TO: Mayor Collins and Town Council Members
FROM: Kevin Burke, Town Manager
DATE: September 14, 2017
DEPARTMENT: Town Manager
Staff Contact Kevin Burke 480-348-3690
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AGENDA TITLE:
Title
Governance Discussion - Identifying Topics and Prioritizing
Body
Town Value(s):
☐ Primarily one-acre, residential community
☒ Limited government
☐ Creating a sense of community
☐ Partnerships with existing schools and resorts to enhance recreational opportunities
☐ Improving aesthetics/creating a brand
☐ Preserving natural open space
In order to effectively operate as a local democracy, and one that values limited government, it is important to periodically evaluate processes and procedures that govern the way the municipal corporation conducts its business.
Council Goals or Statutory Requirements:
Governance - Review and seek improvement to processes and procedures for our community.
RECOMMENDATION:
Provide direction regarding the list of governance topics and the priority in which to address them.
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
Over the course of recent years, various procedural and process questions have arisen when tackling a policy or administrative issue. Articulating the preferred procedure or process may best be described as governance. At its 2017 Mayor and Council retreat, the Members identified “Governance” as one of its top initatives for the 2017-2018 term.
A number of Governance subtopics have been identified through the retreat, the course of processing n item, or in conversation between the Town Manager and inidivudal councilmembers. These topics are as follows:
1. Rules and Procedures
2. Appointment Process
3. Conflicts of Interest
4. Use of Statement of Direction
5. Update the Ethics Policy
6. Sequence Regarding Board of Adjustment Variances vs Hillside Committee
7. Parameters for Council Champions
8. When are Cost Estimates Necessary
These topics are more fully described in the attached outline with associated documents attached. Mayor and Council will be asked if these are still relevant as well as other topics they think should be included. The Town Manager will then facilitate a two-part discussion. First, identifying a defining question that helps guide the modifications for that topic so that all parties understand the goal or purpose that is trying to be achieved. This will provide a benchmark for evaluating success of the modified process or procedure.
Second, the Town Manager will ask the Mayor and Council to prioritize the list. This may be from easiest to hardest, most time sensitive to least time sentstive, or most concerning to least concerning. The prioritization may also include the elimination of some topics if there is not majority interest.
The Mayor would also like to have a discussion of what these changes mean in the context of the Town Value of limited government.
Once the list is established, the Town Manager plans to agendisize one hour at each Town Council meeting going forward to address as many of the topics, in priority order, as that hour allows. This will continue until the list is exhausted.
BUDGETARY IMPACT:
No budgetary impact is anticipated in association with these discussions.
ATTACHMENT(S):
Governance Topics
Copy of Rules and Procedures
Copy of Boards and Commissions Appointment Matrix
Copy of Statement of Direction Provision in Town Code
Copy of Town Ethic Policy