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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/31/1991 Meeting e e e M I NUT E S Eugene City Council Rogue Room--Valley River Inn January 31, 1991 5:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Roger Rutan, Shawn Boles, Ruth Bascom, Bobby Green, Randy MacDonald, Debra Ehrman, Paul Nicholson, Kaye Robi nette. The adjourned meeting of January 30, 1991, of the Eugene City Council was called to order by His Honor Mayor Jeff Miller. I. PROCESS SESSION Facilitator Sharon Thorne outlined the process that the council would be following for this session. The agenda included group introductions, shared statements of expectations, generation of process issues, discussion of what activities might lead to more effective working relationships, and what commitments councilors will be willing to make to enhance this relationship. Councilors shared information about themselves and talked about what they perceive to be the most important accomplishments the council can make in the coming year. (At 7 p.m., the council took a short break.) The council briefly reviewed council ground rules and generated a list of specific issues for discussion. A. New Councilors Briefed on Issues The council recognized that with three new councilors on board there may be times when the council discusses an issue which it has discussed and/or already taken action on in the past. Concern was raised that new councilors might not be aware of or fully understand the extent of past discussion that has guided the issue. The council discussed ways in which it might prevent unnecessary rehashing of past discussion. Ms. Bascom noted that on issues such as this, it will be important for new councilors to follow the lead of old councilors and to trust that those who were previously involved understand the issue and are taking the best possible action based on that information. The council discussed and agreed that all councilors should be fully briefed on issues before the meeting. For the most part, the information contained MINUTES--Eugene City Council Quarterly Process Session January 31, 1991 Page 1 e e e within the council agenda packet is sufficient for making an informed decision. If an individual councilor needs additional information, it is his or her responsibility to initiate contact with staff or another councilor in advance to answer any questions. Mr. Nicholson pointed out that there may be times when new councilors do not agree on the basic policy assumptions that guided the decision. He asked the council to be tolerant of a need to discuss these policies which might possibly lead the council to reject what was once status quo. B. Philosophical Discussions Ms. Bascom commented that sometimes the council gets bogged down in a wide-ranging philosophical discussion when it needs to focus on a specific goal or action. In order to help the council stay on target on an issue, council requested that staff provide clear direction to council about what type of decision is being requested. The council discussed this issue and felt that it might be beneficial to hold the philosophical discussion at a different time than the action decision. It reached consensus that a philosophical discussion must have the support of at least two councilors prior to bringing it to the floor at a future meeting. Mr. MacDonald reiterated a point made earlier by Mr. Nicholson that councilors need to be aware that the will of the council may have changed with three new councilors. The basic philosophical assumptions that the council may have relied on to make decisions may no longer be true and may require review. While it is important that the council move toward action on issues, it is important that the council continue to have these philosophical discussions. C. Personalizing This issue was raised in response to recent incidences of personalizing which have taken place during council meetings. Ms. Ehrman emphasized the need to avoid making public those comments or criticisms which could better be made in private. The council discussed the different positions and personal styles that exist among the council. It agreed that councilors should avoid being overly sensitive to comments which were not intended to harm. Mr. Boles pointed out that when councilors are making a case for an issue, it is not helpful for councilors to site a large, unnamed constituency that supports a particular position. Councilors agreed to make an effort to speak for themselves on issues and to avoid disguising statements as questions. MINUTES--Eugene City Council Quarterly Process Session January 31, 1991 Page 2 . e D. Postponement Mr. Boles asked that the council be careful not to add items to the agenda and take action on them without the opportunity for full council involvement. The council discussed its ground rules regarding postponement of an item. Council ground rules permit councilors to request postponement of an agenda item. The council reached consensus that individual councilors should make it clear in advance if they want to reschedule an item. Staff noted that a list of upcoming agenda items is attached to the Council Newsletter and urged the council to review this list to make this determination. E. Time Limits The council discussed ways in which to make the meeting times as valuable as possible and to ensure that the council remains on task during discussion. Noting that the Mayor is responsible for facilitating the discussion, the council requested that he be particularly cognizant of time limitations. Specifically, it asked that he terminate discussion when it becomes repetitive and that he provide staff with a clear summary of the action that the council wishes to take on an issue. Mr. Nicholson acknowledged the need to work within time limits, but stressed the importance of not allowing a time line to force the council into making a premature decision. If there is a value or need for further discussion, e action on the item should be postponed to a later date. F. Appointment Process for Boards and Commissions The council discussed its appointment process for boards and commissions. Traditionally, it is the Mayor's responsibility to appoint, with council approval, board and commission members. The council highlighted several problematic instances that have occurred recently in the appointment process. The council discussed ways in which it might prevent this type of incident from taking place in the future and agreed that it would require the commitment of both the Mayor and'council. Mr. MacDonald spoke about the need for increased communication between the council and the Mayor regarding the appointment process. The council agreed that when the Mayor nominates citizens to boards and commissions, information about the nomination should be shared with the council. If the Mayor feels particularly strong about the nomination, this should be conveyed as well. The council also discussed its responsibilities in the nomination process. It.realized that it is the council's obligation to inform the Mayor well in advance of any concerns it has with a nomination. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council Quarterly Process Session January 31, 1991 Page 3 e Alluding to the process which was followed for the Tree Commission appointment, Ms. Ehrman emphasized that prospective appointments should not be brought before the boards and commissions for review or recommendation. Mayor Miller stated that it should be implicit council policy not to reappoint an individual to a board or commission who has resigned from that position in protest. The council discussed the constituency of boards and commissions. Specifically, it discussed whether persons who hold contrary positions would be an asset or an obstacle to commission work. Mr. Nicholson felt that an adversary's position would be of benefit to the commission because it would encourage the group to have a broader perspective of the issues. Other councilors felt that such an appointment would likely obstruct commission work. The council agreed that because each prospective appointee brings a slightly different background and viewpoint to an issue, it would need to review this type of appointment on a case-by-case basis. G. Staff/Council Relations e Mr. Nicholson voiced concern with the way lay citizens are being treated in the public process. Specifically, he expressed concern with the amount of staff input that is allowed on an issue and said that the material is being presented in a way which might be offensive to many citizens. He suggested that out of respect for the work of boards and commissions, all recommendations should be passed directly to council without staff intervention. Mr. Rutan disagreed with Mr. Nicholson. He felt that it is beneficial for the council to encourage the staff, as informed professionals, to advise the council on its actions.' He pointed out, however, that it is also each councilor's responsibility to fully examine and evaluate each staff recommendation. Mr. Gleason remarked that the council has given clear direction in the past about the preferred format for staff presentations. However, he noted that it is appropriate for the council to be alert and to bring to the attention of staff, any concerns regarding the "filtering" of material. It is the goal of staff to remain as objective as possible. The council agreed that this item is worthy of more discussion and should be raised at a future process session. H. Councilors' Positions and the Public Record Mr. MacDonald voiced frustration that he has not been given the opportunity to clearly state his position on an issue at past council sessions. He felt that it is important that his position on an issue be clearly stated during council discussion so that it can become part of the public record. The council acknowledged Mr. MacDonald's concern and suggested that for future e MINUTES--Eugene City Council Quarterly Process Session January 31, 1991 Page 4 council sessions, statements of position on an issue be presented prior to 4Ia taking final action. At 9:20 p.m., the meeting adjourned. Respectfully submitted, _~~-r1 Micheal Gleason City Manager (Recorded by Traci Northman) mncc 013191-QPS e e MINUTES--Eugene City Council Quarterly Process Session January 31, 1991 Page 5