little, too late" to involve a
significant number of participants. It is desirable to inform and educate the public so that
they might understand the "budget process" but this is often "one-way," not two-way
communication.
34
Dr. Frank Benest of The Innovation Groups provided the following illustration:
Continuum of Public Discourse
Informing Citizens Engaging Citizens
One-Way Two-Way
Telling/Selling Listening/Responding/Listening
Educating Learning
Presenting Information Eliciting values, hopes, aspirations,
concerns
Discerning "Public Opinion" Promoting "Public Judgment"
Analysis of Fund Balance
Traditionally, two methods have been used by finance officers in determining the appropriate
size of unreserved fund balance:
• allocating financial resources equal to a percentage of annual operating
expenditures
• allocating financial resources equal to a certain number of months' operating
expenditures
The City of Beaumont uses a range of 8-10% of expenditures in the General Fund. This
relates closely to one month's operating expenditures (8.3 1/6) which is a widely used
standard. It should be noted that according to Paul Glick, Director of the Financial
Management Program at the University of Georgia, a reserve equal to two to three months
is not uncommon.
What factors influence the establishment of a certain level of unreserved fund balance?
Revenue structure - Is it volatile? What is the City's dependence of sales tax? Are City
revenues sensitive to the effects of the business cycle?
• Expenditures - Can purchases be deferred?
• Cash flow - Can sufficient cash balances be managed with an uneven cash flow?
The projected level of unreserved fund balance for the General Fund is within the 8-10%
range for FY 2000. (9.8%).
35
PERPETUAL CALENDAR FOR BUDGET PLANNING
Dates are approximate
February 15 - Meet with City Manager regarding goals and assumptions for Five (5) Year
Planning Budget and Five (5) Year Capital Program.
February 20 - Request update of project information from departments for preparation of
Five (5) Year Capital Program.
March 15 - Submit Five (5) Year Planning Budget to City Manager for review.
March 31 - Departments to return completed project worksheets for Five (5) Year Capital
Program.
April 1 - Final date for City Council submission of Five (5) Year Planning Budget (No
Council action required). lonorbdomAmiii
April 1 - Meet with City Manager on Budget.
April 5 - Additional personnel for Budget consideration requested from departments by
Finance. (Fleet requests sent out by Fleet Div beginning FY99 budget yr)
April 15 - Submit Five (5) Year Capital Program to City Manager for review.
May 1 - Copy electronic payroll information to budget workfiles to calculate full-time
personnel costs for Budget (done by Finance). MAKE CORRECTIONS.
May 1 - Fleet request forms for Budget consideration returned from department directly to
Fleet Division. Fleet to review and confer with requesting department.
May 1 - Memo for Budget entry, including guidelines, sent out to departments.
May 1 - Electronic Budget entry by departments may begin.
May 1 - Additional personnel requests for Budget consideration due in Finance office.
May 5 - Budget training (1 hour sessions) as needed. (allow two days; call to schedule).
May 15 - Final date for Council submission of preliminary Five (5) Year Capital Program
(No Council action required).[3rtmftprwtofuialdaes for sunissionofbud-coi
May 20 - Electronic entry of full-time personnel category Budget numbers by Finance.
June 1 - Fleet requests due in Finance for electronic entry in AS400 Budget system.
36
June 1 - Additional personnel request worksheet for Budget submitted to City Manager.
(Request response by 5th)
June 5 - Final date for electronic entry of Budget& current yr estimates by departments.
June 5 - 15 - Initial review of Budget by Finance.
June 15 - 30 - Review Budget with Departments.
July 1 - Update letters for miscellaneous/statistical section of Budget mailed out.
July 1 - 15 - Prepare and submit Budget notebook (by fund type) with computer generated
worksheets and preliminary document pages for City Manager review.
July 15 - Submit Budget (preliminary, in true format) to City Manager.
July 25 - Tax planning begins. If proposed tax rate will generate more revenue than
the preceding year, take a record vote and schedule a public hearing.
August 10 - Set public hearing day & time for Budget and Five (5) Year Capital Program
on date budget submitted. (Council action required)
August 15 - Final date for Council submission of Budget (preliminary). [at least 45 days prior to the
beginning of the fiscal year]
TBA - Must allow at least one full week between publishing notice and holding hearing
for Budget and Five (5) Year Capital Program and tax rate if required.
• Hold public hearing for Budget and Five (5) Year Capital Program.
• Hold public hearing for tax rate if it will generate more revenue than the preceding year .
• If Budget increases, another public hearing must be held.
• Must allow five days between publisbiLng public ' notice and holding hearing for increase in Budget.
September 27 - Final date for City Council adoption of Budget and Five (5) Year Capital
Program. [on or before the 27th day of the last month of the fiscal year]
September 27 -Adopt tax rate. BUDGET MUST BE ADOPTED BEFORE TAX RATE
September 27 - Create accounts for next fiscal year which will "roll over" Budget numbers
in AS400. Remind everyone to add new a/c's in both yrs!!
[Brackets indicate specific Charter information]
37
PARTNERSHIP IN GOVERNANCE
STRATEGIC ISSUES
There are significant strategic issues facing the City of Beaumont as we approach the next
millennium. The City is positioned to take advantage of existing resources and
infrastructure, including a political commitment and diverse community ready to embrace
positive change. The City is recognized for being strategically located in Jefferson County,
having significant resources to address important community needs and having the potential
to be a major economic force.
The Administration is committed to the establishment of a quality improvement
process throughout the departments and service areas of the City. The commitment
to quality improvement focuses on empowering employees in self-directed quality
teams to analyze efficiency in service delivery issues and solve those issues at the
lowest possible organizational level. The effort requires reaching out to those
customers both internal (in the organization) and external (in community) to
determine exactly what the service expectations are and then planning to consistently
meet these expectations. This is not a program; it is institutionalizing a process that
fundamentally changes the way the City does its business.
In an effort to empower all segments of the community to create a shared vision for
Beaumont, the Mayor and Council needs to commit to supporting a citizen- b a s e d
strategic planning process. The purpose of this process is to address strategic
issues that are critical to realizing an ideal future for the City. It is also a method to
build consensus among diverse segments of the community, leveraging limited
resources and providing both a short-term operational perspective and long-term
strategic direction.
In order to develop a Mayor/Council and Administration partnership in addressing the
important issues facing the community, an annual meeting should be established
prior to the budget preparation process. The purpose of the meeting is to focus on
critical issues and the financial condition of the City in order to properly plan
for the upcoming fiscal year. It is also an opportunity for both the Mayor/Council and
Administration to develop a positive working relationship and demonstrate continued
responsiveness to the community.
Initiatives should be developed to create a positive image and perception of Beaumont
by improving the physical appearance of the community.
38
Enhance citizen awareness of City government and services through preparation and
distribution in the local newspaper of an annual report to citizens explaining the
major initiatives of City government and providing information on the City's capital
improvement program and beautification efforts.
The City must take a proactive posture in economic development to identify
opportunities to enhance the tax base and create value added jobs. The structuring
of the approved Economic Development Department and its interaction with the
Chamber of Commerce, Jefferson County and other agencies will be a major initiative
over the next 60 days. The City Manager's Office/Economic Development
Department will function as a Business Resource Center to direct and provide
essential services to the business community.
The effective management of the financing of City government requires conservative
and prudent budgeting and revenue producing policies while addressing the critical
needs of the City.
The process of community involvement through the neighborhood groups in
important financial decisions concerning services and allocation of resources is
needed. The FY2000 budget provides an opportunity to involve citizens at the
neighborhood level in the allocation of resources and evaluation of programs and
services.
Reduce street crime caused as a direct result of the drug problem within the
community by:
Continuing the police efforts to identify neighborhoods for zero tolerance,
targeting street level drug dealers and panderers, expanding the bicycle patrol
program to increase police/citizen contact.
The Neighborhood Services Division staff needs to continue aggressive code
enforcement in an effort to make the City more aesthetically appealing to encourage
community investment.
Maintain a source of redevelopment and other funding to preserve and enhance the
downtown business area through increased maintenance, adaptive reuse of existing
structures partnerships with the private sector and a river front development project.
39
Preserve and improve the City's residential neighborhoods and redevelopment areas
by:
Providing home rehabilitation and voluntary relocation/demolition assistance
and emergency repairs citywide, street and drainage improvements, sidewalk
installation, beautification, and utility improvements and new home
construction assistance.
Encourage economic development through the preparation of an updated master land
use plan by:
Preparing with public and private sector involvement, a comprehensive long
range plan that will serve as the focus for economic development in the future.
To provide an increased level of life, safety and fire protection within the City of
Beaumont through sound fire prevention programs, enhanced fire inspections,
updating fire prevention codes, public awareness programs and the aggressive
investigation of fires for cause and origin.
Prepare a ten year capital improvements program providing for planned capital
expenditures including sources of funding.
In order to realize economic development objectives it is necessary to review City
policy on annexation including payments in lieu of taxes and any incentives for
property owners to become part of the City of Beaumont. The expansion of the tax
base through annexation of certain commercial industrial properties will stabilize the
property tax rate and provide new services for the community.
40
Sewer Capital Improvements
The City's Sanitary Sewer Comprehensive Inflow/Infiltration Study is also near completion.
The study revealed that over 80% of the City's sanitary sewer system is over fifty years old
and is in need of repairs. The sanitary sewer system has greatly exceeded its design life
expectancy. The necessity to expedite and implement the sanitary sewer improvement
programs are to comply with federal regulations pertaining to sanitary sewer overflows.
(Overflows during rainfall events carry heavy penalties up to $25,000 per day per event);
improve reliability of sewer customer service and reduce maintenance costs; and salvage the
City's existing 700 miles of sanitary sewer collection system. The estimated costs for these
improvements are $70 million.
w Should the City increase sanitary sewer user fees to repay the necessary debt
service?
• Should the City adopt a fixed sanitary sewer surcharge?
• Should the City increase ad valorem taxes to repay the debt service?
Water Capital Improvements
The water system capital improvement plans for the next ten years are nearing completion.
These projects include improvements to the City's Neches River raw water canal system and
the water treatment facilities. The water system improvements are required to comply with
mandatory federal regulations (Safe Drinking Water Act) and to provide an adequate water
supply through the year 2020. The estimated costs for these improvements are $30 million.
• Should the City increase water user fees to repay the necessary debt service?
• Should the City increase ad valorem taxes to repay the debt service?
• Should the City investigate the feasibility of privatizing the water system?
NOTE: Privatization - A public and private partnership with a water utility
operating company could be a means of financing the needed improvements
to reduce the City's capital expenditures or spread those expenditures over
a longer period of time).
41
Creation of Storm Water Utility
The 1987 amended Clean Water act requires municipalities of 100,000 or more to establish
storm water management programs. A storm water utility provides a community with a cost-
effective alternative to address storm water management programs. The basis for
establishing most storm drainage service charges and rates is the degree to which a customer
uses or contributes runoff to the storm drainage program/system. The degree of use is
typically related to the property's contribution of storm water to the drainage system owned,
operated and maintained by the jurisdiction. The need for comprehensive approaches toward
storm water management stems from the alteration of natural storm water conditions and
from the development of"impervious area." Thus the degree or amount of use, and therefore
the size or amount of the charge, is in proportion to magnitude of the property owner's
contribution to the total volume of storm water runoff. A properly established storm water
utility:
1. Generates a steady flow of revenue into an enterprise fund for maintenance and
capital improvements to the storm water drainage system. Typical maintenance
activities include ditching, street sweeping, ditch mowing, pipe replacement and
pipe flushing.
2. Provides for an equitable or "fair share" method of revenue collection under a
structured user fee. The residential community, along with the business
community, will both contribute their proportional share in service fees based on
their proportional share of the problem.
3. Creates a semi-autonomous entity that has the ability to borrow funds. This
separate and dedicated enterprise fund also improves a community's eligibility for
federal and state funding.
4. A storm water utility fee would replace approximately $4 million in general fund
expenditures that could be used to pay for other services and provide financial
stability.
• Should the City establish a storm water utility fee and fund to charge all costs to
maintain and operate the storm water system?
42
Recycling
City wide curbside recycling began February 1992. Since that time the program has
experienced ups and downs in participation by residents, volume of materials recycled, and
market conditions. Over the years the department has addressed those chaff in
participation by implementing program changes to address the various situations. During
FY1999, total landfill space used was 230,000 cubic yards. If 1,620 tons or recycled waste
was put into the garbage.cans, 100% of recycling cost would be saved and landfill space
usage would increase by 1.1%. To put it another way, it would take 89 years of recycling
to use one (1)year of landfill space at the current volumes of waste disposal and recycling.
The Administration is seeking direction for the future of the Recycling Program considering
that budgeted expenditures exceed budgeted revenues.
• Should the City continue the program as is at a net cost to the Solid Waste fund of
approximately $250,000 annually?
• Should the City continue the program as is and increase the monthly solid waste
fee by $.65 to cover the cost of recycling. The current fee of $10.85 per month
would increase to $11.50 per month.
• Should the City implement a citizen drop-off program at a specified site or
multiple sites? Citizens would be required to bring materials to the site and a City
employee would receive the material and provide assistance to citizens. The cost
of this type operation would be approximately $35,000 per year per site. Drop off
sites usually collect only a small amount of material because of inconvenience to
citizens.
• Should the City provide citizen drop-off sites without an employee? These sites
usually end up with materials contaminated with garbage and trash resulting in
everything going to the landfill. The cost of an unstaffed site(s) would be
approximately $10,000 per year.
• Should the City eliminate the program and save approximately $250,000 annually.
This would probably result in public opposition from environmentally conscious
citizens.
43
Selling of Landfill Space
The Clean Community Department has been deficit budgeting for the past two (2) years. To
increase revenue without rate increases, the City Council sell landfill space to others.
Currently only 18% of the waste entering the Landfill is charged disposal fees. The
remaining 82%is hauled by City trucks and non-paying customers such as citizens, Drainage.
District 6, and Goodwill Industries.
If the waste hauled by paying customers is increased by 100,000 cubic yards per year, it
would generate $500,000 annually without any additional operating expenses. However, the
life of the Landfill will be reduced from 21.5 years to 18.7 years. During FY1999, the
Landfill received 850,000 cubic yards of waste and $644,000 of revenue. An additional
100,000 cubic yards would be a 12% increase in waste resulting in a 78% increase in
revenue. An additional $500,000 a year for 18 years represents $9,000,000 in exchange for
three (3)years of Landfill life.
To address the question of"what happens after the Landfill reaches full capacity," the City
currently owns 250 acres of land adjacent to the southern boundary of the Landfill. This 250
acres would be proposed as the next landfill site.
• Should the Council approve staff soliciting contracts for waste disposal for a
maximum of 100,000 cubic yards annually, in effect, selling three years of landfill
space for $9,000,000.
Port Channel Deepening a n d Widening
An important issue for the future of the Port of Beaumont is the project to deepen and widen
the channel. There is a deepening and widening committee established through appointment
by Judge Griffith. The purpose of the committee is to develop local industry support for the
Feasibility Study. This project will increase the width of the channel from 400 to 500 feet
and the depth from 40 to 45 feet. The study is an $8 million project. The Federal Army
Corp is providing $4.1 million with a local match of$3.9 million. Currently the Navigation
District is providing $365,000, the County $1.3 million and the Port $500,000 which leaves f
a balance of $1.75 million needed to complete the study. It is important that the local
financial support for the study be achieved this year or there is a risk that the Corp of
Engineers allocation of$700,000 of federal funds will be diverted to other projects. Last
year the Army Corp allocation of$365,000 was lost due to lack of local participation. The
Corp has extended these monies on two occasions and will probably not consider a third
opportunity to reallocate it to the Port of Beaumont.
• Should the Navigation District and Port take a primary role in providing the local
share for the feasibility study?
• Is the economic development benefit of the project to the City so significant that
City Council should consider participating in the cost of the feasibility study?
44
Municipal Transit
The annual operating cost for the Beaumont Municipal Transit System is approximately $2.8
million annually. Funding sources to cover the operating costs include farebox revenue, the
Federal Transportation Administration (FTA), the Texas Department of Transportation
(TxDOT) and the City of Beaumont. A breakdown of the funding sources for Fiscal Year
2000 is provided below:
Farebox $ 500,000
FTA 1,150,000
TxDOT 463,180
City (General Fund) 686,820
Total $2,800,000
The amount of federal and state funds received each year has remained fairly constant.
However, there is the potential that these funds may be substantially reduced in future years.
The ability to maintain or decrease the City's contribution can only be accomplished through
an increase in farebox revenue or a decrease in service.
Does Council agree to:
• Raise route cash fares?
fixed o
If so it would be: Adult from $.75 to $1
Youth from $35 to $.75
Disabled and Elderly from $35 to $.50
• Raise fixed route monthly passes?
If so, it would be: Adult from $24 to $30
Youth from $15 to $25
Disabled and Elderly from $15 to $20
• Raise STS fares?
If so, it would be: Do away with monthly passes.
Non-social service agency client from $1.50 to $2.
Non-social service agency client on advanced reservation from
$1.50 to $4.
Social service agency clients from $1.50 to $2 and charge the
social service agency an additional $13 for a total of$15 (BMT's
total trip cost).
Additionally, in order to encourage STS clients to use the fixed
route system, offer any one currently using STS the opportunity
to purchase a monthly fixed route pass at a big discount ($5 for
a monthly pass) if they will ride fixed route rather than STS for
the month.
45
• Reduce services hours and/or reduce frequency of service?
• Consider having the employee group medical/life insurance coverage, worker's
compensation, and vehicle liability insurance provided by the City?
• Promote the bus wrap advertising program to get more advertisers on board?
NOTE: Remember that the City share of the operating budget is around $700,000
out of $2,800,000 which equates to about 25%. So, as an example, if
$100,000 is reduced in operating expenses, that only equates to saving the
City around $25,000.
Relocation of Rail Interchange Yard
A feasibility study was conducted to determine if the Port's rail interchange yard located
behind City Hall could be relocated. The funding for the study was shared by the Port, City
and a private developer on a one third basis. The preliminary study found that the relocation
of the rail interchange yard to the old College Avenue Southern Pacific (now Union Pacific)
yard is feasible. This location would provide the Port the opportunity to develop a 400-car
interchange yard, maintain its favorable switching operations with all servicing railroads and
decrease rail traffic in the Main Street area. Potential obstacles include obtaining ownership
of the yard and construction of a new track from the yard to the Port. The location of the
new track would cross Franklin near the old Entex building and cross Park and Pennsylvania
north of Pipkin Park. All new street crossings are proposed to be at grade crossings. The
estimated cost to complete this project is $2,500,000. This cost does not include the
purchase of the UP interchange yard, right-of-way acquisition for the new tracks and any
grade separations.
• Should the City participate financially in the relocation of the rail interchange yard?
• Should the City purchase the existing rail interchange property for approximately
$700,000 in lieu of other financial contributions?
• Should the construction costs for grade separations at Park and Pennsylvania be
included in the projects costs?
• Should the city contribute towards the construction costs for the grade separations?
46
Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Beaumont EMS provides emergency pre-hospital care in response to about 12,000 calls for
assistance each year. Approximately 7,500 patients are transported to local hospitals. The
EMS division is budgeted at $2,030,000 in expenditures and $950,000 in service fees. The
general fund therefore subsidizes the system by approximately $1,080,000 on an annual
basis. EMS services are provided by private providers in other communities where those
private providers are guaranteed the transfer business or under subsidized contractual
arrangements with the local government.
• Should the City continue to provide EMS as a subsidized City service?
• Should the City consider contracting for EMS service?
• Should the City establish operational standards for a privatized EMS system?
• Should the Administration explore the legality/feasibility of establishing an EMS user
fee on the utility bill to generate revenue to offset the general fund subsidy?
Countywide Public Health System
n County has fragmented and decentralized Public Health system with health related
Jefferso ty gm Y
services being provided by the County and the Cities of Beaumont and Port Arthur. A
Countywide Public Health System would better able to coordinate and deliver health services
and may reduce the financial burden of the City.
• Should the Administration investigate the feasibility of consolidating the City Health
Department with a countywide Public Health system under the jurisdiction of
Jefferson County?
• Should the City support the creation of a hospital and Public Health district and Public
hospital facility as part of a County health system?
47
Fire Service Fees
The fire service across the nation is confronted with reducing its share of the City's general
fund while providing additional services and continuing to operate in compliance with
unfunded mandates. Over the years, the fire service has evolved beyond the primary mission
of providing fire protection by taking on many additional emergency response services.
Many fire service organizations use these additional services as alternative revenue sources
to help provide needed funds.
There are many services performed by the Fire Department that may provide the opportunity
to generate revenue.
Light Rescue Services
Any service rendered by fire department personnel using normal tools, equipment, and
procedures to free persons confined in wrecked vehicles or other confined spaces.
Such service may include stabilizing wrecked vehicles, assisting EMS, in preparing
and removing injured victims, or mitigation of hazards at an accident scene from
spilled fluids using absorbent or neutralizing materials.
• Heavy Rescue Services
Any service rendered by fire department personnel requiring the use of special
equipment or tools (jaws of life, air bag, etc.) To free persons entrapped, entangled,
or confined in a wrecked vehicle, collapsed structure, any confined space, stalled
elevator, high angle, (elevated) or other similar major rescue effort.
• Standby Fee
A fee to be charged for standby at situations where the Fire Official believes the
possibility exists for releases of hazardous materials.
• Excessive False Alarm Fee
A fee charged for responses to facilities with excessive false fire alarm activations.
• Hazardous Materials Response Fee
A fee for Hazmat response for washdown, patching & plugging, etc.
• Off-Line Fire System
A fee for agencies that inspect alarm systems, sprinkler systems, etc., and place them
out-of-service, but fail to notify the Fire Marshall's office.
Is Council consider interested in charging fees when Beaumont Fire/Rescue Services provide
certain services?
48
Communication Network and Center
Communication Network and Center will provide for the consolidation of the City's
communication network into a combined and centralized 800 MHZ system. The project
includes the construction of a new communication center on the second floor of the new
Municipal Court Building for dispatching of fire, police, and EMS services, as well as
providing non-emergency and after-hours communications for operating departments. The
estimated cost to implement the 800 MHZ system citywide is $3 million based on 1998 cost
figures. An additional $lmillion would be required to construct the communication center.
• Is the City prepared to issue the debt necessary to accomplish the project?
• Would the Administration and Council consider the use of civilians for fire and EMS
dispatching?
i Would Council commit to the 800 MHZ system if phased in over several years?
Energy Management
Currently, there is no control of energy consumption within City Hall, Civic Center, Julie
Rogers Theatre, Main Library and Police Buildings. Staff is gathering information on a new
approach to providing an energy management solution in these facilities. "Performance
contracting" is an alternative procurement method that implements a wide variety of energy
management strategies and badly needed capital projects and uses captured
energy/operational savings/guarantees as the funding source. The process allows for an
entity to upgrade or install new equipment and control systems which reduce energy
demands and pay for the project with the operational and energy cost savings. Guarantees
are issued by the performance contractor which will pay the differences if the projected
energy savings are not met.
• Should Council issue debt to implement the energy management strategies if savings
were generated to service the debt requirements?
• Should Council enter into an agreement for performance contracting which guarantees
energy savings from the design contractor?
49
Change of Election Date
House Bill 3257 amending §41.0052(a) of the Election Code allows municipalities an
extension until December 31, 1999 to change the date for elections. To change the election
date, an ordinance would have to be passed by Council and pre-clearance received from the
Justice Department. Councilmembers have expressed concern about voter apathy and for
greater voter participation. If a uniform election date in November is established on the first
Tuesday after the first Monday in November, this would coincide with County elections. If
this option is favorable, present terms for Councilmembers would be extended an additional
six months, from May to November. Also expenses of the election would be shared with
Jefferson County.
! Does Council support changing the City election date to coincide with County
elections?
Improved Phone System
Currently, the City's phone network contains approximately 1,100 telephones which
operate through four PBX's, twenty-three key systems and standard business lines. The
PBX's are located at City Hall, the Police Building, Fire Headquarters, and the Health
Department. These telecommunication switching systems were installed in 1988.
Certain desirable features such as Caller ID and Voice Mail cannot be fully integrated
into our existing PBX switches. In order to accommodate these features, the city would
be required to replace and upgrade the phone system at a total estimated cost of
$450,000. Although the system is not totally antiquated nor obsolete, future replacement
and upgrading are essential.
• Are the desired features a necessity?
• Should Council issue debt or expend the funds required to upgrade the phone
system?
Skateboard Park
The sport of skateboarding is growing nationwide faster than any other sport. Mainstream
America is now beginning to recognize the need for this type of recreational activity even
though it is still guided by a spirit of independence. Lately some interest has been shown by
City leaders to possibly build this type of facility in the community.
• Should the City build and operate a skateboard park?
• Should the City operate the facility through the Parks and Recreation Department?
• Should the City build and lease this facility to a private operator?
50
Action Plan j
Strategy Action Steps Responsible B When? Key
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