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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStudy Session Notes 12-19-16STUDY SESSION NOTES CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO City Council Chambers 7500 W. 29th Avenue December 19, 2016 Mayor Joyce Jay called the Study Session to order at 6:30 p.m. Council members present: Monica Duran, Janeece Hoppe, Kristi Davis, Zachary Urban, George Pond, Tim Fitzgerald, Genevieve Wooden Absent: Larry Mathews Also present: City Clerk, Janelle Shaver; City Manager, Patrick Goff; Heather Bergman; and interested citizens CITIZEN COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS none 1 . Staff Report( s) Patrick Goff reported for resident Dominik Breton who was present. • The WR Grange Chili Cook-Off will be Thursday, January 19 from 6:00 to 8:00pm. Bring your best recipe. Proceeds will go to the BackPack program. It is $10 to enter a Chili and $5 to be a taste tester/judge. Handouts provided. • WR Kiwanis is looking for new members. There's an informational event Tuesday, January 101h from 5:30 -7:00pm at Clancy's Irish Pub for anyone who is interested. Handouts provided. 2. City Vision and Goals Discussion Heather Bergman from Peak Facilitation Group presented the key themes she heard from interviews with councilmembers. (At least two councilmembers said something for it to appear on the lists.) What is going well.. .... • Councilmembers are getting along better and being more civil to one another. • Relationship with the city manager and staff is good. • Meetings run pretty well. Members are prepared. Latitude is allowed as needed. • Councilmembers are proactive about community engagement. • 2E was an example of excellent collaboration. STUDY SESSION NOTES: December 19, 2016 Page -2- Where there is room for improvement. ..... • The Council is divided into "camps"; hard to find common ground. • There are different views about how to represent the community. • There are different views about the role of Council (how far down in the weeds). • Tone and attitude in their interactions could improve. Periodic snarkiness. Some blindsiding. No heads-up before meetings. • Need more diversity in who represents WR on outside committees and in the region; spread it around. • Public comment often by the same people; would like to hear different voices. Some follow-up with resident speakers would help them not feel ignored. • Survey results indicate that residents don't trust Council. Some councilmembers appear not to trust staff. • A more open, inclusive and collaborative relationship among councilmembers is desired. (Everyone said it's a divided council.) • Greater transparency of Council actions and decisions is desired by some. Big issues facing Wheat Ridge ......... . • Identity: The City has no identity -no shared vision of the future. • Demographic shift happening. Some want change, some don't. Different views about looking to neighboring cities for ideas. • Development: Strongly divergent views in the community about the appropriate pace, scale and nature of growth and development • Needs: It's unclear whether/how the City will address infrastructure, homelessness, veterans, drainage, environmental sustainability, etc. • Funding: Unclear if we require additional financial resources or not. • Community engagement: Council doesn't agree how to engage the community • 38th Avenue: Common theme; community dissatisfied; Council divided on how to proceed. • Families: Neighborhood revitalization is important to keeping families What do you want to get out of the retreat? ....... . Get to know each other as people. -Learn how to work together. -Learn how to trust each other. -Discuss transparency issues. -Review Council procedures. -Code of conduct. -Find some alignment on a common vision for the City and future goals. -Discuss what to do when there's disagreement about what the will of the people is. -Review staff and Council work plans. -Share top priorities. -Do we want to hear from outside speakers, or how other communities are doing things. Discussion followed. Logistics Councilmember Hoppe received consensus to have additional study session discussions on January 30 (5th Monday) and Feb 6 study session. STUDY SESSION NOTES: December 19, 2016 Page -3- All councilmembers were available to have the retreat on March 3-4. Further specifics will be determined at a later date. Mr. Goff reported that Janice Smothers is looking for a space in the City. Why have strategic planning? Ms. Bergman highlighted the reasons for strategic planning -explaining the difference between content for strategic planning and action planning steps. Lengthy discussion followed. • How the existing goals are set up was explained to the Council. • Discussion about whether to fine tune existing goals or start from scratch. • Discussion about 'where we are now' and 'where do we want to be'. • Need to focus on what success looks like and what are the goals for next year. • Homework: Each councilmember to Red line the goals It was agreed that Mr. Goff and Ms. Bergman will reconfigure the existing goals into a different format before year's end. Councilmembers will have three weekends to personally "red line" a copy of the goals and get those back to Ms. Bergman. A compilation of these goal ideas will be ready for discussion on January 3Qth. ~ Elected Officials Report (s) Mr. Goff pointed out the congratulatory chalkboard from the Fruitdale celebration was available if anyone who wasn't there would care to sign it. Janeece Hoppe reminded that she is having an information and cookie exchange this Thursday from 6-7:30 at The Gathering Spot. Bring cookies and priorities for discussion. Zach Urban announced a stakeholder meeting tomorrow night at 8801 Lipan St in Thornton to discuss future funding for the Arapahoe House. It's from 3-Spm. Kristi Davis reported Urban Renewal will be meeting at 6pm tomorrow. Tim Fitzgerald commented that the Fruitdale school no longer belongs to the City and they expect to have it finished by the end of summer. Monica Duran noted she would like to take a tour of the Fruitdale building. Mr. Goff said the owners plan to schedule periodic tours. Janelle Shaver reported that the final financial reports for the Issues Committees for the recent election are available on the City Clerk's page of the City website. STUDY SESSION NOTES: December 19, 2016 Page -4- ADJOURNMENT The Study Session adjourned at 8:32 pm. nelle Shaver, City Clerk APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL ON January 9, 2017 George Pond, Mayor Pro T em