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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/17/1992 Meeting . '" MINUTES '. . Eugene City Council Special Meeting McNutt Room--City'Hall November 17, 1992 11:30 a.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Shawn Boles, Bobby Green, Ruth Bascom, Debra Ehrman, Randy MacDonald (after 11:40 a.m.), Paul Nicholson, Kaye Robinette, Roger Rutan. The adjourned meeting of November 9, 1992, of the Eugene City Council was called to order by His Honor Mayor Jeff Miller. 1. DISCUSSION TO REVIEW AND EVALUATE EMPLOYMENT-RELATED PERFORMANCE OF THE C!TY MANAGER Mayor Miller described the evaluation as a way of enabling an employee to do his job better and pointed out that it was Mr. Gleason's choice to hold a public session. Mr. Robinette stated that he felt it would be more beneficial to provide the . manager with some general comments rather than reviewing the categories in the written evaluation. He observed that the implementation of Eugene Decisions has created new circumstances with different issues that require rearranging the relationships between the council, manager, and staff. Concurring with Mr. Robinette's observations, Mr. Boles expressed appreciation for opportunities to meet with Mr. Gleason and the department managers and said that broadening the exchange between councilors and staff will become increasingly important in the years ahead. Ms. Ehrman praised Mr. Gleason's recognition of new councilors and his ability to give deference to each councilor's opinion while moving with the majority. She pointed out that the City organization needs to be made aware that in the Eugene Decisions implementation atmosphere, the council may process issues differently than before. This will require the manager to be more objective in the way he looks at service areas and recognize that individuals are going to be affected by the changes ahead. Mr. Rutan described Mr. Gleason's job as one of the most challenging, espe- cially during this period of change and said that the organization must continue to attract employees and elected officials who want to serve this community. Commending Mr. Gleason's decision to have an open process, Mr. Green said he . MINUTES--Eugene City Council Special Meeting November 17, 1992 Page 1 11:30 a.m. ~---- 1 1 gauged Mr. Gleason's performance by how well the council achieves its goals. . Mr. Green emphasized the importance of the organization being accessible to its customers and delivering the service they expect. He urged Mr. Gleason to guide staff to be completely prepared when coming before the council by having all the information the council will need to make a decision. Mr. Nicholson focused on how Mr. Gleason could improve and said that the organization's interface with the public needs to be strengthened. Specifi- cally, Mr. Nicholson maintained that staff inappropriately drove the council's processing of the Lincoln and Broadway low-income housing project, the Lincoln School project, and the development of alternative transportation modes. He added that Mr. Gleason sometimes failed to proceed with appropriate alacrity. Mr. Nicholson noted that the council depends on staff's work on issues to guide its decision making. He wished the council had more authority concern- ing department heads. Responding to a question from Ms. Ehrman, Mr. Nicholson said that he would like individual department heads to be present at council goals sessions for the discussion of specific issues that would directly affect them. Recogniz- ing there are charter constraints, Mr. Nicholson expressed the desire to evaluate department heads in order to make them more accountable to the council. Cautioning the council about directly involving itself in managing the organization, Mr. Rutan said that if Mr. Gleason is to have management respon- sibility he also needs to have authority. Continuing to question the council's relationship with department heads, Mr. . Nicholson said that staff's presentations to the council filter information according to staff's position on the issues. Mr. Green agreed that executive managers should be included at the council's goals sessions, but said he did not want the council to assume an administra- tive management role. Mr. Boles stressed the importance of the council, City Manager, and department heads working together to implement Eugene Decisions, with administrative authority remaining with Mr. Gleason and the department managers. Mr. MacDonald saw room for imprOVing communication between the council and the organization within the framework of the current charter. Ms. Ehrman said it was inevitable that individuals would have different priorities and biases on issues. She pointed out that Mr. Gleason invited councilors to sit in and observe the interview process for a recent recruit- ment. Mr. Boles told the council that agenda control was the way the council could require equal treatment of issues by staff. Mayor Miller said the manager needs to ask the council for its priorities in order to ensure that those issues that are high priority to the council receive adequate staff energy and treatment. Mr. Rutan observed that new issues may take time to become a council priority. MINUTES--Eugene City Council Special Meeting November 17, 1992 Page 2 . 11 :30 a.m. -- . . Urging caution in the area of agenda control, Ms. Bascom commented that the council needs to be focused, direct, and specific. She thought that if Mr. Gleason knows the council is trying to be more clear, it may lead to better balance. Mr. Green commented on his role in the hiring of Deputy Director Cooke and commended Mr. Gleason for heeding the council's direction to hire more people of color. He said individual councilors have ready access to department heads and he had never felt excluded from any process. Mr. Green added that the council's focus on Eugene Decisions had prevented it from focusing on much else recently. Responding to Mr. MacDonald's question about his continuing enthusiasm if the period of change ahead requires him to deconstruct much of what he has built as City Manager, Mr. Gleason said that he expected to be challenged by the changes ahead. Mr. MacDonald continued by thanking Mr. Gleason for his restraint as the council considered its policy choices during Eugene Deci- sions. He emphasized the importance of the council being clear in its direction to Mr. Gleason. Mr. MacDonald said the City needs to prepare itself for the possibility that there will be no new revenue source. Providing regular information to the public and trying to understand what citizens want and expect will be key activities. Mr. MacDonald commended the organization for its support of the Eugene Decisions process and told Mr. Gleason that his personal awareness of what is happening at the service-delivery level will be critical for the success of that process. Mr. MacDonald requested better staff coordination to provide proactive support for councilors taking the lead . in intergovernmental efforts. He asked for Mr. Gleason's help in developing a strategic approach to being more effective with the City's local partners. Mr. Nicholson commended Mr. Gleason for his willingness to implement changes as directed by the council. Commenting on intergovernmental issues, Ms. Bascom saw a need to limit the City's commitments to those intergovernmental efforts in which it could be effective. Mayor Miller summarized by commending Mr. Gleason for respecting the demo- cratic process as well as individuals. Referring to Eugene Decisions as a major accomplishment, he said Mr. Gleason needs to prepare the council to move forward and be responsible with the revenue available. Mayor Miller went on to recognize that in taking risks, mistakes will be made. Reiterating his belief in democracy and satisfaction with his job, Mr. Gleason thanked the council for the public process and commented that the culture fails to prepare people for group decision-making in public. He considered Eugene Decisions to be a learning and humbling process that will require further effort and energy to implement. Referring to the issues that had been raised regarding the charter, Mr. Gleason said that the organization is a mixture of interests and concerns. . MINUTES--Eugene City Council Special Meeting November 17, 1992 Page 3 11 :30 a.m. .' , . Controlling the future will require doing less, prioritizing, and letting go . objectively. He reminded councilors that the charter creates barriers to ' individuals but not to the elected council, and noted that the democratic' process requires the organization to respond to the collective will of the council. II. BALLOTING TO DETERMINE INTERVIEWEES FOR OPENINGS ON THE BUDGET COMMITTEE AND PLANNING COMMISSION / Mr. Boles moved, seconded by Mr. Green, to reappoint Janet Ander- , son to the Budget Committee, and to interview Eben Dobson, Paul Harrison, Mary Hudzikiewicz, Howard Bonnett, and Jim Torrey for the remaining three openings on the Budget Committee. Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 8:0. Mr. Boles moved, seconded by Mr. Green, to reappoint Ellen Wojahn to the Planning Commission, and to interview Vernon Ho, Robert Belknap, Beverly Ficek, and William Elhers for the remaining two openings on the Planning Commission. Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 8:0. Interviews were scheduled for November 23, 1992, with action to be taken December 2. Councilors agreed with Mr. Boles's suggestion to formalize councilor-elect . Barbara Keller's appointment as the council representative to the Fair Board. Referring to a memorandum from Mr. Nicholson, Ms. Ehrman said no meetings were scheduled with that issue as an agenda item. Mr. Boles reported that an ad hoc group was working on restructuring agenda control and the restaurant tax and would be reporting to the council November 23. December 7 was reserved for a session on Eugene Decisions, and the council was scheduled to meet with the lay Budget Committee members December 8 to consider the FY94 forecast. Ms. Bascom said she planned to meet with each councilor individually before December 7. . , Regarding the proposed restaurant tax, Mr. Nicholson said that the three councilors-elect had indicated to him that they would not actively oppose this council's decision to proceed with its decision. The meeting adjourned at 1:10 p.m. MINUTES--Eugene City Council Special Meeting November 17, 1992 Page 4 . 11:30 a.m. .. ; . R~epectfUl ~ ~~~ ~ Micheal Gleason City Manager (Recorded by Mary Feldman) ccI13017.112 . . MINUTES--Eugene City Council Special Meeting November 17, 1992 Page 5 11:30 a.m.