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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Packet 05-14-2013 SpecialCITY OF PLYMOUTH AGENDA SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING MAY 14, 2013, 5:30 p.m. MEDICINE LAKE CONFERENCE ROOM 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. TOPICS A. City Manager Hiring Process B. Close meeting for labor negotiations update 3. ADJOURN Special Council Meeting 1 of 1 May 14, 2013 Page 1 rp)City of Agenda 2APlymouthNumber: Addjn3 Quality to Life To: Laurie Ahrens, City Manager SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING Prepared by: Givonna Kone, Human Resources Manager May 14, 2013 Reviewed by: Item: Options for City Manager Selection Process 1. ACTION REQUESTED: Staff is requesting direction regarding the type of city manager search and selection process the City Council would like to use to replace Ms. Ahrens'. 2. BACKGROUND: The city conducted its most recent city manager search and selection process in 2003. It appears that the process took approximately six months to complete. The process began with the City Council's selection of PDI, an executive search firm, to manage the process. As reported at the April 23, 2013 City Council meeting, there are several options the City Council may use to fill the city manager position. Those options include: 1. using a search firm to conduct a full or partial national or local search. 2. using staff to conduct a full national or local search. 3. using a limited process (interview/background check) to appoint an individual. The City Council may issue an RFP for executive search firm services or it could send out a letter asking for proposals for a full and/or partial search. Process Following are steps that are typically taken during a recruitment and selection process for a city manager. These steps were recently used by Fridley and Eden Prairie to select their city managers. This list may be revised based on the needs and desires of the City Council. Selection of an executive search firm Review/update the job description, qualifications and compensation. Preparation of a community/job profile. Acceptance of applications. Screening of applicants by the consultant or City Council. Candidate assessments and background checks. Interviews with finalists by City Council, Directors and others as determined by the City Council. Selection of successful candidate. Negotiation of employment agreement. Page 2 The City Council may design a selection process that includes all or some of the components outlined above. I have been asked to provide information on the recent internal appointment process used by the City of Minnetonka. Minnetonka appointed an internal candidate and subsequently a consultant designed and led a process for defining City Council expectations and communicating those expectations to the successful candidate. The information is attached. Cost The estimated cost of using an executive search firm for a full process is $20K to $30K, plus expenses. Conducting a full process using staff or using a consultant to assist with an internal appointment process would cost approximately $10,000 (assessments and background checks). The largest cost variable would be for transportation and lodging for candidates who live outside the metro area. Compensation The governor's 2013 salary cap is $160,639. On average, comparable cities in the metro pay an annual base salary of $150,000. Cities may request a waiver from the Office of Management & Budget to pay an employee in excess of the governor's salary cap. 3. BUDGET IMPACT: There are sufficient funds in the Contingency Fund to cover the cost of hiring a consultant to conduct a search and selection process. 4. ATTACHMENTS: City Manager Job Description May -October Meeting Calendars Documentation from Minnetonka Page 3 POSITION WRITE-UP POSITION TITLE: CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: ADMINISTRATION DATE: October 1987 REVISED: ACCOUNTABLE TO: CITY COUNCIL - PLYMOUTH, MN DIVISION: PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF POSITION To direct, control and continually evaluate all administrative, fiscal and public service affairs of the City according to established ordinances, policies and procedures of the Council and/or Minnesota law. To advise the Council in defining sound public policy and staffing for key personnel assigned to ensure the effective and timely delivery of City services. R AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY rsees and directs the provision of municipal services through effective leadership and delegation to 1 department and division personnel. s the City Council regularly informed on all developments affecting the administration, provision, 2 or modification of services which they must know to effectively perform as policy -makers. s the City in contacts with persons, agencies and businesses relative to various City matters, 3 development and provision of services, zoning interpretation, environmental concerns, etc. Delegates liaison responsibility for such matters to key personnel as appropriate. itinually evaluates results being achieved as the basis for counsel, guidance and recommendations to 4 Council relative to level of services, projecting fiscal needs, bonding requirements, etc. Counsels and directs key management personnel in establishing goals and objectives to ensure provision of satisfactory services at the most favorable cost. all preparation, documentation, and review of the annual City budget, as well as five-year 5 Drovement program, and presents same to Council with appropriate recommendations. Page 4 and maintains methods of communications to ensure personnel receive reliable, timely 6 required to effectively perform assigned duties and responsibilities. an organizational climate in which department or division heads and other supervisory 7 1 make the most productive use of all available resources. ablishes effective personnel programs designed to encourage employees to continually improve 8 ividual job performance and, as appropriate, set achievement goals beyond assigned accountabilities. Directs the City's labor relations program, including collective bargaining and contract administration. lishes organizational and planning priorities with the Council to achieve established objectives. 9 Ls sensitivity to public relations and takes appropriate action whenever required to redirect or 10 policies to ensure the continued confidence and respect of Plymouth residents. current in new developments, ideas and methods in public administration and recommends or 11 lents those appropriate to the City of Plymouth. s other responsibilities as apparent or as delegated by the Council. PERFORMANCE CRITERIA City services are effectively provided consistent with established policies. 12 Position accountabilities are carried out in a manner which consistently commands confidence and respect from the Council and community. Key staff personnel consistently exhibit leadership, competence and initiative in performing assigned accountabilities. Council receives clear, reliable and timely advice and recommendations based on proven principles of business, finance and public administration. Effective fiscal control and planning consistently run maximum benefit to the City for the public resources expended. Page 5 RESPONSIBILITY FOR WORK OF OTHERS Direct supervision over: Assistant City Manager Director of Planning and Community Development Director of Finance Director of Public Works Director of Public Safety Director of Parks and Recreation Through the above, provides indirect supervision and work direction over all other City personnel. ACCOUNTABILITY FOR SUPERVISION Oversees and provides final approval in decisions relating to the selection, promotion, transfer and discipline all City personnel. Ensures that all City employees clearly understand City and Department policies and procedures so all personnel may proceed with certainty in performance of their positions. Evaluates continually the demonstrated performance of assigned personnel as the basis for counsel and guidance to stimulate improved performance and prepare employees for promotional opportunities as they may become available. Creates an organizational climate in which assigned personnel are motivated to develop and achieve their full potential and demonstrates by personal example the desired examples of conduct and work performance. Page 6 r Plymouth cT- Adding Quality to Life May 2013 Modified on 05101113 CHANGES ARE NOTED IN RED Page 7 1 7:00 PM 2 3 4 PLANNING COMMISSION 7:30 AM -2:00 PM MEETING SPECIAL Council Chambers DROP OFF DAY Public Works Maintenance Facility 5 6 6:00 PM 7 6:00 PM 8 7:00 PM 9 7:00 PM 10 11 8:00 AM -1:00 PM WALK WITH THE SPECIAL COUNCIL ENVIRONMENTAL PARK Et REC Plymouth MAYOR MEETING QUALITY ADVISORY Fire Department Plymouth Creek Discuss 10th Playfield COMMITTEE COMMISSION Annual Waffle Center Medicine Lake Room EQC) MEETING PRAC) MEETING Breakfast Council Chambers Council Chambers Fire Station 3 12 13 14 15 16 17 185:30 PM 7:00 PM SPECIAL COUNCIL PLANNING MEETING COMMISSION Discuss City Manager MEETING Hiring Process Council Chambers 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers 19 20 21 22 7:00 PM 2 3 5:00-8:00 PM 24 25 PLYMOUTH ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY QUALITY FAIR COMMITTEE ON Zachary Lane TRANSIT (PACT) Elementary School REGULAR MEETING Medicine Lake Room 7:00 PM HRA MEETING Medicine Lake Room 26 27 28 5:30 PM 29 30 31 SPECIAL COUNCIL Memorial Day MEETING Discuss Transit Items Medicine Lake Room CITY OFFICES 7:00 PM CLOSED REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers Modified on 05101113 CHANGES ARE NOTED IN RED Page 7 City of Plymouth Adding Quality to Life June 2013 Modified on 05101/13 Page 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 87:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Council Chambers 9 10 11 12 13 14 157:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL ENVIRONMENTAL PARK & REC MEETING QUALITY ADVISORY Council Chambers COMMITTEE COMMISSION EQC) MEETING PRAC) MEETING Council Chambers Plymouth Creek Center 16 17 18 19 20 21 227:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Council Chambers 23 2 4 2 5 7:00 PM 2 6 27 28 297:00 PM 7:00 PM 8:00 AM REGULAR COUNCIL PLYMOUTH HRA MEETING MUSIC IN MEETING ADVISORY Medicine Lake Room PLYMOUTH 30 Council Chambers COMMITTEE ON 5K FUN RUN TRANSIT (PACT) Hilde Performance STUDY SESSION Center Medicine Lake Room i Modified on 05101/13 Page 8 r Plymouth cT- Adding Quality to Life July 2013 Modified on 05101113 CHANGES ARE NOTED IN RED Page 9 1 2 3 4 5 65:00 PM MUSIC IN PLYMOUTH INDEPENDENCE Hilde Performance DAY Center CITY OFFICES CLOSED 7 8 9 7:00 PM 10 11 12 137:00 PM REGULAR ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL MEETING QUALITY COMMITTEE Council Chambers EQC) MEETING Council Chambers 14 15 16 17 7:00 PM 18 19 20 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Council Chambers 21 22 2 3CANCELLED 24 7:00 PM 2 5 7:00 PM 26 27 7:00 PM PLYMOUTH HRA MEETING REGULAR ADVISORY Medicine Lake Room COUNCIL MEETING COMMITTEE ON Council Chambers TRANSIT (PACT) STUDY SESSION Medicine Lake Room 28 29 30 31 Modified on 05101113 CHANGES ARE NOTED IN RED Page 9 r Plymouth Adding Quality to Life August 2013 Modified on 05101113 Page 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 2:30-5:00 PM 7 7:00 PM 8 9 10 NIGHT TO UNITE PLANNING KICKOFF COMMISSION Plymouth Creek MEETING Center Council Chambers 6:30-9:30 PM NIGHT TO UNITE 11 12 13 14 15 16 177:00 PM 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL ENVIRONMENTAL MEETING QUALITY Council Chambers COMMITTEE EQC) MEETING Council Chambers 18 19 20 21 22 23 246:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM BUDGET PLANNING HRA MEETING STUDY SESSION COMMISSION Medicine Lake Room Medicine Lake Room MEETING Council Chambers 25 26 27 28 29 30 317:00 PM 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL PLYMOUTH MEETING ADVISORY Council Chambers COMMITTEE ON TRANSIT (PACT) REGULAR MEETING Medicine Lake Room Modified on 05101113 Page 10 r% City of Plymouth Adding Quality to Life September 2013 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 LABOR DAY CITY OFFICES CLOSED Rosh Hashanah Begins at Sunset 8 9 10 11 12 13 147:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL ENVIRONMENTAL PARK Et REC MEETING QUALITY ADVISORY Council Chambers COMMITTEE (EQC) COMMISSIONMEETING Medicine Lake Room PRAC) MEETING Council Chambers Yom Kippur Begins at Sunset 15 16 17 18 19 20 217:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Council Chambers 22 23 24 25 26 27 287:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 9:00 AM REGULAR COUNCIL PLYMOUTH HRA MEETING PLYMOUTH MEETING ADVISORY Medicine Lake Room FIREFIGHTERS 5K Council Chambers COMMITTEE ON Fire Station #2 TRANSIT (PACT) 11:30 AM STUDY SESSION PLYMOUTH ON Medicine Lake Room PARADE CELEBRATION City Center Area 29 30 Modified on 10131112 Page 11 City of Plymouth Adding Quality to Life October 2013 Modified on 10131112 Page 12 1 2 3 4 56:30 PM 7:00 PM VOLUNTEER PLANNING RECOGNITION COMMISSION EVENT MEETING Plymouth Creek Council Chambers Center 6 7 8 7:00 PM 9 7:00 PM 10 7:00 PM 11 12 REGULAR COUNCIL ENVIRONMENTAL PARK It REC MEETING QUALITY ADVISORY Council Chambers COMMITTEE COMMISSION EQC) MEETING PRAC) MEETING Council Chambers Council Chambers 13 14 15 16 7:00 PM 17 18 19 PLANNING COMMISSION COLUMBUS DAY MEETING Observed Council Chambers PLYMOUTH PUBLIC WORKS DIVISION CLOSED 20 21 22 2 3 24 25 267:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL PLYMOUTH HRA MEETING MEETING ADVISORY Medicine Lake Room Council Chambers COMMITTEE ON TRANSIT (PACT) STUDY SESSION Medicine Lake Room 27 28 29 30 31 6:00-8:00 PM Halloween on the Creek Plymouth Creek Modified on 10131112 Page 12 MEMORANDUM February 2, 2012Suite4900 33 South Sixth Street Minneapolis, t N 35402 TO: Geralyn Barone, City of Minnetonka FROM: Harry Brull, PDI Ninth HouseTel: 1.61.2.339.0)27 1.800.633,441.0 www,pdininthhousexom RE: Proposal to Assist Leadership Transition Thank you for your interest in PDI Ninth House's assistance in helping the City of Minnetonka make a smooth and effective leadership transition. Please consider our proposal as a starting point; we remain flexible in regards to meeting the City's needs. As I understand it, with John Gunyou's retirement and your transition to the role of City Manager, the City wishes to accomplish the following: 1. A smooth and orderly transition 2. An understanding of your unique strengths and developmental possibilities 3. Expectations of the city council for you We can contribute to the above goals through the following activities: Through our in-depth assessment process, we would conduct a background check, verify credentials and identify the talents, skills, and potential development opportunities you bring to the position. This could be supplemented through the use of the Profilor®, PDI Ninth House's 3600 feedback tool. Through a series of individual interviews with elected officials and department heads, we would identify the challenges, priorities, and requirements for the City, City Manager, and leadership team. The work product from this activity is a report detailing the city council's expectations of the new City Manager. Costs for the procedures described above are as follows: Individual interviews and report - $7,000 In-depth assessment - $2750 (ProfilorTM — additional $250) Thank you for the opportunity to again work with the city of Minnetonka. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 612.414.8998 or harry.brullpPDINH.com. Cordially, Harry Brull Senior Vice President, Public Sector Services City Council Study Session Item #1 Meeting of April 2, 2012 Brief Description: Expectations for new city manager Background On January 9, City Manager John Gunyou announced his retirement effective June 1. The city council formally accepted Gunyou's resignation on January 23 and designated Assistant City Manager Geralyn Barone as the next city manager, subject to negotiation of an appropriate contract. The council authorized Mayor Schneider and Council Members Allendorf and Wagner to oversee the administrative details of the hiring process. A contract has been negotiated and is scheduled for city council approval on April 16. The council also expressed a desire to set expectations for the new city manager. Consultant Harry Brull of Personnel Decisions International (PDI) was engaged to facilitate a process to do so. In early March, Brull conducted individual personal interviews with the mayor, council members, department directors and Barone's current direct reports. At the April 2 study session, Brull will engage the council and Barone in establishing expectations and priorities. An understanding of challenges, threats and opportunities facing the city, along with a profile of Barone's leadership style, will form the backdrop for the discussion. Discussion Point Outline expectations for the new city manager Submitted through: John Gunyou, City Manager Originated by: Geralyn Barone, Assistant City Manager Page 14 STAFF SUMMARY CITY OF MINNETONKA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL STUDY SESSION MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012 PAGE 1 Council: Patty Acomb, Dick Allendorf, James Hiller, Tony Wagner, Brad Wiersum, and Mayor Terry Schneider. Bob Ellingson was excused. Staff: Geralyn Barone and David Maeda Schneider called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. 1. Expectations for new city manager Consultant Harry Brull thanked all those he interviewed for their cooperation and candor. He said the one concern he had was not related to the council or Barone. He said government bashing had always been a national sport but now had been elevated to an Olympic sport. Even a well-run city like Minnetonka was not immune because residents do not always distinguish between local government, state government and the federal government. He said the issue was the only sour note he encountered in the interview process. Schneider said the process had been useful and how the information gathered would be used would evolve over time. Wagner said during the contract negotiations one of the key things that will be looked at are the key performance measurements and the desired outcomes. He said he wanted to make sure Barone had the appropriate tools to use. This could mean hiring an outside coach or bringing in John Gunyou on a contract basis. The council had to ensure that the city continued to have a strong leadership culture. With other retirements of key leadership team members the city had to be proactive in preparing for the changes. Hiller noted the process had been good so far but everything had been one way to this point with the council providing input without hearing from Barone. Schneider said he envisioned getting input from Barone during the next phase with examination of communication styles. Wiersum said the report was good and there were not a lot of surprises. The city works well and the council and staff are proud of that. He said the biggest transition issue would be the difference of personalities between Gunyou and Barone. The past three city managers have kept the city on track and that is what should be continued. He agreed with Wagner that with the aging population, aging staff and aging council there will be further transitions. Barone's long history with the city would serve the city well. He said stepping up to the city manager position would require her to be more visible to everybody and that would pose a significant challenge for anybody. The council had to help her with that change and making sure its expectations were reasonable. Page 15 STAFF SUMMARY CITY OF MINNETONKA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL STUDY SESSION MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012 PAGE 2 Allendorf noted that when both Gunyou and former city manager Dave Childs started they had an experienced assistant city manager with institutional knowledge. In this situation the opposite was occurring. He said this would likely pose a challenge for Barone. The person hired as the assistant city manager would have to rely on Barone for her institutional knowledge and that knowledge transfer. This would be an extra burden that Gunyou and Childs did not face. He said if there were tools available they would likely be needed for this transition time. Brull said it was important that key staff help in the transition and transfer of knowledge so that the burden did not fall entirely on Barone. He said the city had the advantage of having very competent people in key roles. Allendorf said that the new person coming in will want to impress Barone and impress upon the department heads that she/he could be the second in charge and direct their activities. This will also be a challenging time. He said if the council can help during the process, Barone should make sure to let them know of any tool that might be helpful. Schneider agreed the assistant city manager hire would be very important to maintain the workflow. He said institutional knowledge could also be a curse in that a person could have been doing things wrong for several years because it was what the city had always done. The more critical component of the hire was to get someone who understood the values and culture of the city and could fit in with staff and the department heads. Acomb asked if the new assistant could be hired when Gunyou was still here to alleviate some of the challenges of the transition. Barone said hiring the assistant city manager would take some time. She wanted to finalize her hiring process first. She said she was confident the city would attract great candidates because the job pays well and the city has a great reputation. What she will be looking for is a person that would fit in well. Beyond the skill set it was important to find someone who would be a good organizational and cultural fit. She noted that a few years back three of her managers left within close proximity of each other. She said replacing the three managers was difficult but she found the process energizing as well. The new hires had new ideas and new ways of looking at things. Wiersum said there were two sides to the coin being discussed. When Gunyou started he had Barone as an assistant city manager who had the institutional knowledge. But he experienced the "fire hose" experience where everything was new. This can also be challenging. Wiersum said Barone would not have the "fire hose" experience but would have the challenge of bringing the assistant city manager up to speed. Both presented challenges and any transition would be challenging. He said having someone with Barone's sense of history of the city leaves the city in good shape. Brull noted many of the leadership team members had been through two city Page 16 STAFF SUMMARY CITY OF MINNETONKA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL STUDY SESSION MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012 PAGE 3 manager changes and had successfully adapted to differences in personalities. He said Barone was starting with a tremendous reservoir of trust and good will that would make the internal transition easier. He said the most challenging part would be "up and out." Allendorf asked Brull to clarify what that meant. Brull said up" referred to the working with the council and "out" was the community, other governmental units and peers. Schneider said there were two other components other than the internal transition challenges. One was for Barone to be more visible and articulate in the region and the state which was strength of the past three city managers. All three were had a good presence in key groups and were often called upon for their expertise. He said the other challenge was understanding how to deal with difficult residents. Schneider said Gunyou improved on this skill over the years. Barone said each person had to be dealt with individually. Some people get very emotional about the issues they are calling about. She said with some people at some point that no matter what is said or done will not make any difference to them and the choice becomes determining if there was another avenue that should be taken. She said in her current position she already has some experience dealing with difficult residents. Acomb said she agreed with Wagner's earlier comments about wanting to make sure the council supported Barone with whatever tools and resources she needed to be successful. Schneider said he saw the biggest challenge in that area was Barone being timid in asking for what she needed. Wagner agreed and said that was why he brought the issue up. Barone said she has already had discussions about hiring a coach. Brull noted that there are different coaches for different things like being a sounding board, learning to be a better public speaker, or having better executive presence. Wagner said he agreed with Schneider's comments about the expectation that the city wanted to remain very visible externally and regionally. Schneider said he would use the word "respected" rather than "visible." Wiersum said the city wanted to demonstrate leadership Allendorf said when the replacement process was setup the term "expectation" was used a lot. He indicated the report did not include a lot of expectations in it. He asked the other council members to elaborate on their expectations. Hiller said the council had worked on development during his time on the council. He said help was needed trying to pull together the pieces to give a better view on how the city wanted to do development. He said that was one thing he would like to state as an expectation. Schneider agreed with Hiller's idea with the caveat that the council shared the responsibility to follow through on what had been discussed. One example was Page 17 611"44&111MLrim3'1 CITY OF MINNETONKA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL STUDY SESSION MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012 PAGE 4 there was the lofty idea for the community commission when it was created. He said the council dropped the ball and little was done. The city manager had to call the council out when it was not meeting its responsibilities. Either the council had to state that it had changed its mind and not do what was discussed or follow up with getting things done. Wagner said the challenge would be for Barone to be comfortable managing the council and the council being comfortable being managed. Brull said there needed to be a balance between risk and prudence and the question was what role the council saw for itself in achieving that balance and what role the city manager and staff played. He noted elected bodies tend to be risk adverse. Wiersum said the city had done innovative things in the past but the council tended to be reactive rather than proactive. When the example of issue of the Highway 169 interchange came up, it was the staff that drove coming up with an innovative way to get something done. Even though it was creative and innovative it was reactive. He said for the most part that was how the city operated. He suggested implementing a five year or an annual plan that looks out ahead in anticipating problems and developing solutions. He said his expectation of Barone was to maintain the excellence the city had and deal with the change as it comes. The higher expectation was for the city to be proactive. Wagner agreed the annual or five year plan was commonly used in the private sector and was helpful. The plans drive and help manage the process. Wiersum said the council spent relatively little time together so there was a reasonable number of things that could be tackled proactively so there was a need to make sure the city was focused on good things while not having a list of unrealistic things that could not be achieved. Barone noted that for the May study session the strategic plan approved by the council and the work plan that had been developed in conjunction with it, would be discussed. The discussion would also include the draft of the upcoming year work plan. She said this would give the council the chance to discuss any changes in direction. Hiller said Gunyou had been good at sharing pieces of information early on with issues like the firefighter pension. This prepared the council that the bigger issue was coming up. He said he was not too worried about risk as long as he knew an issue was coming up. It was when he was surprised that he had concerns. Allendorf said the city should take credit for the work that had been done on the strategic plan. He was glad to hear the process was to be continued. As far as risk and innovation, he said the city's innovation had been wonderful and should be continued on internal items. The 169 interchange solution was an example of Page 18 STAFF SUMMARY CITY OF MINNETONKA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL STUDY SESSION MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012 PAGE 5 this. He said he did not want the city to be a leader on external, controversial, and divisive issues that were beyond the scope of city government. Schneider said he had the opportunity over the years to be exposed to a lot of different governments and city manager/council relationships. The range of relationships was varied with some cities having a dictator like city manager and a council that didn't know what was going on to a city manager who had no authority or respect from the council. The issue often was the councils did not have a clear expectation of what their responsibilities and duties were. There was no clear message coming from the body to the city manager. In other cases the council was intimidated and did not want to speak up. He said the Minnetonka council wanted to have a clear message with a city manager who knew how to implement the messages. If the messages did not resonate with what the city manager felt were the city's values, she needed to let the council know further discussion was needed. Barone said respect between the council and staff was critical. Two way communication was also very important. Allendorf cited the city of Shorewood's recent change in city administrators as an example where there appeared to be communication issues. The dismissed city administrator seemed to be unclear why he had been replaced. Allendorf said he expected Barone to let him know if a bad idea he wanted done was not what others would support. Barone said she has seen the current council work to enforce respect between councilmembers. Different opinions are accepted but there has been a self - enforced respect. Schneider said the majority of these issues he has seen over time have been caused by poor communication. One person is talking on one level and the other isn't listening or completely misinterpreting what is being said. The two people are already at odds without knowing what was being talked about. He said that didn't happen a lot with the Minnetonka council but the council could still improve on its ability to communicate with each other. Barone said she endorsed the idea the council discussed a few months ago about doing a team building session that helped the councilmembers better understand communication styles. Wiersum said people were proud of the city and thought the city was running pretty well. The council did not always agree on everything but good communication, being willing and able to disagree respectfully, and not to undermine others were important. Wagner added that once a decision had been made, it was important for everybody to be onboard. Wiersum agreed once a decision was made it was important not to undermine others because if that occurred the council would lose credibility. Brull said Childs liked the concept of dynamic tension." Brull said as a council the dynamic tension was to not make decisions prematurely using voting as a weapon. The trouble with the majority voting without a full discussion was that it created a minority with a different agenda. On the other side of making premature decisions was having excessive Page 19 STAFF SUMMARY CITY OF MINNETONKA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL STUDY SESSION MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012 PAGE 6 discussion where decisions are never reached. Having a healthy balance was important. He said the city manager's role was to help the council see where they were in that balance. Schneider said a related expectation to the city manager holding the council accountable for what it said it would do was effectively working with different mayors with different styles. He said Mayor Karen Anderson was much more proactive with issues she felt strongly about while he was more laid back. Mayor Jan Callison was somewhere in between. Schneider said he disagreed with language in the report about being aggressive" in relation to being willing to be creative. He said a word like assertive" was better. Brull said the city would be aggressive in an issue like environmental stewardship. Barone suggested Schneider was looking at the term as a personality trait. Schneider said the word was being used in connection with engaging citizens, employees and the community. He said it was important to be proactive but not aggressive. Allendorf said he thought the word "aggressive" was not appropriate even with environmental stewardship. Allendorf said he had a conflict with trying to address the need to attract young families to the city with maintaining the city's half acre lot size. He said people tell him the city was great because of its open spaces and lot sizes. Yet some developments like the one off Bren Road were small lots with relatively affordable houses. He said somehow the city had to address the conflict. One solution was to find pockets in the city where the council approved smaller and more affordable homes. Wagner agreed and said it might be identifying where there were a lot of two third acre lots that would someday be bought and split. He said the issue Allendorf identified was fundamental conflict. Wiersum said the thing that made Minnetonka unique was the open space and big lots. This makes the city attractive for families with children yet the thought was the only way to attract younger families to the city was to have lots like every other suburb. Allendorf said the council had to address the issue at some point. Schneider said there were other solutions other than small lots. Hiller said he was concerned with the city becoming ad hoc. Wiersum said the declining market environmental has made many formerly unaffordable homes a lot more affordable so the council may be trying to solve a problem that may not exist. Schneider said there was the inaccurate perception that the city did not have any affordable housing and there was the reality that the city did not have certain types of homes with amenities for young families. Schneider said the category in the report about encouraging risk taking was not accurate. The city was willing to accept a reasonable level of risk for appropriate creative thinking and innovation but it wasn't willing to take risks for the sake of taking risks. Brull said the risk taking being discussed was related to the city manager being the leader of staff and encouraging creative thinking and risk Page 20 STAFF SUMMARY CITY OF MINNETONKA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL STUDY SESSION MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012 PAGE 7 taking in the staff. Schneider said there had to be a purpose for taking the risk. Hiller agreed with Schneider and said the statement should be about encouraging and being supportive of innovation. Wiersum said the description of Barone as "always operating in a highly ethical, respectful, and careful fashion" was accurate. He said he told Barone he would like to see her be bolder and take a few more risks. When he thinks of encouraging risk taking he thinks of creating an atmosphere where people are willing to try new things and do not fear failure. When a person fears failure he/she won't take risks and won't be innovative. He said as the city manager, Barone won't have the time to get all the facts to reach a decision. She'll have to have confidence in her gut feeling and her team's suggestions. He said boldness and risk taking were really important. Brull said in the context of the city being a government agency what risk taking meant was how many of the dots had been connected and filled in before a decision was made. He said when the Williston Center was built it wasn't known if the center would make money because most community centers had to be heavily subsidized. If the council had been more cautious the center would not have been built. Barone said it was important for her and the leadership team to foster the culture and environment for creative thinking. Wiersum said he had worked in places that said they wanted employees to take risks but only successful risks were rewarded. The people who failed were not backed. Brull said that issue was key in attracting good staff. Good staff wants to work in a place where innovation and creativity was fostered and encouraged. Wagner said what was being discussed was creating a risk tolerant environment. Acomb said there was a difference between taking a risk and being reckless. She said the term "bold" was insightful. Wiersum said Barone was analytical and careful and that was not a bad thing to be. She'll have to challenge herself to be bolder in her new position. Barone said as the assistant city manager her job was to get the city manager everything he needed to make a good decision and then support his decision. She said her first thought about hiring the assistant city manager was hiring someone who was opposite of her but it might be better to hire someone who was detailed oriented. Brull said he didn't think Barone could tolerate an assistant city manager who was opposite of her and could not deal with details. Wiersum said what was needed was Barone to feel comfortable that the details were covered. Wagner said it was important Barone knew the council was supportive in her taking the thought out risks. Allendorf said Barone should hire whoever she felt comfortable hiring for the assistant city manager whether it was a male or female. Schneider said the best qualified person should be found but if there was more than one than gender balance should be considered.. Schneider said in the category of fiscal management it was important for Barone to be able to think outside the box. Wagner noted he had not experienced Barone dealing with financial management issues. Barone noted she had been involved in all the budget and CIP preparation meetings with the directors. Wagner said in terms of development it was important for Barone to identify how Page 21 STAFF SUMMARY CITY OF MINNETONKA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL STUDY SESSION MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012 PAGE 8 she was going to lead thinking six months, a year, and two years ahead as the council had been accustomed to seeing. Wiersum said he wanted Barone to be visible in the budget process. Fiscal management was an area she needed to demonstrate that she would bring something to the table. Barone said part of the challenge would be that Finance Director Merrill King was strong on the details, and Gunyou was good at narrowing down things for the council. Barone said her role as assistant city manager had been in the middle. Allendorf said he wouldn't be disappointed if Barone decided it would be beneficial to bring in Gunyou to help with the first few budget cycles. Wiersum said his critique of the current process was when the annual budget review was done in December it seemed as if the budget was being defended. He viewed the role of the meetings as enlightening the public on what they would get and why taxes were going up or down. Schneider said over the years when he has had discussions with people upset about taxes rather than discuss how the tax system worked, it was more effective to focus the conversation on the value of the services being received. He suggested it would be helpful for staff to present to the public how the city creates value for good services at a reasonable price in broader terms. Wiersum said government has worked hard to make the tax system complex and difficult to understand. People are always questioning why their taxes were going up when their property value was decreasing. People think there is one to one relationship between the value of their property and the taxes they pay. He said the thing that struck a chord in him was during the Crosby Cove development discussion when the developer said that if he were allowed to create a lake lot where one did not exist, the value of the property would go up and the city would collect more taxes. Wiersum said he responded by informing the person that what his property indicated was what his share of the total bill was. If his taxes were increasing a lot, everyone else's taxes were going down a little. His property value determined his share of the overall tax levy. Wiersum said he would guess that 95 percent of residents did not understand this was the way their taxes were determined. He said the city has not done a good job at explaining this to people. Hiller said the council had confidence in Gunyou's long term strategy. He said he had confidence in Barone knowing all the details in the budget but he had no intuition if she had a long term strategy. He said she would have to show this to the council in some way. Schneider said in the category of customer service gets raves from people in the community about the job the city does. Under the community relations category for opportunities for development he suggested Barone establish broader relationships with outside organizations including state agencies, the Met Council, Hennepin County and various local government associations. He said this would be time consuming but was important in maintaining the city's position Page 22 STAFF SUMMARY CITY OF MINNETONKA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL STUDY SESSION MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012 PAGE 9 as a respected leader. Establishing this would take time as people determine if Barone measured up to expectations. Wiersum said Barone would have to establish her own plan for development. She would also have to decide what her brand would be that would establish her presence in the community. Schneider said part of that would be being effective dealing with irate residents while balancing that with other important issues. Barone said there was a balance she would like to achieve between the outside community and her visibility internally within the organization. She has seen the impact it has on an organization's culture when city managers and directors get too involved in external activities. Brull said this meant prioritizing where her highest impact would be. Wagner said determining where the highest impact would be was tied with the city's upcoming initiatives. If the Ridgedale area was going to be re -done then focus would be on outreach to the business community. Barone said fundamentally at the beginning it would be important to establish local relationships and some of the regional associations. Schneider said in the area of development opportunities, Barone would find herself more and more in group settings. He said there was a balance in communication styles with projecting and articulating and being soft spoken and reserved. There were techniques to getting her voice heard without yelling and it was an area she needed work. Barone said part of that for her was her comfort and confidence level with the group she was in and cited her work on the park board. Acomb agreed and said she had seen Barone speak up with comfort. Allendorf noted it was not the assistant city manager's job to be outspoken. Brull said one of Barone's assets was she knew who she was. Schneider indicated the council had identified that quality. Barone asked if the council was expecting some type of evaluation document to include with her contract. Schneider said the process that was used in the past for the city manager review involved a subcommittee that got feedback from the entire council. In this process there would not be something in writing to compare Barone's performance as city manager. To have measurable objective that stated what the expectations had been for the year would be helpful to have a meaningful dialogue. Wagner suggested including a few of the expectations that could be realistically delivered on in a one or two year period for an individual development plan. Barone indicated creating a hybrid with what had been used for Gunyou's review and the evaluation system used for employees that included goals that are updated every year. This would allow the council to look at the general categories and specific goals. Brull said he could include examples he had used for other cities. 2. Adjournment The study session adjourned at 8:27 p.m. Page 23 STAFF SUMMARY CITY OF MINNETONKA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL STUDY SESSION MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012 PAGE 10 Respectfully submitted, David Maeda City Clerk Page 24 City Council Expectations for City Manager Geralyn Barone April 2, 2012 External Relations Establish a presence in regional and state affairs; represent Minnetonka in a leadership role Maintain/enhance a presence (brand) in the community Council Relations Strengthen communication with the city council; encourage respectful, two-way dialogue Facilitate the city council in reaching "reasonable consensus"; serve as a dispassionate observer Move the city council to action on their ideas; hold council accountable for their commitments Internal Relations Create a risk -tolerant environment, without fear of failure Encourage innovative, creative thinking Maintain/enhance Minnetonka's standards of excellence Manage transition process with key staff leadership retirements Fiscal Responsibility Be visible in the budget process and communicate long-term strategies Enlighten the public on taxes and budget (simple messages) Maintain Minnetonka's position of fiscal responsibility Future Anticipate demographic changes and proactively address development issues (e.g., acre lots vs. affordable housing for young families) Engage in long range planning; follow through Personal Development Enlist a professional coach in the transition Improve public speaking techniques Page 25