CC_Minutes_2015_0511 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Regular City Council Meeting Monday, May 11,2015 Page 28 consequences and needed the extra time. Ms. Hilden questioned if one more month would seriously impeded the document, while noting it would provide ad- visory commissions and citizens time for review, comment, and grant them validi- ty in providing that input. Ms. Hilden opined that taking the extra time was worth it, and expressed her en- thusiastic interest in moving forward with this culture change. However, Ms. Hilden underscored that she was a citizen and found it offensive to be called a customer. Gary Grefenberg,91 Mid Oaks Lane Mr. Grefenberg stated he was speaking personally, but basing his comments on his six years in developing civic engagement in the community. Mr. Grefenberg stated dialogue needed to begin, and opined that instead of continuing to have staff involved the next meeting to discuss this should include advisory commis- sions. Mr. Grefenberg further opined that no staff, with the exception of Mr. Bi- lotta understood the goal and perpetuated the"top down" approach to these priori- ties through their proposed strategic initiatives. Mr. Grefenberg stated he too was offended to be called a customer, opining that the City Council was not a Board of Directors for a business; and had no desire for them to be intimate with him, but wanted instead their respect and to provide him with an opportunity to participate. Since the CEC was set up by the City Council for just this purpose, Mr. Grefen- berg opined it seemed an end-run to adopt the strategic plan without receiving any input from them. Mr. Grefenberg asked two specific questions: 1) A description of what was actu- ally meant in establishing a community-oriented outreach program; and 2) How will this strategic plan be used and how flexible will it be? Mayor Roe responded, as previously noted in staff's presentation earlier in this meeting, there remained a lot to flesh out in the plan at this point, and the City Council still needed to figure out what that was going to be. Mayor Roe clarified that the involvement of the CEC would play a key role in the future in figuring that out. Mr. Grefenberg responded that staff concentrated or focused on in-reach versus outreach, opining that this caused him to see the old culture based only on those staff-identified strategic initiatives versus the actual work of advisory commis- sions. Since no one as yet was aware of this 2016-2018 strategic plan, Mr. Gre- fenberg questioned why communication efforts could not be undertaken to pro- mote that understanding before adoption. Regarding how flexible this document would be and how it would be used, Mr. Grefenberg opined that it was very disrespectful of the City Council to take action