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City of Eugene, Oregon <br />City Council Retreat <br /> <br /> <br />What it Means for Something to be a “Council Priority” <br /> <br />The City Council reflected on the following: <br />? <br /> The City has identified a need – becomes the focus of the staff – but don’t forget <br />about the day-to-day business <br />? <br /> Direct Impact on Funding – direct staffing and financial resource assignments, <br />beyond day to day services <br />? <br /> Council Priorities are where there is overlap between individual priorities – it is <br />common ground – where we all agree <br />? <br /> To not put aside something urgent that comes along – still be flexible to respond <br />to urgent needs <br />? <br /> Measurable – know we are making progress <br />? <br /> Establishes accountability – something for which the City accepts accountability <br />? <br /> Has a time frame <br />? <br /> Where you will focus energy and resources…what does it mean to take off the <br />list <br />? <br /> Don’t go in, or come off lightly…know when you’ve gotten there…when “done” <br />becomes part of the day to day business of the City <br />? <br /> Inevitable tension between Council priorities and other work – okay to identify <br />when it is becoming too much <br />? <br /> Constantly making trade-offs – priorities are the trade offs you’ve decided upon <br />? <br /> Timelines need to be established quickly (took too long in 2005) <br /> <br />The Executive’s shared their perspective on this topic with the Council, which they had <br />discussed at their retreat the day before: <br />? <br /> It is how we decide what to spend our time on <br />? <br /> Reference point for decision making – decision package criteria (budget) <br />? <br /> Council has committed to spending time on – okay to put something on the <br />agenda <br />? <br /> Helps focus on issue outcomes <br />? <br /> It is what the organization talks about <br />? <br /> Organizing theme for our efforts <br />? <br /> It helps the employees transcend the daily routine and grasp the larger picture <br />? <br /> We need clarification on – how we prioritize new initiatives versus things already <br />in progress <br /> <br />Clarifying Points: <br />? <br /> When we hit critical mass – how do we balance “new things” – be attuned to the <br />tension – we will know when/if it happens <br />? <br /> We are still at the beginning, doing groundwork – first steps are very hard <br />? <br /> Perception of some disconnects… <br /> Development of natural areas conflicts with Arts and Outdoors <br />o <br /> Hospital should have used eminent domain – effort without results <br />o <br />disappointing <br /> Neighborhood Initiative – haven’t done enough – hypocrisy <br />o <br />? <br /> Need to be achievable before the Council changes <br />? <br /> Didn’t flesh things out sufficiently to identify what we want staff to do – that is why <br />it took so long to bring things back <br />Management Partners, Inc. 3 <br /> <br />