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Special City Council Strategic Planning Meeting Saturday, February 7, 2009 Page 22 City Manager Malinen asked that, before staff undertook something like the proposed budgeting for outcomes, that the Council was supportive as a whole to committing to that process; or to identify their reservations at this time. Councilmember Pust sought clarification as to the role the City Council would play; and how to achieve more of a teamwork approach between the City Council and staff in achieving goals. City Manager Malinen advised that staff needed community and City Council interaction to provide direction to staff to get to adecision-making point on various desired budget outcomes; additional opportunities for this type of dialogue and interaction on a regular basis; and the need for staff to begin putting information together to share with the City Council and citizens for informed discussion and decision-making. City Manager Malinen noted the need to keep the community involved from inception to allow their ongoing input, and so the end results would not come as a surprise; recognizing that there will be changes for staff, citizens and the City Council. Further discussion included options and outreach tactics to obtain input from citizens; validity of having outside assistance in the process, given the large undertaking represented; and the availability of someone to provide consistent analysis of costs for programs/services and a methodology that is cost-effective. Councilmember Johnson questioned whether a Finance Commission, utilizing people already in the community, was viable; opining that there was much expertise in the community, and that there may be people with that financial background and expertise who would be willing to serve the long-term budgetary process in such a volunteer capacity. Councilmember Roe suggested a steering committee role to initiate the process and contribute their expertise accordingly, while being representative of the community as well. Councilmember Johnson opined that the more the citizens were empowered, the more beneficial for all. Councilmember Ihlan reiterated her previous comment, that this was something that needed formal City Council approval; and opined that staff should not assume that, based on today's discussion, that she was supporting the budgeting for outcomes process without a detailed review of costs; staff time; costs and qualifications of potential outside consultants; how to justify spending on something like this, while looking to reduce programming/service levels; and spoke to the need to look at other alternatives. Councilmember Ihlan spoke in support of seeking public input. At the request of Ms. Gourlay, Finance Director Miller, provided a brief summary of outcome based budgeting, by first deciding what your services should be, then deciding