[1. Call Meeting To Order/Roll Call]
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TODAY'S DATE IS MAY THE SECOND, AND THIS IS A,
[ City Manager Applicant Interviews]
UH, SPECIAL CITY COUNTY WORKS, UH, CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION FOR, UH, PUBLIC INTERVIEWS FOR OUR, UH, FOUR FINALISTS FOR THE SAME MANAGER POSITION.UH, JUST KIND OF SOME, UH, INFORMATION ON HOW WE'LL HANDLE THIS.
UH, WE HAVE A LIST OF QUESTIONS THAT WILL BE ASKED OF ALL OF THE SAME QUESTIONS ASKED OF ALL THE CANDIDATES.
UH, I WILL ASK, UH, EACH ONE OF THE QUESTIONS OF THE CANDIDATES AND THEN, UH, COUNSEL CERTAINLY WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLLOW-UP, UM, TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, WE JUST WANT TO REMEMBER THAT WE HAVE ABOUT, WAS IT 45, 50 MINUTES ALLOTTED FOR EACH CANDIDATE? AND THEN WE ALSO WANT TO GIVE THEM A TIME AS WELL, UM, YOU KNOW, FIVE MINUTES OR SO TO ANSWER OR TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS OF COUNCIL, UH, PRIOR TO THEM FINISHING.
SO, UH, SO WITH THAT BEING THAT WE'VE GOT FOUR, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET EVERYBODY THROUGH.
SO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND, AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE ANSWERING QUESTIONS, ASKING QUESTIONS, GETTING FOLLOW-UP INFORMATION, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WE STILL WANT TO GET THROUGH EVERYBODY IN A TIMELY MANNER.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE'LL GO AHEAD.
AND, UM, MR.
SO IF YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF A LITTLE BIT, KIND OF LET US KNOW, UM, WHERE YOU'RE FROM, LIKE WE SEE THAT IN YOUR VIDEO, BUT JUST TO KIND OF GET US GOING HERE AND THEN WE'LL, THEN WE'LL KIND OF START THE QUESTION.
I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND TAKING THE TIME.
THANK YOU FOR APPLYING TO BE THE STATE MANAGER OF YOUR RIGHTS.
I THINK, YEAH, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON ME.
I GREW UP, UH, RAISED IN CLEVELAND, OHIO, UH, MOVED TO KNOX COUNTY, OHIO, WHICH IS WHERE MOUNT VERNON IS, UH, TO ATTEND MY UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGE.
UH, FROM THERE I, UH, STARTED A CAREER AS A FULL-TIME FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC, UM, REALIZED I HAD A BIT OF A PASSION FOR GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION.
SO STARTED MY, UM, PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION DEGREE.
UH, DURING THAT TIME, UH, WHILE I WAS DOING THAT, I WAS APPOINTED THE DIRECTOR OF, UH, COUNTY NINE 11 FOR KNOX COUNTY SPENT FIVE YEARS THERE, UM, BEFORE TAKING A FEW YEARS OFF TO DO SOME CONSULTING, UH, IT WAS GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT CONSULTING.
UM, THE MAYOR MOUNT VERNON REACHED OUT WHEN HE, UH, WON HIS ELECTION.
UH, HE HAD BEEN PUT IN TOUCH WITH ME BY THE COUNTY PROSECUTOR, UH, WHO I'D WORKED WITH CLOSELY AND ASKED ME TO JOIN HIM AS HIS SAFETY SERVICE DIRECTOR.
UM, THAT ROLE IS VERY SIMILAR TO A CITY MANAGER.
HE APPOINTS THAT POSITION, UH, SERVES MORE AS THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER FOR THE CITY, THEN THE EXECUTIVE NECESSARILY.
UM, BUT I DO HAVE A LOT OF IN INTERACTION WITH COUNCIL.
I ATTEND COUNCIL MEETINGS LIKE A MANAGER WOULD, UH, THE DEPARTMENTS I OVERSEE WITH THE CITY OR POLICE, FIRE ENGINEERING, PUBLIC WORKS, UM, HUMAN RESOURCES AND PUBLIC UTILITIES.
SO THE FIRST QUESTION DEALS WITH, SO WE HAVE TWO QUESTIONS UNDER THE LEADERSHIP CATEGORY.
SO THIS, I THINK WOULD PROBABLY BE SOMETHING EXPECTED TO BE ASKED FOR WHAT IS THE STRONGEST SKILL SET OR QUALITY THAT YOU WOULD BRING TO THE CITY OF HEBREW HEIGHTS AS OUR CITY MANAGER AND WHAT WOULD BE ONE OF YOUR WEAKEST SKILLSETS? YEP.
SO I THINK WHAT I'VE LEARNED THE LAST TWO YEARS, THAT ONE OF THE STRENGTHS I HAVE THAT MAY NOT BE AS TYPICAL FROM MOST OF OUR STAFF.
UH, I TRY TO BE VERY OPEN-MINDED, UH, INNOVATIVE IN MY THINKING A FEW EXAMPLES OF THAT IS, UM, THERE'S CONSTANTLY NEW DEMANDS BEING PLACED ON CITY WORKFORCE.
UM, WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT, UM, BUT THE SOLUTION DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE EVER GROWING LEVELS OF, OF STAFF.
SO, UM, WE MADE THE DETERMINATION A YEAR AGO TO TRY SOME CONTRACT MOWING FOR THE CITY IN LIEU OF HAVING OUR STAFF DO IT, TO FREE THEM UP, TO DO MORE MAINTENANCE WORK.
WE'VE EXPANDED THAT TO BASICALLY HANDLE JUST ABOUT ALL OF THE CITY MOWING IN THE CITY.
SO I'M LOOKING FOR THOSE KINDS OF INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS, I THINK IS A STRENGTH OF MINE.
UH, WEAKNESSES IS, UH, I CAN BE VERY DRIVEN AND WHO, HOW CAN DRIVEN BE A WEAKNESS? UH, I'LL SAY THIS, UM, I DO TEND TO MOVE A LITTLE FAST AND I ALWAYS HAVE TO CAUTION MYSELF TO DO TWO THINGS, MAKE SURE THAT THE CHANGES WE'RE MAKING ARE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITH THE STAFF WHO HAVE TO IMPLEMENT THEM, THAT THEY'RE PREPARED FOR THEM.
AND THAT WE ACCOMMODATE A LOT OF THOSE CHANGES.
UH, THE SECOND IS TAKING A MOMENT TO SAY, GOOD JOB.
I ACTUALLY KEEP A POST-IT NOTE ON MY COMPUTER SCREEN.
UH, SO THEN WHEN PEOPLE HEAR MY OFFICE, I REMEMBER THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, I SHOULD THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY'VE CONTRIBUTED ORGANIZATION AND TRY TO RECOGNIZE THAT MORE OFTEN THAN I TYPICALLY WOULD.
SECOND QUESTION UNDER LEADERSHIP WOULD BE, SO TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE HANDLING OR RESPONDING TO A CRISIS.
THE FIRST PART OF THE QUESTION, AND THEN WHO DID YOU CONSULT WITH OR GET INVOLVED IN RESPONDING TO THAT SITUATION? AND THEN WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO MANAGE THE ORGANIZATION'S IMAGE AND ANY TYPE OF TRADITIONAL MEDIA OR IN SOCIAL MEDIA? SO CRISIS, HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED? WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE AND THEN HOW DID YOU HANDLE
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IT FROM A, UH, A PERCEPTION PERSPECTIVE? YEAH, SO I'M GOING TO STEP BACK TO MY TIME AS THE COUNTY'S NINE 11 DIRECTOR.I CAME IN, UH, AT AN INTERESTING PERIOD FOR THE ORGANIZATION.
THEY HAD JUST SUFFERED A NUMBER OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAWSUITS FROM THE DISPATCHERS, UH, AGAINST THE THEN EMA DIRECTOR.
UM, SO THEY, THEY DECIDED THEY NEEDED TO MAKE A TRANSITION TO A DIFFERENT MINDSET.
SO, UH, UPON GETTING THERE, UH, THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE IN TERMS OF REBUILDING TRUST WITH THE WORKFORCE.
UM, AND ALSO, UH, AN UNFORESEEN CRISIS, WHICH WAS A BIT OF BUDGET INSOLVENCY.
UM, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY 99% OF THE INCOMING REVENUES WERE GOING TOWARD PERSONNEL COSTS FOR THAT OPERATION, WHICH MEANT ALL OF THE ADDITIONAL COSTS WERE COMING OUT OF SURPLUS THAT WAS EVER DWINDLING.
UM, I THINK THE ONE IN TERMS OF GAINING TRUST WITH THE WORKFORCE, UM, POWERING THEM TO MAKE DECISIONS, PROVING TO THEM THAT, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT HAD HAPPENED BEFORE WERE NO LONGER BE ISSUES.
THE SECOND WAS THE INSOLVENCY, THE SOLUTION TO BOTH PROBLEMS IN SOME WAY, WAS THE CONSOLIDATION OF COUNTY DISPATCH OPERATIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE COUNTY SERVICE CENTER, UH, TO ACCOMPLISH THE COST SAVING MEASURE, WE WERE ABLE TO REDUCE BY FIVE EMPLOYEES THROUGH ATTRITION SAVED ABOUT A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS IN BROUGHT THE BUDGET BACK IN LINE.
UM, BUT IT ALSO, UM, CREATED A SENSE OF IDENTITY WITH THE WORKFORCE.
THEY HAD THEIR OWN OPERATION, THEY WEREN'T SOLELY EMBEDDED WITH ANY PARTICULAR PUBLIC SAFETY ENTITY.
UM, I WILL ADMIT WE HAD FEWER INSTANCES OF, UM, YOU KNOW, ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS DEVELOPING AFTER THAT.
AND I APOLOGIZE, I DID ENGAGE, UH, THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
WE HAD TO GO TO ALL THE TOWNSHIPS TO CHANGE THE OPERATIONS PLAN ON ORDER TO ALLOW FOR A SINGLE DISPATCH SITE HAD TO WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH BOTH THE SHERIFF AND THE POLICE CHIEF WHO HAD TRADITIONALLY, UH, HANDLED THOSE TWO OPERATIONS.
SO WHEN IT CAME TO LIKE THE INSOLVENCY, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THE RESIDENTS KNEW, I MEAN, IS THERE, WE'VE GOT BUDGET ISSUE, BUDGET CRISIS.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU HAD PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY BREATHING DOWN YOUR NECK? OH MY GOSH, WE'RE OUT OF MONEY.
I MEAN, HOW, HOW, YOU KNOW HERE, YOU KNOW, W WE WOULD HEAR ABOUT THAT.
SO, YEAH, I MEAN, HOW'D YOU MANAGE THAT? IT'S AN INTERESTING AND UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO LEARN PUBLIC FINANCE.
UM, IT WAS A DEDICATED QUARTER PERCENT SALES TAX TO SOLELY FUND NINE 11 OPERATIONS.
IT WAS THE ONLY REVENUE IT HAD AND IT WAS THE ONLY PLACE THAT REVENUE COULD GO.
AND SO IT REALLY DEPENDED ON THE DIRECTOR OF THAT OPERATION TO MAINTAIN KNOWLEDGE OF THAT.
IF THE DIRECTOR DIDN'T BRING THAT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE COMMISSIONERS, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN AWARE OF IT.
AND SO THAT WAS THE FIRST STEP, MAKING THEM AWARE OF THE INSOLVENCY AND THEN COMING TO A SOLUTION.
AND IT ALSO GAVE ME THE EXPERIENCE AND MAYBE THE CONFIDENCE TO, UH, TRUST THAT I CAN MANAGE A PUBLIC BUDGET, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A SMALLER PUMP, $2 MILLION OPERATION.
SO I THINK PLAN THE LAST, VERY LAST PART OF THE QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT JUST DROPPED OFF OR WHAT, BUT HOW DID YOU HANDLE THAT FROM A MEDIA SOCIAL MEDIA STANDPOINT, EITHER SITUATION, THE HARASSMENT AND, OR THE FINANCE ISSUES.
AND THIS STARTED IN 2011, UH, THE SOCIAL MEDIA ASPECT WAS NOT QUITE AS PREVALENT AS IT IS TODAY.
UM, BUT FROM A MEDIA STANDPOINT, I DID TRY AND BUILD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR LOCAL MEDIA, THE MOUNT VERNON NEWS.
UH, THEY WERE VERY ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE KEPT THEM IN THE LOOP ALONG THE WAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, HEY, WE ARE IDENTIFYING MAYBE A LITTLE INSOLVENCY.
WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A DIRE, WE GOT YEARS TO DEAL WITH THIS, BUT WE NEED TO START ADDRESSING IT NOW.
UH, THEY WERE ALSO ESSENTIAL IN, UM, GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT FOR WHY THIS WAS HAPPENING.
WE HAD A NUMBER OF PUBLIC HEARINGS.
WE HAD TO CONVINCE A MAJORITY OF THE TOWNSHIPS IN THE COUNTY, AS WELL AS THE CITY OF MOUNT VERNON, WHO I DIDN'T WORK FOR AT THE TIME, UM, THAT THIS WAS THE RIGHT PATH FORWARD.
AND SO THERE WAS A LOT OF, UH, GOING TO TRUSTEE MEETINGS TO CONVINCE THEM WHY, UM, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS THERE AND AT THE MOMENT.
SO THESE NEXT QUESTIONS WOULD FALL UNDER KIND OF CITY COUNCIL QUESTIONS.
SO WE'VE A COUPLE ON LEADERSHIP.
SO FROM CITY COUNCIL, SO HOW DO YOU DEFINE TRUST AND WHAT SPECIFICALLY HAVE YOU DONE IN THE PAST, OR WHAT DO YOU DO AT THE CITY OF HUBER HEIGHTS TO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN A STRONG TRUSTING RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR COUNCIL AND YOUR STAFF INDIVIDUALLY, AND THEN COLLECTIVELY AS A GROUP? UH, OBVIOUSLY TRUST IS ESSENTIAL.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE ENTIRE, UH, TARDY OF CITY COUNCIL, UH, IS WHO I REPORT TO, AND I NEED EACH AND EVERY MEMBER OF COUNCIL TO TRUST ME THAT I'M GOING TO DO WHAT'S IN NOT ONLY THE CITY'S BENCHES, JUST BUT NOT IN FAVOR OF ANY ONE MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL.
UM, I FELT HEARD ALONG THE WAY, THERE WAS NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS MISTAKES THAT ARE MADE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO READJUST.
I THINK THE ONE THING I'VE LEARNED FROM MY EXPERIENCE DEALING WITH TRUSTEES, COMMISSIONERS, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, MY MAYOR IS THAT COMMUNICATION'S REALLY KEY.
UM, IT'S BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH COUNCIL AS A WHOLE, BUT EACH COUNCIL MEMBER INDIVIDUALLY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES ARE WITH THE PRIORITIES OF THE CITY ARE.
AND SO IF THERE'S ONE LESSON I'VE LEARNED FROM MY, YOU KNOW,
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10 OR SO YEARS IN PUBLIC SERVICE, IT'S THAT WE NEED TO MAINTAIN OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION.YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD SITUATIONS IN THE PAST WHERE WE'VE GOTTEN A YEAR INTO A PROCESS AND SUDDENLY IT MIGHT NOT GO THROUGH.
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF, UH, PEOPLE WHO WERE TRUSTING MY ABILITY TO NEGOTIATE ON BEHALF OF THE CITY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT COULD AFFECT OTHER SITUATIONS WHERE I THOUGHT I PROVIDED ENOUGH INFORMATION, UM, OR, UH, ON A TOPIC.
UM, BUT THEN COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE SUSPECTED THAT MAYBE I'M HOLDING SOMETHING BACK.
AND SO WHAT I WANT TO TRY AND BUILD WITH COUNCIL IS THIS, THERE'S, THERE'S A BALANCE.
THERE'S ALWAYS A BALANCE OF INFORMATION.
UH, AND I W IF I WERE TO COME TO S HUBER HEIGHTS, WHAT I WOULD NEED TO LEARN IS, IS WHAT IS THAT BALANCE OF INFORMATION, UM, THAT, THAT GIVES ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TRUST THAT I'M NOT INTENTIONALLY LEAVING SOMETHING OUT.
SO HOW WILL YOU KEEP CITY COUNCIL INFORMED ABOUT KEY ISSUES, PROJECTS, AND OPERATIONS? SO THIS KIND OF GOES BACK TO THE ANSWER THAT YOU JUST GAVE, BUT ANY SPECIFIC STRATEGIES.
I MEAN, HOW, HOW WOULD YOU DO THAT? YEAH, I THINK THERE'S A VARIETY OF STRATEGIES IN MY EXPERIENCE AT MOUNT VERNON CITY COUNCIL.
WE HAVE A, I'M SURE HERE AS WELL.
THERE ARE A VARIETY OF COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH A VARIETY OF LIFE EXPERIENCES OR CURRENT, UH, OR CURRENT.
UM, HOW CAN I SAY IT? UM, TIME AVAILABILITY, UH, I HAVE A NUMBER OF CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE HIGHLY AVAILABLE.
UM, THERE'LL BE IN THE CITY HALL A COUPLE OF TIMES A WEEK.
THEY WANT TO MEET AND THEY WANT TO TALK.
AND, UM, I ALWAYS MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE FOR THAT.
THERE ARE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OURS IS A FISCAL OFFICER FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UM, SO I NEED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO KEEP HER INFORMED.
AND SO IT'S TYPICALLY A BALANCED, UM, EMAIL'S BIG WHEN IT COMES TO BROADLY INFORMING COUNSEL OF WHAT'S GOING ON, UH, BEING AVAILABLE.
UM, AND I'LL SAY THIS, YOU KNOW, IN MY TIME AT MOUNT VERNON, I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE EVER HAD A PHONE CALL FROM A COUNCIL MEMBER GO UNANSWERED, OR AT LEAST UNRETURNED I CAN FOLLOW.
SO IN THIS POSITION, SO COUNCIL MAY GIVE DIRECTIVES THAT YOU AND YOUR STAFF DO NOT AGREE WITH.
SO HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE DIRECTIVES OF COUNSEL WHILE REMAINING AN ADVOCATE FOR THE STAFF? YEAH, YOU WILL BE PULLED IN MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS.
I MEAN, THE HARDEST PART OF THE JOB.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, LUCKILY I'VE HAD A COUPLE OF YEARS TO GAIN SOME EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA.
UH, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE DECISIONS MADE BY CITY COUNCIL ARE THE FINAL DECISIONS OF THE CITY.
SO, UM, THERE, I WON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO HAVE AN OPINION ON EVERY ISSUE BEFORE COUNCIL.
UM, BUT THERE ARE PROBABLY OFTEN GOING TO BE ISSUES WHERE I HAVE AN OPINION ON FROM THE STANDPOINT OF, UM, OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY, STAFF NEEDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THE, THE DECISIONS OF CITY COUNCIL ARE THE DECISIONS FOR THE CITY.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, UH, I WILL DO MY BEST TO PROVIDE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE, UH, TO HELP COUNCIL MAKE A GOOD DECISION.
AND SOMETIMES THAT'LL MEAN, UM, INFORMATION FROM STAFF.
SOMETIMES IT MAY REQUIRE, AND I FOUND THIS IN MOUNT VERNON, THE NEED TO BRING IN SOME OUTSIDE SECOND OPINION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A COMPENSATION ANALYSIS AS WELL AS AN ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT DONE ON OUR SERVICE DEPARTMENTS LAST YEAR.
UM, BECAUSE I BELIEVE CITY COUNCIL NEEDED TO HEAR FROM SOMEBODY OTHER THAN JUST MYSELF AND THE STAFF ABOUT MAYBE A COUPLE OF POSITIONS THE CITY NEEDED.
UH, WE'RE EMBARKING ON A SIMILAR STUDY WITH OUR POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS THIS YEAR.
UM, THESE ARE OUTSIDE ENTITIES FROM THE CITY, GIVING THEIR EVALUATION.
WHAT I'VE TYPICALLY FOUND THEM WITH.
A LOT OF THESE IS, IS, UM, THE ANSWER LIES SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE.
UM, OFTENTIMES STAFF THINKS IT NEEDS TO BE HERE AND MAYBE COUNCIL DOESN'T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE THAT HIGH IT'S OFTEN SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE.
SO WHAT IF YOU KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, A DIRECTION THAT COUNCIL MIGHT BE HEADED, YOU KNOW, JUST THROUGH CONVERSATIONS OR WHATEVER, WHATEVER THE CASE IS, UM, DISCUSSIONS AT WORK SESSIONS.
YOU MAY AGREE WITH COUNCIL, BUT YOU HAVE STAFF MEMBERS WHO, WHO JUST DON'T AGREE WITH YOU.
THEY THINK THIS IS EITHER A BAD MOVE, BAD DECISION.
UM, BUT YOU KIND OF, WELL, YOU KNOW, THE WORLD COUNCIL AND YOU KIND OF SEE WHERE IT'S GOING, HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR STAFF FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY MIGHT DISAGREE, BUT THIS MAY BE HAPPEN ANYWAY.
HOW DO YOU MAKE THEM FEEL LIKE THEM COMING TO WORK EVERYDAY MEANS ANYTHING OR MATTERS? WELL, PART OF IT'S, YOU KNOW, EXPECTATION MANAGEMENT WITH THE STAFF, UM, PART OF IT IS UNDERSTANDING THAT, UH, IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT THE SITUATION IS.
IT, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE A ZONING CHANGE.
IT COULD BE, UM, MAYBE NOT APPROVING A STAFFING INCREASE.
UH, AND I THINK WHAT I ALWAYS TRY TO UNDERSTAND IS, IS, UM, THIS IS A CHANCE FOR US TO, WE EVALUATE, UH, LOOK FOR NEW IDEAS, BUT ALSO, UM, WE CAN ALWAYS HAVE THE DISCUSSION AGAIN.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT IS MAKING SURE THAT, UH, I'M
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REALISTIC WITH THE STAFF.UH, I TEND TO BE, UM, VERY OPEN, UH, WITH THE SITUATIONS GOING ON AND WHERE THINGS ARE HEADING.
AND SO THE KEY IS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ALWAYS GOING TO GO, MAYBE THE WAY STAFF BELIEVES IT SHOULD GO.
UM, BUT GETTING BACK TO THAT INNOVATIVE OPEN-MINDED, LET'S LOOK FOR NEW IDEAS, UH, TO MAYBE ADDRESS A CHALLENGE.
I LIKE TO FLIP THAT ON ITS HEAD SITUATIONS, OFFICE SITUATIONS OPPOSITE.
UM, STAFF'S GIVING YOU INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, THAT IS EXTREMELY ACCURATE AND QUITE IMPORTANT TO THIS SCENARIO.
UM, YET COUNSEL IS INSISTING GO ON GOING A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
HOW DO YOU LET US KNOW, HEY GUYS, UM, IT'S NOT THE WAY WE'RE GOING TO GO OR SHOULDN'T.
UM, YOU KNOW, PART OF THAT COMES FROM THAT RELATIONSHIP BUILDING.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M A BIG BELIEVER AS I COULD SEE, CITY COUNCIL IS IN TRANSPARENCY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UM, SOME CONVERSATIONS ARE VERY COMPLICATED.
THEN I MAY NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH ONE OR TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT WHY THIS DIRECTION IS SO IMPORTANT.
UM, I'LL USE AN EXAMPLE FROM MY PAST.
UM, WE WERE NEGOTIATING A FIRE PROTECTION CONTRACT WITH A NEIGHBORING COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, FOR ABOUT 12 MONTHS, UH, COUNCIL WAS, WAS IT LOOPED IN? THEY KNEW IT WAS GOING ON.
AND I'M, I'M GUESSING THERE'S DIFFERENT REASONS WHY THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE A STRONG OPINION ON IT, 12 MONTHS OUT, WE'RE GETTING DOWN TO THE FINAL DAYS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT STARTS TO REALLY LOOK LIKE IT'S NOT GOING TO GO THE RIGHT WAY.
UM, AND WE HAD MADE SOME DECISIONS AS A CITY BECAUSE WE HADN'T HEARD ANY PUSHBACK ON THE IDEA.
UM, YOU KNOW, TO BASICALLY REMOVE EMERGENCY OVERTIME FROM THE FIRE CONTRACT.
CAUSE WE THOUGHT WE'D HAVE THREE ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS BASICALLY PAID FOR BY A NEIGHBOR AND COMMUNITY AVAILABLE.
UM, WE, UM, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE NEGOTIATIONS THAT NEIGHBOR COMMUNITY DISBANDED THEIR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE REPERCUSSIONS OF, OF NOT SEEING THAT THROUGH A WORK STREAM.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY COMPLICATED AND I THINK WHAT I'VE LEARNED THROUGH THAT TIME IS THAT, UH, IT GETS BACK TO THE COMMUNICATION.
UH, IT'S, IT'S MY ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH COUNCIL AND IT'S, COUNCIL'S ABILITY TO KIND OF JUST RING ME UP AND SAY, I DON'T THINK THIS IS A GOOD IDEA, AND THEN WE CAN KIND OF REGROUP AND RETHINK THE WHOLE IDEA.
UM, SO THANK YOU ANY OTHER UP.
SO NEXT WE'LL GET AN, EXCUSE ME SOME LINE FOR KIND OF EMPLOYEE QUESTIONS.
SO HOW DO YOU MONITOR INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE AND WHAT ACTIONS DO YOU TAKE TO ENSURE THAT THE EMPLOYEES PERFORM AT A HIGH LEVEL? YEAH.
UM, SO THIS IS SOMETHING I LEARNED DURING MY TIME, UH, CONSULTING, UH, THE TYPICAL ANNUAL EVALUATION PROCESS, UM, IS OFTEN NOT ENOUGH.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE NEEDS TO BE SORT OF A CONTINUAL CHECK-IN WITH EVALUATION, UM, A CONTINUAL CHECKING ON PERFORMANCE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY WITH THE A HUNDRED AND I BELIEVE 80 OR 90 CITY EMPLOYEES, I CAN'T INDIVIDUALLY MANAGE EACH ONE.
SO IT REALLY STARTS WITH HOW I WORK WITH MY LEADERSHIP TEAM ON, UM, TRACKING THEIR PERFORMANCE, WHAT KIND OF A PROFESSIONAL, YOU KNOW, INITIATIVES THEY WANT TO UNDERTAKE WHERE THEY CAN IMPROVE, UM, AND THEN STRESS TO THEM THAT IT'S A SIMILAR PROCESS WITH ALL EMPLOYEES.
UM, I'M A BIG BELIEVER IN, UH, HAVE THE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS EARLY.
UM, I THINK IN MY TIME, I GUESS, UH, EIGHT YEARS IN MANAGING EMPLOYEES, IT GETS EASIER.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S ALL BUSINESS.
SO IF I HAVE TO SIT DOWN, UM, YOU KNOW, AN EMPLOYEE AND SAY, LOOK, YOU'RE NOT DOING THIS THAT WELL.
I THINK I'VE BUILT A TRUST THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GO HOME AND, UH, FREAK OUT LIKE, LIKE THEY'RE LOSING THEIR JOB, BUT AT LEAST BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT I'M SOMEBODY THAT'S GOING TO COME TO THEM AND GO THIS ISN'T GOING WELL, THAT ISN'T GOING WELL.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY EVERY YEAR THERE'S ALWAYS SUCCESSES WITH MY LEADERSHIP STAFF AND THERE'S ALWAYS AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT.
UM, AND SO WE HAVEN'T, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON IT, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO TRICKLE THAT CONCEPT REALLY DOWN, UM, DOWN THE WHOLE ORGANIZATION.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU ROUND LIKE AN APARTMENT? DO YOU JUST HAVE MEETINGS WITH THE LEADERSHIP AND THEY DISTRIBUTE YOUR MESSAGE OR DO YOU ACTUALLY TRY TO MEET? YEAH, I UNDERSTAND.
UM, SO I DO MEET WITH LEADERSHIP MONTHLY.
I ALSO HAVE AN OPEN DOOR POLICY WITH MY LEADERS.
SO, UM, ANY, MY DEPARTMENT HAS A NEED TO COME IN, BOUNCE AN IDEA, GET SOME FEEDBACK THAT'S ALWAYS THERE.
UM, I DON'T DO IT AS OFTEN AS I WOULD LIKE, BUT OCCASIONALLY I'LL GO TO THEIR SUPERVISOR MEETINGS TO GIVE SOME INPUT ON WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE CITY.
UM, ANSWER QUESTIONS, UH, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, FROM A FRONTLINE EMPLOYEE LEVEL, I, I WILL ADMIT I COULD DO BETTER.
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JUST THE NATURE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, MOUNT VERNON'S A SMALLER GOVERNMENT.UH, EVERYBODY WEARS A LOT OF HATS AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S ALWAYS OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE THERE, BUT I DO MAINTAIN MONTHLY LEADERSHIP MEETINGS AND GET DOWN THERE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE DEPARTMENT HEADS WANT ME TO KIND OF, UM, FILL THE STAFF IN ON WHAT'S GOING ON.
ANYTHING ELSE? SO HOW DO YOU EFFECTIVELY DELEGATE AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO THE EMPLOYEES WHILE MAINTAINING THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND OPERATIONAL CONTROL? I THINK THIS IS ALWAYS A STRUGGLE FOR CITY MANAGERS IS HOW MUCH DO YOU DELEGATE AND HOW MUCH DO YOU KEEP ON A, IN MOUNT VERNON? I'M CONSTANTLY CONSCIOUS OF THE WORKLOAD ON THE EMPLOYEES.
UM, YOU KNOW, AN EXAMPLE IS, IS, YOU KNOW, OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES MANAGER, SHE'S A ONE WOMAN OPERATION, UH, HANDLING ALL PERMITTING AND ZONING FOR THE CITY.
SHE ALSO HAS TO WEAR THE PROCUREMENT HAT FOR ENGINEERING AND HANDLE ALL THEIR CONTRACTS.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHILE I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME EMPLOYEES MORE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN INITIATIVES, I TRY TO RECOGNIZE WHEN THAT'S JUST NOT POSSIBLE.
UM, AND THAT UNFORTUNATELY, WELL, FORTUNATELY COMES WITH EXPERIENCE WITH THE ORGANIZATION, UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE DEMANDS ARE ON THE WORKFORCE, UNDERSTANDING, UM, HOW MUCH MORE THEY CAN TAKE ON.
AND SO, UH, AS THE YEARS GO ON, AT LEAST WITH THE CITY OF MOUNT VERNON, UH, I BECOME MORE COMFORTABLE DELEGATING, UM, TASKS OUT.
AND SO WE'VE GOTTEN TO A POINT NOW WHERE WE DON'T HAVE AN IT DEPARTMENT IN MOUNT VERNON.
SO IF IT'S AN IT PROJECT, I'M SORT OF STUCK WITH IT, BUT, UM, ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE IMPLEMENTING ABOUT FOUR SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS.
SO ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF THAT IT IS GETTING DELEGATED OUT.
AND I THINK PART OF THE REASON THAT I'M ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY DO THAT IS, IS STAFF BELIEVED THAT I'M, YOU KNOW, BUSY ENOUGH.
AND SO, UM, THEY'RE USUALLY WILLING TO TAKE OVER.
THE OTHER THING IS LIKE WITH THE MOWING CONTRACTING I TALKED ABOUT IS, IS, IS A LOT OF TIMES WE CAN SIT DOWN AND COME UP WITH WAYS THAT WE CAN, UH, RELIEVE SOME BURDENS SO THEY CAN TAKE ON ADDITIONAL TASKS.
SO I THINK DELEGATION IS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE, UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, CONSTANT EVALUATION.
SO HOW WOULD YOU EMBRACE THEM? PROMOTE DIVERSITY AND ESTABLISH A WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT WHERE EMPLOYEES FEEL VALUED AND RESPECTED? YEAH.
UM, I DON'T SAY THIS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE IT.
I DO BELIEVE THAT DIVERSITY IS INTEGRAL TO ANY ORGANIZATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WORKED FOR AN ACCOUNTING FIRM ON INDIANAPOLIS.
UM, THEY EMBRACED DIVERSITY, UM, TRY TO SUPPORT IT WHEREVER, WHEREVER THEY COULD.
UM, PART OF THE REASON IS, AND, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE THIS WHOLE HEARTEDLY, UH, WE NEED DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES IN AN ORGANIZATION.
UM, AND WE NEED FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S EXPERIENCES I'VE NEVER HAD, AND I NEED PEOPLE WHO'VE HAD THOSE EXPERIENCES.
AND I DO BELIEVE, UH, I'VE SHOWN MYSELF TO BE, UM, SOMEONE WHO DOES EMBRACE DIVERSITY.
UH, THE EXAMPLE I'LL USE IS, UM, WHILE I WAS THE, UH, A FIREFIGHTER FROM MOUNT VERNON, I WENT THROUGH THEIR PHYSICAL AGILITY TEST TO DETERMINE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER I COULD DO THE JOB.
AND, UH, WHEN I CAME TO THE CITY, I KIND OF NOTED SOMETHING.
MOUNT VERNON WAS THE ONLY CITY.
WE GOT A FEMALE FIREFIGHTER AND BROOK PARK WHERE I ALSO WORKED, WHO USED THE SAME TEST WAS ALSO THE ONLY CITY WITHOUT A FEMALE FIREFIGHTER.
SO, UM, THE MAYOR, I DID A LITTLE EXPERIMENT.
WE SENT A, UH, POLICE OFFICER.
UM, WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE A LOT OF FEMALE POLICE OFFICERS IN MOUNT VERNON ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN.
UM, THIS OFFICER WAS A CROSSFITTER, UH, SHE TRAINED WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS TO LEARN THE TEST.
THEY ALL KIND OF, OH YEAH, SHE COULD DEFINITELY DO THE JOB, WENT UP TO TAKE THE TEST, DID NOT PASS IN THE CORRECT TIME.
SO WE REALIZED AT THAT POINT THAT WE HAD A PROBLEM.
UM, WE NEEDED DIVERSE, YOU KNOW, EVEN JUST GENDER DIVERSE, UM, VIEWS WITHIN OUR FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
SO WE MODIFIED THAT WORK WITH THE LOCAL CAREER CENTER TO IMPLEMENT THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE NEW TEST AND BROUGHT ON OUR FIRST FEMALE FIREFIGHTER IN 21.
SO, UM, MOUNT VERNON, YOU KNOW, ONE, IT'S NOT A VERY DIVERSE COMMUNITY.
UM, I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, 97% WHITE, UM, BUT EVERY COMMUNITY IS BECOMING MORE DIVERSE AND IT IS GOING TO TAKE ATTENTION, UM, RECRUITMENT, YOU KNOW, FOCUSING ON BRINGING DIVERSITY IN, IN ORDER FOR IT TO HAPPEN.
I FOLLOW SO BUDGETING, FINANCE AND HUMAN RESOURCE QUESTIONS.
SO DECISION-MAKERS AND RESIDENTS HAVE VARYING LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING WHEN IT COMES TO FINANCIAL ISSUES.
SO WHAT METHODS HAVE YOU FOUND THE MOST SUCCESSFUL IN CONVEYING INFORMATION TO THE DECISION-MAKERS AND WERE NECESSARY ASSISTING THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF NEEDS VERSUS WANTS? ABSOLUTELY.
THINK ABOUT THAT ONE FOR A SECOND.
MAYBE THE SECOND HARDEST PART OF THE JOB.
I'M TRYING TO THINK OF A GOOD EXAMPLE.
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YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE'S FINITE RESOURCES IN ANY COMMUNITY.UM, AND THE KEY, UM, THAT I TRY TO USE IN THE CITY IS IDENTIFYING THE NEEDS AND THEN ALLOCATING THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES AS NECESSARY.
UM, THERE ARE CERTAIN COSTS THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE.
I MEAN, PERSONNEL COSTS ARE THE BIGGEST CHUNK OF ANY MUNICIPAL BUDGET AND, UM, YOU KNOW, TO LAY OFF FOR NO REASON IS NOT A GOOD WAY TO DO BUSINESS, BUT WE SHOULD IDENTIFY, UM, THOSE PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS THAT ARE DELIVERING ON THEIR PROMISE AND, UH, SUPPORT THOSE.
AND MAYBE LOOK ABOUT OTHER PROGRAMS THAT ARE COSTING MONEY THAT MAYBE WE, WE NEED TO FOREGO TO SUPPORT ANOTHER OPERATION.
SO, UH, THERE'S BEEN TALK AND I THINK THERE IS IN EVERY COMMUNITY ABOUT WHEN'S THE RIGHT TIME TO BRING ON NEW STAFF OR ADDITIONAL STAFF.
AND THAT'S A TALK THAT MOUNT VERNON HAS BEEN HAVING HEAVILY FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS SINCE THE MAYOR.
AND I JOINED BECAUSE IT PRETTY MUCH WENT 20 YEARS WITHOUT ANY CHANGE IN HEAD COUNT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A FEW EXTRA POLICE OFFICERS ADDED A FEW EXTRA FIREFIGHTERS ADDED, AND THEN THERE WERE STAFF, YOU KNOW, KIND OF REDUCE THROUGH ATTRITION AND OTHER AREAS.
AND SO IT'S A CONVERSATION THAT MOUNT VERNON HASN'T HAD TO HAVE IN A LONG TIME.
AND SO THE FIRST YEAR WE WERE THERE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR AND I DETERMINED THAT WE REALLY NEEDED, UH, OUR LAW DIRECTOR'S OFFICE TO REVIEW ALL THE CITY CONTRACTS.
THE SAFETY SERVICE DIRECTOR WAS SIGNING CONTRACTS JUST BECAUSE HE THOUGHT THEY WERE GOOD.
UM, AND SO IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THAT A LOT DIRECTOR'S OFFICE NEEDED ANOTHER LAW DIRECTOR.
UM, IN ADDITION, THE CITY, UH, HAD ALMOST 200 EMPLOYEES, NO HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, UM, WHICH MANY PEOPLE FOUND SHOCKING, INCLUDING MYSELF.
AND SO WE HAD THAT NEED AS WELL.
AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IN 2020 WE HAD TO IDENTIFY WHAT RESOURCES WERE AVAILABLE AND WHAT NEED WAS GREATEST.
AND SO I KNOW THERE WAS A COUNCIL WOMAN WHO REALLY BELIEVED IN THE HUMAN RESOURCE JOB.
UM, BUT I REALLY BELIEVE WE NEEDED THE LAW DIRECTOR JOB.
AND THE REASON WAS, IS I DID HAVE A BACKGROUND IN HUMAN RESOURCES.
THE DEFAULT HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY WAS A SAFETY SERVICE DIRECTOR.
AND SO, UH, AS I EXPLAINED TO THE COUNCILWOMAN, I CAN'T SURVIVE A YEAR WITHOUT SOMEBODY REVIEWING CITY CONTRACTS, BUT I CAN CONTINUE TO MANAGE OUR LABOR RELATIONS AND EMPLOYEE ISSUES UNTIL, UM, THE NEXT YEAR WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO FUND THAT SECOND POSITION.
SO CONSIDERING HUMAN RIGHTS, HIS GROWTH, WHAT STEPS WOULD YOU TAKE TO ENSURE THAT, THAT OUR STAFFING, OUR BUDGET AND EQUIPMENT ARE POSITIONED TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE QUALITY SERVICES TO ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS? THE KEY IS HOW WOULD YOU MANAGE TO STAY AHEAD OF THAT CURVE? YEP.
UM, I BELIEVE WE'RE BECOMING A MORE DATA-DRIVEN SOCIETY.
UM, DATA IS GOING TO BE NECESSARY IN, IN EVERMORE, INCREASING DECISION-MAKING EVEN.
I THINK WHEN PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT THEY NEED DATA TO MAKE DECISIONS, I THINK WE'RE BECOMING ACCUSTOMED TO HAVING A LOT OF INFORMATION TO DO THAT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT I FOUND IN MOUNT VERNON AND I BELIEVE, UH, IT SEEMS LIKE HUBER HEIGHTS IS IDENTIFIED AS IMPORTANT IS HOW WE UTILIZE TECHNOLOGY IN DAY-TO-DAY WORK.
AND WHY WOULD I BRING THAT UP WHEN WE TALK, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EQUIPMENT AND STAFFING IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE NEED THE SYSTEMS IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO QUICKLY AND EASILY IDENTIFY WHETHER THERE'S, UM, EQUIPMENT GETTING READY TO GO OUT, WHETHER THERE'S INCREASED CALL VOLUME AND NOT ENOUGH STAFF TO SUPPORT IT.
AND SO, UM, THE EXAMPLE I'LL USE IS THIS IS A PROBLEM MOUNT VERNON.
IT'S ONE WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH NOW.
UM, JUST IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS, WE'RE GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTING A TALENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, AN ELECTRONIC WORK ORDER SYSTEM AND, UH, A POLICY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
AND THE REASON FOR THESE IS, IS, UH, WE HAVE A BASIC, WE HAVE A BUILDING FALLING APART TO HALF IS THE HOUSE, OUR COURT, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, OUR LAW DIRECTOR'S OFFICE.
UH, AND I THINK EVERYBODY'S KNOWN FOR YEARS THAT IT'S, IT'S REALLY AN AT THE END.
UM, BUT AT ONE POINT A COUNCIL WOMAN CALLED OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR AND SAID, I NEED TO KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY YOU'VE SPENT ON THAT BUILDING, UM, IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
AND IT TOOK A WEEK, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SYSTEMS THAT WOULD ENABLE, UH, HIM TO PROVIDE THAT ANSWER WITHIN THE SPAN OF A PHONE CALL.
UM, BUT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO DO IT.
AND SO IN ORDER FOR US TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS, AS IT RELATES TO BOTH STAFFING EQUIPMENT NEEDS, CITY, UM, FACILITY NEEDS, UM, THERE ARE SOLUTIONS THAT CAN HELP US GET THAT INFORMATION THAT WE NEED.
SO UNDER COMMUNITY AND CA UH, COMMUNICATION QUESTIONS.
SO IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE SAME MANAGER BE A VERY STRONG COMMUNITY SUPPORTER AND ENGAGE WITH THE, SO HOW WOULD YOU ESTABLISH THOSE RELATIONSHIPS HERE IN YOUR BRIAN'S? I KIND OF GOT IT EASY WITH MOUNT VERNON.
UH, I WAS A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS.
UM, WENT TO SCHOOL THERE, WORKED THERE, UM, GOT TO KNOW MANY OF THE COMMUNITY LEADERS.
SO WHEN I CAME IN AS A SAFETY SERVICE DIRECTOR, I HAD BUILT A
[00:30:01]
LOT OF RELATIONSHIPS ALREADY.UH, IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT THAT WAS THE END OF IT.
UM, THERE WERE BUSINESS LEADERS THAT I HADN'T MET, UM, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT I WAS NOT HEAVILY INVOLVED IN.
AND SO IT, IT JUST REQUIRES ATTENTION, UH, CARVING OUT THAT TIME TO MEET WITH, UM, OUR CHAMBER WHO'S HERE TONIGHT, OTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, OTHER IMPORTANT ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND GET TO KNOW EVERYBODY.
UM, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE MOST ESSENTIAL.
UH, IF I DO COME TO THE HUBER HEIGHTS BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANY RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE COMMUNITY, UM, I THINK THERE ARE PROS AND CONS TO THAT.
UH, I DON'T COME TO HUBER HEIGHTS WITH ANY PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS ABOUT HOW IT SHOULD LOOK, FEEL, WHAT THE CULTURE SHOULD BE.
UH, I CAN ALLOW THE COMMUNITY TO KIND OF FEED THAT INFORMATION TO ME, BUT IT IS GONNA REQUIRE WORK ON THE FRONT END TO DO THAT.
AND SO WHEN THERE'S A TRANSITION PLAN, UH, IF THERE'S A TRANSITION PLAN, UM, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF IT.
SO DESCRIBE A SITUATION THAT WOULD ILLUSTRATE YOUR APPROACH TO ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY INTERACTING WITH AND GETTING INPUT FROM INDIVIDUALS WITH DIFFERENT CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS.
UM, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT ON TWO FRONTS.
THE FIRST IS THAT IT'S, IT REQUIRES, UH, THE CITY MANAGER TO, UM, SEEK OUT, UH, MAYBE PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT HAVEN'T BEEN ENGAGED BEFORE AND WORK ON ENGAGING THEM.
UM, THE OTHER SIDE OF IT IS, IS, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE INITIATIVES AND I'LL USE ANOTHER EXAMPLE SINCE IT IS MY CITY MANAGER EQUIVALENT.
UM, THERE MAY BE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY WITH A NEW CITY MANAGER TO, UM, INCREASED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, TRY AND GET MORE FEEDBACK.
AND I EXAMPLE, I USE IS, IS THE MAYOR, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF MOUNT VERNON NEVER HAD A STRATEGIC PLAN.
I'M NOT TALKING A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, BUT, YOU KNOW, EVEN JUST THE STRATEGIC PLAN APPEARS KIND OF WHERE WE'RE GOING.
AND SO, UH, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE TRY TO DO IN 2020 WAS TO, UH, DO STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR THE CITY.
UM, I HAD HAD SOME EXPERIENCE WITH FM CONSULTING.
SO I DID FACILITATE THAT PROCESS.
AND WHAT IT INVOLVED WAS ABOUT EIGHT TO 10 FOCUS GROUP SESSIONS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED, CAUSE HE'S MY BOSS, THE MAYOR, BUT WHO COULD BE IDENTIFIED BY COUNCIL, UM, TO GAIN FEEDBACK INTO THE DIRECTION OF THE COMMUNITY.
WE ALSO UTILIZE SOME ONLINE SURVEYS, THINGS LIKE THAT TO TRY AND GET FEEDBACK.
AND IT WAS PRETTY WELL RECEIVED.
I THINK WE HAD ABOUT 800 RESPONSES FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, THAT ALLOWED US AN OPPORTUNITY TO START SEEING WHAT THE PRIORITIES WERE.
I DON'T THINK YOU'D BE SURPRISED THEY'RE PROBABLY THE SAME PRIORITIES THIS YEAR, POLICE PROTECTION, FIRE INFRASTRUCTURE, UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UH, THOSE ARE THE PRIORITIES, BUT WITH THE PROCESS REALLY ALLOWED US TO DIG INTO WAS THE REASONS THOSE ARE IMPORTANT.
UM, MORE SPECIFIC DISCUSSIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND COUNCIL WHO PARTICIPATED IN A SESSION AND OUR OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, UM, ON WHAT, WHAT, WHO IS MOUNT VERNON OR WHO IS HUBER HEIGHTS.
AND, UM, WITH THAT INFORMATION, WHERE DO WE GO FROM THERE? AND SO I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE COULD EMBARK ON WITH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, UH, I NOTICED, YOU KNOW, THE SH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FROM PUBERTY HEIGHTS MAY BE DUE FOR A REFRESH THAT COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO START THAT PROCESS AS WELL.
HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT, CUBERS KIND OF, WE HAVE AN OLDER SECTION, WE HAVE A NEWER SECTION BLENDING, THE TWO, BECAUSE THE NEEDS OF ONE AREA IS NOT NECESSARILY THE NEEDS OF ANOTHER AREA.
AND ANYHOW, OFTENTIMES THERE'S BANTERING BETWEEN THE NEWER SECTION AND THE OLDER SECTION BECAUSE OF THE NEEDS.
HOW WOULD YOU WORK ON BLENDING THAT TO GET PEOPLE TO KIND OF, TO UNDERSTAND EVERYBODY'S NEEDS, NEED TO BE MET? YEAH, I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS, UM, EARLIER TODAY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW ANY BETTER WORD TO USE, THEN THERE NEEDS TO BE BALANCED.
UM, YOU KNOW, MOUNT VERNON HAS A SIMILAR FRICTION BETWEEN THE YOUNGER GENERATION AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S TYPICALLY BEEN A MORE SENIOR COMMUNITY.
UM, THE YOUNGER GENERATION WANTS TO SEEK GROWTH.
THE MORE SENIOR COMMUNITY WANTS TO SEE A KIND OF STAY THE SAME.
UM, SIMILARLY THOUGH MOUNT VERNON, UH, WAS FOUNDED IN 1824.
IT HAS A VERY HISTORIC DOWNTOWN AREA.
UM, AND WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO IS MAINTAIN THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF THAT WHILE GROWING, UM, OUTSIDE THE CITY.
UM, BUT TO YOUR POINT, THERE'S, THERE'S A BALANCE.
UM, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH DO WE INVEST IN, UM, THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY VERSUS HOW MUCH DO WE REINVEST IN, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY MOUNT VERNON HAS, UH, A LOT OF THE SAME PROBLEMS. WE HAVE TOO MANY ROADS TO BE ABLE TO PAVE THEM IN A REASONABLE TIMEFRAME, TOO MUCH UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE, TO BE ABLE TO REPAIR IT.
AND THOSE ARE CONSTANTLY GONNA BE CHALLENGES.
BUT WHAT WE'VE FOUND IN MOUNT VERNON IS THAT WE, AGAIN, I HATE TO KEEP USING IT.
WE USE DATA, UH, WE HAVE HEAT MAPS, BREAK,
[00:35:01]
HEAT MAPS, WHERE WE TRY AND FOCUS OUR ENERGY ON WHERE IN THE CITY THE MOST BREAKS ARE HAPPENING.UM, WE TRY, WE USE GRADING SCALES TO DETERMINE WHICH ROADS THE, YOU KNOW, ARE IN MOST DIRE NEED OF REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT.
UM, AND SO WE ALSO TRY TO INVEST OUR CDBG DOLLARS, UH, IN SOME OF THE MORE NEGLECTED AREAS OF THE CITY, JUST RECENTLY, WE'VE DONE A WHOLE, UM, ROADWAY, RESURFACING REPLACEMENT, NEW SIDEWALKS, AND IN PROBABLY ONE OF THE LOWER INCOME PARTS OF, OF MOUNT VERNON.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PART OF THE TASK FOR NOT ONLY THE MANAGER, OBVIOUSLY COUNSELING AND OUR IS, IS HOW DO WE DRAW THAT BALANCE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MAINTAINING THE THINGS WE HAVE AS WELL AS, UM, GROWING, UM, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THE ONLY THING THAT KIND OF KEEPS COSTS DOWN FOR RESIDENTS SOMETIMES IS, IS CONTROLLED GROWTH, IF ALL.
SO WITH MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES, THIS IS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT QUESTIONS.
SO WITH MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, A PRIMARY FOCUS OF THE CITY MANAGER WILL BE ADVISING CITY COUNCIL REGARDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ENTITIES TO ENSURE THAT FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IS IN THE BEST LONG-TERM INTEREST OF THE CITY.
SO WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? YEAH, THERE WAS A RECENT ONE, UH, THE CITY OF MOUNT VERNON, UM, AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, UM, IMPLEMENTED A COMMUNITY COMMUNITY-WIDE RE UH, COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT OR A CITY-WIDE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT, OR I APOLOGIZE, UM, BECAUSE MOUNT VERNON WAS SOLD, UM, BECAUSE IT HAD HAD SUCH LITTLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, UH, IN THE PAST 20 YEARS, UM, IT REALLY BECAME AN ECONOMIC ISSUE FOR THE CITY.
UM, THE CITY HAS, UH, AN ABANDONED INDUSTRIAL PARK, UH, WAS SIEMENS BEFORE THAT ROLLS ROYCE COOPER, AND THEY KIND OF PULLED OUT OF THE CITY.
UH, WE NEED TO BRING NEW MANUFACTURING IN, AND EVERYBODY WHO CAME TO MEET WITH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIVISION, WHICH IS ACTUALLY A SEPARATE ENTITY FROM THE CITY, UM, SAID, WELL, WHERE ARE MY PEOPLE GOING TO LIVE? AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT WAS REALLY A DIRE NEED FOR THE CITY.
AND SO THE SOLUTION THAT CASE WAS, WAS SORT OF SIMPLE.
IT WAS, WE NEED TO SPUR HOUSING JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE AS SOON AS WE CAN, UM, IN A CITY LIKE HUBER HEIGHTS.
UM, THAT'S NOT QUITE AS OLD, UM, THAT HAS SEEN GROWTH OVER THE LAST DECADE, COUPLE OF DECADES.
UM, I SUSPECT THAT TARGETED, UM, INCENTIVES TARGETED ABATEMENTS IS PROBABLY MORE THE TACT, UH, AND IT IS ALSO WHAT ALLOWS THE CITY TO DETERMINE WHICH AREAS, UM, DO WE WANT TO SUPPORT GROWTH IN AND WHICH AREAS DO WE NOT NECESSARILY WANT TO SUPPORT GROWTH? SO I DON'T HAVE THOSE ANSWERS.
I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THE COMMUNITY QUITE YET.
UM, BUT I DO KNOW IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT AS WELL AS PROVIDING WATER AND WASTEWATER SERVICE ARE KIND OF THE TWO THINGS THAT ALLOW THE CITY TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTROL OVER THEIR GROWTH.
AND A UP TO THAT IS, UM, WHAT'S YOUR EXPERIENCE IN BUILDING THOSE PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUTSIDE GROUPS, SUCH AS OTHER CITY COUNTY, LOCAL FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS? YEAH.
UM, SO HONESTLY, AS A CITY MANAGER, ONE OF THE GREATEST RESOURCES I HAVE IS THE CITY MANAGERS ASSOCIATION.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY I CAME IN RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF 2020, AND THERE WASN'T A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO, UH, TO DO NETWORKING.
AND I'LL ADMIT THAT PRIOR TO, YOU KNOW, MY TIME AT THE NINE 11 OPERATION, I WAS NOT, DID NOT SEE VALUE IN NETWORKING.
I'D ACTUALLY TOOK MY TIME, UH, CONSULTING THE REALIZE THAT WE HAVE TO BUILD THE, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.
IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO JUST, YOU KNOW, KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND GO WITH IT.
SO, UM, THANKFULLY, UH, I BUILT A FEW RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE STATE, UM, JUST THROUGH CONSULTING.
UM, BUT ALSO NOW THAT THINGS ARE OPENING UP BACK AGAIN, UM, I'VE PARTICIPATED IN A COUPLE OF CITY MANAGER OPERATIONS IN CENTRAL OHIO.
THEY HAD A SPRING CONFERENCE, I INTEND TO GO TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE THIS FALL.
UM, AND SO THOSE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO REALLY LEARN FROM COLLEAGUES.
UH, ONE THING THAT I DID REALIZE, UH, AS SAFETY SERVICE DIRECTOR FOR MOUNT VERNON IS, IS, YOU KNOW, I CAN TRUST A LOT OF PEOPLE.
I CAN CONFIDE IN A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT THERE ISN'T REALLY A PEER.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT I DON'T WANT TO, UM, LAY ON, YOU KNOW, MY CITY STAFF.
UM, AND SO THE ONLY RESOURCE I HAVE FOR THAT IS REALLY OTHER CITY MANAGERS, AND THEY CAN ALSO HELP BRING ME UP TO SPEED ON WHAT WHAT'S AVAILABLE OUT THERE, WHATEVER INITIATIVES THERE ARE.
UM, I'M ALSO LUCKY TO HAVE A GREAT, UH, LEADERSHIP STAFF WHERE I'M AT MY ENGINEER IS HIGHLY ACTIVE WITH CORPO, WHICH IS OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR GRANT FUNDING, OPERATIONS, MORE PCS, THE MID-OHIO REGIONAL PLANNING AUTHORITY.
UM, OFTENTIMES IT'S VALUABLE TO HAVE STAFF ALSO, UM, MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS.
UH, SO JUST KIND OF IN THE GENERALIZED AREA, THIS WILL BE, THIS IS THE LAST QUESTION.
[00:40:01]
SO DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE IN ASSESSING THE STRUCTURE OF AN ORGANIZATION AND THEN RECOMMENDING CHANGES TO THAT STRUCTURE THAT WOULD PROMOTE EFFICIENCY AND A PHILOSOPHY OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.NOW YOU'RE SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE.
SO, UH, I VERY MUCH, UM, BELIEVE I'M A SYSTEMS GUY.
UM, IT'S, IT'S ONE OF MY, I THINK ONE OF MY STRENGTHS, UM, IT STARTED REALLY AT THE NINE 11 CENTER, UM, REALIZING THAT WE COULD MODIFY THE WAY WE DO OUR OPERATIONS.
UM, IT CONTINUED WITH THE CITY OF MOUNT VERNON.
I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT LANDSCAPING CONTRACTS AND VARIOUS THINGS, BUT THE EXAMPLE I USED WAS, UH, ABOUT 2020.
UM, WE HAD A RETIRING PARK SUPERINTENDENT.
UM, IT PROVIDED US AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO BRING ALL OF OUR PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONS UNDER A SINGLE UMBRELLA.
AND THERE WERE A LOT OF GOOD REASONS TO DO THAT THAT WERE VERY APPARENT TO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
SO PRIOR TO THAT, OUR CEMETERY, OUR FACILITIES, OUR PARKS, OUR STREETS DEPARTMENTS WERE KIND OF SILOED.
UM, THEY DID THEIR BUSINESS AND THAT WAS ABOUT THE ONLY BUSINESS THEY DID.
AND SO WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO SEEK OUT A DIRECTOR.
THE ONLY CANDIDATE WAS OUR STREET SUPERINTENDENT WHO WAS HIGHLY QUALIFIED.
UM, WE THEN, UH, PROMOTED HIM THREE ASSISTANT DIRECTORS UNDER EACH OF THOSE SILOS.
AND WHAT HE IS ABLE TO DO WITH THAT IS, IS GAUGE THE WORKLOAD ON THE ENTIRE, UH, UMBRELLA OF PUBLIC WORKS.
AND SO IF THERE'S, UM, TIME AVAILABILITY IN ONE DIVISION, HE CAN LEVERAGE THOSE EMPLOYEES TO ANOTHER DIVISION.
AND, AND WE'RE REALLY BECAME APPARENT, UM, WAS IN SNOW REMOVAL.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, TYPICALLY WE HAD SEVEN PLOW DRIVERS WHO WORKED IN THE STREET DEPARTMENT.
THEY WORKED AS MUCH AS THEY COULD AND THEN HAD TO GO HOME AND WE'D HAVE TO KIND OF WAIT UNTIL THEY WERE READY.
AGAIN, WE WERE ABLE TO UTILIZE 15 EMPLOYEES TO KEEP A 24, 7 OR 24 7 OPERATION OF PLOWING GOING.
UM, AND SO WE GOT EXTREMELY POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY, EVEN WHEN WE RAN OUT OF SALT BECAUSE WE HAD SO MANY DRIVERS, UM, THE ROADS WERE STILL BETTER THAN THEY'D EXPERIENCED.
AND SO, UH, I DO WANT TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WHILE THESE ARE ALL THINGS I'VE PARTICIPATED IN, UH, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT JUST MY INITIATIVES.
I MEAN, IT TAKES THE WHOLE TEAM, UM, TO REALLY COME UP WITH THE SOLUTION TO THESE PROBLEMS. BUT, UM, IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I FIND MOST EXCITING IS, IS HOW CAN WE CONTINUALLY IMPROVE THE ORGANIZATION, FIND A MORE EFFICIENT, NEWER WAYS TO DO THINGS.
UM, A FOLLOW UP ON, IN THE LAST QUESTION.
UM, MR. SICK WITH, UH, THE CITY OF THE SIZE OF HUBER HEIGHTS, UH, 43,000 RESIDENTS, UH, YOU'VE BEEN ON A TOUR ABOUT HOW LONG WOULD YOU GIVE YOURSELF AS NEW CITY MANAGER TO EVALUATE, UM, OUR CITY AND PUT IN THAT TYPE OF ORGANIZATION PLANE, THAT'S YOUR STRENGTH IN YOUR WHEELHOUSE FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT? JUST TO BRING YOURSELF UP TO SPEED, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO BE, WE'RE GOING TO BE INTERVIEWING FOR CANDIDATES TONIGHT, AND EVERYONE'S GOING TO HAVE THEIR SKILLSET.
EVERYONE'S GOING TO HAVE, UM, THEIR STRENGTHS AND KNOWLEDGES, NOT THE KNOWLEDGE AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION, BUT COMING TO THE CITY, FEWER HIKES AS A CITY MANAGER, EVERYONE'S GOING TO BE BRAND NEW.
SO THE LEARNING CURVE IS GOING TO BE THERE FOR EVERYONE.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A GOTCHA TRICK QUESTION.
UM, HOW LONG WOULD YOU ESTIMATE WOULD BE A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME TO BRING YOURSELF UP TO SPEED, TO, UM, IMPLEMENT THAT KIND OF PLAN FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT? SO IT DEPENDS ON A NUMBER OF FACTORS, BUT I I'M GOING TO PROVIDE MAYBE WHAT I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THE LAST FEW DAYS IS A SOLUTION.
UM, FIRST I HAVE TO GET THE BUY IN FROM STAFF THAT THEY TRUST THAT MY IDEAS ARE WORTHWHILE.
UM, MY PLAN WITH THAT IS, IS REALLY TO LINK THEM WITH MY, THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN THE CITY OF MOUNT VERNON.
I DO THINK THAT, UM, HOPEFULLY THEY'LL GAIN SOME TRUST AND, UH, UNDERSTANDING OF MY METHODOLOGY THAT WAY.
UM, THE OTHER PART OF THIS DEALS WITH, UH, HOW WE HANDLE THE TRANSITION PLAN.
AND PART OF WHAT I'VE REALIZED IS, IS THERE'S A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY WITH MY PROXIMITY TO HUBER HEIGHTS.
UM, AND IT MAY INVOLVE, UM, YOU KNOW, SPREADING OUT A LITTLE BIT OF THE TRANSITION TO ALLOW ME TO GET ALL OF THE RELATIONSHIPS BUILT, ALL OF THE, UM, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION GATHERING THAT I NEED TO DO TO DO THAT.
AND SO THE IDEA I CAME UP WITH AN OBVIOUSLY HOW THE TRANSITION GOES WITH YOU OR HEIGHTS IS COMPLETELY UP TO COUNCIL.
UM, ONE OPTION IS, IS THAT GIVE WHATEVER NOTICE YOU THINK IS APPROPRIATE TO MY EMPLOYER.
AND I SHOW UP THAT DAY AND WE GET ROLLING.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I THOUGHT ABOUT IS, UM, THE POTENTIAL FOR, UM, A ONE TO TWO MONTH, UM, INTEGRATION PERIOD.
UH, I MAY WORK PART-TIME FOR THE CITY OF HUBER HEIGHTS, ATTEND ALL MEETINGS, WORK PART-TIME FOR THE CITY OF MOUNT VERNON, HELP THEM WITH THEIR TRANSITION.
UM, IT WOULD OBVIOUSLY REQUIRE SOME LOGISTICS OF ME COMING FROM THERE TO HERE A HALF A WEEK, UH, AS A TERMAN.
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DO IS LEARN EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO LEARN SO THAT WHEN BRIAN HANDS, THE KEYS OVER, UM, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF A SEAMLESS TRANSITION.UH, IT'S JUST REALLY A CONCEPTUAL IDEA AT THIS POINT, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CITY FINDS INTERESTING, UM, I COULD DRAFT, UH, A TRANSITION PLAN ALONG THOSE LINES.
UM, BUT MAYBE IN TWO MONTHS WE COULD HAVE SOME GREAT IDEAS IF WE DO IT THAT WAY.
UM, IF WE DO IT KIND OF, UH, I GET HERE AND THEN I START ONBOARDING, UM, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE THREE, THREE TO SIX MONTHS TO GET ALL THE INFORMATION PARTIALLY BECAUSE, UM, THERE'S ALL THE OTHER KIND OF DUTIES THAT GO ALONG WITH THEM.
AND I WAS TALKING AND I PROBABLY SHOULD'VE BEEN MORE CLEAR FOR DAY ONE WHENEVER THEY WANT IS, YEAH.
HOW LONG DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD HAVE TO ASSESS WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CITY AND NEEDS? YOU'D HAVE TO ASSESS, UH, THE CITY CAPABILITY, OUR MONEY, OUR PERSONNEL, AND OUR ASSETS, AND THEN, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A BALANCE THAT BALANCE MAY BE 70, 30.
THAT BALANCE MAY BE 50 50 TO WHERE EVERYTHING'S COVERED.
UM, CERTAINLY WHEN YOU MAKE DECISIONS TOO EARLY, UM, BEFORE YOU HAD YOU THINK YOU HAVE A PERSON ON WHAT WILL MAKE A PERSON, IF A PERSON HAS AN IDEA AND THEY START GOING OFF IN ONE DIRECTION, UH, THEN YOU KNOW, ANOTHER MONTH LATER THEY GET INTO IT AND THEY FIGURE, UH, NEED TO DIVERT THIS GOING IN A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
SO YOU DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT TOO SOON, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU DON'T WANT TO DELAY THE INEVITABLE WHEN SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE, YOU CAN SEE IT, YOU CAN ACT AND, UH, START WORKING ON THAT CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.
SO GIVE YOURSELF, WOULD YOU SAY TWO, THREE MONTHS, SIX MONTHS, I FEEL MOST COMFORTABLE WITH SIX MONTHS TO THE POINT OF, UM, I DON'T WANT TO MAKE THE WRONG DECISION, HEAD DOWN A PATH AND THEN HAVE TO READJUST.
IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT THERE ISN'T A NEED FOR THAT AT SOME TIMES WHERE YOU GET DOWN A PATH AND YOU GO, THIS ISN'T THE RIGHT PATH.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE, I'VE TAKEN FROM MY FIRE SERVICES IS, UH, I HAVE THE CAPACITY TO BE COLLABORATIVE, UM, SET TIMELINES.
HERE'S, HERE'S THE COLLABORATION TIME.
AND SO, UM, I THINK ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES I HAVE IS, IS THAT I CAN'T BE DECISIVE, BUT I CAN ALSO, UM, EVALUATE VARIOUS BITS OF INFORMATION.
AND PART OF THAT IS GOING TO RELY ON THE LEADERSHIP TEAM.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE IS, THERE IS A POINT AT WHICH I NEED TO BOUNCE IDEAS OFF OF THEM, IS THIS DOABLE.
UM, AND SO I THINK COMFORTABLY, IT WOULD TAKE SIX MONTHS.
MA'AM ANY OTHER FOLLOW-UP OKAY.
LASTLY, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU SOME TIME IF YOU'VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS OF COUNCIL, UM, CERTAINLY FEEL FREE TO FIRE AWAY.
UM, I THINK I'VE REALLY ONLY GOT TWO.
UM, THE FIRST ONE I'M SURE IS A STANDARD.
TYPICAL, WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT VALUES IN YOUR CITY MANAGER AND ACACIA, UH, COMMUNICATION.
THANK YOU, MR. AND SAY, I WOULD SAY TRUST.
I WOULDN'T DISAGREE WITH ANY WITH ANY OF THOSE THINGS.
UM, AND I WOULDN'T SAY THAT ANY OF THOSE ARE IN ANY SPECIFIC ORDER, I WOULD SAY THEY'RE ALL PROBABLY RIGHT.
AND THEN I GUESS, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE DONE AS MUCH RESEARCH AS I CAN WITH THE TIME I HAVE ABOUT SOME OF THE PRIORITIES AND INITIATIVES GOING ON IN THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A BIG ANNEXATION DISCUSSION GOING ON THERE'S GROWTH, THERE'S INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, BUT MAYBE WHAT HAVE I NOT READ THAT MAY BE A PRIORITY OR A CHALLENGE GOING ON WITH THE CITY HUBER HEIGHTS RIGHT NOW? I THINK WE'D ALL POINTED OUT A DIFFERENT, A DIFFERENT THING, MOST LIKELY, BUT, UM, MY PERSONAL OPINION, I, I THINK IT'S A PUBLIC MEETING SPACES, LACK OF, UM, UM, LOCAL ACTIVITIES FOR RESIDENTS.
UM, HONESTLY, THAT'S, THAT'S THE THING I HEAR MOST IS MOST RESIDENTS TELL ME THEY HAVE TO LEAVE THE CITY TO FIND ACTIVITIES FOR THEM, THEIR FAMILY, OUTSIDE OF OUR PARKS, OUR PARKS ARE AMAZING.
AND WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY RECENTLY UPGRADING LOTS OF PARKS AND DOING EVERYTHING.
BUT, UM, BUT I, I W I WOULD AGREE WITH GLEN.
I MEAN, WHEN YOU JUST LOOK AT LOCAL ACTIVITIES, WHETHER THEY'RE, UM, AND I, AND OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING, BUT IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT IT'S ABOUT BUY-IN AND WHEN YOU'VE GOT A LARGE POPULATION OF 45,000 PEOPLE ALMOST IT'S, UM, THE COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY.
HOW DO YOU GET THOSE MESSAGES OUT THERE THAT EVEN THINGS LIKE THIS ARE GOING ON AND ARE HAPPENING, AND THEN HOW DO YOU GET PEOPLE EXCITED ABOUT THAT STUFF? SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'D ALL LOVE TO SEE MORE ACTIVITIES, WHETHER THEY'RE IN THE PARKS THROUGH A, THROUGH A SENIOR CENTER, COMMUNITY CENTER, ALL THOSE THINGS, AND HOW DO WE APPROPRIATELY RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DO OFFER, UH, SOME STUFF, BUT CERTAINLY WE NEED, WE
[00:50:01]
NEED TO DO MORE.WE NEED TO DO BETTER OUTSIDE OF OUR, OUTSIDE OF OUR PARK SYSTEM, FROM MY ONE EXPERIENCE WITH ONE CITY.
UM, I DON'T THINK YOUR, YOUR, UM, CHALLENGES ARE UNIQUE.
UM, THE MAYOR, MY MAYOR RIGHT NOW STRUGGLES WITH, UH, WE RUN A TRADITIONAL PARKS DEPARTMENT.
THEY MOW GRASS, THEY FIX THINGS, THEY DON'T DO PROGRAMMING.
UH, HE REALLY WANTS US TO INVEST MORE TIME IN PART PROGRAMMING OVER THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, IT'S SIMILAR WITH, YOU KNOW, WE NEED A LOT OF NEW FACILITIES IN MOUNT VERNON.
YOU GUYS SEEM TO BE PRETTY GOOD, NEW FIRE STATIONS, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE CHALLENGES.
I THINK THE ONE THING THAT I NOTICED COMING TO HUBER HEIGHTS, UH, YOU KNOW, I TOOK THE TURN OFF THE FREEWAY.
I SAID, LET'S GO SEE THE AQUATIC CENTER DRIVE THROUGH CARE CHILLING, THEN BAM, THERE'S YOUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AREA RIGHT THERE, OR YOUR BUSINESS INDUSTRIAL PARK EARLY THAT ECONOMIC DRIVER.
UM, IT REALLY SEEMS LIKE A COMMUNITY THAT IS FURTHER AHEAD THAN MOST.
UM, IT SEEMS LIKE A COMMUNITY AND INVEST IN ITSELF.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE ROSE MUSIC CENTER, WHY WOULD DRIVE TO INDIANAPOLIS EVERY TWO WEEKS FROM COLUMBUS INDIANAPOLIS TO DO SOME CONSULTING.
UH, AND THAT'S THE ONE THING I NOTICED EVERY TIME I DROVE BY IT'S ACTUALLY WHAT FIRST PUT THE NAME.
HE WRITES IN MY HEAD ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO.
UM, AND I THINK WHAT APPEALS TO ME AS A CANDIDATE, AT LEAST IF THAT MATTERS, UM, IS IT IS A COMMUNITY THAT INVEST IN ITSELF.
I MEAN, NOT EVERY COMMUNITY HAS A CITY FUNDED MUSIC CENTER.
IF THEY DON'T HAVE ALL THE PARKS AND TRAILS, THEY DON'T HAVE, UM, A BEAUTIFUL AQUATIC CENTER.
UM, SO IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A COMMUNITY THAT'S VERY PASSIONATE, UM, AND THAT PASSION CAN GO BOTH WAYS, BUT, UM, IT'S BETTER THAN, THAN THE OPPOSITE.
I THINK WE'VE ALWAYS FELT THAT IF WE DON'T INVEST IN OURSELVES, HOW CAN WE EXPECT ANYBODY ELSE TO INVEST IN US? AND I THINK THAT'S BEEN, UM, THAT'S PROBABLY BEEN THE PATH THAT THE PATH THAT WE'VE WE'VE TAKEN RECENTLY, SO.
ANYTHING ELSE? ANY LAST FOLLOW-UP FOR SEC? OKAY.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
UM, THAT WASN'T TOO BRUTAL, RIGHT? NO, IT WAS GREAT.
SO REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOU, UH, TAKING THE TIME TO BE NUMBER ONE, INTERESTED IN OUR CITY TO WANT TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
UM, NO, IT'S NOT EASY, BUT THANK YOU.
WE'RE ALL APPRECIATIVE THAT YOU'VE TAKEN THE TIME TO DO THAT.
SO WE'LL HAVE SOME EVALUATIONS, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.
SO NEXT STEP FOR PEOPLE WATCHING, WE HAVE LUKE SIMS, UM, I'LL JUST KIND OF REPEAT THE, UH, KIND OF THE PROCESS FOR THIS EVENING.
HOW WE'LL GO, HOW WE'LL GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
ACTUALLY GET THANKED FOR WHEN WE DIDN'T DO ROLL CALL BEFORE.
UM, SO WE'LL DO THAT REAL QUICK PRIOR TO GETTING STARTED HERE.
SO TONY, IF YOU WOULD, MR. SHAWL, MS. BAKER, MR. CAMPBELL HERE, MRS. BERG, MR. OTTO HERE, MR. LYONS HERE.
THIS IS KITCHEN MR. WEBB HERE NEAR GUAR HERE.
SO THEN WE GET THE FORMALITIES OUT OF THE WAY.
SO THE PROCESS, JUST SO YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S THE SAME FOR EVERY CANDIDATE.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S 14 QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE THAT COVER DIFFERENT THINGS SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, UM, THERE'S EMPLOYEE QUESTIONS, COUNCIL QUESTIONS THAT COME IN, DEVELOPMENT QUESTIONS, GENERALIZED QUESTIONS.
UH, I WILL ASK ALL THE QUESTIONS.
AND THEN CERTAINLY IF COUNCIL HAS ANY, UM, REASON FOR A FOLLOW-UP OR ONCE YOU TO DIG A LITTLE DEEPER INTO, INTO SOME OF THAT, OR WHENEVER YOU ANSWER THAT, CERTAINLY, UH, COUNCIL HAS, UM, UH, THE ABILITY TO DO THAT.
AND THEN, UH, ONCE WE FINISH UP, THEN WE WANT TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE OF US, UM, AS, AS WE FINISH.
SO IF YOU WOULD, IF YOU GOING HEAD OF THE PODIUM THERE, WE'LL, UH, WE'LL GET READY TO START.
AND AGAIN, EVERYBODY, THIS IS, THIS IS LUKE SENTENCE.
UH, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT, UM, YOU HADN'T SAID KIND OF IN THE VIDEO OR, UM, WITH, WITH, UM, ON THE TOUR TODAY, ANYTHING THAT YOU'D LIKE US TO KNOW ABOUT YOU BEFORE WE, BEFORE WE GET STARTED? UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I DO WANT TO SAY HELLO.
MY NAME IS LUKE SIMS. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME MAYOR.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME COUNSEL, UH I AM A CITY PLANNER.
AND I CURRENTLY WORK IN A COMMUNITY CALLED WINONA, MINNESOTA.
IT'S IN THE SOUTHEASTERN PORTION OF THE STATE ON AN ISLAND IN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
SO SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT COMPARED TO THE LARGER AMOUNTS OF GREENFIELD DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU HAVE HERE.
UH, I HAVE A MASTER'S IN URBAN PLANNING AND A MASTER'S IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND I'VE BEEN REALLY TAILORED IN MY CAREER TO BEING A GOOD FIT FOR CITY GOVERNMENT, BEING A GOOD FIT FOR PUBLIC SERVICE.
[00:55:01]
I HAVE A VERY REAL PASSION FOR IT, AND THIS HAS BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS TO REALLY TRANSITION INTO URBAN PLANNING.AND THEN HOPEFULLY IF YOU'LL GIVE ME YOUR BLESSING INTO CITY MANAGEMENT, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING ALL OF YOU HERE TODAY.
AND I ALSO WANT TO MAKE A NOTE THAT I APOLOGIZE FOR MY VOICE.
I WAS GIVEN A TOUR OF A HISTORIC COURTHOUSE ON FRIDAY, AND I COMPLETELY LOST MY VOICE IN THE COLD WEATHER OUTSIDE.
SO, UM, IF I END UP COUGHING A LITTLE BIT, IT'S JUST THAT, IT'S JUST THAT I'M STILL RECOVERING FROM THAT.
SO, UM, SO THE FIRST COUPLE OF QUESTIONS HAVE TO DO WITH JUST LEADERSHIP, LEADERSHIP AND GENERAL, SO, UH, WE'LL GET STARTED.
SO WHAT IS THE STRONGEST SKILLSET OR QUALITY THAT YOU WOULD BRING TO THE CITY HE WRITES AS OUR CITY MANAGER? AND WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR WEAKEST SKILLSET? I THINK I'M A VERY GOOD COLLABORATOR.
I'M QUITE GIFTED AT CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE AND BRINGING THEM FORWARD TOWARD A UNIFIED VISION.
UH, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT IN MY RESUME, I HIGHLIGHT STRATEGIC PLAN AND VERY OFTEN I'M VERY GOOD AT MAKING A CLEAR GOAL OR ESTABLISHING A CLEAR GOAL WITH A COMMUNITY AND HELPING DIRECT PEOPLE TOWARD IT.
IT'S ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS COMFORTABLE AND IF NOT COMPLETELY COMFORTABLE, AT LEAST WILLING TO GET ON BOARD WITH SOMETHING SO THAT WE CAN ALL BE USING THE SAME LANGUAGE, THE SAME TERMS AND STRIVING TOWARD A SIMILAR DIRECTION.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M NOT PARTICULARLY GREAT AT IS BEING PERFECTLY HONEST.
I DON'T REALLY LIKE THE ADMINISTRATIVE WORK VERY MUCH.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS OFTEN PART OF MY JOB BECAUSE IT IS, YOU KNOW, I RECORD DOCUMENTS OFFICIALLY AS PART OF MY JOB AS WELL, SEND THEM OVER TO THE COUNTY RECORDER, WHETHER IT'S A PLAT BOOK OR WHETHER IT'S AN, UH, UM, AN INTERIM USE PERMIT, FOR EXAMPLE, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT OF COURSE IS PART OF THE JOB AND I'M HAPPY TO DO IT AS WELL.
AND ONE THING I'VE NOTICED HERE IS THAT THERE'S A VERY STRONG TEAM AT HERE AT HUBER HEIGHTS.
I'VE REALLY ENJOYED EVERYBODY I'VE INTERACTED WITH OVER THE LAST DAY.
AND I'VE BEEN, I'D BE PLEASED TO WORK WITH THEM AND THEY CAN ALWAYS KEEP AN EYE ON ME ANY FOLLOW-UP IN THAT, UM, FOR THAT QUESTION.
SO NEXT, WHY DON'T YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE HANDLING OR RESPONDING TO A CRISIS, AND THEN WHO DID YOU CONSULT WITH OR INVOLVED IN RESPONDING TO THAT SITUATION? A REALLY EASY TO BUY SYSTEM REAL QUICK.
SO THEN WHAT KIND OF STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO MANAGE THE ORGANIZATION'S IMAGE, UH, THROUGHOUT TRADITIONAL MEDIA OR IN SOCIAL MEDIA? AND I'LL JUST TELL YOU, OUR COMMUNITY IS VERY, VERY ACTIVE.
UM, ON SOCIAL MEDIA, ONE OF ONE COMMUNITY PAGE HERE HAS 20,000 MEMBERS.
WE'RE A CITY OF 45,000 PEOPLE AND NOT ALL THOSE PEOPLE LIVE HERE OR PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE AT ONE TIME NOW THEY'VE GONE AND THEY STILL HAVE AN OPINION.
SO IT IS VERY, VERY ACTIVE FROM A SOCIAL MEDIA PERSPECTIVE.
SO, AND PART OF THAT IS YOU GOTTA BE ABLE TO MANAGE THAT TOO.
SO WE DO OUR BEST, BUT A LOT OF THAT WILL COME ON TO UNDER THE CITY AS WELL.
SO, SO HANDLING A CRISIS, WHO DID YOU CONSULT WITH AND THEN WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO MANAGE THE IMAGE OF THE ORGANIZATION? WELL, I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE ENGAGED ON SOCIAL MEDIA HERE IN HUBER HEIGHTS.
AS PART OF MY PAST JOB, I WAS A MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR A UNIVERSITY.
I'M VERY WELL VERSED IN COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE IN OLD MEDIA AND A NEW MEDIA, A CRISIS THAT'S REALLY EASY TO POINT TO BECAUSE IT'S RELATIVELY RECENT AND STILL IN MANY OF OUR MINDS IS THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
COVID-19 PANDEMIC OBVIOUSLY CAME UPON.
MANY OF US SWIFTLY AND MANY MUNICIPALITIES WERE SIMPLY NOT READY FOR WAYS TO ENGAGE WITH MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, WHETHER IT'S ON ZOOM OR WHATEVER, A NEW INTERNET, UM, FORM OF COMMUNICATION, YOU ENDED UP USING MANY PEOPLE JUST WEREN'T READY FOR THAT.
IT CAUGHT MANY OF US FLAT-FOOTED IN OUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING YOU'RE WAITING FOR RESPONSES FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FROM THE WYNNONA COUNTY.
UM, MY CURRENT CURRENT COUNTY WHEN KNOWN A COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND FRANKLY, UH, WE FELT THAT WE NEEDED TO STEP UP.
SO MYSELF AND THE CITY MANAGER AT THE CITY OF WINONA, WE DECIDED TO FOUND WHAT WE CALLED THE COMMUNITY RESPONSE TEAM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO BEGIN TAKING STEPS TO ADDRESS THAT THAT CRISIS ADDRESSED THAT CRITICAL SITUATION.
AND WHAT WE DID IS WE REALIZED, OF COURSE, YOU DON'T NEED TO REINVENT THE WHEEL.
THERE ARE MANY SMARTER PEOPLE THAN ME.
THERE ARE MANY EPIDEMIOLOGISTS WHO ARE FAR MORE INVOLVED IN PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS THAN I AM.
AND WE MODELED OUR SYSTEM ON BURLINGTON, VERMONT.
WE IMMEDIATELY GOT THEM ON THE PHONE OR IN THIS CASE ON THE ZOOM CALL AND BEGAN TALKING TO THEM ABOUT WHAT THEIR STEPS WERE.
WE, THAT THEY HAD A REALLY GOOD MODEL TO BEGIN WORKING WITH.
THEN WE REACHED OUT TO THE NEAREST METROPOLITAN AREA IN OUR CASE, THAT'S LACROSSE WISCONSIN.
OBVIOUSLY THE STATE OF WISCONSIN HAS DIFFERENT LAWS IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, BUT WE BEGAN TRYING TO FEEL OUT HOW THEY WERE REACTING AND THEY STARTED BRILLIANTLY.
THEY DID SOMETHING I WISH I HAD DONE.
THEY PLANTED VICTORY GARDENS RIGHT AWAY.
AND I THOUGHT, OH, WHAT A GOOD IDEA.
WE SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY DONE THAT.
BUT THEN I BEGAN LEADING AN INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM FROM ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WE INVITED MEMBERS FROM THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
WE INVITED A BIOSTATISTICIAN FROM WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY AND WE PULLED DIFFERENT STAFF MEMBERS.
I SELECTED DIFFERENT STAFF MEMBERS FROM ACROSS THE CITY OF WINONA.
SO WE HAD A LIBRARIAN ON OUR STAFF AND WE HAD A COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR AND WE HAD A MEMBER
[01:00:01]
OF OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TEAM ON THERE AS WELL.SO I WAS MANAGING 12 PEOPLE ESSENTIALLY FROM APRIL OF 2020 UNTIL JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO WHEN WE DECIDED TO IDLE THAT PROGRAM.
AND WHAT THAT REALLY LED TO US DOING IS SEARCHING FOR THE BEST WAYS TO RESPOND TO THAT CRISIS.
WE DIDN'T CARE WHERE THAT INFORMATION CAME FROM AS LONG AS IT WAS CREDIBLE.
SO WE WERE LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE THE DUTCH HEALTH AND HEALTH AND SPORT DEPARTMENT TO SEE WHAT THEY WERE DOING TO HELP MANAGE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.
WHEN WE WERE CONSIDERING SHUTTING DOWN OUR POOL, UH, WE WERE LOOKING AT THE MUSEUM IN LIBRARIES, CURATOR CURATOR HAS GUIDELINES FOR HOW TO HANDLE MEDIA AS IT'S RETURNED TO US.
AND WE BEGAN CRAFTING SITE BY SITE SPECIFIC SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CITY OF WINONA TO INTEGRATE THINGS LIKE NEW MEDIA ACCESS, INTEGRATE NEW PROTOCOLS FOR HOW TO ENTER INTO OUR BUILDING.
AND IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US BECAUSE IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE WERE PRETTY CONSTRAINED FOR THE LOCATIONS THAT WE HAVE.
WE HAVE THE LONGEST CONTINUOUSLY RUNNING PUBLIC LIBRARY IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.
IT IS NOT BUILT WITH A SINGLE ACCESS POINT OR GATE CONTROL.
SO PEOPLE COULD JUST WANDER INTO YOUR OFFICE.
WE HAVE A NATIONALLY REGISTER, UM, LISTED CITY HALL.
IT ALSO HAS MULTIPLE ACCESS POINTS, NO GATE CONTROL.
SO WE WERE TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO RECONFIGURE THE WAY THAT WE WERE DOING THINGS.
AND THEN WE WERE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE THAT AS WELL.
SO WE KEPT SAYING TO OURSELVES, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT THE WAY WE DID IT BEFORE.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CHANGE.
SO WE'RE FINDING WAYS TO HELP MAYBE COMBINED DEPARTMENTS.
SO YOU HAD ONE ADMIN PERSON TO GO ACCESS ENGINEERING AND PUBLIC WORKS AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THOSE ARE JUST SMALL IMPROVEMENTS, BUT THEY'RE IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENTS.
AND IT LED TO SOME STREAMLINING FOR US AS WELL.
WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF OUR POSITIONS AND SEE WHO WAS A GOOD FIT TO BE FILLING SOME OF THESE NEW ADMIN ROLES AND WHO WOULD BE A BETTER FIT DEPLOYED ELSEWHERE.
AND IT ALSO GOT PEOPLE A LITTLE BIT OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE TO START LOOKING AT BEST, BEST PRACTICES AND BEST PROTOCOLS FOR A HEALTH CRISIS.
IN THIS INSTANCE, THAT WAS A REALLY WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT WAS CRISIS MANAGEMENT.
AND WE ENDED UP BEING, WE ENDED UP LEADING IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.
WE WERE ONE OF THE FIRST COMMUNITIES TO ADOPT A MASS MANDATE.
FOR EXAMPLE, BEFORE THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DID.
AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO HELP COLLABORATE WITH WINONA COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AS SOON AS THEY WERE ABLE TO BEGIN DEPLOYING THEIR RESOURCES AS WELL.
SO IT WAS ABOUT HAVING REGULAR CALLS ACROSS DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT JURISDICTIONS AND COLLABORATING TOGETHER.
SO, UM, DID YOU, SO DID YOU HAVE FEEDBACK FROM, FROM THE COMMUNITY? UM, I I'LL JUST US, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, WE TOOK THE OPPOSITE APPROACH.
UM, FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY TOLD US THEY DIDN'T WANT TO WEAR MASKS.
UM, FEEDBACK TOLD US THEY STILL WANTED TO HAVE OUR 4TH OF JULY FOR EIGHT FEEDBACK, TOLD US THEY DIDN'T WANT TO CLOSE DOWN OUR POOL.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD THAT, WASN'T ALL THE FEEDBACK WE HEARD.
WE HEARD BOTH SIDES OF BOTH SIDES OF IT.
AND WE KNEW THAT ANY DECISION THAT WE MADE REGARDING THE PANDEMIC WAS PROBABLY GOING TO MAKE SOME NEW, HAPPY AND UPSET SOME OTHERS.
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IN YOUR COMMUNITY, MOST PEOPLE WERE ON BOARD WITH THAT, BUT DID YOU, DID YOU GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY? BECAUSE WE, AGAIN, I MEAN, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, WE HAD CITY HALL WAS STILL OPEN AND WE DID THINGS TO PROTECT SOME OF THE EMPLOYEES, BUT WE WENT ON NOT LIFE AS NORMAL, BUT WE, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T PASS ANY MASCULINE DATES.
WE DIDN'T REQUIRE THAT FROM A CITY PERSPECTIVE.
UM, AND I THINK A LOT OF US SAID, YEAH, THE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PEOPLE AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT WE WERE TRYING TO BE VERY DATA DRIVEN OURSELF AND A BIG INCONSISTENCY WAS, WAS THE DATA WHEN IT CAME INTO OUR, EVEN INTO THE SCHOOLS, CREATED AN UPROAR, LIKE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
AND IT CAME TO A MASS MAIN DATE ON THE KIDS.
SO HOW, HOW WAS THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED IN THOSE DECISIONS? OR DID YOU JUST SAY WE'RE LISTENING TO THE COUNTY AND GET OVER IT? THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO IN OUR CASE, IT WAS AN ORDER FROM THE MAYOR OF AN EMERGENCY DECLARATION.
AND THEN THAT ONLY HAS THREE DAYS TO EXPIRE IN OUR STATE.
AND SO THEN IT HAD TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL AND BECAUSE THINGS WERE MOVING FAIRLY RAPIDLY, CITY COUNCIL WAS RESPONDING FAIRLY QUICKLY AND WE DID HAVE SOME MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO WERE QUITE VOCALLY OPPOSED, BUT WE FELT, FOR EXAMPLE, IN ESTABLISHING THAT TEAM, BY GETTING A BROAD BASE OF SUPPORT ACROSS THE COMMUNITY, IF PEOPLE FELT COMFORTABLE KNOWING THAT THE HEAD OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR EXAMPLE, WAS LOBBYING STILL ON BEHALF OF, OF BUSINESS INTERESTS AND WAS ON BOARD WITH THAT PLAN.
THEN WE FELT THAT WE WERE TAKING REALLY GOOD STEPS AND WE ACTUALLY WERE ABLE TO RESPOND AND REVERSE COURSE LATER ON AFTER THE MASS MANDATE WAS ORIGINALLY LIFTED BY THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, WHICH WE OF COURSE COMPLIED WITH AND FOLLOWED WITH.
WE ACTUALLY HAD A NEW MAYOR BECAUSE WE HAD ELECTIONS IN 2020.
WE HAD A NEW MAYOR WHO TRIED TO IMPLEMENT ANOTHER MASS MANDATE.
AND OF COURSE WE WENT AHEAD AND WE DID THE APPROPRIATE LEGAL PROCEDURES TO DO SO.
AND THREE DAYS LATER WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL HAD THE ABILITY TO EITHER APPROVE THAT CONTINUATION OR NOT, THEY CHOSE TO REVOKE IT BECAUSE WE WERE HEARING FROM THE PUBLIC.
AND A LOT OF IT WAS RESPONDING TO SOCIAL MEDIA.
WE COLLAB, WE ACTUALLY SOUGHT OUT A COMMUNITY PARTNER ORGANIZATION.
IN THIS CASE, IT'S ENGAGED WITH NANA AND
[01:05:01]
ENGAGE WITH OANA AS A COMMUNITY PARTNER ORGANIZATION WAS ABLE TO CONTINUALLY PULL THE COMMUNITY.BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE RECOGNIZED IS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE VERY GOOD TRUST IN OUR COMMUNITY OVER THE LAST 10, 15 YEARS.
AND WE'VE BEEN USING AN INTERMEDIARY THAT HAD BUILT THAT TRUST PREVIOUSLY, AND WE KNEW THAT THIS WAS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE, RELY ON THEM SO THAT WE COULD SPREAD THAT MESSAGE EFFECTIVELY AND ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE HEARING FROM THE CONSTITUENCY.
SO THEY ACTUALLY STILL MANAGED TO THE DAY MULTIPLE PAGES ABOUT BUSINESSES, HELPING BUSINESSES, NEIGHBORS, HELPING NEIGHBORS, AND COLLABORATION'S ON COMMUNICATING AND COVID-19, UM, INFORMATION SPREAD.
AND IT DIDN'T ALL, IT DIDN'T ALL WORK SMOOTHLY.
ONE OF THE MISCOMMUNICATIONS, PERHAPS BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND OURSELVES WAS WE WERE ALL SCRAPING THE SAME DATA AS COVID, UH, CAME OUT, OF COURSE.
AND LIKE I MENTIONED, I REACHED OUT TO MY BIOSTATISTICIAN FRIEND, WHO'S A PROFESSOR AT WINONA STATE AND HE FELT VERY STRONGLY THAT HE WAS GRABBING THE DATA CORRECTLY.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, I BELIEVE HIM BECAUSE HE DOES THIS FOR A JOB.
AND WE, WE PUBLISHED OUR OWN, UM, OUR OWN DATA ONLINE OR NOT OUR OWN DATA, EXCUSE ME, OUR OWN ANALYSIS OF THAT DATA ONLINE AND THAT, THAT RUFFLED SOME FEATHERS, BUT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC WELL IN ADVANCE, EVEN THOUGH THE STATE AND OUR COUNTY, WEREN'T ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT AT THAT TIME.
SO WE PUT THAT OUT PROBABLY THREE OR FOUR WEEKS BEFORE THINGS STARTED TO GO LIVE ON OUR SIDE OR ON THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SIDE.
SO NEXT THESE WOULD BE SOME CITY COUNCIL QUESTIONS.
SO, UH, OR REGARDING THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO HOW DO YOU DEFINE TRUST AND WHAT SPECIFICALLY HAVE YOU DONE IN THE PAST OR WHAT'D YOU DO IN YOUR RIGHTS TO DEVELOP THE MAIN DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTAIN A STRONG TRUSTING RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR COUNCIL, YOUR STAFF INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY, AND TRUST TO ME IS A MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING THAT PEOPLE ARE OPERATING IN GOOD FAITH.
YOU CAN DISAGREE WITH EACH OTHER.
THERE CAN BE FRICTION WITH EACH OTHER, BUT AS LONG AS YOU BOTH UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER AND THAT YOU ARE WORKING FOR THE BETTERMENT IN THIS CASE OF YOUR COMMUNITY, THAT'S BET THAT THAT IS BENEFICIAL.
THAT'S HOW I VIEW TRUST, PARTICULARLY IN A JOB LIKE THIS.
AND I VIEW TRUST ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL.
I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WERE ALL ELECTED, SOME OF YOU BY DIFFERENT CONSTITUENCIES, SOME OF YOU WITH DIFFERENT GOALS IN MIND, BUT AS LONG AS WE ALL KNOW THAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARD THE SAME GOAL AND THAT BEGINS WITH BETTERING OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER ABOUT THAT, THEN WE CAN GO AHEAD AND HAVE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS.
WE CAN GO AHEAD AND WORK TOGETHER, EVEN IF WE DON'T NECESSARILY AGREE.
AND FORGIVE ME, MR. MAYOR, CAN YOU REPEAT THE SECOND PORTION OF THAT QUESTION? YES.
SO HOW WOULD YOU WORK, UM, WITH YOUR COUNSEL AND YOUR STAFF INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY TO SHOW THAT THAT, THAT TRUST EXISTS? SO INDIVIDUALLY A CITY MANAGER NEEDS TO BE OPEN AND BE ABLE TO BE RESPONSIVE TO ITS CITY COUNCIL.
I UNDERSTAND, OF COURSE THAT WE, THAT CITY MANAGERS WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH THE MAYOR, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO RAISE YOUR ISSUES OR RAISE CONCERNS AND BRING THEM TO ME AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN SO THAT I CAN RESPOND TO THEM.
IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO ACT AS ADVOCATES BECAUSE YOU ARE ADVOCATES FOR YOUR WARDS OR ADVOCATES FOR THE CITY AT LARGE.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO HEAR WHAT YOUR CONSTITUENCIES ARE SAYING SO THAT WE CAN RESPOND TO THEIR NEEDS, WANTS AND DESIRES AS WELL, BUT COLLECTIVELY AS WELL, WE ALSO NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ALL HAVE NEED TO OPERATE WITH SIMILAR PIECES OF DATA.
THAT'S AN EDUCATION COMPONENT.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE TAKING ACTION ON, HOW WILL THE OUTCOMES MAY OCCUR AND HOW WE CAN AFFECT CHANGE TOGETHER OR CONTINUE TO KEEP THINGS THE SAME.
SO THAT'S GOING TO BE AN EDUCATION.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS ACTUALLY JUST CHECKING IN WITH TONY ON WAS WHEN DO YOU DO YOUR WORKSHOP SESSIONS? BECAUSE I THINK THAT YOUR SYSTEM IS CONSIDERABLY BETTER THAN THE SYSTEM THAT WE CURRENTLY DEPLOY IN MY COMMUNITY, WHERE WE HAVE A HURRIED MEETING ABOUT AN HOUR BEFOREHAND.
I MUCH PREFER THE REGULAR SCHEDULE WHERE WORKSHOPS ARE, ARE READY AND ABLE TO DO THAT, THAT BUILDS TRUST.
AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, YOU HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT OF ANY OPEN MEETING LAWS THAT ARE RELEVANT.
OF COURSE, I CAN'T GO AROUND AND HAVE ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS WITH YOU AND RUN A FOUL OF SERIAL MEETING LAWS AND LINE UP A VOTE IN ADVANCE.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ALL OPEN AND TRUSTING OF EACH OTHER TO HAVE DISCUSSION AND DEBATE IN THESE CHAMBERS AS WELL, BECAUSE WITHOUT TRUST HERE, THEN THE CONSTITUENCY OF OUR COMMUNITY IS NOT GOING TO HAVE A STRONG GOVERNMENT AND HAVE GOOD IDEAS THAT COME OUT OF CONTENTION OR COME OUT OF FRICTION.
LIKE YOU MAY HAVE A FOLLOW-UP.
SO HOW WOULD YOU KEEP THE CITY COUNCIL INFORMED ABOUT KEY ISSUES, PROJECTS, AND OPERATIONS.
AS I MENTIONED, HAVING EARLY COMMUNICATION AND CLEAR COMMUNICATION IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
IF THERE IS GOING TO BE AN ISSUE IN WARD TWO, FOR EXAMPLE, I FEEL THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO CALL OR CALL ON COUNCILMAN WEB TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE AND POSSIBLY ADDRESS THE ISSUE, KNOWING THAT I'M COMING INTO THIS COMMUNITY AS AN OUTSIDER.
AND I DON'T HAVE TRUST BUILT UP WITH MANY OF THE RESIDENTS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
I MIGHT HAVE TO RELY ON SOME OF YOU TO HELP ME BROKER DEALS AND CONVERSATIONS WITH KEY CONSTITUENCIES.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO BE RESPONSIVE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF THIS COMMUNITY, UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE MIGHT BE POLITICAL CONCERNS AND CONSTITUENCIES MIGHT, OUR CONSTITUENTS MIGHT
[01:10:01]
COME UP TO YOU AND TRY TO ADDRESS THEM WITH YOU.BUT TO THE EXTENT THAT I CAN RESPOND TO THEM, I WILL RESPOND TO THEM, PARTICULARLY IF THEY'RE SUPPORTED BY POLICY DOCUMENTS OR PLANNING DOCUMENTS THAT ARE PASSED BY THIS BODY, BECAUSE MY BACKING IS THE WILL OF THIS LEGISLATIVE BODY AND THE WILL OF THE CHARTER AND THE WILL OF THE ORDINANCE THAT ARE PASSED BY YOU.
SO AS LONG AS I ACT IN CONSISTENCY WITH THAT, I FEEL QUITE STRONGLY THAT I'LL BE ABLE TO WORK WITH YOU TO SOLVE PROBLEMS TOGETHER.
SO IN THIS POSITION, THE COUNCIL MAY GIVE DIRECTIVES THAT YOU AND STAFF DO NOT AGREE WITH.
SO HOW WOULD YOU BALANCE THE DIRECTORS OF COUNCIL WHILE STILL REMAINING AN ADVOCATE FOR YOUR STAFF? IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO RECOGNIZE THAT STAFF HAVE A DIVERSE RANGE OF RANGE OF ETHICAL OBLIGATIONS TO THEIR PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS.
THEY ALSO HAVE A DIVERSE RANGE OF EXPERTISE AND MANY ON YOUR STAFF ARE QUITE LITERALLY EXPERTS TO ME THAT INVOLVES BRINGING FORWARD INFORMATION SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE THE BEST INFORMED DECISION THAT YOU CAN POSSIBLY MAKE.
IT'S NOT ABOUT PUSHING YOU TO MAKE A SPECIFIC DECISION NECESSARILY.
IT'S ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT YOU ARE INFORMED AND ABLE TO APPROPRIATELY RESPOND TO WHETHER IT'S A CRISIS OR AN ACTION OF A NEIGHBOR OR A FUTURE POLICY PROPOSAL, OR A BUDGETARY CONCERN.
AND IF YOU DO CHOOSE TO TAKE AN ACTION THAT PERHAPS I DON'T AGREE WITH MY JOB IS TO EXECUTE THAT ACTION TO THE FULLEST EXTENT, AGAIN, OF THE BACKING OF THOSE ORDINANCES AND TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU ARE DIRECTING CITY STAFF TO DO SO AS A CITY MANAGER, I UNDERSTAND THAT MY JOB IS TO RUN THE CITY, BUT BY, BUT THE OVERALL POLICY ACTIONS ARE CREATED BY THIS BODY, NOT BY ME.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT I'M NOT ALWAYS GOING TO GET 100% OF WHAT I WANT.
AND HONESTLY, I DON'T KNOW, 100% OF WHAT I WOULD WANT AS SOON AS I STEPPED IN THE STORE, EITHER IT WILL BE A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME AS WELL.
AND I WOULD RELY ON YOU TO HELP SET SOME OF THAT DIRECTION.
AS I ENTER INTO THIS JOB, WE FOLLOW WHAT MR. SAMS, UM, YOUR RESUME, UM, BASED ON WHAT YOU'VE GOT HERE, YOU, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY AN EXPERT ON A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE PIERCED.
UM, OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE GOING TO BE EXPERT IN A LOT OF THINGS I'M NOT.
SO YOU MENTIONED YOU TAKE DIRECTIVE FROM THIS BODY, HOWEVER, BEING AN EXPERT IN THE AREAS THAT YOU ARE, IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT ONE OR THE GROUP OF US IS LEANING TOWARDS THE, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST ISN'T RIGHT.
HOW WOULD YOU APPROACH THAT WITH US TO, YOU KNOW, EITHER I WON'T SAY PUSHBACK, BUT TO, YOU KNOW, UH, FULLY LET US KNOW WHAT YOUR FEELINGS, I SUPPOSE ON.
I HAD A BOSS WHO LIKED TO USE THE PHRASE IF I COULD GENTLY RESPOND TO THAT, WHICH I THINK IS A GREAT, IT'S A GREAT PHRASE BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A RESPONSE.
YOU RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING AND I'M NOT SHUTTING YOU DOWN, BUT I MIGHT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE PLANNING FIELD, WE HAVE ETHICAL OBLIGATIONS TO ESSENTIALLY UNDO THE WRONGS OF DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES, UH, WHICH, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH HEARING THINGS LIKE RED LINING, FOR EXAMPLE, BEING ABLE TO FALL BACK ON THAT AND SAY, ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, JUST SO YOU'RE AWARE, THERE IS AN ETHICAL OBLIGATION FOR US TO PLAN FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT CURRENTLY HERE, BECAUSE THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO BE HERE PREVIOUSLY.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO TAKE ACTION TOWARD THAT, BEING ABLE TO DO THAT AS IMPORTANT, BUT I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT AN EXAMPLE THAT WAS ACTUALLY A, A RECENT, UM, CRESTFALLEN MOMENT FOR MYSELF AND MY FELLOW STAFF AT THE CITY OF WINONA.
WE WORKED VERY HARD ON A ROAD DIET PROJECT, WHICH IS MOVING FROM FOUR TRAVEL LANES DOWN TO THREE TRAVEL LANES.
AND EXCUSE ME, A CENTER TURN LANE, YOU HAVE MANY OF THESE IN YOUR COMMUNITY, AND THEY'RE VERY COMMON ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
UH, WE HAD A CORRIDOR THAT UNFORTUNATELY LED TO THE DEATHS OF TWO PEOPLE IN THE MID 2010S.
WE CONDUCTED A STUDY WITH COUNCIL'S BLESSING THAT DETERMINED THAT THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR BECAUSE OF ITS FOUR LANE NATURE WAS UNSAFE.
WE ADOPTED A COMPLETE STREETS AND PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE PLAN POLICY DOCUMENT, WHICH DIRECTED US TOWARD A ROAD DIET, WHICH WAS APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
THAT PLAN WASN'T AWARD-WINNING PLAN AT THE AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION OF THE, OF THE UPPER MIDWEST.
I WAS THE DIRECTOR OF THAT PLANET WAS VERY PROUD OF IT.
AND WHEN OUR CITY STAFF, OUR ENGINEERING AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT BROUGHT FORWARD A PROPOSAL FOR, TO APPLY FOR GRANT FUNDING, DO THAT ROAD DIET AND RECEIVE $2 MILLION IN AID.
UH, THE CITY COUNCIL WAS ON BOARD AND WE SAW, AND WE GOT THAT AID WHEN IT CAME TO THE OVERALL DESIGN.
AFTER WE HAD ALREADY EXPENDED $300,000, WE HAD A NEW COUNCIL.
UH, WE HAD THREE SEATS TURN OVER AND THAT NEW COUNCIL CHOSE TO SCRAP THE PROJECT.
WE HAD ALREADY SPENT SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF FUNDS.
CITY ENGINEER TESTIFIED FORMER PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR WHO WAS ALSO A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER, HAD BOTH TESTIFIED THAT THAT ENTIRE ROAD DESIGN WAS DANGEROUS.
WE HAD DIRECTLY TOLD THE COUNCIL THAT THAT WAS DANGEROUS AND WENT AGAINST OUR POLICY DOCUMENTS AND THEY STILL CHOSE TO GET RID OF THE PROJECT AND RETURN THE MONEY TO THE US GOVERNMENT, WHICH WAS PERFECTLY FINE.
THAT IS A DIRECTIVE OF THE BODY, BUT WE FELT THAT WE DID OUR JOBS THROUGH MULTIPLE STAGES OF A PROJECT BECAUSE VERY RARELY IS A PROJECT, JUST A ONE AND DONE BEFORE A CITY COUNCIL, RIGHT.
[01:15:01]
AND WE LAID THE APPROPRIATE GROUNDWORK AND MAYBE WE COULD'VE DONE BETTER AND DONE EVEN MORE ADVOCACY FOR THAT PROJECT.BUT WE FELT THAT WE PUT THE APPROPRIATE INFORMATION TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION AND THE CITY COUNCIL ULTIMATELY CHOSE NOT TO DO SO.
AND WE WENT ALONG AND DID THAT.
UNFORTUNATELY, IN THIS CASE, THREE MORE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN NAMED IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT MAYBE WE'LL GET TO THAT PROJECT AGAIN IN FIVE TO 10 YEARS, IT'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO COME TOGETHER.
IT COME FORWARD AGAIN BECAUSE WE'LL TRACK THOSE CRASHES.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE ADVOCACY FROM THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE WE KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S DIRECTLY AFFECTING OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR CONSTITUENCIES.
UM, THAT PROJECT SOUNDS REALLY EXCITING.
LIKE, AS YOU STATED, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF THOROUGHFARES, VERY SIMILAR AND, UH, SHOULD YOU BE SELECTED? I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT YOU, YOUR THOUGHTS ARE IN OUR SITUATION.
SO NOW YOU GOT SOME EMPLOYEE QUESTIONS.
SO HOW DO YOU MONITOR INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE? AND THEN WHAT ACTIONS DO YOU TAKE TO ENSURE THAT THE EMPLOYEES ARE PERFORMING AT A HIGH LEVEL? UM, I'M NOT HERE TO BABYSIT EMPLOYEES.
UM, UH, EMPLOYEES ARE PROFESSIONALS.
WE ARE GOING TO HIRE GOOD STAFF.
WE ARE GOING TO HIRE DEDICATED STAFF AND WE ARE GOING TO HIRE STAFF THAT ARE GOING TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY.
WELL, I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT EVERY PRO EVERY EMPLOYEE IS GOING TO WORK OUT, OF COURSE, BUT IF THE ISSUES DO BEGIN TO COME UP, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION INITIALLY, BUT YOU SHOULDN'T BE AFRAID OF TAKING CORRECTIVE ACTION WHEN NEEDED TO.
UM, BUT I DO ANTICIPATE THAT OUR STAFF WILL COME INTO THE OFFICE.
WE WILL HAVE DIRECTION FROM CITY COUNCIL.
WE WILL HAVE DIRECTION FROM POLICY DOCUMENTS AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO SET MEETINGS WHERE WE GO OVER THAT INFORMATION AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE BEFORE WE APPLY FOR A GRANT, SUBMIT A BUDGETARY REQUEST OR PUT FORWARD AN AMENDMENT ORDINANCE OR RESOLUTION BEFORE THIS POTTY CITY STAFF DOES NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE WORKING TOWARD TO THAT END.
I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO LOOK AT A STRATEGIC PLAN THAT IS LED BY THIS BODY AND SUPPORTED BY CITY STAFF.
SO WE KNOW THE ACTUAL ELEMENTS THAT ARE MOVING TOWARD THAT.
SO WE DO HAVE A BAROMETER TO HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE TO.
AND THE, FOR HOLDING OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE IS WHERE YOU COME INTO PLAY WITH ANNUAL REVIEWS OR OTHER CHECK-INS PERSONALLY.
I THINK IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHINE AND SHOW OFF A LITTLE BIT WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR.
AND IT ACTUALLY FORMALIZES A PROCESS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE NOT VERY COMFORTABLE WITH.
SOMETIMES IT'S TOUGH TO SEEK FEEDBACK FROM SOMEBODY ELSE.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S TOUGH TO GIVE FEEDBACK TO SOMEBODY ELSE, BUT IF YOU DON'T PERFORM AN ANNUAL REVIEW OR YOU DON'T HAVE A REGULAR PROCESS, AND I'M NOT SAYING IT HAS TO BE A REGULAR UNIFORM PROCESS, BUT OUR REGULAR PROCESS, DEPENDING ON THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT, THEN YOU DON'T HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
YOU DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO CORRECT GENTLY.
YOU DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO LOG DISCREPANCIES AND YOU DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO ACTUALLY MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS ON THE SAME PAGE.
IF SOMEBODY, FOR EXAMPLE, DOESN'T SPEAK UP THAT THEY'RE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH A ROAD DIET PROJECT WITHIN THE ENGINEERING STAFF.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING THAT.
AND IF A FORMAL REVIEW IS WHEN THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE TELLING US THAT, THEN WE NEED TO MAKE THAT SURE THAT THAT OPPORTUNITY IS AVAILABLE FOR THEM.
IT ALSO REALLY REMOVES A LOT OF AMBIGUITY.
IF SOMEBODY DOES START DOING A BAD JOB, THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A PROCESS IN PLACE.
IT'S REALLY A FEEDBACK LOOP BETWEEN BOTH THE EMPLOYER IN THIS CASE, CITY ADMINISTRATION, MYSELF AND THE EMPLOYEE.
MA'AM CAN YOU TELL ME MR. SIMMONS, YOUR MANAGEMENT STYLE AND LIKE, HOW OFTEN DO YOU DO CHECK-INS? I LIKE SAYING I'M COLLABORATIVE AND THAT MEANS THAT CHECK-INS ARE PRETTY REGULAR BECAUSE THE CHECK-INS ARE GOING TO BE THE FACILITATION OF PROJECTS TOGETHER.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT WORKING DOCUMENTS TOGETHER, MAKING SURE THAT THE FEEDBACK IS GETTING TO THEM PROMPTLY.
I DON'T WANT TO SIT ON A DOCUMENT WHEN IT COMES INTO MY EMAIL FOR A WEEK, BECAUSE THEN THAT PERSON IS SITTING THERE IDEALLY, OR THEY ASSUME THAT EVERYTHING IS OKAY.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS JUSTICE, RUTH BADER GINSBURG WHO WOULD GET BACK HER DOCUMENTS VERY PROMPTLY TO THE REST OF THE SUPREME COURT JUSTICES.
AND THEY GOT VERY USED TO THAT TYPE OF THING.
I LIKE TO THINK THAT I'M IN A SIMILAR MANAGEMENT STYLE IN THAT INSTANCE, IT'S NOT REALLY A FORMAL ONE-ON-ONE OR ONE-ON-ONE NECESSARILY, I DON'T FEEL A NEED TO HOLD LIKE A WEEKLY SESSION WHERE WE HAVE TO GET TOGETHER.
BUT I DO THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO CHECK IN AS WE GO FORWARD ON PROGRESS, UH, ON, ON PROJECTS.
UM, I HAVE HAD PAST MANAGERS THAT I'VE WORKED WITH, WHO, YOU KNOW, DO MANAGEMENT BY WALKING AROUND, THEY LIKE TO POP INTO YOUR OFFICE.
I DO LIKE TO HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP AND THAT CAN HELP FACILITATE THAT, BUT I DON'T NEED TO HAVE POP QUIZZES FOR ALL OF OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF.
I THINK IT'S MORE IMPORTANT TO GET THE WORK DONE.
ANY OTHER FOLLOW-UP SO NEXT KIND OF, UH, EXCUSE ME, IN THAT SAME VEIN IT'S HOW DO YOU EFFECTIVELY DELEGATE AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO EMPLOYEES WHILE MAINTAINING THOSE APPROPRIATE LEVELS OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND OPERATIONAL CONTROL? HONESTLY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE ACTUALLY HAD TO LEARN.
UM, I LIKE TO DO THINGS MYSELF VERY OFTEN.
[01:20:01]
PRETTY GOOD AT DOING THINGS.UM, AND SOMETIMES IT'S TOUGH TO DELEGATE AUTHORITY, BUT I NEED TO RECOGNIZE, AND EVERYBODY RECOGNIZES.
I HOPE ABOUT THEMSELVES, THAT YOU AREN'T AN EXPERT IN EVERYTHING.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THE TIME TO DO EVERYTHING.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO HELP PEOPLE BEAT TEAM MEMBERS TOGETHER.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I'LL HIGHLIGHT THAT COMMUNITY RESPONSE TEAM THAT I WAS WORKING WITH, I HAD AN ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL INDIVIDUAL ON THAT TEAM WHO WAS JUST WRITING UP DRAFT DOCUMENTS THAT WE CAN MAKE THOSE SITE SPECIFIC PLANS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SHE WAS KNOCKING IT OUT OF THE PARK, BUT THEN IT WAS, OH, WAIT, HOLD ON.
LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CHECKING IN WITH THE PROGRAMMATIC PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE OPERATING THAT FACILITY.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE LIBRARY, EVEN THOUGH WE HAD A GOOD PLAN, WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CHECK IN WITH THOSE PEOPLE, UM, AND GET THAT FEEDBACK AND THAT RESPONSE FROM THEM.
UH, SO, AND, AND THEN ONCE WE HAD THAT RESPONSE, IT WAS, I TRUST YOU TO GO MAKE THOSE CHANGES.
I TRUST YOU TO GET THOSE DOCUMENTS READY SO THAT CITY COUNCIL CAN REVIEW THEM AT THE NEXT MEETING.
ADDITIONALLY, I'VE LEARNED THAT OFTENTIMES IT IS MUCH BETTER FOR PEOPLE, FOR ME TO DELEGATE ANY AUTHORITY OR ANY PROJECT MANAGEMENT TO SOMEBODY WHO IS GOING TO BE A FRESHER FACE OR A MORE, UM, WELCOME A FACE IN A COMMUNITY.
I AM SURROUNDED BY LARGE RURAL AREAS OF MY CURRENT COMMUNITY, AS YOU CAN PROBABLY TELL FROM MY APPEARANCE, I MIGHT NOT FIT IN, IN MANY OF THOSE AREAS.
UM, AND WE, I, SOMETIMES WE MAKE DECISIONS WHERE IT'S BETTER FOR MY COLLEAGUE, CARLOS, FOR EXAMPLE, TO GO AND, AND HAVE THAT MEETING, OR IT'S BETTER FOR US TO SEND OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ESTABLISHING THAT LEVEL OF TRUST, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE THAT FRIENDLY FACE THAT IS WELCOMING TO SOMEBODY.
AND IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT I'M NOT FRIENDLY.
I'M A PRETTY FRIENDLY GUY, BUT IT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE BETTER PEOPLE FOR A JOB, BUT IT IS ABOUT COLLABORATION AND MAKING THOSE DECISIONS TOGETHER MORE THAN ANYTHING.
SO HOW WOULD YOU EMBRACE AND PROMOTE DIVERSITY AND ESTABLISH A WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT WHERE EMPLOYEES FEEL VALUED AND RESPECTED? SO IF YOU'VE DONE ANY KIND OF RESEARCH ABOUT HEBREW HEIGHTS, YOU'VE REALIZED THAT WE WERE IN VERY, VERY DIVERSE COMMUNITY.
SO HOW WOULD YOU, UM, PROMOTE AND ESTABLISH THAT ENVIRONMENT HERE IN THE CITY? DIVERSITY IS IMPORTANT.
I THINK THAT THERE'S STRENGTH AND DIVERSITY, DIVERSITY OF VALUES, DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT, DIVERSITY OF BACKGROUND.
I THINK THAT YOU BRING STRONGER OUTCOMES WHEN YOU HAVE A DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE INVOLVED IN PROCESSES.
SOMETIMES IT'S EASY TO GET CAUGHT UP IN THE INERTIA OF CITY, GOVERNMENT.
THERE'S ALWAYS A WORK TO BE DONE, AND YOU MIGHT JUST WANT TO GO TO THE NEXT PUBLIC MEETING AND JUST ISSUE THE OFFICIAL LEGAL NOTICE AND NOT REACH OUT TO PEOPLE.
UH, ONE MODEL THAT I'VE SEEN THAT WORKS INCREDIBLY WELL IS POWER MAPPING CONSTITUENCIES, TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY BRINGING PEOPLE INTO THE SPACE OUT IT'S CALLED CO-WORK, UM, MEDIA MANAGEMENT AND CO-WORK PROJECT MANAGEMENT.
AND YOU MAKE SURE THAT THOSE PEOPLE CAN FEEL AVAILABLE.
A MOTHER OF THREE, FOR EXAMPLE, JUST TURNED ME DOWN FOR A SPOT IN A SUBCOMMITTEE BECAUSE WE COULDN'T AFFORD TO PAY HER FOR OUR PROJECT.
AND SHE CAN'T AFFORD TO BE AWAY FROM HER CHILDREN WITHOUT BEING, AND IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO US TO HAVE A MOTHER ON ONE OF OUR COMMITTEES.
WE SHOULD BE MAKING EVERY EFFORT TO GET THOSE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM, GOING TO WHERE THEY ARE TO MAKE SURE THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD.
YOU'RE PROBABLY AWARE THAT IN MY BACKGROUND, I HAVE A MORE UNIQUE, UH, DIVERSITY BACKGROUND AND EQUITY BACKGROUND.
HAVING WORKED FOR THE ASIAN UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN IN CHITTAGONG, BANGLADESH.
I WAS REACHING OUT TO CO UH, TO COMPANIES AND TO ORGANIZATIONS AND MEDIA OUTLETS ACROSS 16 DIFFERENT NATIONS.
AND WE WERE WORKING TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN CULTURAL DISCREPANCIES AND THE OUTCOMES WE WERE SEEKING IN THAT CASE, A WESTERN STYLE, LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION FOR THOSE STUDENTS.
AND THEN ALSO BRIDGING THE GAP FROM FINANCIAL AND SYSTEMIC BACKGROUNDS OR BARRIERS THAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE.
SO WE WERE APPROACHING, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF MY FAVORITE EXAMPLES IS A FACIAL TISSUE COMPANY WHO IN THEIR CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY HIGHLIGHTED THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY DO FOR FAMILIES AS THEY MARRY OFF THEIR DAUGHTERS, THAT WAS CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TO THEM.
AND WE CONVINCED THEM TO GIVE US $500,000 OVER FIVE YEARS IN ORDER TO PROMOTE HIGHER EDUCATION, LIBERAL ARTS STYLE EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN FROM A BANGLADESHI BACKGROUND OR WORKING WITH UNIQLO, ONE OF THE LARGEST, UM, AND ONE OF THE LARGEST FABRIC MANUFACTURERS IN THE WORLD TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR SPONSORSHIP WAS UP TO DATE COMING FROM JAPAN, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE GOING TO GET PEOPLE INTO OUR UNIVERSITY THERE, OR MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE, AGAIN, THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONVERSATION TO OCCUR, DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF SRI LANKA, WHO HAD JUST WRAPPED UP A CIVIL WAR WERE IN OUR COMMUNITY FROM THOSE DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, THOUGH, THERE'S GOING TO BE PAIN POINTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS, BUT YOU CAN OPEN THE DOOR AND HELP FACILITATE THAT.
AND THIS GOES TO ANOTHER THING THAT YOU, THAT YOUR PREVIOUS QUESTION, WHEN YOU PREVIOUS QUESTIONS CUT TO, UM, MR. MAYOR, IS THAT WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO BE COMFORTABLE DELEGATING IF I'M NOT THE RIGHT PERSON TO FACILITATE THAT.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT'S HUMAN RESOURCES
[01:25:01]
GREAT, IF IT'S MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT PERSON ON STAFF TO REACH OUT TO THOSE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, THEN GREAT, WE NEED TO FIND OUR STRENGTHS AND PLAY INTO THEM.BUT I REALLY THINK THAT THERE ARE OPTIONS AND AVAILABLE, UM, COURSES FOR A COMMUNITY TO TAKE, TO ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE MORE DIVERSITY IN OUTCOME AND MORE DIVERSITY IN DECISION-MAKING AND MAKING SURE THAT YOU ULTIMATELY MOVE TOWARD, I'M GOING TO USE A MORE EQUITABLE, UM, STEPS IN THE PROCESS AND MORE EQUITABLE POTENTIALLY OUTCOMES AS WELL.
LIKE YOU FOLLOW WITH ME, MR. MAYOR, ACTUALLY, TO JUMP IN AGAIN, I ALSO FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY AND WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY OR, UM, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ACTUALLY TAKE STEPS, NOT JUST PAY LIP SERVICE TO IT.
ALMOST EVERY COMMUNITY WANTS TO SAY THAT THEY ARE DIVERSE AND THEY VALUE DIVERSITY.
BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN YOUR HIRING PROCESSES? ARE PEOPLE ACTUALLY ASKING QUESTIONS IN THOSE HIRING PROCESSES? ARE PEOPLE ACTUALLY ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS AT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS? FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOT JUST SAY, YEAH, WE STRIVE FOR DIVERSITY.
WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY MEAN? WE HAVE TO BUILD IT INTO THOSE SYSTEMS. I THINK YOU HAVE SOME BUDGET AND FINANCING AND HUMAN RESOURCE QUESTIONS.
SO DECISION-MAKERS AND RESIDENTS HAVE VARYING LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING WHEN IT COMES TO FINANCIAL ISSUES OF THE CITY.
SO WHAT METHODS HAVE YOU FOUND THE MOST SUCCESSFUL IN CONVEYING INFORMATION TO THE DECISION MAKERS AND THEN WHERE NECESSARY ASSISTING THEIR UNDERSTANDING AND THE DIFFERENCES OF NEEDS VERSUS WANTS? THIS GOES BACK TO EDUCATION.
AGAIN, I LIKE TO HARP ON EDUCATION BECAUSE EDUCATION CAN MEAN A LOT OF THINGS.
IT CAN BE A VERY FLASHY POWERPOINT, OR IT CAN BE A WORKSHOP WHEN WE ALL LISTEN TO SOMEBODY OR IT CAN BE SOMETHING WHEN WE HAVE SOMEBODY FACILITATE, UM, A SPECIFIC STEP PROCESS.
FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS MOST EFFECTIVE FOR CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, IT'S BECOMING MORE AND MORE COUNTY.
UH, COMMON IS SOMETHING CALLED GEO ACCOUNTING.
AND IT'S WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE RESOURCES AND THE TAX STRUCTURE OF A COMMUNITY AND MAKE SURE THAT THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT IS ACTUALLY FISCALLY SUSTAINABLE AND FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S AN EDUCATION SESSION IN A FAIRLY WORKSHOP STYLE FORMAT, BUT FROM EXPERTS WHO ARE ABLE TO SHOW THAT ACTUAL INFORMATION SO THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN YOU REBUILD A HALF MILE OF STREET, IT'S $1.8 MILLION OF UTILITIES AND ASPHALT, SO THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT EVERY STEP THAT YOU TAKE, WHEN YOU'RE GOING DOWN A SIDEWALK, YOU SHOULD BE COUNTING $3,000 IN YOUR HEAD.
SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN YOU BRING IN A NEW SUBDIVISION, YOU'RE PAYING FOR A SNOWPLOW, YOU'RE PAYING FOR STORM WATER, YOU'RE PAYING FOR PEOPLE TO BE HERE.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE AS A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION, OUR PURPOSE IS TO STRENGTHEN EACH OTHER AND MAKE EACH OTHER RICHER.
I WANT TO VIEW OUR PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND I HARP ON STREETS A LOT BECAUSE STREETS MAKE UP ABOUT 30% OF A COMMUNITY IS PHYSICAL LAND STREETS ARE PLATFORMS FOR WEALTH.
WE HAVE PAVED STREETS BECAUSE WE GROW WEALTHY TOGETHER.
WE DON'T HAVE PAVED STREETS BECAUSE THERE ARE RIGHT BEHOLDEN TO US.
WE COULD HAVE GRAPPLE STREETS, BUT WE LIKE SMOOTH ROADS AND SMOOTH ROADS ARE MADE AVAILABLE BECAUSE WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO GROW OUR BUSINESSES AND OUR HOMES ON THAT FOUNDATION.
SO GEO ACCOUNTING IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO GET INTO WITH THIS COUNCIL.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE THIS COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO GROW, CONTINUES TO EXPAND.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT BOUNDARY INCREASES IN ANNEXATIONS, WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY MEAN? AND WHAT DOES THE ACTUAL BUILT ENVIRONMENT LOOK LIKE? OR WHAT SHOULD IT LOOK LIKE TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A POSITIVE CASHFLOW AND THAT THE STREET INFRASTRUCTURE IN FRONT OF THOSE HOUSES CAN ACTUALLY BE PAID FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S WHAT I REALLY LOVE.
AND IF I CAN USE THE PHRASE, IT'S A VERY SEXY PART OF URBAN PLANNING RIGHT NOW.
AND I'D REALLY LOVE TO BRING THAT TO HUBER HEIGHTS AND GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS WITH YOU.
AND IT HELPS SET THE STAGE THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE BASE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE MOVING TOWARD SO THAT WE CAN MAKE GOOD DECISION-MAKING TOGETHER, IF ALL.
SO NEXT, CONSIDERING THE HEBREW HEIGHTS, UM, GROWTH, WHAT STEPS WOULD YOU TAKE ENSURE THAT OUR STAFFING, OUR BUDGET AND EQUIPMENT, OR POSITIONED TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE QUALITY SERVICES TO ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS, AND THEN HOW WOULD YOU MANAGE THAT TO STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE? I, AGAIN, I THINK IT STARTS WITH THAT FIRST PROCESS, UM, MAPPING OUR UTILITIES, MAPPING OUR ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE, YOU KNOW, DO WE HAVE A LIFT STATION HERE TO BE ABLE TO STATION THERE? ARE WE GETTING THE ACTUAL RETURN ON INVESTMENT, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND I THINK THAT YOU CAN BUILD THAT JUST INTO YOUR PR INTO YOUR PROCESS.
IF SOMEBODY IS COMING FORWARD WITH A SUBDIVISION, THEY SHOULD BE STATING, FOR EXAMPLE, HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST TO PUT IN THAT INFRASTRUCTURE, HOW MUCH THE MAINTENANCE IS GOING TO BE.
AND WHAT'S GOING TO BE THE REPLACEMENT COST FOR ALL OF US, THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY ADMINISTRATION AND THE RESIDENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY IN 40 YEARS, WHEN IT ALL STARTS TO BREAK DOWN, WE ALL NEED TO BE AWARE OF THAT SO THAT WE CAN MAKE GOOD DECISIONS.
AND MAYBE, MAYBE WE STILL DECIDE TO GO FORWARD WITH THE DEVELOPMENT, EVEN IF IT DOESN'T PENCIL OUT, BECAUSE WE VIEW GROWTH AS A KEY COMPONENT OF THIS COMMUNITY'S IDENTITY AT THIS TIME.
BUT WE DO NEED TO ALL UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, AND THAT LEADS TO THE ACTUAL
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INVESTMENTS IN OUR PEOPLE, THE HUMAN CAPITAL THAT HELPED RUN THIS COMMUNITY AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE AS WELL.SO IF YOU BUILD A NEW FIRE STATION, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU NEED A CERTAIN NUMBER OF FIRE, FIRE STAFF TO ACTUALLY STAFF THAT LOCATION.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT IF WE CONTINUE TO GROW OUR BOUNDARIES, WE ARE PROBABLY GOING TO NEED AT SOME POINT ANOTHER FIRE STATION.
AND WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? BECAUSE WE HAVE AN ISO TWO RATING, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEIR INSURANCE PREMIUMS ARE GOING TO SKY ROCKET.
IF WE EXPAND TOO FAR AND A FIRE TRUCK, CAN'T ACTUALLY GET TO A HOUSE FIRE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS THAT WHEN WE ARE EXPANDING AND WE ARE BRINGING IN NEW RESIDENTS, THERE MIGHT BE SOME CONSTERNATION ABOUT THINGS LIKE TRAFFIC, FOR EXAMPLE, BUT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S ACTUALLY MAKING ALL OF US RICHER TOGETHER AND ENHANCING HUBER HEIGHTS, NOT JUST ADDING MORE PEOPLE, WHICH IS MORE ABSTRACT.
IT'S ABOUT BRINGING THAT WHOLE IDEA TO THE PUBLIC.
SO THEY UNDERSTAND, AND THEY FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE GROWTH PATTERN OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEN WITH THOSE, WITH THOSE EXPANSION AREAS, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT SERVICE HAS INCREASED TO, AT SOME POINT, WE MIGHT NEED ANOTHER LIBRARY, FOR EXAMPLE, AND WE MIGHT NEED OUR, EXCUSE ME, I'VE LEARNED THIS TODAY THAT YOU GUYS ACTUALLY DON'T OPERATE YOUR LIBRARY.
SO MY APOLOGIES, BUT UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU MIGHT NEED TO BOLSTER THE PLANNING STAFF, FOR EXAMPLE, BECAUSE THEY MAKE UP 1% OF YOUR BUDGET, BUT THEY BRING IN $2.4 MILLION IN ANNUAL GRANTS, OR YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ACTUALLY HAVE THE APPROPRIATE IT INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORTING GIS.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN YOUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, SOME COMMUNITIES WILL GO SO FAR AS TO MAP EVERY SINGLE INCH OF FIBER OPTIC WIRE IN THEIR STREETS ARE IN THEIR PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
I THINK THAT WE CAN DO SOME REALLY INTERESTING THINGS THERE.
ONE OF MY FAVORITES IS MAPPING EVERY SINGLE STREET TREE AND WHETHER OR NOT IT'S BEEN TREATED FOR EMERALD ASH BORER, HOW OLD IT IS, THE DIAMETER, WHENEVER THE TREE CREW GOES OUT AND MEASURES IT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS SERVICED AND CARED FOR, BECAUSE THOSE ARE IMPORTANT INVESTMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT STREET TREES ARE $130,000 ONCE THEY'RE FULLY MATURE.
AND IN SOME STATES YOU HAVE TO HAVE TREBLE DAMAGES.
IF ONE OF THEM GOES DOWN DUE TO NEGLIGENCE OR MALICIOUS BEHAVIOR, IT'S PEOPLE DON'T JUST UNDERSTAND HOW EXPENSIVE A CITY CAN BE.
AND THAT GOES WITH THE HUMAN CAPITAL INVESTMENTS AND THE EQUIPMENT INVESTMENTS AS WELL.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT OF COURSE IS REALLY POPULAR RIGHT NOW IS, IS INVESTMENTS IN HOW WE CAN BETTER SERVE THROUGH POLICE.
FOR EXAMPLE, COMING FROM MINNESOTA AS YOU'RE WELL AWARE OF THE GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS ERUPTED IN MINNEAPOLIS, AND IT'S LEADING TO A LOT OF COMMUNITIES TO ADDRESS ADDRESSING THOSE NEEDS BY MAYBE PARTNERING WITH MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTIONS.
IN OUR CASE, WE DID AN ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE TEAM.
SO WE WERE ROUTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO THE RIGHT CALLS, OR IF WE HAVE A FIRE DEPARTMENT MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT VEHICLE THAT IS RESPONDING TO CALLS BECAUSE ACTUAL FIRES PROBABLY MAKE UP A SMALLER PERCENTAGE OF YOUR ACTUAL CALLS TO NINE 11.
YOU DON'T ALWAYS NEED TO SEND A FULL FULL-FLEDGED FIRE TRUCK.
SO HOW CAN WE MAKE THOSE DECISIONS, WHICH ARE WE BOTH FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE AND GO INTO MAKE BETTER OPERATIONAL SENSE FOR OUR COMMUNITY? MARK, WOULD YOU MIND MARK BRUNCH? WOULD YOU MIND SHUTTING THE DOORS REAL QUICK? JUST CAUSE AM I RUNNING OVER ON MY TIME? STARTED OUT? YOU'RE FINE.
I THINK WE JUST, WE JUST HAD ANOTHER CANDIDATE.
I THINK THEY'RE THEY'RE HERE, BUT SO WE JUST WANT TO BE FAIR.
SO OUR COMMUNICATION, SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO SEE THE MANAGER BE AS STRONG COMMUNITY SUPPORTER AND ENGAGE WITH OUR RESIDENTS.
SO HOW WOULD YOU PROPOSE TO ESTABLISH THOSE RELATIONSHIPS HERE? IT STARTS BY BEING PRESENT.
UM, I LIKE TO CALL THEM SIDEWALK COMEDIANS WHEN YOU BUMP INTO SOMEBODY AND YOU KNOW, WELL, THERE GOES AN HOUR.
WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT A CHURCH.
UH, IT'S ABOUT BEING PRESENT IN A COMMUNITY.
I'M NOT GOING TO BE SOMEBODY WHO SHOWS UP TO WORK AND MAYBE HEAR CITIZEN COMPLAINTS FROM THE HOURS OF NINE TO FIVE.
FOR EXAMPLE, MY JOB IS TO BE AVAILABLE AND UNDERSTANDING OF COURSE, THAT I'M NOT ALWAYS GOING TO BE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY.
I NEED TO SLEEP AT SOME POINT AS WELL.
AND I HAVE A ONE AND A HALF YEAR OLD WHO DOESN'T APPARENTLY NEED TO SLEEP.
SO THERE'S A BALANCING ACT THAT NEEDS TO STRIKE, BUT YOU ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE RESPONSIVE TO THOSE PEOPLE.
SO IF THAT MEANS I HAVE TO GO TO ROTARY CLUB MEETINGS, I'M GOING TO GO TO ROTARY CLUB MEETINGS.
SO THAT MEANS THAT I'M GOING TO BE SOMEBODY WHO'S DOING DINOSAUR STOUT STORY HOUR AT A LIBRARY.
I'M GOING TO GO DO DINOSAUR STORY HOUR.
IF THAT MEANS THAT YOU NEED ME TO GO TALK TO A TOWNSHIP, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET AN ORDERLY ANNEXATION AGREEMENT SET UP, I'M GOING TO GO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THAT STUDY MANAGER TO BE PROACTIVE IN THOSE ROLES, BECAUSE IT GOES BACK TO THAT TRUST ELEMENT, IF I'M HIRED.
AND I JUST FADE AWAY INTO THE BACKGROUND, I'M NOT BUILDING TRUST WITH THE COMMUNITY GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION WITH THE CITY MANAGER AT ITS HEAD BECOMES A BLACK BOX THAT SEEMS INACCESSIBLE.
IT DOES NOT SEEM RESPONSIVE TO OUR CONSTITUENCY.
I LIKE TO THINK THAT I AM VERY AVAILABLE.
I'M CERTAIN THAT I COULD IMPROVE, BUT I FULLY ANTICIPATE TO BE AROUND AND PRESENT FOR THIS COMMUNITY SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN GET AHOLD OF ME.
I HAVE A FOLLOW-UP ON THAT QUESTION CONNECTS TO DESCRIBE A SITUATION THAT WOULD ILLUSTRATE APPROACH TO ENGAGING IN THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY INTERACTING
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WITH AND GETTING INPUT FROM INDIVIDUALS THAT MIGHT HAVE DIFFERENT CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS.AND I THINK MAYBE ONE OF THE REALLY INTERESTING PROBABLY KIND OF TOUCHED ON THAT A LITTLE BIT, BUT, UM, IF YOU CAN GO A LITTLE FURTHER DETAIL, THAT'D GREAT.
UH, ONE EXAMPLE THAT'S RELATIVELY RECENT FOR ME IS WE'RE WORKING ON UPDATING HISTORIC SIGNAGE.
SO INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE IN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW, IT LITERALLY IS A $50 PROJECT.
WE GO IN, WE RETYPE EVERYTHING, WE PRINT IT OFF AND WE'RE GOING TO PUT IT IN THE SAME CABINET AND IT'S GOING TO BE DONE.
MY CURRENT COMMUNITY SEES ABOUT 47 RIVERBOATS THAT DOCK AT THAT LEVY, WHO WILL HAVE PEOPLE GO AND WALK IN FRONT OF THAT INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE AS IMPORTANT US, THAT IT'S NO LONGER GRAFFITIED AND THAT IT'S BRIGHT AND SHINY AND NOT SUSTAINED.
AND THAT IT ACTUALLY IS ACCURATE, BUT THAT ACCURATE COMPONENT IS A QUESTION FOR SOME PEOPLE.
SO WE REACHED OUT TO OUR LOCAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY WHO AGREED THAT THEY WOULD UPDATE THE LANGUAGE.
THEY AGREED THAT THEY WOULD SUBMIT THAT LANGUAGE TO OUR HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE ESTABLISHING TRUST, ESTABLISHING COLLABORATION HERE.
AND THE RESPONSE IS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE USING APPROPRIATE TERMS. AND THAT WHEN WE SAY WORDS LIKE INDIAN MOUNDS OUT THERE ACTUALLY WERE INDIAN MOUNDS IN THAT LOCATION, OR WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT MAYBE THE MEMBERS OF THE DAKOTA GATHERING WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT WHEN ORIN SMITH STEPPED UP OFF A VOTE AND FOUNDED OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH THERE WERE ALREADY PEOPLE LIVING IN THERE.
SO WE DON'T WANT TO RUN A FOUL OF THOSE, THOSE, UM, PUBLIC PERCEPTION ISSUES, BUT ALSO THE DIGNITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.
IF WE CONTINUE TO MAKE DECISIONS.
AND AGAIN, A LOT OF THIS IS SYNERGISTIC, BUT IF WE CONTINUE TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT AREN'T CONSULTING WITH OUR RESIDENTS, THEN WE AREN'T GOING TO ACTUALLY FEEL ACCESSIBLE TO OUR PEOPLE.
SO WE NEED TO TAKE THOSE STEPS TO DO THAT.
AND I'M SORRY, I DON'T HAVE A GOOD RESOLUTION TO POINT TO AND SAY THAT $50 PROJECT WAS COMPLETE BECAUSE IT'S STILL AN ONGOING PROCESS, BUT AT LEAST WE HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN PLACE AND UNDERSTANDING THAT WE NEED TO REACH OUT TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE SO THAT CONVERSATION CAN OCCUR.
SOME OF OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
PRIMARY FOCUS OF THE CITY MANAGER IS GOING TO BE TO ADVISE CITY COUNCIL REGARDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ENTITIES TO ENSURE THAT FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IS IN THE BEST LONG-TERM INTEREST OF THE CITY.
SO WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND AS CURRENT PLANNER? UM, YEP.
SO WHAT, SO KIND OF GIVE US SOME HIGHLIGHTS.
SO IN MY CURRENT ROLE, UM, I ACTUALLY WORK UNDER A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ARM THAT INCLUDES THE PORT AUTHORITY OF WINONA, WHICH IS THE SECOND BUSIEST PORT IN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER PUBLIC PORT IN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.
SO WE THAT'S OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ARM AND PRIMARILY IT'S BEEN FOCUSED ON INDUSTRY.
UH, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF LARGE EMPLOYERS LIKE GRAIN MILLS, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT ARE STILL PRESENT IN OUR COMMUNITY AND STILL EMPLOY AROUND 300 PEOPLE.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING THEM.
AND THEN WE ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LAYING A GOOD FOUNDATION.
SO THOSE ENTREPRENEURS WHO WE DON'T KNOW YET CAN COME IN AND FOUND A NEW BUSINESSES, MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN GET IN THE DOOR.
ARE WE GOING TO HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, A CORPORATE RETAIL CHALLENGE WHERE WE PARTNER WITH A LOCAL OR A LOCAL LANDLORD TO LEAVE OPEN HIS FRONT OFFICE OR HIS FRONT OFFICE SPACE AND ASK FOR A CORPORATE RETAIL CHALLENGE FOR THREE MONTHS AND THEN GIVE THEM A DISCOUNTED SPACE SO THAT WE CAN SEE A NEW ENTREPRENEUR STARTUP IN OUR COMMUNITY.
CAN WE PROVIDE SEED MONEY TO THAT INDIVIDUAL TO DO SO? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I RECENTLY JUST DID WAS APPLY FOR A $750,000 GRANT TO BRING NEW MONEY INTO OUR HISTORIC DOWNTOWN.
FOR EXAMPLE, WORKING ON FACADE UPGRADE PROGRAMS BECAUSE YOU CAN'T HAVE NEW BUSINESSES AND RUNDOWN SPACE, WHICH IS A REALLY IMPORTANT THING AS WELL.
AND BEING AT SOMEWHAT YOUNGER COMMUNITY, UH, HUBER HEIGHTS, HOPEFULLY DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF RUNDOWN SPACE, BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ACTUALLY ARE PURSUING THE RIGHT PROGRAMS. IN THAT CASE, WE HAD HEARD FROM OUR COMMUNITY, OUR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HEARD FROM OUR HISTORIC PROPERTY OWNERS THAT THE AVAILABLE FUNDS FOR HISTORIC BUILDINGS, FOR EXAMPLE, DIDN'T REALLY SEEM TO MATCH THE SCALE OF PROJECTS THAT THEY HAD.
AND WE HAVE A REVOLVING LOAN FUND, WHICH WAS STARTED WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS IN 1996.
AND UNFORTUNATELY FOR OUR COMMUNITY, IT REQUIRES PREVAILING WAGE LAWS, DAVIS PAKAN LAWS TO BE COMPLIED WITH.
AND THE MAJORITY OF OUR EMPLOYERS IN OUR COMMUNITY JUST AREN'T PAYING THAT WAGE.
SO NOBODY'S ABLE TO ACTUALLY PENCIL OUT A PROJECT BECAUSE USING THE FUNDS FROM THAT REVOLVING LOAN FUND, WEREN'T GOING TO MATCH THE OVERALL SCALE THAT THEY WANTED TO DO.
WHY CHANGE OUT, OR WHY REPAIR 10 WOOD WINDOWS FOR A COST OF $1,000 A WINDOW WHEN I CAN JUST GO BUY SOME VINYL ONES AND PROBABLY GET THEM APPROVED BY THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING AN ANALYSIS RIGHT NOW AND POTENTIALLY CHANGING THAT AND DIRECTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ARM, PORT AUTHORITY, FUNDS TO MAYBE SUPPLEMENT OR AT LEAST REEVALUATE HOW THAT PROJECT IS BEING IMPLEMENTED.
AND THAT'S ON A FAIRLY SMALL SCALE.
YOU COULD ALSO LOOK AT LARGER SCALE DEVELOPMENT, LIKE LOT ASSEMBLY.
UH, ONE RECENT EXAMPLE WAS THAT WE HAD A HARDY CITY, NOT AN ENTIRE CITY BLACK, TWO ACRES OF PRIME DEVELOPMENT.
AND WHEN THAT CAME UP FOR SALE, OUR PORT AUTHORITY WAS ABLE TO
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PARTNER WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL OWNER BECAUSE WE HAD PLANS IN PLACE FOR LAND ASSEMBLY, MAKE SURE THAT WE ASSEMBLED THAT LAND BECAUSE WE HAD A SMALL PARKING LOT, MAKE SURE THAT WE WORKED WITH THE HERITAGE OR THE WINONA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY TO TAKE THEIR SMALL PARKING LOT AS WELL, AND THEN REPACKAGE THAT OVERALL PACKAGE.AND WHAT WE GOT OUT OF THAT WAS A NEW MONTESSORI SCHOOL ON ONE CORNER AND 60 UNITS OF DEVELOPMENT OVER 18,000 SQUARE FEET OF GRADE AID OFFICE SPACE ON THE OTHER THREE CORNERS OF THAT BLOCK.
SO IT WAS A REALLY PHENOMENAL DEVELOPMENT AND WE WERE ABLE TO FIND A LOCAL PARTNER WHO WAS JUST WAITING FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT PROJECT.
HE CAME FORWARD AND SAID, OH, YOU TOOK THE RIGHT STEPS THAT MADE THIS AVAILABLE FOR ME.
AND YOU CAN'T ALWAYS RELY ON SOMEBODY TO RANDOMLY HAVE A $28 MILLION PROJECT AVAILABLE, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT COMMUNITIES CAN GROW INCREMENTALLY AS WELL.
I LIKE TO TALK ABOUT SMALL BETS.
SO IF YOU'RE DOING SMALL BETS IN THE COMMUNITY, IF YOU'RE BUILDING HOUSES ON RELATIVELY SMALL LOTS, FOR EXAMPLE, AND A FEW OF THEM FAIL, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO END UP BANKRUPTING YOUR COMMUNITY.
VERSUS IF YOU'RE GIVING AWAY ENTIRELY GIGANTIC SWATHS OF ACRES, FOR EXAMPLE, UNDER ONE OWNERSHIP, AND THAT BUSINESS GOES UP, YOU MIGHT BE SITTING WITH A LIABILITY OR AN ALBATROSS AROUND YOUR NECK FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
SO THE FOLLOW-UP TO THAT ACTUALLY, UM, YOU'VE ANSWERED A LOT OF THIS BECAUSE IT DEALS WITH PARTNERSHIPS.
THEY'RE OUTSIDE GROUPS, UM, SAY LOCAL FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UH, DIFFERENT AGENCIES.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK YOU'VE ANSWERED A LOT OF THAT, BUT I DO WANT TO GIVE YOU OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT ONE SPECIFIC OUTSIDE ENTITY OR OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR COUNTY GOVERNMENT WHERE WE'VE COLLABORATED WITH.
AND YOU HAVE TO BRING SOMETHING TO BRING SOMETHING FOR, FOR THE BENEFIT OF ATLANTA.
I VERY BRIEFLY WAS AN INTERIM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS, OR EXCUSE ME, FOUR MONTHS, UM, WITH WINONA COUNTY.
AND THAT ROLE, WE ACTUALLY WERE DOING DIRECT LOANS TO ORGANIZATIONS WHO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY COULD GET GAP FINANCING OR JUST PUT THEM OVER THE TOP ESSENTIALLY TO START THEIR BUSINESS.
AND BECAUSE THAT WAS WHEN, ON A COUNTY, IT HAD A BROADER REACH AND IT WAS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE PUTTING BUSINESSES IN THE RIGHT COMMUNITIES AS MUCH AS IT WAS JUST FINDING GOOD PROJECTS.
SO WE KNEW THAT ST CHARLES, WHICH IS ON THE WESTERN END OF THAT COMMUNITY IS ABOUT 20 MINUTES AWAY FROM THE CITY OF ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA HOME OF THE MAYO CLINIC, WHICH IS BOOMING WITH ABOUT $8 MILLION IN INVESTMENT, RIGHT? $8 BILLION, EXCUSE ME, IN AN INVESTMENT RIGHT NOW.
AND WE KNOW THAT ST CHARLES IS GOING TO HAVE GROWTH AND THEY, WE KNEW THAT THEY NEEDED EMPLOYERS, THAT WEREN'T JUST GOING TO BE COMMUTING ALL THE WAY TO ROCHESTER.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT MIGHT SOUND SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR TO YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE ABOUT 15% OF YOUR COMMUNITY COMMUTE TO WRIGHT PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE.
AND SO HOW CAN WE HELP MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S LOCAL ECONOMIC DRIVERS AS WELL? AND IN THAT CASE, WE WERE ABLE TO SUPPLY A LOAN TO A COMPANY CALLED VIRAL LAST TECH, AND THEY WENT AHEAD AND DID OPEN THEIR FACILITY AND THEY WERE ABLE TO FACILITATE.
AND UNFORTUNATELY GOING BACK TO THE SMALL BET COMPONENT, IT DIDN'T PAY OFF.
THEY DID ENDED UP SHUTTING THEIR DOORS AFTER JUST TWO YEARS, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO FACILITATE SOMEBODY TAKING THAT ENTREPRENEURIAL STEP AND PUTTING THE NEW BUILDING AND NEW MACHINES AND NEW EQUIPMENT IN THAT COMMUNITY AS WELL, WHICH THAT BUILDING IS NOW BEING REUSED BY ANOTHER COMMUNITY.
SO WE LAID THE FOUNDATION AND WE WERE ABLE TO HELP FACILITATE THAT.
SO, UH, DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE IN ASSESSING THE STRUCTURE OF AN ORGANIZATION AND THEN RECOMMENDING CHANGES TO THAT STRUCTURE THAT PROMOTE EFFICIENCY AND A PHILOSOPHY OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.
I FEEL LIKE I'VE TOUCHED ON STRATEGIC PLANNING BEFORE, BUT, UH, AND NOT NECESSARILY IN THIS WAY, BUT I LOVE STRATEGIC PLANNING.
I THINK STRATEGIC CLIENTS IMPORTANT.
I KNOW THAT YOU ARE ALL GOING THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN PROCESS THAT JUST BEGAN ABOUT LAST MONTH.
UM, AND THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A NUMBER OF SERIES OF MEETINGS THAT ARE GOING TO SET A GENERAL DIRECTION, BUT THAT'S GOING TO BE MORE OF A 10,000 FOOT VIEW.
I VERY MUCH VIEW THE ACTUAL PROGRAMMATIC NUTS AND BOLTS OF A COMMUNITY MOVING FORWARD AS NEEDING A STRATEGIC PLAN TO MEET THOSE GOALS, IF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO BRINGING IN THE FACILITATOR AGAIN, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE RIGHT PAGE.
UH, ONE EXAMPLE FOR SOMETHING THAT WE DID DO WAS, UH, AT THE AGENT OR EXCUSE ME AT THE ASSOCIATE STUDENTS IN UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA, WHERE I REPORTED TO A STUPID STUDENT GOVERNMENT BODY.
UH, SO A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON THAT BOARD.
UH, WE ACTUALLY OPERATED 14 DIFFERENT AGENCIES, INCLUDING TRANSPORTATION.
WE RAN OUR OWN BUS FLEET, UH, AND WE RAN OUR OWN, UH, LEGAL SERVICES AND CHILDCARE AS WELL.
SO WE WERE FACILITATING FEDERAL GRANTS AND WE HAVE A STUDENT GOVERNMENT IN THAT INSTANCE.
AND WE WERE, WE HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS A STRATEGIC PLAN.
THERE HAD NEVER BEEN A STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING INTERESTING ABOUT WORKING FOR A STUDENT GOVERNMENT ELECTED BODY IS THAT THEY CHANGE OVER ALL THE TIME, BASICALLY EVERY SINGLE YEAR AND WITHOUT A STRATEGIC PLAN, IT WAS ESSENTIALLY JUST GOOD EMPLOYEES GOING ABOUT THEIR DAY AND INERTIA, BUT WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR SUCCESS BY EVEN JUST HAVING APPROPRIATE OFFICE SPACE.
YOU CAN'T GO MEET WITH A LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF A CONFERENCE ROOM THAT HAS NO WALLS.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE THE RIGHT BARE BONES IN PLACE.
AND SO WHAT WE ENDED UP DOING WAS CREATING THE FIRST ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH I CO-LEAD WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE ORGANIZATION, A FRIEND OF MINE WHO BECAME A MONTANA STATE
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SENATOR OR REPRESENTATIVE, EXCUSE ME.AND WE WORKED TOGETHER TO GET THAT IN PLACE SO THAT WE COULD THEN SOLICIT FUNDS FROM IN THIS CASE, THE CONSTITUENCY IS STUDENT BODY TO DO OUR FIRST CAPITAL PROJECT AND IMPROVEMENT TO OUR OFFICE SPACE, WHICH WE RENTED FROM THE LOCAL UNIVERSITY.
AND SO GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS, WE WERE ABLE TO PUT THAT PLAN IN PLACE AND GET THAT DONE.
THEY FOLLOWED THAT SAME MODEL ABOUT FIVE YEARS LATER WHEN THEY DISCOVERED THAT THEIR CHILDCARE CENTER HAD ASBESTOS AND THEY HAD TO GO IN AND DO A SPECIFIED REMEDIATION AND RENOVATION FOR THAT CHILDCARE CENTER.
AND THEY WERE ABLE TO FOLLOW A SIMILAR FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THAT STRATEGIC PLAN AND FOLLOW THAT SAME MODEL OF SOLICITING FUNDS AS A LEVY, BASICALLY FROM THE PUBLIC FOR THAT PROJECT.
SO I FEEL LIKE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO GO THROUGH THOSE STEPS.
IT MIGHT MAKE SOME FRICTION BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS FOR THE BEST THING TO DO, BUT WE ALL DO NEED TO GO THROUGH THAT STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS AND SET THAT DIRECTION AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CHANGED THE DIRECTION IF WE NEED TO.
AND AGAIN, THERE'S A MEASURING STICK COMPONENT WITH THAT.
WE TALKED ABOUT THAT WITH STAFF, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO MEASURE OURSELVES AS A COMMUNITY.
RIGHT? UM, MY CURRENT COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE ACCOMPLISH 80% OF THE THINGS IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, BUT THOSE 20% OF THINGS WERE PRETTY BIG THINGS.
SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WE NEVER GOT A CONVENTION CENTER, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO IF WE CAN SET A DIRECTION AND THEN REALIZE, OH, WE DIDN'T ACCOMPLISH X, Y, Z, AND REEVALUATE, OH, SHOULD WE HAVE A CONVENTION CENTER? SHOULD THAT BE IN OUR NEXT PLAN AND REASSESS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALLOCATING OUR BUDGETARY DOLLARS AND OUR TIME AND OUR ENERGY TO ACHIEVABLE PROJECTS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
SO I VIEW IT AS WAS KIND OF A THING I WANTED TO INCORPORATE THAT FROM OUR EARLIER CONVERSATION ABOUT STAFF.
THANK YOU, MR. SU, I THANK YOU, MAYOR MR. SIMS, UM, AS CITY MANAGER, WHENEVER YOU WOULD START ON DAY ONE, HOW LONG DO YOU, WOULD YOU GIVE YOURSELF, WOULD YOU ANTICIPATE IT TAKE TO THOROUGHLY EVALUATE THE CITY AND YOUR KNOWLEDGE ALREADY IS EXEMPLARY COMING FROM OUTSIDE, BY THE WAY, UM, HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE YOU TO EVALUATE, UM, CITY EMPLOYEES AND THEN THE ASSETS WE HAVE IN THE CITY AND COME UP WITH A SUGGESTED STRATEGIC PLANS, UM, AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, UM, IN THAT DECISION-MAKING KNOWING THAT IF YOU DO IT TOO EARLY, YOU MAY HAVE TO CHANGE DIRECTION BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD THE BIG PICTURE, BUT THEN YOU REALIZED YOU DID.
AND THEN IF, UH, TAKING TOO LONG, UH, BEING TOO OVERLY, UM, I WOULD SAY CONSERVATIVE, BUT THAT MAKES IT SOUND LIKE CONSERVATIVES BAD, BUT JUST HESITANT TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT YOU COULD HAVE MADE MONTHS AGO.
BUT FOR SOME REASON YOU JUST WEREN'T COMFORTABLE.
APPROXIMATELY HOW LONG DO YOU ANTICIPATE GETTING TO THAT LEVEL? EVERYBODY USES THE PHRASE DRINKING FROM A FIRE HOSE, RIGHT? AND I'M CERTAIN, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR THAT FROM THE OTHER THREE APPLICANTS THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU TODAY AS WELL.
BUT IT REALLY IS A LOT OF THAT.
UNFORTUNATELY, I'M A VERY QUICK STUDY.
I GLEAN INFORMATION VERY QUICKLY FROM DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS.
I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH HOW A CITY GOVERNMENT IS SUPPOSED TO OPERATE AND HOW IT CAN EFFICIENTLY BE DEPLOYED.
I THINK THAT, WELL, I'D LOVE TO SAY, HEY, BY THE SECOND COUNCIL MEETING, I'M GOING TO BE VERY WELL VERSED.
I THINK THAT'S A BIT TOO AGGRESSIVE.
I WOULD EXPECT THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE A COUPLE OF MONTHS AND PROBABLY CONSULTATION WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR, IN OUR, UM, ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE SURE THAT I ACTUALLY DO UNDERSTAND THINGS WELL.
AND I DON'T WANT TO SAY, HEY, HOLD ME TO THAT IN THREE MONTHS, THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION YOU'RE GOING TO GRADE ME NECESSARILY.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT I'M EXPECTING THAT FROM YOU.
UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND REALLY GIVE TIME TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE PART OF MY JOB IS GOING TO BE LISTENING.
UM, IT'S GONNA BE A LOT OF LISTENING.
I DON'T LIVE IN THE ADJACENT COMMUNITY.
I'M NOT AN INTERNAL APPLICANT, IT'S ALL LEARNING AND IT'S ALL FRESH FOR ME.
AND I, I SUSPECT THAT THERE PROBABLY IS A NEED TO ADDRESS SOME STRUCTURE CHANGES IN INSIDE THE CITY GOVERNMENT AS WELL, AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT THAT IS.
DO, WHAT IS IT OBVIOUS OR DO WE NEED TO BRING IN A CONSULTANT TO, FOR EXAMPLE, PURSUE RESTRUCTURING OF A DEPARTMENT OR DEPART OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND I DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT THAT'S YES OR NO OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT BASED ON MY CURRENT POSITION OR OPINION, AND THEN STRATEGIC PLANS, I BELIEVE ARE IMPORTANT PROCESSES.
SOMETIMES YOU CAN BANG THEM OUT IN A WEEKEND WITH A GOOD FACILITATOR, BUT REALLY I THINK THAT WE PROBABLY PLAN ON ABOUT THREE, THREE MONTHS OF REALLY GOOD WORKSHOP SESSIONS, WHERE WE ARE TOUCHING ON THE ACTUAL ELEMENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
I HOPE THAT WHEN I DO COME IN THAT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PROCESS IS REALLY UNDERWAY AND WE CAN TAP INTO WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY AT THAT POINT AND WHAT WE KIND OF EXPECT THOSE OUTCOMES TO BE SO THAT WE KNOW THAT WE CAN PLUG IN STRATEGIC ELEMENTS FOR SUPPORTING THAT PLAN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. SIMPSON.
MA'AM THAT'S THE LAST OF THE QUESTIONS, JASON.
I WANT TO BE COUGHING EVERYBODY'S HERE.
UM, SO THAT'S THE LAST QUESTION THAT WE HAVE FOR YOU.
SO WE JUST WANT TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY NOW, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE OF ME OR
[01:50:01]
THIS COUNCIL, UM, THAT WOULD HELP ME.SO BEFORE I WANT TO HEAR FROM, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, I DO WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU ABOUT WHERE'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE IN THIS COMMUNITY? WHY ARE YOU HERE? YOU KNOW, IT IS IT, IS IT YOUR HOME? I MEAN, IT CAN BE YOUR HOME, OF COURSE.
IS THERE A SPOT WHERE THE 4TH OF JULY PARADE OCCURS AND YOU JUST LOVE THAT SPOT? IS IT RECENT ART CENTER? THE ROSE ARTS CENTER IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.
UM, WHERE IS THAT FAVORITE PLACE? AND IF YOU JUST WANT TO DO A QUICK HIT, SO I'M GOING TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT FOR YOU.
I THINK SO THIS IS WHEN MY HOME WAS MY HOME FOR A LONG TIME.
I'M A PRODUCT OF OUR, OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT HERE.
UM, GRADUATED FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL HERE.
I'M A TEACHER IN THE COMMUNITY AT THE HIGH SCHOOL HERE, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO JUST ACTIVITIES AND THINGS THAT MY WIFE AND I ENJOY DOING, I MEAN, IT'S A, IT'S A SHORT SEASON, BUT YES, THE EXPERIENCE AT THE ROSE MUSIC CENTER IS, UM, AN EXPERIENCE THAT WE ENJOY WITH FRIENDS.
UM, FAMILY MEMBERS, ALWAYS INTERESTED IN COMING.
WE LOOK TO SEE WHAT TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE, THINGS THAT WE DO, AND WE ALL GET TOGETHER AND WE, AND WE HAVE A GOOD TIME AND WE DO THAT.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S KIND OF A SHORTENED SEASON JUST BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S AN OUTDOOR VENUE, BUT CERTAINLY, UH, THAT I'M NOT MUCH OF A SWIMMER.
UM, SO THE AQUATIC CENTER IS GREAT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE USE THAT, BUT MY FAVORITE PLACE IN THE CITY, UH, WOULD HAVE TO BE, WOULD HAVE TO BE THE MUSIC CENTER.
SO WE'LL START OUT WITH DON AND WE'LL JUST GO DOWN THIS WAY AND GET ME, I GOT TO FEEL, I KNOW WHAT DON DAN STRAIGHT TO NINE, 10 SEVERAL CONCERTS TOGETHER.
AND, UH, YEAH, LOOK, YOU'RE ACTUALLY STAYING NEXT DOOR TO, UH, MY FAVORITE PART OF THE CITY.
AND THAT WOULD BE THE ROSE MUSIC CENTER.
UM, SECOND WOULD BE YOU ASKED ABOUT THE 4TH OF JULY PARADE AND, UH, UH, 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS AND AS A LONG-TERM RESIDENT UP HERE, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I HOLD HERE, THE GATHERING OF THE COMMUNITY IN ALL DIFFERENT AREAS WITHIN THE CITY, FROM OUR LITTLE CENTRAL COMMUNITY PARK TO, UH, THOMAS CLOUD PARK, WHICH YOU SAW TODAY, UM, ALL THE PLACES WHERE OUR RESIDENTS GATHER AND CELEBRATE, UM, LIVING IN HUBRIS LINES, I'VE BEEN HERE.
UM, REASON I STAY HERE IS THE PEOPLE I DEVELOPED REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR, TO THE POINT WE HAD EACH OTHER'S KEYS COULD WATCH EACH OTHER'S PROPERTIES.
AND IT WAS JUST THIS COMMUNITY OF TRUST AMONGST THE PEOPLE THEY HAVE, ONE PERSON DIED AND THE HUSBAND SOLD AND MOVED.
MY OTHER NEIGHBORS PASSED AWAY.
THEY WERE IN THEIR EIGHTIES AND PASSED AWAY OR DURING COVID.
UM, BUT NOW IT'S NEW PEOPLE AND WE'RE ALL DEVELOPING THESE SAME RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER.
AND SO IT'S REALLY THE PEOPLE I RETIRED FROM A JOB AND MY HUSBAND WORKED IN COLUMBUS AND WE'RE LIKE, DO WE STAY HERE? AND WE, WE JUST LOVED IT HERE TO THE POINT WHERE AGING IN PLACE AND HAVE DECIDED THIS IS HOME.
THAT'S WHERE IN THE SUMMER, MY HUSBAND AND I LOVE CONCERTS.
SO IT'S JUST THE COMBINATION OF EVERYTHING, BUT IT'S REALLY THE PEOPLE THAT'S KEPT ME HERE, COTTONWOOD PARK.
THERE'S A NICE, I PLAYED IN THE T-BALL ALL-STAR GAME AND COME WITH PARK 1983.
UM, FOR ME, UH, I'M NOT THE BIGGEST CONCERT GOER, SO SAMANTHA ROSE, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN TO SOME CONCERTS THERE.
BUT, UM, FOR ME, IT'S ANY PLACE WHERE THERE ARE COMMUNITY EVENTS GOING ON GATHERING, BE IT VOLUNTEER EVENTS FOR PARK CLEAN UPS, OR, YOU KNOW, UH, UM, I DON'T KNOW, UH, FESTIVALS OR WHATNOT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE, WE HAVE SMALLER THINGS AND GATHERINGS THAT SORT OF THING WITH, UH, LOCAL RESIDENTS.
UM, MORE OF THOSE WE CAN HAVE THE BETTER, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE NEARLY ENOUGH AND I'D LOVE TO SEE A CENTRAL MEETING TYPE PLACE WITHIN OUR CITY AS WELL.
THANK YOU HEARD A LOT ABOUT YOU.
I, I THINK YOU'RE PROBABLY, UH, UH, VERY PROFESSIONAL AND WOULD BE A GREAT ASSET.
UH, YOU WERE HEIGHTS HAS BEEN MY HOME FOR 64 YEARS, SO I'M, I'M ACTUALLY COMFORTABLE ANYWHERE IN THE CITY I'VE WORKED LIVE PLAYED.
UM, I, I DO ENJOY THE, UH, ROSE MUSIC CENTER AND THE CONCERTS.
UH, BUT HONESTLY I JUST FEEL AT HOME HERE BECAUSE IT IS MY HOME.
AND I THINK WHOEVER WE PICK FOR A CITY MANAGER WILL SOON FEEL THE SAME WAY.
IT'S, IT'S A VERY NICE PLACE TO LIVE.
MA'AM MR. SAMS. I WAS BORN HERE.
SO THE LIVING HERE, THE EXPERIENCES, THE PEOPLE, THE SHOPPING, THE DINING,
[01:55:01]
THE CONCERTS.IF SOMEBODY SAID, MY WIFE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THAT, IT'S THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE THIS PLACE.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, IF I MAY FOLLOW UP NOW THAT I'VE GOT YOU ALL TALKING, UM, I DO WANT TO CHECK IN AND SEE, YOU REALLY ONLY HAVE A LIMITED OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO KNOW ME.
I'M CERTAIN THAT I'M OVER ON MY TIME AND I MUST APOLOGIZE TO THE NEXT PERSON, BUT I DO WANT TO KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO FOLLOW UP ON WITH ME WHILE YOU HAVE ME HERE.
THE LAST THING LAST TIME YOU HEARD FROM ME WAS A PRERECORDED THREE QUESTION RESPONSE.
AND THANKS FOR BRINGING ME DOWN BASED ON THAT THREE QUESTION RESPONSE, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING THAT I'VE SAID TODAY THAT MAYBE YOU'D LIKE TO TOUCH BASE ON OR SEE IF YOU'D LIKE TO FOLLOW UP ANYTHING THAT CAUSED CONCERN OR PAUSE IN YOUR MIND? NOW'S THE TIME TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION THAN IN THE FUTURE WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION.
AND I CERTAINLY MAKE A GOOD CANDIDATE IF WASN'T ME, BUT JUST IN CASE THERE WAS SOMETHING LIKE COST CONCERN IN YOUR MIND.
THERE'S NOTHING OF CONCERN LIKE THAT STICKS OUT WITH ME AT THE MOMENT.
I THINK THE, UM, I THINK YOUR PLANNING EXPERIENCE WOULD BE, UH, WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO THE COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, WE ARE, UM, I MEAN, LOOK, I THINK WE'VE ALL TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FROM PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HAVING A REAL STRATEGY, HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE GROWING, WE HAVE, UH, EVERY COUNCIL WORK SESSION, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THERE'S ANOTHER DEVELOPER WHO'S HERE AT THAT PODIUM.
WHO'S PRESENTING ON THE PROJECT AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS, YOU KNOW, FOR US TO CONSIDER.
SO, UM, I THINK, I THINK YOUR EXPERIENCE THERE WOULD CERTAINLY BE, IT WOULD BE A BENEFIT TO US.
I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW YET.
I MEAN, I HAVE TO THINK, AND I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO CONTACT YOU IF I DIDN'T.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO YOU'RE CRITIQUED ALL THE TIME.
YOU SAID NO BIG DEAL, BUT I, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD, NOTHING I WOULD SAY.
OH, AND WHAT ELSE YOU GOT GLENN? I THINK YOU'VE COMMUNICATED EVERYTHING EXTREMELY WELL.
UM, I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR THOUGHTS.
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL? I AM FAMILIAR WITH TOASTMASTERS.
CAUSE YOU'RE ALMOST, UM, PLUS I HAVE NEVER DONE TOASTMASTERS.
NOW YOU'VE DONE AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB, MR. SIMS. I APPRECIATE HIM.
THE FEEDBACK OR FOLLOW-UP YES.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY, YEAH, I FEEL THAT YOU HAVE ANSWERED QUESTIONS VERY WELL.
AND IF YOU ARE CHOSEN A CITY MANAGER HERE, WHOEVER DOES LAND YOU IS VERY LUCKY.
UM, I WAS VERY INTERESTED TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR GEO ACCOUNTING.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT TO LIGHT FOR ME.
AND IF YOU DO WANT TO DO MORE RESEARCH ON THAT, THE REAL LEADERSHIP IN THE PLANNING FIELD FOR THAT IS THE CONGRESS FOR NEW URBANISM AND A FIRM CALLED URBAN THREE REALLY BEGAN THAT THEY'RE OUT OF ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.
THEY DO PHENOMENAL WORK ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
IF YOU DO WANT TO TAKE A LOOK, EVEN IF YOU DON'T END UP GOING WITH ME, JUST SLIDE IT TO THE NEXT CITY MANAGER.
HE'LL BE LIKE, OH, THAT'S A REALLY COOL VIDEO.
OR HE OR SHE, WHOEVER YOU END UP HIRING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, MR. SIMMONS, ANYTHING ELSE? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I KNOW THIS IS A PROCESS, SO I APPRECIATE YOUR INTEREST IN, IN OUR CITY.
UH, WE HAVE A, UM, WE HAVE A BIG DECISION TO MAKE.
I THINK NONE OF US TAKE THAT LIGHTLY AND, UM, YOUR WILLINGNESS TO BE HERE AND GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
UH, I KNOW IT WASN'T, UM, PROBABLY AN EASIER ONE.
IT WAS PROBABLY A LITTLE ARDUOUS, BUT, UH, I CERTAINLY AM APPRECIATIVE THAT YOU'VE ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS WITH US AND WE'RE WILLING TO BE HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IN A PUBLIC FORUM ON LIVE STREAMING SO PEOPLE CAN HEAR, CAN, CAN, CAN SEE AND HEAR WHAT WE'RE HEARING.
SO, SO WE REALLY DID APPRECIATE IT.
I'LL STICK IT OUT ALSO IF SO YOUR NEXT CANDIDATE CAN COME IN.
WE'LL DO ANOTHER FIVE MINUTE PAUSE BEFORE WE, BEFORE WE STARTED GETTING HOW ARE YOU, SIR? THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
YEAH, IF YOU HAD TAKE THE PODIUM HERE.
SO, UM, KIND OF THE GROUND RULES ARE PRETTY SIMPLE, SO I'LL JUST REPEAT THEM AGAIN.
UM, WE HAVE SOME, SOME GUESTS IN THE AUDIENCE HERE THAT WEREN'T HERE BEFORE, AND THEN CERTAINLY FOR ANYBODY LISTENING AT HOME, WHO'S JUST OUT OF TUNE DEN.
SO, UH, WE HAVE A SERIES OF QUESTIONS OR 14 TOTAL QUESTIONS, UM, TALKING ABOUT LEADERSHIP, THE COUNCIL QUESTIONS, EMPLOYEE QUESTIONS, SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING HUMAN RESOURCES AND FINANCE COMMUNICATION, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, THINGS LIKE THAT.
[02:00:02]
I WILL ASK EACH ONE OF THE 14 QUESTIONS AND THEN CERTAINLY COUNSEL WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FOLLOW UP OR ASK ANY CLARIFYING QUESTIONS BASED ON ANY OF YOUR ANSWERS.AND THEN WHEN WE'RE ALL FINISHED, WE WANT TO GIVE YOU SOME TIME TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE OF US OF THIS COUNCIL, UH, BEFORE, BEFORE WE WRAP UP.
SO I THINK WE'VE PROBABLY GONE.
WE'VE BEEN PRETTY GOOD WITH STICKING ON TIME.
SO WE'RE PROBABLY SOMEWHERE IN 45 TO 50 MINUTE RANGE AND, UH, AND THE TORTURE WILL BE OVER.
SO, BUT THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
SO QUESTION NUMBER ONE IS LEADERSHIP QUESTION AND OH YEAH.
SO IF, YEAH, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GIVE IT A, TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF LET US KNOW WHAT ABOUT YOURSELF? UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY I'VE SEEN THE VIDEO AND THEN WE'VE GOT RESUME IN FRONT OF US AND HAVE YOUR EXPERIENCE, BUT NOTHING LIKE YOU BEING HERE, LIVE IN PERSON TO TELL US ALL ABOUT YOURSELF.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.
AND, UH, MR. MAYOR AND FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I HAVE BEEN IN THE CITY MANAGEMENT PROFESSION FOR WELL OVER 25 YEARS, UH, WORKING PREDOMINANTLY IN THE MIDWEST.
UM, I'M CURRENTLY WORKING AS A CITY MANAGER IN THE RALEIGH-DURHAM AREA FOR THE CITY OF CREEDMORE AND REALIZE THAT MY WIFE'S FAMILY WAS MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAT THEY'VE GOTTEN UP IN AGE.
AND SO WE'RE HAVING TO MOVE BACK CLOSER TO HER.
SO WE'RE WITHIN THAT FIVE TO SIX HOUR DRIVE, UH, WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED IN THE CHICAGO METRO AREA AND SO ON.
SO I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE AS A, UH, YOU KNOW, CITY MANAGER WORKING IN THE PROFESSION AND THE FACT THAT I WORKED IN NUMEROUS THROUGHOUT THE MIDWEST.
AND, UM, LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THIS CONVERSATION WITH YOU TODAY.
AND ONCE AGAIN, WE DO REALIZE THIS HAS BEEN A PROCESS, SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR INTEREST IN OUR CITY, UM, AND YOUR WILLINGNESS TO ENGAGE WITH US AND GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
SO THINKING, SO THE FIRST QUESTION, UM, IS PROBABLY A QUESTION THAT YOU'VE HEARD A LOT OF.
SO WHAT DOES IT GET ON THE TABLE? SO WHAT IS THE STRONGEST SKILL SET OR QUALITY THAT YOU HAVE THAT YOU WOULD BRING TO THE CITY? AND THEN WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BE YOUR, YOUR WEAKEST SKILLSET? MY STRONGEST SKILL SET OBVIOUSLY IS THE FACT THAT I AM, I'M A TEAM BUILDER.
I'M, UH, I, I BUILD TEAMS. I AM, I BELIEVE IN COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS.
I LIKE TO, UH, WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENTS, THAT REPORT TO ME TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE AND TO PROVIDE A WAY TO ADVOCATE AND SUPPORT THEIR NEEDS WHILE AT THE SAME TIME ADVOCATING AND SUPPORTING THE NEEDS OF THE BOARD AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS A GOOD SYMMETRY BETWEEN THE BOARD AND A GOOD SYMMETRY BETWEEN STAFF AND THE BOARD.
UH, ULTIMATELY, UM, THAT HAS BEEN THE SUCCESS THAT I'VE HAD THROUGHOUT MY CAREER IS BUILDING ORGANIZATIONS AND CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT PROMOTES INNOVATION AND TRANSPARENCY.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN DOING MOST OF MY CAREER, AND I BELIEVE THOSE WOULD BE THE ATTRIBUTES THAT I WOULD BRING TO YOUR ORGANIZATION.
UM, SOMETHING THAT, UM, I PROBABLY DON'T DO VERY WELL.
UM, I DON'T DO WELL IN ORGANIZATIONS ONE, UM, AND YOU KNOW, I'VE GONE INTO A NUMBER OF CITIES, UH, WHERE I'VE BEEN ASKED TO FIRE, FIRE, FIRE.
I DON'T DO VERY WELL WITH THAT.
UM, I BELIEVE IN GIVING THE ORGANIZATION AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADJUST TO THE NEW LEADERSHIP, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE REASON WHY SOMEONE IS BELIEVED TO BE DYSFUNCTIONAL OR BASED ON WHATEVER THE ADJECTIVE IS, I'D LIKE TO GET TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND WHY IT IS THAT THEY'RE STRUGGLING OR HAVING CHALLENGES AND SO ON AND GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF FIND A WAY TO SIGN ON TO THE NEW PROGRAM.
SOMETIMES THEY'RE WILLING TO MAKE THAT ADJUSTMENT SOMETIMES THEY'RE NOT, BUT I DON'T LIKE TO START IN ORGANIZATIONS WHERE I'M BELIEVED OR PERCEIVED TO BE A HIRED GUN.
THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE VERY EFFECTIVE FOR THE ORGANIZATION.
AND IT'S, IT STARTS OFF WITH, UH, CREATING A VERY LOW MORALE IN THE ORGANIZATION.
AND I'VE HAD A NUMBER OF COMMUNITIES WHERE I'VE GONE INTO THEM, WHERE I WAS ASKED TO PROBABLY HAVE CERTAIN PEOPLE REMOVED.
AND FOR PURPOSES OF, IF YOU WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL, YOU SHOULD TERMINATE THAT EMPLOYEE.
AND, UM, THEY TURNED OUT TO BE THE GREATEST ADVOCATE IN TERMS OF HELPING TO BUILD AND MOVE THE COMMUNITY IN THE NEW DIRECTION.
THERE'S BEEN A SITUATION WHERE MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE, UH, BECAUSE IT TOOK A LITTLE WHILE TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THEIR LOYALTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES WERE.
AND, UM, SO I SOMETIMES HAVE TO COME TO TERMS, UH, IN ORGANIZATIONS, WHEREAS I HAVE TO DO A QUICK ASSESSMENT OF WHO'S A VALUE AND WHO IS NOT, UM, I'VE NOT HAD A LOT OF CITIES WHERE I'VE EVER TO GO INTO, OR I'VE HAD TO REMOVE STAFF.
UM, AGAIN, I BELIEVE IN BUILDING COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS AND FINDING OUT WHAT THEIR, UM, WHAT OUR STAFF STRENGTHS AND WHAT THEIR WEAKNESSES ARE AND HELPING TO WORK WITH THEM TO BUILD THEM, TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE ORGANIZATION I WORKED FOR.
UH, I THINK YOU'LL BE HAPPY TO KNOW THAT I'M THINKING THE POSITION THAT WE'RE MISSING AS A CITY MANAGER.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
[02:05:01]
HERE IS LOOKING TO HIRE ANY KIND OF A HIRED GUN.WE WANT TO KEEP MOVING THE CITY FORWARD.
SO CERTAINLY APPRECIATE AND UNDERSTAND THAT RESPONSE QUITE WELL.
ANY OTHER FOLLOW UP FROM ANYONE? OKAY.
SO NEXT, UM, WELL YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE, UH, HANDLING OR RESPONDING TO A CRISIS.
SO WHO DID YOU CONSULT WITH OR INVOLVE IN RESPONSE TO THAT SITUATION? UH, WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO MANAGE THE IMAGE OF THE ORGANIZATION, UH, IN TRADITIONAL MEDIA OR SOCIAL MEDIA? SO THAT'S KIND OF A THREE PART QUESTION.
SO, UH, A CRISIS THAT YOU HANDLED, WHO DID YOU CONSULT WITH AND THEN THAT CRISIS, HOW DID YOU MANAGE THE MEDIA? RIGHT? IMMEDIATE SOCIAL MEDIA IS HUGE AND IT'S VERY HUGE FEAR.
MY SECOND TOUR, AS, UM, AS A CITY MANAGER, I WAS A VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR IN THE CHICAGO METRO AREA, THE COMMUNITY CALLED VILLAGE RIVERDALE VILLAGE OF RIVERDALE.
10 YEARS PRIOR WAS PREDOMINANTLY WHITE.
10 YEARS LATER, THE COMMUNITY IS 95, 90 8%.
AFRICAN-AMERICAN THE WORKFORCE IS 97, WHITE, 97% WHITE.
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS 99% WHITE.
THERE WAS ONE, UM, GENTLEMEN THAT WORKED FOR THE CITY, BUT HE WAS FROM PUERTO RICO.
AND FOR SOME REASON THEY WOULDN'T GIVE US THE CREDIT AND SO ON.
BUT THE FACT REMAINS IS THAT, UM, THE CITY OF CA UH, OUR, THE VILLAGE OF RIVERDALE HAD A RESIDENCY REQUIRED THAT ALLOWED OUR POLICE OFFICERS TO LIVE WITHIN.
IF I REMEMBER 15 MILES OF THE CITY HALL VILLAGE OF RIVERDALE IS ABOUT THREE MILES AWAY FROM THE INDIANA BORDER.
95, 90 6% OF OUR OFFICERS LIVED IN INDIANA.
SO WHEN THEY WOULD COME TO WORK, THEY WOULD PUT THEIR LAW ENFORCEMENT MASK ON, BUT WHEN THEY'D GO HOME, THEY PUT THEIR FAMILY FACE ON, THEY PUT THEIR HUMAN FACE ON.
AND THE FACT THAT THE VILLAGE OF RIVERDALE FOUND ITSELF IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE LIVING IN A POLICE STATE, UM, 50% OF THE POPULATION IN THE COMMUNITY WAS UNDER THE AGE OF 18.
AND RIVERDALE WAS PRETTY STRICT WHEN IT CAME TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, IT HAD VERY LOW CRIME STATISTICS COMPARATIVE TO SOME OF ITS SURROUNDING JURISDICTIONS.
THERE WAS AN INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED.
THERE WAS A POLICE SHOOTING AND ONE OF THE OFF, I GUESS, YOU CALL IT A GRAINERY.
WE HAD AN OLD GRAINERY THAT HAD BEEN THERE SINCE THE TURN OF THE CENTURY.
AND THIS WAS PRETTY MUCH GUTTED.
YOU COULDN'T GET TO THE TOP OF IT.
IF YOUR LIFE, I COULDN'T EVEN GET OUR, UM, OUR LADDER TRUCK TO GET UP.
THERE WAS THIS, THAT TALL, BUT SOMEONE MANAGED TO GET TO THE VERY TOP OF THAT GREENERY AND SPRAY PAINT, OUR RACIAL EPITAPH ACROSS IT.
SO WHENEVER THERE WAS AN INCIDENT IN TOWN HERE COMES, THE LOCAL NEWS HERE COMES THE HELICOPTERS.
FIRST THING THEY DO IS THEY SHOW THE GRAINERY AND THEY TALK ABOUT, WELL, THIS IS A COMMUNITY THAT'S PREDOMINANTLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN.
THIS IS A COMMUNITY THAT JUST HAD A LAW ENFORCEMENT SHOOTING WITH AN OFFICER, A WHITE OFFICER, AND A BLACK RESIDENT, AND SO ON.
AND WITHOUT ALL, KNOWING ALL THE DETAILS, W NOW THAT I'M HERE AS THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICANS VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR, I HAD TO WORK WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO GET A GOOD SENSE OF WHAT WENT ON.
I HAD TO REACH OUT WITH THE LOCAL MEDIA THAT WAS INTERESTED.
THEY ACTUALLY, THEY SOUGHT ME OUT.
UM, AND THEN I MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO SIT DOWN AND HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM IN TERMS OF WHERE THE CITY WAS HEADING, UH, GOING FORWARD TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES.
WE CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE WAS A D A D YOU KNOW, UH, NOT SO MUCH A DISCREPANCY, BUT AN INCONSISTENCY AS IT RELATED WITH OUR WORKFORCE.
AND A LOT OF THAT HAD TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT THERE WAS CIVIL SERVICE RULES THAT WERE IN PLACE THAT PROTECTED THAT INSTITUTION THAT WAS IN PLACE.
AND SO, AS WE WOULD TRY TO RECRUIT, WE WOULD OFTENTIMES NOT BE ABLE TO TARGET THE, UH, THE RIGHT POPULATION, UH, AND THEN TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, EVEN IF WE DID, AND WE GOT THEM TRAINED, THEY WOULD GO TO THE GREENER PASTURES BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE PULLED AWAY.
AND SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS I WORKED WITH THE BOARD.
I SAID TO THE BOARD THAT, LISTEN, WE NEED TO FIND A NEW SOLUTION.
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN COME UP WITH A STRATEGY TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE AS A COMMUNITY, LET'S REACH OUT TO OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO ASSIST US.
AND THAT MEANT TALKING TO SOME OF THE LOCAL REGIONAL SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS.
IN THIS CASE, THERE WAS AN ORGANIZATION CALLED PUSH, UH, RUNNING ADMINISTERED BY, UH, CONGRESS, NOT CONGRESSMEN, BUT, UH, THE FATHER, JESSE JACKSON, JR.
AND SO ON, HE HAD LONG, NO LONGER RUN THE PROGRAM, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO THEM AND TO ANOTHER LAW FIRM, WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO BRING A GROUP OF PEOPLE TOGETHER, TO SIT DOWN WITH THE BOARD TO TALK ABOUT SOLUTIONS OR MOVING OUR COMMUNITY FORWARD.
AND SO, AGAIN, HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY OF DEVELOPING A STRATEGY AND A PATHWAY FORWARD, I WAS ALSO ABLE TO SIT DOWN WITH A LOCAL REPORTER AND EXPLAIN THAT, YES, THE CIRCUMSTANCES BEING WHAT THEY ARE,
[02:10:01]
THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT THE CITY IS PUTTING IN PLACE TO TRY TO ADDRESS THIS DISPARITY THAT WE HAVE.WE CLEARLY KNOW WE HAVE A DISPARITY, BUT WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING TO ADDRESS THAT.
AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND WE'RE LOOKING TO PARTNER WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS.
WE'RE LOOKING TO PARTNER WITH OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS AND THE BOARD IS UNANIMOUSLY IN SUPPORT OF THIS.
THIS WAS THE STRATEGY AND THE EFFORT THAT I WAS ABLE TO, UH, PROMOTE EVENTUALLY THE INCIDENT SEEMED TO FADE AWAY AND, UM, MATTERS, BEGAN TO MOVE FORWARD, UH, IN TERMS OF ADDRESSING SOME OF THE ISSUES, I THEN IMPLEMENT IT THROUGH AFTER HIRING THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN FIRE, CHIEF, IT CADET PROGRAM, THIS CADET PROGRAM WOULD GO OUT AND RECRUIT YOUNG, UH, MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY TO COME AND TO LEARN AND TO INTERACT WITH OUR POLICE AND WITH OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND WITH OUR, OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO LEARN ABOUT GOVERNMENT ON THE CHANCE THAT MAYBE THEY MIGHT BE A FIREFIGHTER, THEY MIGHT BE A POLICE OFFICER, HOMEGROWN TALENT THAT WE WERE LOOKING TO GROOM.
AND, UM, THIS WAS A SUCCESSFUL INITIATIVE ON OUR PART.
SO, UH, I SEE IT, UM, NOT ONE DIMENSIONALLY.
I SEE IT MULTI-DIMENSIONALLY AND I, I LOOK TO WORK IN COMMUNITIES TO HELP TO FIND SOLUTIONS THAT ADDRESS SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE OFTENTIMES ARE CONFRONTED WITH.
SO THE NEXT, THESE WOULD BE KIND OF SOME CITY COUNCIL QUESTIONS.
SO HOW DO YOU DEFINE TRUST AND WHAT SPECIFICALLY HAVE YOU DONE IN THE PAST, OR WHAT DO YOU DO AT THE CITY OR HEIGHTS TO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN A STRONG TRUSTING RELATIONSHIP WITH US, YOUR COUNCIL, YOUR STAFF, BUT ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND A COLLECTIVE RIGHT SYSTEM WITH THE BOARD, OR EXCUSE ME, WITH THE COUNCIL THAT TRUST IS BASED ON, YOU KNOW, ONE-ON-ONE AND COLLECTIVE, UH, ENGAGEMENT WITH YOU.
I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOUR INTERESTS ARE, WHAT YOUR DESIRES ARE FOR A COMMUNITY INDIVIDUALLY, BUT ALSO COLLECTIVELY WHEN ONE OF YOU ASKED ME FOR INFORMATION AND I'M GOING TO, THAT I WILL PROVIDE, I'LL PROVIDE IT TO ONE AT ALL.
MY JOB IS TO MAKE SURE I REPRESENT ALL OF YOU COLLECTIVELY, AND YOU ALL HAVE ACCESS TO THE SAME INFORMATION THROUGH THAT.
I BUILD THE TRUST BECAUSE I WORK FOR THE MAJORITY OF YOU WHO ARE UP HERE ARE FOR, I ACTUALLY FOR EVERY ONE OF YOU WHO ARE UP HERE, BUT I FOLLOWED DIRECTION FROM THE MAJORITY OF YOU WHO GUIDE AND DIRECT ME AND SO ON WITH STAFF, I WORK WITH THEM TO BUILD THAT COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP.
AS I SHARED WITH THE STAFF EARLIER TODAY, UM, I MEET WITH OUR STAFF ON A WEEKLY BASIS TO TALK ABOUT ISSUES AND CHALLENGES THAT MAY BE GOING ON IN THEIR, THEIR OPERATIONS OR THEIR SELF, THEIR RESPECTIVE DEPARTMENTS THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
AND WHAT I TRY TO CREATE US THAT IS FREE TO CORP, WHERE WE DEVELOP THIS KIND OF CAMARADERIE, WHERE WE CAN TALK AMONGST EACH OTHER, SHARE WHAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH, AND MAYBE EVEN LEARN SOME THINGS FROM ONE ANOTHER.
AND THEN I MEET WITH THEM INDIVIDUALLY ONCE A MONTH TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES THAT ARE MORE COMPLEX AND MAY REQUIRE ONE-ON-ONE ENGAGEMENT WITH THEM THROUGH THAT.
THAT IS HOW I BUILT MY TRUST WITH THEM TO HELP THEM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT MY EXPECTATION IS.
AND THAT IS TO TRY TO FIND WAYS TO SUPPORT THEM, TRY TO FIND WAYS TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO CONTINUE ON WITH THEIR ONGOING DEVELOPMENT, UH, SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO GROW AS A COMMUNITY BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE IN STATIC LEADERSHIP.
WHAT I BELIEVE IN IS HAVING LEADERSHIP THAT IS OF IT'S EVOLVING, AND I ENCOURAGE OUR STAFF TO BE PART OF THEIR PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS.
UH, AND THROUGH THAT, NOT JUST TO BEING A PART OF IT, BUT MAYBE EVEN BEING OFFICERS IN THOSE ASSOCIATIONS SO THAT THEY CAN BACK INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT MAYBE SOME OTHER JURISDICTIONS ARE DOING THAT MIGHT BE APPLICABLE TO US SO THAT WE CAN SET GOALS TO MAYBE WORK TOWARDS SOME OF THOSE OBJECTIVES IN ORDER TO BECOME MUCH MORE EFFICIENT IN WHAT WE DO.
SO IT'S A WAY OF PULLING INFORMATION FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS, UH, FROM THE STAFF, BECAUSE I CAN ONLY BE IN ONE PLACE AT ONE TIME, BUT THE POLICE CHIEF, THE FIRE CHIEF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, EVERY ONE OF THEM HAVE THEIR, HAS THEIR OWN PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION WHERE THEY LEARN FROM, OR THAT THEY CAN BRING INFORMATION BACK AND IN DOING SO, WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, WORK TOGETHER, UH, WHILE I EXTEND TRUST TO THEM, UH, I'VE OFTEN BEEN ABLE TO EARN THE TRUST OF THE DEPARTMENTS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT I'VE WORKED WITH AND THROUGHOUT MY ENTIRE CAREER, I'VE HAD VERY MUCH SUCCESS IN DOING THAT.
UH, SO NEXT, WE KIND OF TOUCHED ON THIS A LITTLE BIT.
UH, YOU TOUCHED ON THIS A LITTLE BIT AGO, BUT THIS QUESTION WILL BE, SO HOW WOULD YOU KEEP THE CITY COUNCIL INFORMED ABOUT DIFFERENT KEY ISSUES, PROJECTS, AND OPERATIONS OF THE CITY? WELL, GENERALLY WHAT I DO IS I TRY TO PUT OUT A WEEKLY STATUS HIGHLIGHTS IN TERMS OF ONGOING ACTIVITIES THAT RISE TO THE OCCASION THAT WARRANTS YOUR AWARENESS.
UH, THIS MIGHT BE COMING, HAD A MEETING WITH THIS GROUP THAT IS INTERESTED IN DEVELOPMENT OF A CERTAIN AREA OF TOWN.
[02:15:01]
ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THAT IS THAT DOESN'T JUST COME FROM ME.IT COMES FROM ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE THEY'LL BE PART OF THAT STATUS HIGHLIGHT REPORT THAT VETS THAT COMES THROUGH MY OFFICE AND IS DISTRIBUTED TO THE ENTIRE BOARD.
AND, UH, THROUGH THAT, UH, IT KEEPS YOU UPRISE OF THE, DAY-TO-DAY THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING OVER THE COURSE OF A WEEK.
IF THERE ARE ANY, IF THERE'S ANYTHING OF NOTE THAT NEEDS TO BE SHARED.
UM, CAN YOU REPEAT ANOTHER PART OF THAT? I'M SORRY.
UH, SO IT WAS JUST SORT OF, HOW WOULD YOU KEEP THE COUNCIL INFORMED OF THOSE KEY ISSUES PROJECTS? RIGHT.
AND IT WOULD PROBABLY BE THROUGH THAT WAY.
UH, I LOOKED TO THE MAYOR, UM, I MAY BE PICKING UP THE PHONE TO CALL THE MAYOR TO SAY, HEY, MR. MAYOR, THIS IS WHAT I LEARNED TODAY.
THIS IS THE INFORMATION I WANT TO SHARE.
I PLAN ON DISTRIBUTING THIS TO THE REST OF THE BOARD.
UH, DO YOU WANT, DO YOU HAVE ANY INSIGHT, OR I MAY REACH OUT TO YOU IF IT'S SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, IN THE COMMUNITY THAT HAS AN INTEREST IN SOMETHING, BECAUSE THEY MAY SAY, HEY, I TALKED TO THIS COUNCIL MEMBER, AND THIS IS WHAT INFORMATION THEY SHARE TO ME.
NOW, I MAY BE GIVING YOU A CALL JUST TO LEARN A LITTLE MORE ON WHAT THE NATURE OF THE CONVERSATION WAS, SO THAT I CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT THEY MAY BE LOOKING FOR FROM US.
AND THEN THROUGH THAT, UH, IF WE PROCEED TO SOMETHING THAT, UH, RISES TO A LEVEL OF, UH, OF INFORMATION THAT THE BOARD NEEDS TO KNOW, I WILL SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THE BOARD, IF WE'RE MOVING ON INITIATIVES LIKE THAT.
SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS I DO KEEP THE BOARD AWARE ON ALL ACTIVITIES THAT ARE RELATED WITH CITY BUSINESS.
UH, I IT'S, UM, IT'S FUNDAMENTAL THAT YOU ALL HAVE THE SAME INFORMATION AND THAT NOBODY'S AT A DISADVANTAGE.
IF ANYONE COMES TO THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL MEETING WITH INFORMATION, UNLESS THEY HAD GONE OUT AND GLEANED SOME INFORMATION THAT THEY DIDN'T SHARE WITH ME, THAT'S DIFFERENT.
BUT IF IT'S COME THROUGH OUR OFFICES, WE WILL SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THE ENTIRE BOARD COMMISSION COUNCIL.
SO CLEARLY THE WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MYSELF AND THE CITY MANAGER IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
SO YOU TALKED ABOUT YOU CALLING ME, SO LET ME, A LOT OF TIMES I MAY CALL YOU, YOU OKAY WITH THAT? OH, YES.
BY ALL MEANS ANY OTHER FOLLOW-UP.
SO IN THIS POSITION, UH, THE COUNCIL MAY GIVE DIRECTIVES THAT YOU AND STAFF DO NOT AGREE WITH.
SO HOW WOULD YOU BALANCE THE DIRECTIVES OF THE COUNCIL WHILE REMAINING AN ADVOCATE FOR YOUR TEAM? WELL, BOTTOM LINE IS WE FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS OF THE COUNCIL.
MY JOB IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FOLLOW STEP OF THE DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL.
MY JOB IS REGARDLESS OF WHAT MY RECOMMENDATION WAS OR WHAT THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION WAS.
IF YOU CHOOSE TO TAKE A PARTICULAR PATH, THEN I AM OBLIGATED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS MATRICULATED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION.
UH, AGAIN, REGARDLESS OF WHAT MY OPINION IS, UM, IT'S YOUR DECISION TO MAKE YOU WERE ELECTED TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
IF THAT'S THE PAST, UM, THE PATH YOU CHOOSE TO CHOOSE, THAT'S THE DIRECTION WE WILL FOLLOW.
I HAVE TO ASK IF YOUR, UH, IF YOUR PROFESSIONAL OPINION WAS IN OPPOSITION TO ONE OR ALL OF US AS A BODY, WOULD YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES IN STATING THAT OPINION AND MAKING A CALL, OH, ANYTHING THAT COMES FROM MY OFFICE, IT'S GOING TO COME WITH A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE MANAGER.
NOW, ULTIMATELY YOU CAN MAKE WHATEVER RECOMMENDATION OR DECISIONS YOU WANT FROM THE DESK.
I AM STILL OBLIGATED TO FOLLOW THAT DIRECTIVE, BUT YOU'LL HEAR MY REASONING AND THE COLLECTIVE REASONING OF THE STAFF THAT MIGHT BE INVOLVED IN BRINGING FORTH THAT RECOMMENDATION.
BUT THE POINT IS, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE INFORMED AND THAT YOU GET, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE PAYING US A LOT OF MONEY AND YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU GET THAT FEEDBACK, BUT ULTIMATELY YOU ARE THE PRO YOU KNOW, YOU ARE THE GOVERNING OFFICIALS OF THIS COMMUNITY AND YOU MAKE THOSE ULTIMATE DECISIONS.
IT'S BASICALLY ANY OTHER FOLLOW-UP.
SO NOW ON TO YOU SOME EMPLOYEE QUESTIONS.
SO HOW DO YOU MONITOR INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE AND WHAT ACTIONS DO YOU TAKE TO ENSURE THAT YOUR EMPLOYEES ARE PERFORMING AT A HIGH LEVEL? YEAH.
AND THIS GETS BACK TO MY MEETING WITH THEM ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LIKE TO DO IS WORK WITH THEM COLLABORATIVELY TO COME UP WITH PERFORMANCE GOALS.
UH, AND IT'S NOT GOING TO MEET ME, TELLING THEM WHAT I NEED THEM TO DO.
IT'S AN INTERACTIVE PROCESS WHERE WE TALK AND DETERMINE AND AGREE ON WHAT GOALS WE ARE GOING TO SET FOR THE UPCOMING YEARS A YEAR, AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE ACHIEVABLE WITHIN A TIMEFRAME OR NOT.
AND DURING THOSE MONTHLY MEETINGS, WE'LL KEEP TRACK OF THAT.
SOME MAY BE PUSHED BACK FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, BUT THAT'S HOW I CAN EVALUATE THEIR PERFORMANCE AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ON TRACK AND MEETING THE GOALS THAT WE MUTUALLY AGREE UPON.
SOME THAT ARE GOING TO BE MUTUAL.
SOME ARE GOING TO BE MY GOALS, AND I'M GOING TO NEED TO SEE DEPENDING ON WHAT THE CHALLENGES OR THE ISSUES ARE IN THEIR RESPECTIVE DEPARTMENT.
AND, UM, THAT WAY, UH, WHEN I DO GO THROUGH THE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION WITH THEM, UH, THEY'LL KNOW, FULL WELL, WHY THEY'RE BEING EVALUATED THE WAY THEY'RE BEING EVALUATED BASED ON WHAT WE PREVIOUSLY TALKED ABOUT.
SO THERE WON'T BE ANY SURPRISES OR NO HICCUPS.
WELL, I WON'T SAY HICCUPS, BUT THERE WON'T BE ANY MISUNDERSTANDING
[02:20:01]
BECAUSE WE ALL WILL HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THOSE EXPECTATIONS WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR EACH DEPARTMENT IN.DARYL, COULD YOU JUST ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT ON, UH, WHAT YOUR VISIONING IS WITH REGARD TO, UH, EMPLOYEE EVALUATIONS? WHAT MY VISIONING IS, IS WHEN I SIT DOWN AND I TALKED TO THE DEPARTMENTS, I WANT TO KNOW WHERE THEY BELIEVE THEY ARE AS AN ORGANIZATION.
WHAT CAN THEY DO BETTER IF THEY HAD ADDITIONAL RESOURCES OR WHAT RESOURCES DO THEY FEEL THAT THEY NEED TO DO SOMETHING BETTER? AND IF THEY'RE ACHIEVABLE OR ATTAINABLE, UM, OR WHAT, WHAT ARE THEY DOING WITHIN THEIR PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND WOULD THOSE, UM, WITH THOSE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE HAPPENING IN SAY, OTHER JURISDICTIONS THAT WE MIGHT'VE LEARNED ABOUT, UM, ARE THEY ACHIEVABLE HERE? AND IF SO, WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO GET US FROM HERE TO THERE? AND, UH, THAT'S WHAT I'M REFERRING TO IN TERMS OF UNDERSTANDING ON HOW I'M GOING TO TAKE OUR ORGANIZATION FROM WHERE THEY ARE TODAY, TO WHERE THEY ARE TOMORROW, BECAUSE IT GETS BACK TO NOT WANTING STATIC DEPARTMENT HEADS WHO JUST COME TO WORK TO GO THROUGH THE MUNDANE AND THE ROUTINE.
WE WANT STAFF WHO ARE BRINGING THINGS TO THE TABLE TO HELP US TO EVOLVE AND TO MOVE THAT NEEDLE TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF OUR EVOLUTION.
AS A CITY, YOU'VE GOT A LOT GOING ON HERE, AS IT RELATES WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UH, YOU'VE GOT OTHER THINGS THAT YOU PROBABLY WANT TO SEE HAPPEN AND OR SEE DONE.
AND I'M A FIRM BELIEVER IN NOT REINVENTING THE WHEEL.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAS ENOUGH SUCCESS OUT THERE THAT WE CAN FIND WHAT OTHER JURISDICTIONS ARE DOING.
WE CAN BASELINE WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT THEN WE NEED TO BENCHMARK WHAT WE'RE DOING AGAINST OTHER COMPARABLY SIZED COMMUNITIES TO SEE HOW THEY'RE PERFORMING, TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO AND HOW CAN WE REPLICATE THAT HERE.
THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I WILL HAVE.
THAT'S A CONVERSATION I HAVE WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS TO SEE HOW WE CAN REPLICATE SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
AND THEN THOSE AGAIN, WILL BE PART OF THOSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
UM, SOME OF THEM MAY BE PART OF SOME OF THE VISIONING THAT YOU'VE ALREADY WORKED ON IN TERMS OF WHERE YOU SEE YOUR COMMUNITY IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS.
WELL, HOW ARE WE WORKING TOWARDS THOSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, TYPICALLY FROM OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESSES OR YOUR COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN, WHAT DOES IT DEFINE OR WHAT DOES IT SAY THAT YOU WANT TO DO WITHIN THOSE TIMEFRAMES? AND THEN THAT BEGS THE QUESTION FOR ME.
WELL, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO WORK TOWARDS THOSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND WHAT ARE THE OBSTACLES THAT ARE PREVENTING US FROM ACHIEVING THOSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES? SO IT'S, IT'S A BROAD QUESTION, BUT THERE ARE ANSWERS TO IT, BUT I HAVE TO PUT IT OUT THERE AND HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE SO THAT THEY CAN GIVE US SOME IDEA ON HOW THEY CAN BE PART OF THE SOLUTION AND HELP US MOVE THAT NEEDLE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
OBVIOUSLY THESE WILL BE EMPLOYEES THAT REPORT TO YOU.
HOW WILL COUNSEL BE? PART OF THAT COUNSEL WILL BE PART OF THE PROCESS, PARTICULARLY IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BASELINING AND BENCHMARKING, I WILL SHARE WITH YOU WHATEVER THAT BASELINE IS IN TERMS OF THIS IS HOW WE PERFORM.
THIS IS WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THIS OTHER JURISDICTION.
WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO WORK TOWARDS MOVING THERE, UH, AND ACCOMPLISH THOSE THINGS.
UH, PARTICULARLY IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THE BASELINING TO KNOW WHERE WE ARE, THAT'S THE TRANSPARENCY PIECE.
THERE'S NO SECRETS ON HOW WE HANDLE LAW ENFORCEMENT OR HOW WE HANDLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING TODAY.
WHAT CAN WE DO BETTER BASED OFF OF OTHER PRACTICES AND OTHER JURISDICTIONS AND SO ON.
AND WE WILL SHOWCASE THOSE AND SHARE THOSE WITH US.
THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, ASPIRATIONS AND GOALS THAT WE WILL LIKE TO TRY TO MOVE OUR COMMUNITY TOWARDS.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WILL WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS TO TRY TO ACHIEVE THAT.
AND IS THAT PIECE THAT YOU'LL SHARE THE DIVISION ITSELF OR INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEES? NO, NO, NO.
I BEING TRANSPARENT IS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ORGANIZATIONAL THINGS, THAT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
I, I, WE MIGHT PROVIDE YOU WITH A QUARTERLY REPORT AND IN THAT QUARTERLY REPORT OR THAT A BIANNUAL REPORT THAT WILL BE SPELLED OUT IN THAT REPORT IN TERMS OF HOW WE'RE PERFORMING TODAY, VERSUS HOW WE WOULD LIKE, BECAUSE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES OF LOOKING AT OTHER JURISDICTIONS AND THAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS THAT, THAT'S GOING TO BE A PUBLIC DOCUMENT THAT WILL BE SHARED WITH THE BOARD OR THE COUNCIL, AS WELL AS WITH THE PUBLIC AND SO ON.
I DON'T WANT TO GET HUNG UP AND SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THIS.
BUT WHEN YOU SPEAK ABOUT EVALUATING THE EMPLOYEES, YOU'RE SPEAKING ABOUT THE INDIVIDUALS THAT REPORT TO YOU, YOU WILL EVALUATE THEM.
I WILL EVALUATE THERE'LL BE AN END OF THE YEAR RESULT.
AND THAT WILL BE SHARED WITH WHOM WELL, THE EVALUATION.
I, UM, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE STATE ALLOWS BECAUSE OF THE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION THAT I DO, BASED ON WHAT THE STATE STANDARDS ARE IN TERMS OF SHARING THAT EVALUATION IS I BELIEVE WOULD PROBABLY BE GOVERNED UNDER A, YOU KNOW, A PERSONNEL AND SO ON.
HOWEVER, UM, WHEN I TALK ABOUT ASPIRATIONAL
[02:25:01]
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE DEPARTMENT, THESE ARE GOALS THAT WE'RE GOING TO WORK TOWARDS.THIS MAY NOT BE ACHIEVABLE IN A YEAR OR IN TWO YEARS, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING OVER A PERIOD OF TIME THAT WE MIGHT BE WORKING TOWARDS WHEN IT COMES TO EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU HANDLE IT HERE, WHETHER OR NOT I HAVE TO SHARE WITH YOU THE PERFORMANCE OF EACH OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REQUIRED IN THE STATE OF OHIO DON'T KNOW.
AND ARE YOU AN ADVOCATE OF, LET'S SAY YOU'VE EVALUATED THE POLICE CHIEF.
WERE YOU GOING TO EXPECT THE POLICE CHIEF TO EVALUATE HIS EMPLOYEE? OH, BY ALL MEANS WHAT I DO.
I BELIEVE MY PHILOSOPHY IS WHAT I DO WITH THEM.
I WANT THEM TO DO WITH THEIR SUBORDINATE STAFF.
I BELIEVE IN FOR FIRST OF ALL, I BELIEVE IN SUCCESSION BUILDING, I BELIEVE IN FINDING THE TALENT THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION AND WORKING TO GROOM IT.
AND SO MY EXPECTATION IS THAT MY SUBORDINATES TO BE IDENTIFYING THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT MIGHT BE WORTH THAT INVESTMENT, THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GROOMING THEM FOR OUR POSITIONS OF LEADERSHIP GOING FORWARD AND SO ON.
AND THAT'S AN EXPECTATION THAT I'M GOING TO HAVE.
AND SO IN ORDER FOR HIM TO, OR HER TO BE ABLE TO, TO UNDERSTAND THAT HE OR SHE IS GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHERE THAT TALENT IS AND THAT THEY'RE GOING TO NEED TO DO HAVE THE SAME CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM AND MAKE IT CLEAR THAT LISTEN, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY VALUE YOUR EMPLOYMENT WITH OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE'D LIKE TO SEE FURTHER GROWTH, AND WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE YOU WITH OPPORTUNITIES.
ARE YOU OPEN TO THAT? AGAIN, THAT'S THE CONVERSATION THEY WILL HAVE TO HAVE WITH THEIR SUPPORT STAFF, BUT THAT WILL BE MY COMMUNICATION TO THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT SAME LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT I HAVE WITH THEM TRICKLES DOWN TO THE REST OF THE ORGANIZATION.
MA'AM ANY HAVE THE FOLLOW-UP OKAY.
SO HOW DO YOU EFFECTIVELY DELEGATE AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO YOUR EMPLOYEES WHILE MAINTAINING THE APPROPRIATE LEVELS OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTROL OF THE OPERATION? RIGHT.
WELL, I DELEGATE BASED ON THEIR, UH, MY, MY, MY BELIEF OF THEIR CAPABILITIES OF PERFORMING THE JOB.
UH, AND THEN I MONITOR, UH, I WILL REVIEW AND THEY WILL REPORT TO ME TO LET ME KNOW THE, THEIR PROGRESS ON THE PROJECTS THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON AND WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE WITHIN A DESIGNATED TIMELINE THAT WE MAY HAVE ESTABLISHED, OR IF WE'RE BEHIND THE TIMELINE AND WHY WE'RE BEHIND THE TIMELINE, THAT WILL BE MY OVERSIGHT TO THE STAFF.
AGAIN, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT TO GROOM STAFF TO GIVE THEM HIGHER LEVELS OF RESPONSIBILITY AND, YOU KNOW, WHICH COMES WITH A HIGHER LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY THAT THEY SHOULD BE AWARE OF AS WELL.
AND THAT'S JUST PART OF, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPING AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S SUSTAINABLE SO THAT YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO LOOK OUTSIDE FOR YOUR TALENT.
WE GOT A LOT OF IT HERE, AND WE SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T LOSE THAT TALENT, PARTICULARLY IN THIS CURRENT ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE OPERATING IN, YOU KNOW, POSTS.
UM, COVID 19, WE'RE DEALING WITH THIS, UM, THE SILVER TSUNAMI.
AND IF YOU'RE AWARE OF WHAT THAT MEANS IS A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE LEFT THE WORKPLACE, UH, UH, AT MY LEVEL AND AT A LOT OF THE DEPARTMENT HEAD LEVELS.
AND WHAT IT'S DONE IS IT'S CREATED A VACUUM OUT THERE WHERE THERE ARE MORE JOBS THAN THERE ACTUALLY PEOPLE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO TAKE THOSE JOBS.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE IN OUR DEPARTMENT POSITION, OUR DEPARTMENT, HEAD POSITIONS, AS WELL AS, UH, AT ALL OF OUR ORGANIZATION.
AND IF WE DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO WHERE THE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE HEADING, THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE PLAYING CATCH UP BECAUSE WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL END UP TRAINING STAFF THAT WILL GO TO GREENER PASTURES ANY UP.
UM, ONE QUESTION, I THINK YOU'VE COVERED IT, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I ASK IT OF ALL THE CANDIDATES.
CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR ROUNDING? CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR ROUNDING? LIKE, YOU'RE YOUR, I THINK YOU SAID YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE STAFF MEETINGS ON A REGULAR, RIGHT.
MY STAFF MEETINGS AGAIN, WILL BASICALLY BE BASED ON WHATEVER THE, UH, UPCOMING AGENDAS WILL BE, UH, FOR THE VARIOUS BOARDS COMMISSIONS AND, AND, AND, AND, AND THE COUNCIL MEETINGS, IN ADDITION TO WHATEVER THEIR ONGOING ISSUES ARE IN THEIR DEPARTMENTS THAT THEY CHOOSE TO BRING TO THE TABLE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT, UH, FROM THAT PROCESS.
AGAIN, IT IS ENTIRELY INTENDED TO JUST CREATE, UH, AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE ALL GET TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER.
AND YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF LONGSTANDING STAFF MEMBERS HERE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE, SO THEY SHOULD ALREADY KNOW ONE ANOTHER, BUT, UH, IT GIVES ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM THEM AND TO LEARN, YOU KNOW, HOW THEIR THOUGHT PROCESSES WORK AND HOW THEY CAN BE PART OF THIS TEAM THAT WE ARE CREATING TOGETHER COLLABORATIVELY TO WORK, UH, TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES THAT YOU WOULD HAVE US TO ACHIEVE FOR YOUR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU, MR. SMITH, HANG ON THE FOLLOW-UP OKAY.
NIXON, YOU HAD HIGHLIGHTED ON A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT YOU HAD ESTABLISHED A FOUR, BUT THIS ONE KIND OF DEALS ON DIVERSITY.
SO, UH, JUST KEEP AN OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING ELSE THAT YOU'VE DONE.
[02:30:01]
YOU EMBRACE AND PROMOTE DIVERSITY AND THEN ESTABLISH A WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT WHERE ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES FEEL VERY VALUED AND RESPECTED MUCH MORE COMPLICATED THAN MOST COMMUNITIES UNDERSTAND.YOU KNOW, DIVERSITY TRAINING IS, UH, IN AN ORGANIZATION IS NOT ONE DIMENSIONAL.
I USE THAT TERM QUITE OFTEN, BUT, UM, THERE ARE THOSE WHO BELIEVE THAT BY HAVING AN INDIVIDUAL THAT REPRESENTS DIVERSITY, UH, IS SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO QUALIFY AS DIVERSITY.
SO DIVERSITY IS MORE THAN JUST HAVING ONE INDIVIDUAL WHO REPRESENTS A MINORITY GROUP, MINORITY GROUPS.
AREN'T ONLY OF COLOR MINORITY GROUPS ARE COME FROM OUR, OUR, OUR, YOU KNOW, THE DISABLED, THEY, THEY ARE FROM, YOU KNOW, A VARIETY OF BACKGROUNDS AND, AND, AND, AND SOCIAL ECONOMIC STRATA, AND PART OF WORKING IN, UH, UH, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION AND CREATING THAT ENVIRONMENT REQUIRES YOU TO BEGIN TO CHANGE CULTURAL ATTITUDES AND THINKING IN AN ORGANIZATION IT'S CALLED, YOU KNOW, A CONCEPT CALLED EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE.
MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IS, BUT EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE HELPS AN ORGANIZATION TO UNDERSTAND INDIVIDUALS THAT IS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, CERTAIN MICROAGGRESSION COMMENTS COULD BE OFFENSIVE TO SOMEONE.
IT COULD BE OFFENSIVE TO A WOMAN.
IT CAN BE OFFENSIVE TO A PERSON OF COLOR.
IT COULD BE OFFENSIVE TO A HANDICAPPED PERSON AND NOT BEING AN, UH, INTENDED TO BE AN INFANT OFFENSIVE STATEMENT.
BUT IF THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT MICROAGGRESSIONS ARE, IT CREATES AN ENVIRONMENT OF UNCOMFORTABILITY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE, UH, IN THAT POPULATION THAT AT RISK GROUP.
AND WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO IS CREATE AN ORGANIZATION TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, DEI DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION IS NOT A DESTINATION.
AND IT TAKES TIME FOR COMMUNITIES TO EMBRACE THAT.
THERE ARE A LOT OF COMMUNITIES THAT BELIEVE IN HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT, BUT IT'S LESS ABOUT JUST HAVING THE CONVERSATION.
IT ALSO REQUIRES A FORM OF IMPLEMENTATION, AND THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF COMMUNITIES GET LOST IN THE SHUFFLE.
NOT REALIZING THAT THERE IS SOME MANUAL WORK INVOLVED, AND THAT IS TO CHANGE YOUR ORGANIZATION, NOT JUST FROM THE TOP, FROM THE BOTTOM UP AS WELL.
SO NEXT YOU HAVE SOME BUDGET AND FINANCING AND HUMAN RESOURCE QUESTIONS.
SO DECISION-MAKERS AND RESIDENTS HAVE VARYING LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING WHEN IT COMES TO DIFFERENT FINANCIAL ISSUES IN THE CITY.
SO WHAT METHODS HAVE YOU FOUND TO BE MOST SUCCESSFUL IN CONVEYING INFORMATION TO THE DECISION-MAKERS WHERE NECESSARY ASSISTING THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF NEEDS VERSUS WANTS? RIGHT.
WELL, WHAT I WILL DO, OR WHAT I WOULD NORMALLY DO IS I'D WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENTS BASED ON THE NEEDS THAT WE ARE ARTICULATING OUR ARE ADVOCATING, UH, IN ORDER TO COME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION THAT OUTLINES WHY IT IS THAT WE'RE MAKING THIS RECOMMENDATION, WHY IT IS, UH, THAT COMMUNITIES, YOUR SIZE, UH, ARE ADDRESSING THESE CHALLENGES AND WHY IT IS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO SUSTAIN ARE TO IMPROVE THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR THOSE AREAS.
IT'S KIND OF A GENERIC QUESTION WITHOUT KNOWING SPECIFICALLY, UM, BUT IT CAN BE BROKEN DOWN INTO SIMPLE TERMS THAT CAN BE ARTICULATED AND COMMUNICATED TO THE, UM, TO THE STAKEHOLDER COMMUNITY AND THE PUBLIC IN TERMS OF UNDERSTANDING WHY IT IS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DEVELOP A STRATEGY TO ADDRESS A CERTAIN FINANCIAL CHALLENGE THAT WE MAY HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
NOW I'LL USE ONE QUICK EXAMPLE.
UM, UM, AND I BELIEVE YOU ALREADY HAVE A PROGRAM HERE IN TOWN, BUT, UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T HAVE A CAPITAL EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT PROGRAM, AND WHAT THEY HAVE DONE HISTORICALLY IS KICKED THE, CAN KICK THE, CAN KICK THE CAN.
AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY'VE GOT 25 APPARATUSES.
THERE ARE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT THAT NEEDS REPLACING AND NOW, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO REPLACE ALL OF THAT RIGHT NOW.
THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A PROCESS IN PLACE TO ESTABLISH AN EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT SCHEDULE IN THE PAST.
IF YOU HAVE IT NOW, YOU'VE GOT TO CREATE ONE GOING FORWARD.
AND WHAT EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT SCHEDULE REPRESENTS THIS AND ALLOWS YOU TO ROLL IN INVENTORY IN A STAGGERED WAY THAT DOESN'T IMPACT YOUR BUDGETS SIGNIFICANTLY.
ONE YEAR IT'S A STABLE COST THAT RUNS THE COURSE OF THAT TIMELINE, AND IT'S A COST YOU'RE GOING TO CARRY.
YOU'RE GOING TO, UM, YOU'RE GOING TO FUND REGARDLESS.
AND SO IT MAKES SENSE TO ADOPT WHAT ARE CALLED INDUSTRY BEST PRACTICES AND IMPLEMENT IT, UH, EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT PROGRAM.
UM, I HAD TO EDUCATE THE LAST COMMUNITY OR THE CURRENT COMMUNITY.
I AM IN THE VALUE OF INTRODUCING THAT BECAUSE, UM, WELL, WHEN I WENT INTO KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, IF THEY HIRED ME THREE MONTHS PRIOR, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE STOPPED THEM FOR REPLACING ALL OF THEIR FIRE APPARATUSES IN ONE YEAR.
NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CITY OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 260 SQUARE MILES, UH, PROBABLY ABOUT,
[02:35:01]
UH, 50 TO MAYBE A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OF NEW EQUIPMENT.AND THE BOARD APPROVED IT, THE BOARD APPROVED REPLACING ALL OF IT IN ONE YEAR.
NOW, WHEN THOSE WARRANTY MAINTENANCES RUN OFF, GUESS WHAT'S GOING TO GO UP AND WHO'S GOING TO HAVE TO COUNT, UH, YOU KNOW, AND IT WAS MY DEPARTMENT, ONE OF MY DIVISIONS IN GENERAL SERVICES THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING CAPITAL EQUIPMENT AND SO ON AND MAINTAINING IT WHILE WE ARE GOING TO ENJOY THE NEXT FIVE YEARS OF NOT MAINTAINING THIS EQUIPMENT.
BUT GUESS WHAT HAPPENS ON YOUR SIXTH? YOU KNOW, EITHER GOING TO HIRE ME MORE PEOPLE ARE, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM BECAUSE THERE'S GOING TO BE A LARGE AMOUNT OF YOUR EQUIPMENT SITTING IN THOSE BAYS, NOT BEING MAINTAINED BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MANPOWER TO DO IT.
NOW, IF YOU STAGGERED THAT EQUIPMENT OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, WE WON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM, BUT THERE ARE SOME COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT CONCEPT.
SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS THERE ARE WAYS YOU CAN EXPLAIN HOW LOCAL GOVERNMENT OPERATES IN, IN, UH, EFFICIENTLY BY USING BEST PRACTICES AND IT SPELLING THIS OUT TO THE PUBLIC SO THAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT SPENDING MONEY BECAUSE WE HAVE TO REPLACE CRITICALLY NEEDED EQUIPMENT, CRITICALLY NEEDED IT.
TECHNOLOGY, ONE COMMUNITY I'VE WORKED FOR SEAL OPERATING WINDOWS 2007, YOU KNOW, ON THEIR COMPUTER SYSTEMS. AND ONE OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS IS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
NOW THEY LOG INTO THE FBI DATABASE AND A HOST OF OTHER DATABASES.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT, 2007 IS NO LONGER SUPPORTED BY MICROSOFT.
SO THERE ARE NO PATCHES OUT THERE THAT ARE GOING TO PREVENT INTRUSION.
AND WE WERE LIVING IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE HAVE RANSOMWARE RUNNING A MUCK.
AND THE LAST THING THAT WE NEED IS TO HAVE A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT MEANS TO MAINTAIN THAT CAPITAL EQUIPMENT, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO IT.
UH, WE ARE SITTING JUST WAITING FOR AN, UH, AN UNFORTUNATE EVENT TO HAPPEN AND COMMUNICATING THAT TO THE PUBLIC, UH, IS SOMETHING THAT WE, WE HAVE TO DO AND HELP THEM TO UNDERSTAND THIS IS WHY WE MAY HAVE TO SPEND $50,000 OR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO BRING OUR TECHNOLOGY TO THE STANDARDS THAT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO BE BROUGHT TO, TO IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC INFORMATION.
AND I, I WOULD SAY, UH, I THINK ALL THIS COUNCIL WOULD AGREE IF YOU'RE A CHOSEN, UH, TO BRC MANAGER, THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU WON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT.
WE HAVE, UM, DURING THIS POSITION OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, AND WE SEE REGULAR LEGISLATION COME BEFORE US ALL THE TIME.
THAT IS JUST EXACTLY THOSE THINGS.
UM, IT'S THE NEW LADDER TRUCK THAT WE JUST, YOU KNOW, W W WE JUST APPROVED MIGHT TAKE YEAR AND A HALF TO GET THE YES.
WE JUST IMPLEMENTED A NEW LEASING PROGRAM FOR OUR CITY VEHICLES.
SO, UH, THERE ARE, YOUR STAFF IS VERY WELL VERSED AND PREPARED AND MAKING SURE THAT, UH, THAT, THAT EQUIPMENT, THAT WE'RE SEEING LEGISLATION TO KEEP ALL THOSE THINGS, UH, MOVING SOME, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP, UH, BECAUSE THAT ALSO GOES INTO KIND OF THE NEXT QUESTION.
SO I WOULD ASK COUNCIL, UM, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT QUESTION DOES TALK ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE SAY OUT OF THE CURVE ON EQUIPMENT, UM, IF YOU WERE SATISFIED WITH THE ANSWER THAT, UM, THAT HE JUST GAVE, WE'LL JUST MOVE ON TO THE NEXT QUESTION.
YEAH, I THINK, I THINK WE, I THINK WE'VE ESTABLISHED SERP ESTABLISH THAT SO, WELL, THE ONE PIECE OF THAT I WOULD ASK, SO INSTEAD OF EQUIPMENT, UM, CAUSE PART OF THAT, UH, THAT QUESTION DID DEAL WITH STAFFING, UM, AND BUDGETING.
SO, UH, HOW WOULD YOU, HOW WOULD YOU STAY AWAY? HOW WOULD YOU STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE FROM A STAFFING PERSPECTIVE? SO THE, THE EQUIPMENT WAS THE OTHER PIECE OF THAT, THAT YOU HAVE WELL, STAFFING ONE IS, WELL, IT GOES BACK TO THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT POINT THAT I MADE ABOUT THE, UM, THE SILVER TSUNAMI CITIES ALL ACROSS THIS COUNTRY ARE ALL GOING.
I KNOW YOU WENT THROUGH A COMPENSATION CLASSIFICATION STUDY SEVERAL YEARS BACK.
I'M GOING TO TELL YOU IT'S OUTDATED ALREADY BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE DID NOT COME BACK INTO THE WORKFORCE.
AND THAT GAP IS RESULTING IN HIGHER SALARIES ACROSS THE BOARD, AND IT'S IMPACTING ONE ENTITY MORE SO THAN EVERYONE ELSE AND THAT'S LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
AND SO WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IS, IS THAT THE GRASS WILL BE GREENER OUT THERE.
AND THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SENIOR MANAGEMENT TO SEE THE GREENER GRASS, UH, AND YOU KNOW, AND OTHER, UH, DEPARTMENTS AND EMPLOYEES THROUGHOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION ARE GOING TO SEE THE GREENER GRASS.
AND SO WHAT THE CITY NEEDS TO DO IS BEGIN THE PROCESS OF GOING THROUGH ANOTHER CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION STUDY AFTER COVID TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT IMPACT IS GOING TO MEAN TO YOUR ORGANIZATION, BECAUSE IT'S, THIS IS NOT JUST A BUZZWORD.
THIS IS BEING TALKED AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT ACROSS THE NATION, WHERE YOU ARE IN THE FRONT ROLE, UH, HAVING TO DEAL WITH IT.
YOU MAY NOT SEEN IT HAVE SEEN IT YET, BUT IT'S COMING.
AND, UM, YOU'LL BEGIN TO REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT ONE COUNTY, WAIT, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S WAKE COUNTY IN NORTH CAROLINA OR NOT.
THEY'RE SITTING ON 600 VACANCIES.
[02:40:01]
THEY CAN'T FEEL, AND I'VE GOT A NUMBER OF CITIES THAT HAVE DECIDED THAT PARTICULARLY IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, BECAUSE OF THE FUEL COSTS, I HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT LIVE 25 MILES AWAY FROM THE CITY AND AS A DRIVE TO COME TO CREATE MORE TO WORK, THEY DRIVE THROUGH MAYBE 15 OTHER CITIES.WELL, IMAGINE DRIVING THAT DISTANCE EVERY DAY.
AND SOME OF THESE COMMUNITIES IN BETWEEN ARE GOING TO START ADDRESSING THEIR COMPENSATION FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES.
WHAT'S TO STOP THAT EMPLOYEE WHO'S DRIVING 25 MILES TO NOT APPLY TO A JOB.
THAT'S HALF THE DISTANCE THAT HE'S ALREADY PAYING THIS RIDICULOUS AMOUNT FOR GAS AND SO ON.
SO A NUMBER OF THE COMMUNITIES AND COUNTIES, AND JUST THE AREA THAT I'M FROM, THEY'VE IMPLEMENTED RETROACTIVE RATE INCREASE, UH, INC SALARY INCREASES 4% WITH THE EXPECTATION TO ADDRESS IT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR AGAIN, AND THAT'S JULY 1ST OF THIS YEAR.
SO THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES THAT THEIR EX THEY'RE EXPERIENCING AND SO ON.
BUT AGAIN, THIS IS NOT JUST NORTH CAROLINA, THIS IS THE ENTIRE NATION THAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS REALITY.
AND WHILE YOU MAY NOT HAVE SEEN IT YET, IT'S COMING.
SO THAT WOULD BE MY RESPONSE AS IT RELATES TO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE WORKFORCE AND, AND THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, AND TO TRY TO ADDRESS THE, THE SALARY NEEDS.
IT BEGINS WITH THAT STUDY TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR REGION IS DOING AND WHAT IT, UH, WHAT IT CAN'T AFFORD TO DO AND WHAT THE IMPACT WILL BE.
UH, ANY FOLLOW-UP ONE ON THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION.
UH, SO NEXT WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME COMMUNITY COMMUNICATION.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE CITY MANAGER BE A VERY STRONG COMMUNITY SUPPORTER AND ENGAGE WITH THE RESIDENTS.
SO HOW WOULD YOU ESTABLISH THOSE RELATIONSHIPS HERE IN IRAQ? WELL, I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU HAVE, AND THIS IS THE OLD CONCEPT, BUT A NEWSLETTER, UM, WITHIN THIS DATA, SOCIAL MEDIA, EVERYBODY'S USING SOCIAL MEDIA, I BELIEVE IN USING ALL OF THE TOOLS AVAILABLE TO US IN ORDER TO ENGAGE OUR PUBLIC.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT COMES WITH STRINGS ATTACHED IF YOU'RE PUTTING IT ALL ON A WEBSITE, BECAUSE FEDERAL LAW DICTATES THAT YOU HAVE TO RETAIN THAT, PARTICULARLY IF YOU ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO ENGAGE IN DISPERSED ON THOSE SITES, BECAUSE IF SOMEONE IS ABUSING SOMEONE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE DOCUMENTATION.
THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO SAVE THAT CONTENT THAT MEANS STORAGE, AND THAT MEANS COSTS.
UM, THERE ARE OTHER FORMS OF COMMUNICATION, UH, AND I AM OPEN TO ENGAGING ANY AND ALL, AND MAKING SURE THE PUBLIC IS AWARE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PREFERENCE IS IN YOUR COMMUNITY, BUT, YOU KNOW, A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OR QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER, UH, AND ONGOING UPDATING OF INFORMATION ON THE CITY'S LOCAL WEBSITE, IN ADDITION TO, YOU KNOW, PRESS RELEASES ON TWITTER AND, AND ALL OF THE OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, THEY SHOULD BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF IF THEY CAN'T NOW GRANTED THAT REQUIRES SOMEONE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION TO, TO, TO, TO LEAD THAT EFFORT.
AND I'M SURE THERE'S SOMEONE THAT I CAN DELEGATE THAT RESPONSIBILITY TO.
AND I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET A NEWSLETTER ESTABLISHED FOR WHICH LIKE IT NEEDS A TASK, BUT FOR QUITE SOME TIME, THAT FOR WHATEVER REASON HAS FOUND ITS WAY TO FRUITION YET.
BUT, UM, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS TOO IS OUT, YOU KNOW, OUTDATED INFORMATION.
IT TAKES SOME TIME AND YOU GET INFORMATION THAT'S IMPERATIVE.
NOW YOU PUT ON A NEWSLETTER BY THE TIME IT'S PRINTED, IT'S DONE, THEN THE INFORMATION IS OVER AND YOU'RE READY FOR THE INFORMATION ON THE NEXT NEWSLETTER.
SO, UM, WE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT ALL THOSE THINGS IN A WAY, SO ADDRESS THAT, APPRECIATE THAT ANSWER.
SO NEXT, UM, WOULD YOU DESCRIBE A SITUATION THAT WOULD ILLUSTRATE YOUR APPROACH TO ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY INTERACTING WITH AND GETTING INPUT FROM INDIVIDUALS WITH DIFFERENT CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS AND, AND I'LL JUST TELL YOU, IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, MR. RONALD BROUGHT UP EARLIER, WE STRUGGLED WITH, UM, GETTING A LOT OF COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND INPUT, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, GROUPS OF PEOPLE, BUT THERE'S NO, UM, I WOULD SAY THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT WE LACK IS, IS A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT FROM THE, FROM THE MASSES, RIGHT? SO W WE'D LOVE TO HEAR, UM, SOME PLANS ON HOW YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THAT, HELP US ENGAGE MORE PEOPLE.
UM, PART OF OUR, PART OF THE QUESTION I THOUGHT I HEARD WAS, UM, DIVERSITY AS WELL, IS, DID I HEAR THAT, UH, YOU HAVE DIFFERENT CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS, RIGHT? ONE OF THE THINGS AND THAT I WOULD ADVOCATE, AND I SET ONE UP IN MY PREVIOUS COMMUNITY, UM, AND MY CURRENT COMMUNITY, AND I BEGAN THE DIALOGUE IN MY PREVIOUS COMMUNITY.
AND I USED MY OWN PERSONAL JOURNEY, UH, AND WROTE A COUPLE OF ARTICLES IN THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER THAT FOUND ITS WAY IN THE INTERNATIONAL CITY COUNTY MANAGERS, ASSOCIATIONS, UH, MONTHLY PERIODICAL ADDRESSING WHERE WE ARE AS, AS, AS A COMMUNITY OR AS A PEOPLE.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO NEED TO BEGIN, AND IT IS THE CONVERSATION AND THE DIALOGUE.
AND I DO BELIEVE IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY LOOKED AT ESTABLISHING, YOU KNOW,
[02:45:01]
KIND OF A, UM, YOU KNOW, A DEI D E AND I, UM, TASK FORCE OR OUR COMMISSION THAT YOU LOOK TO DO.SO WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS TO BRING BACK SOME STRATEGIES ON HOW TO ADDRESS THEM, UH, IN YOUR COMMUNITY AND HOW TO OPEN UP THE CONVERSATION WITH THE RESIDENTS AND TO HAVE PUBLIC MEETINGS, UM, TO INVITE THE PUBLIC, TO COME IN, TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY LIKE ABOUT LIVING HERE IN, UM, IN HUBER HEIGHTS, WHAT ARE THE PROS AND WHETHER THE CONS WE WANT TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY, AND IT CAN BE AN INFORMATION GATHERING PROCESS.
AND ONCE THAT INFORMATION IS GATHERED, THEN WE DECIDE, WELL, WHAT'S THE COURSE OF ACTION TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE THINGS, BE IT GOOD, BAD, UGLY, OR INDIFFERENT.
WE JUST WANT TO HEAR IT TO DEMONSTRATE TO THE PUBLIC THAT WE'RE OPEN TO THE CONVERSATION.
BUT AS I SAID BEFORE, IT CAN'T END AT THE CONVERSATION.
THERE HAS TO BE SOME KIND OF AN OUTCOME.
THERE HAS TO BE SOME KIND OF A SOLUTION GOING FORWARD.
AND, UM, I JUST THROUGH A, UM, A LENGTHY TRAINING, UH, CALLED DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION FOR THE WORKPLACE AND IN THAT PROCESS.
AND I JUST BECAME CERTIFIED IN IT BECAUSE I NEEDED TO HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING ON IF I'M GOING INTO AN ORGANIZATION.
I UNDERSTAND NOW THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE A DEDICATED INDIVIDUAL, WHO'S GOING TO CHAMPION THAT CAUSE LEAD THAT CHALLENGE FOR YOUR COMMUNITY, BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING THAT TOUCHES EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR ORGANIZATION, NOT JUST AT THIS LEVEL OF A CONVERSATION, NOT JUST AT THE DEPARTMENT HEAD LEVEL, BUT WITH EVERY EMPLOYEE THAT WORKS FOR THE CITY OF, YOU KNOW, UH, OF HUBER HEIGHTS.
AND HOW DO YOU GET THERE? IT'S A, IT'S A JOURNEY.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SAY TO YOUR COMMUNITY IS THAT WE BEGIN TO LOOK IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE.
AND IN THAT PROCESS, USE THAT AS A PLATFORM TO ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC, TO COME OUT AND BE HEARD AND TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES, THEIR COMMENTS ON WHAT MAKES HUBER HEIGHTS, THEIR COMMUNITY OF CHOICE, WHAT WILL MAKE YOU BURR HEIGHTS, THE BEST COMMUNITY FOR THEM.
YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT I LEARNED IN DRIVING AROUND YOUR TOWN TODAY IS YOU HAVE SO MANY HOUSING OPTIONS IN YOUR COMMUNITY THAT YOU CAN START.
YOU CAN GET, YOU CAN BE BORN HERE, START OFF IN VERY LOW END HOUSING AND WORK YOUR WAY TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF HOUSING.
YOU HAVE A BROAD, DIVERSE POPULATION AND SO ON, AND THAT'S AN ATTRIBUTE TO YOUR COMMUNITY.
NOW YOU NEED TO FIND OUT, WELL, HOW DO WE CAPTURE THAT? HOW DO WE HEAR VOICES THAT MAYBE WE'VE NOT HEARD BEFORE, LET'S OPEN UP A FORUM SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH US, AND THEN THAT'S BUILD FROM THERE.
SO WE DID TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT, UM, WAIT, SO WE KIND OF HAVE A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND WE TALKED ABOUT KIND OF OUR EQUIPMENT AND THINGS.
SO, UH, SO THIS IS KIND OF A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT QUESTIONS.
UM, SO THE MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF, OF OUR NEW CITY MANAGER WILL BE ADVISING THE CITY COUNCIL REGARDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, AND THEN WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ENTITIES TO ENSURE THAT FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IS IN THE BEST LONG-TERM INTEREST OF THE CITY.
SO WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? RIGHT.
I THINK THAT WE BELIEVE THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, EQUALS SALARIES THAT EQUALS EQUIPMENT EQUALS EVERYTHING THAT ALLOWS US TO EVEN BECOME CLOSE TO IMPLEMENTING A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
SO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, CLEARLY, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, ARE AWARE OF THROUGH LOTS OF DIFFERENT AGENCIES IS JUST ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES OF PROBABLY ANY CITY, UM, BRINGING JOBS, BRINGING THINGS THAT PEOPLE WANT TO DO.
UH, WHAT'S YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THAT? WELL, IT'S THE FANJOY.
I BEGAN MY CAREER, UM, WORKING ON CREATIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES, UH, IN THE CHICAGO METRO AREA.
I TOOK THOSE SKILLS AND I APPLIED THEM IN EVERY COMMUNITY I'VE EVER WORKED FOR, PARTICULARLY FROM THE POSITION OF CITY MANAGER, UH, PARTICULARLY IN INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT FROM, UH, TO A HOUSING MARKET RATE, HOUSING AND WORKFORCE HOUSING AND SO ON.
AND, UM, IN A COMMUNITY OF YOUR SIZE WITH THE, THE CAPACITY FOR SO MUCH MORE, UH, ALL IT REQUIRES IS A VISIONING PROCESS FROM YOUR COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF THIS IS WHERE YOU WANT TO BE IN.
IF YOU WANT TO BE AGGRESSIVE FROM WHAT I'VE UNDERSTOOD AND WHAT I'VE HEARD, YOU'VE BEEN VERY AGGRESSIVE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
YOU'VE BEEN SO AGGRESSIVE, YOU'VE BEEN USING A LOT OF YOUR OWN MONEY TO BE AGGRESSIVE.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LIKE TO DO IS I BELIEVE IN LEVERAGING, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, THE ART OF OTHER USING OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY, IN ADDITION TO THE MONEY THAT WE'RE REALLY WILLING TO BRING TO THE TABLE TO FIND HOW WE CAN ALSO INCENTIVIZE, UM, COMING BACK UP NORTH.
I DO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, TIFS HAVE
[02:50:01]
SO MUCH OPPORTUNITY, UH, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL DOWN SOUTH.I DON'T HAVE THAT LEVEL OF ABILITY TO DO WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO WITH TIFFS HERE.
AND MY EXPERIENCE WITH TIPS COME FROM THE CHICAGO METRO AREA WHERE TRUST ME, WE CAN MAKE IT UP AND IT WORKS.
AND, AND THE STATE DOES NOT GET IN OUR WAY.
AND WE'RE ALLOWED TO BE VERY AGGRESSIVE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, TOO MANY, IN MANY RESPECTS, YOU HAVE SOME SIMILAR LAWS ON THE BOOKS HERE THAT ALLOW YOU TO BE VERY AGGRESSIVE WITH TIPS AS WELL.
BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOUR DEBT CEILING, HOW MUCH OF THAT CAN YOU CONTINUE TO PUSH OUT ON YOUR OWN AND REACH YOUR DEBT CEILING? BECAUSE IF YOU STATE WON'T ALLOW YOU TO DO THAT.
SO THAT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE A LITTLE MORE STRATEGIC IN TERMS OF HOW YOU'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD AND INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT BURDEN BURDENING YOUR GENERAL FUND BEYOND THE DEBT CEILING OF YOUR COMMUNITY.
SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS I'VE HAD A LOT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE IN ALL OF THE AREAS THAT I TALKED ABOUT.
UM, BEGINNING FROM DAY ONE, WHEN I STARTED IN THIS PROFESSION, UM, GIVE YOU A QUICK EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE DID THERE AS CITY HAD HARNESSED ABOUT $30 MILLION THAT WE TRANSFERRED FROM OUR, UH, FROM OUR WORKING CORRIDOR, UH, WHICH HAD A BUNCH OF 100, UM, UH, PLUS CORPORATIONS ALONG THAT OLD CORRIDOR, WE TRANSFERRED UPWARDS TO $30 MILLION THAT WAS CONTIGUOUS TO THAT, TO OUR DOWNTOWN AREA.
AND THEN WE REBATE IT THE REMAINING AMOUNT BACK TO THE GOVERNING BODIES, SO THAT THEY ALSO GOT A PIECE OF THE SHARE AS WELL.
BUT OVER THE MANY YEARS OF AMASSING THAT $30 MILLION IN ONE TO OUR DOWNTOWN, THAT WAS, UH, AS I SHARED CIRCUIT 1950 AND A COMMUNITY THAT HAD A PER CAPITA INCOME OF, UH, UH, OF $90,000.
THIS WAS 1991 PER CAPITA INCOME OF $91,000.
THIS IS A COMMUNITY IN THE NORTH SHORE, THE CHICAGO METRO AREA, SURROUNDED BY COMMUNITIES LIKE LAKE FOREST, UH, HIGHLAND PARK, NORTH BROOK BANNOCKBURN.
AND IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH ANY PARTS OF THAT, PART OF THE, OF THE REGION, VERY AFFLUENT, VERY WEALTHY, BUT DOWNTOWN DEERFIELD DID NOT LOOK LIKE THEIR DOWNTOWNS.
AND SO THEY WANTED TO PUT THAT INVESTMENT IN THEIR DOWNTOWN.
SO THE CITY WENT OUT AND ACQUIRED A LOT OF THE LAND FROM THE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT SOLD THE LAND ARE THE PROPERTIES.
THERE WERE SOME STAFF, THERE WERE SOME HOLDOUTS.
WE GOT TO THE POINT WHERE WE HAD SO MUCH MONEY, A MAJOR DEVELOPER CAME IN AND BOUGHT OUT.
UH, SARAH LEE'S CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS WAS ANCHORED.
OUR DOWNTOWN CITY DEVELOPED THAT RESIDENTIAL.
WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MORE ABILITY FOR RESIDENTIAL.
IT BROUGHT ANOTHER DEVELOPER WHO WAS WILLING TO BRING $60 MILLION TO DO THE, THE OTHER TWO QUADRANTS OF OUR DOWNTOWN, BUT WE WERE STILL HOLDING ON WITH THE HOLDOUTS.
SO WE HAD TO HIRE A LOBBYIST TO GO TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO GET QUICK TAKE AUTHORITY.
WE WERE ABLE TO ACQUIRE THESE PROPERTIES.
AND THEN WE PARTNERED WITH THE DEVELOPER TO DO THE IMPROVEMENTS, UH, THAT, THAT HE WANTED TO DO AND BUILD ALL OF THE, UH, THE, UH, FACILITIES THAT HE WANTED TO BUILD, OR BASICALLY RETAIL OPERATIONS THAT HE WANTED TO BUILD.
UH, THE PROPERTY OWNERS JUST WENT STRAIGHT TO COURT AND WE HANDLED OVER THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY, BUT ULTIMATELY THEY GOT THE FAIR MARKET VALUE OF THE PROPERTY, BUT IT REMOVED THEM FROM, UH, THEIR ABILITY TO HOLD OFF THE DEVELOPMENT.
NOW, AS I SHARE, AFTER WE DID IT, WE, WE SUPPORTED THE STATE IN ABOLISHING THE LITTLE LOOPHOLE THAT ALLOWED US TO GET IT.
I DIDN'T PERSONALLY SUGGEST THAT, BUT, UM, THEY DIDN'T WANT IT TO HAPPEN AGAIN BECAUSE WE WERE SO SUCCESSFULLY IN UTILIZING IT AND SO ON.
AND ULTIMATELY WHAT WAS, UM, CIRCA 1950, UH, TODAY, IT, IT RIVALS ANY OF THOSE SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES TODAY.
NOW, GRANTED ONCE, AND I WANT YOU TO HEAR THIS, AND YOU MAY NOT HAVE THIS CHALLENGE IN YOUR TOWN ONCE THE BULLDOZERS BOULDERS SHOWED UP BECAUSE THE CITY HAD BEEN WAITING ON DOING THIS FOR 25 YEARS, ONCE THE BULLDOZERS SHOWED UP, THE CITY HAD GONE THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN, STRATEGIC PLANS FOR THAT 20 YEAR PERIOD OF TIME, A WHOLE NEW POPULATION APPEARED, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO OUR DOWNTOWN? IT WAS ANTIQUITY NOT ANTIQUATED.
AND, UM, IT WAS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE TO, TO HELP US TO UNDERSTAND OR HELP ME UNDERSTAND.
WE'RE NOT ALWAYS HEARING FROM EVERYBODY IN OUR TOWN.
IT RESULTED IN THE MAYOR WHO HAD BEEN MAYOR FOR 30 YEARS LOSING HIS OFFICE.
UM, BUT THE DEVELOPMENT STILL WENT FORWARD.
BUT THE LESSONS THAT I LEARNED FROM THAT IS THAT YOU HAVE TO STILL GO OUT OF YOUR WAY TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IN YOUR COMMUNITY IS AWARE OF WHAT YOUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES ARE.
AND IN THIS DAY OF SOCIAL MEDIA, I THINK WE BETTER SUITED THAN WE WERE BACK IN THE NINETIES AND SO ON.
SO AGAIN, THAT WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, I WAS, I ADMINISTERED THE TIF PROGRAM.
WE DEVELOPED WHAT IS CALLED AN IMPACT FEE ORDINANCE BECAUSE WE WERE BRINGING IN SO MANY RESIDENTS TO THE COMMUNITIES.
[02:55:01]
OUR PARK DISTRICT, UM, IS A DISTRICT.AND SO IT HAS ITS OWN TAXING AUTHORITY, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT.
WHAT WE DID WHEN WE CREATED THE IMPACT FOR YOUR ORDINANCE IS THAT THE DEVELOPER WHO WAS BUILDING HOUSES HAD TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION OR GIVE LAND IN LIEU OF THAT CONTRIBUTION.
SO THAT EITHER THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAN GET LAND FOR NEW STATION IN ORDER FOR THEM TO MEET THEIR OBLIGATIONS, TO HAVE THE, UH, UH, THE DISTANCE THAT THEY NEEDED, OR THE SCHOOL COULD, UH, GET A NEW BUILDING OR THE INCOME.
AND I THINK THEY EVEN ENDED UP WITH LIKE TWO OR $3 MILLION, AND THE CITY WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A ALLOCATION AS WELL.
AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CREATIVE THINGS THAT WE WERE DOING IN ORDER TO INCENTIVIZE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, NOT PENALIZING ARE IMPACTING NEGATIVELY THE OTHER GOVERNANCE ENTITIES, LIKE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND THE OTHERS, THE BOTTOM LINE WAS, EVERYBODY WAS HAPPY.
THEY GOT SOMETHING OUT OF IT AND THE CITY WAS BETTER FOR IT.
TELL ME A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION ABOUT THE, UM, EXPERIENCE AND BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS OUTSIDE GROUPS.
I THINK HE'S PROBABLY ADDRESS THAT TOO, SO I WILL LEAVE THAT TO THE COUNCIL IF YOU WANT TO HEAR WELL, I CAN, I DIDN'T ADDRESS THAT PART, BUT I COULD TALK ABOUT MY INVOLVEMENT WITH COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS.
I JUST COMPLETED A DEVELOPMENT OF A, WHAT IS CALLED A POCKET NEIGHBORHOOD IN MOKOKA IOWA.
AND, UM, THAT WAS A COMBINATION OF THE COUNTY, THE CITY, UH, OUR, OUR LOCAL COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT, UH, THE FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK AND THE STATE OF IOWA IN ORDER TO COME TOGETHER TO DEVELOP AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN A PROGRAM THAT ALLOWED US TO BUILD THIS POCKET, MADE A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WAS SIMILAR TO WORKFORCE HOUSING AND SO ON, BUT THAT'S NOT MY ONLY INVOLVEMENT WITH, UH, BEING PART OF COLLABORATIVE GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES.
I WORK WITH THE COUNTY, I WORK WITH WHATEVER PLANNING AGENCIES THAT ARE IN THE REGION TO BE A PARTNER WITH THEM AND AT THE TABLE TO KNOW WHAT THEIR THINKING IS AND HOW IT'S GOING TO IMPACT US.
I ASKED THE QUESTION EARLIER TODAY, DURING THE TOUR, WHAT KIND OF ARRANGEMENT OR PARTNERSHIPS DO YOU HAVE WITH YOUR ADJACENT COMMUNITIES? BECAUSE IN SOME OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT I CAME FROM, SOME OF THEM WEREN'T THAT POSITIVE.
AND SO WE FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS OFTEN BEST TO ENTER INTO BOUNDARY AGREEMENTS FOR PURPOSES OF, IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ON YOUR SIDE, WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE IMPACT IS GOING TO BE TO OUR SIDE.
WE DON'T WANT YOU DUMPING 500 CARS THAT ARE GOING TO IMPACT OUR SIDE THAT AND GET NO BENEFIT FROM IT AND SO ON.
SO WHEN YOU'RE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS ON THE FRONT END, YOU'RE ABLE TO STAVE OFF ANY DISAGREEMENTS ARE UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS ON THE BACK END.
AND, UM, THE, UH, THE TORTURE IS ALMOST OVER.
SO THE LAST QUESTION, SO DOES, EXCUSE ME, SO DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE IN ASSESSING THE STRUCTURE OF AN ORGANIZATION AND THEN RECOMMENDING CHANGES TO THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE THAT PROMOTE EFFICIENCY AND A PHILOSOPHY OF CONTINUOUS.
WELL, THAT'S BEEN HALLMARK MY ENTIRE CAREER WHEN I STARTED OFF AS A CITY MANAGER, UH, AND I WAS TRAINED IN THE COMMUNITY OF DEERFIELD.
I SPENT ALMOST SIX AND A HALF, SEVEN YEARS THERE.
AFTER THAT, I WENT ON TO THE CITY OF NORTH CHICAGO, WHICH IS WHERE GREAT LAKES, NAVAL TRAINING FACILITIES.
I WENT THERE BECAUSE OF WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT WORKING IN HIGH-PERFORMANCE BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND ABOUT ORGANIZATIONS AND REORGANIZATION MANAGEMENT.
AND THOSE ARE IN THOSE COMMUNITIES, HELPING THOSE COMMUNITIES TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO BE MORE EFFICIENT IN THEIR OPERATION AND TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE REGIMENTED REGIMENTED SOLUTIONS, UH, OF GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS UP, BECAUSE WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT THAT WAY BEFORE FROM THERE, I ULTIMATELY ENDED UP IN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI BECAUSE OF MY EXPERIENCE IN WORKING IN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
AND I WAS ASKED TO CREATE THE DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES.
SO I WAS THE FOUNDER OF IT, BUT ALSO THE FIRST DIRECTOR AND WHAT THAT ENTAILED WAS TAKING INTERNAL OPERATIONS OF THE CITY, RESTRUCTURING THEM TO MAKE THEM AN EFFICIENT ORGANIZATION TO PROVIDE THE SUPPORT SERVICES TO THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATIONS.
SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS I'VE BEEN DOING ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT AND RESTRUCTURING MOST OF MY CAREER.
UH, I KNOW HOW TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND PARTNERSHIPS TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN BECAUSE IT'S EASY TO, EASIER TO CALL IT WHAT YOU NEED TO CALL.
IT IS ANOTHER THING TO BUILD THE RELATIONSHIPS AND THE BRIDGES TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
THANK YOU ANY, UH, ANY OTHER FOLLOW-UP.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS THE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT QUESTION.
SO JUST MY REAL QUICK, MY QUESTION.
UH, YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A CITY MANAGER ADMINISTRATOR IS OUTSTANDING, UM, AND YOU'VE PRESENTED YOURSELF WELL, IF YOU WERE STARTING DAY ONE, HUBER HEIGHTS, WHENEVER THAT STARTING WOULD BE, HOW LONG DO YOU THINK IT WOULD TAKE YOU TO BE BROUGHT UP TO SPEED? SO YOU UNDERSTAND ENOUGH ABOUT THE CITY, UH,
[03:00:01]
ABOUT OUR CITY STAFF AND OUR ASSETS IN THE CITY TO COME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND STRATEGIC PLANNING.RIGHT? WELL, GENERALLY IT TAKES ME WHEN I GET INTO AN ORGANIZATION, I USUALLY SAY, GIVE ME SIX MONTHS TO LEARN THE ORGANIZATION, NOT JUST THE DEPARTMENTS, BUT EACH OF YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, WHY YOU RAN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE, WHAT IS YOUR VISION OF THE KEY OF YOUR COMMUNITY AND SO ON, AND THEN WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS TO UNDERSTAND, WELL, WHAT IS THE SYNERGY THEN BETWEEN THE BOARD AND BETWEEN THE, UH, THE COUNCIL AND THE STAFF, HAVE YOU HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS IN HELPING AND GUIDING THEM ALONG THE WAY WITH YOUR PREVIOUS MANAGERS AND SO ON.
AND, UM, BASED ON THE FEEDBACK THAT I GET FROM THAT WILL GIVE ME KIND OF A FRAME OF REFERENCE ON WHERE I THINK WE MAY NEED TO BE, TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY TOGETHER AND SO ON.
BUT, UM, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD TAKE ME MORE THAN THREE MONTHS TO GET A GOOD FEEL FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION.
UH, WHEN YOU'VE BEEN DOING IT, AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN DOING IT, YOU KIND OF GET A, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T TAKE ME A MONTH TO WORK WITH EACH DEPARTMENT TO GET A FEEL FOR HOW THEY'RE OPERATING ON WHERE THEY ARE.
YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF TALENTED PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY HERE THAT BRING TO YOUR ORGANIZATION, UH, YOU KNOW, A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE.
YOU'VE GOT THAT INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE.
THAT'S WORKING FOR YOU WITH MANY OF YOUR DEPARTMENT HEADS AND SO ON.
SO WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, I W I NEED TO HEAR FROM THEM IN TERMS OF, WELL, WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO MOVE THAT NEEDLE? AND WHERE DO YOU THINK THAT NEEDLE NEEDS TO MOVE AND BUY? AND FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU THE SAME QUESTION.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OUR NEEDLES NEED TO MOVE FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, FROM WHERE OUR STAFF IS? HOW WELL DO YOU FEEL OUR STAFF, UH, IS GUIDING OUR PROVIDING GUIDANCE TO YOU AS A BODY AND WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
NOW, IT'S NOT A TRICK QUESTION.
THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
AND SO ON ALL BOARDS OR COUNCILS OR COMMISSIONS ALL HAVE TO GO THROUGH AN ONGOING PROCESS OF MAKING SURE THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO WORK AND GET ON THE SAME PAGE, UH, TO FALL OR TO GUIDE THEIR COMMUNITY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I TALK ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, UM, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND, AND, AND, AND THE, THE GOVERNING LEADERS HAVE TO ALL LEARN HOW TO AGREE TO DISAGREE, BUT FROM THERE, THEY HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO COME TOGETHER AND AGREE ON THE THINGS THAT THEY, THEY NEUTRALLY SHARE A COMMON INTEREST IN AND WORKING TOGETHER TO ACCOMPLISH THAT FOR THEIR COMMUNITY.
OKAY, SO, UH, THAT BANK REAL QUICK, ANY OTHER FOLLOW-UP OKAY.
IS THAT BEING THE LAST QUESTION WE'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME TIME, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE OF MYSELF OR THE COUNCIL? UM, CERTAINLY PLEASE GO AHEAD AND FIRE AWAY.
WELL, I WASN'T, UM, FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, I UNDERSTAND, UM, YOUR MANAGERS HAVE GENERALLY BEEN AN OUTGROWTH FROM, WITHIN YOUR ORGANIZATION AND SO ON, AND I UNDERSTAND THERE HAS BEEN NOBODY FROM WITHIN YOUR ORGANIZATION THAT'S CHOSEN TO, TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION.
UM, WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH, UH, WITH YOUR PRIOR MANAGERS THAT YOU'VE HAD, DO YOU BELIEVE THEY WERE, UM, THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL IN WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? OR DO YOU BELIEVE THERE IS ROOM FOR, OBVIOUSLY, AS I SAID, THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE AREA OF IMPROVEMENT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN YOUR NEXT CITY MANAGER? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, I MEAN, I, WITHOUT GETTING INTO PERSONNEL DETAILS, OBVIOUSLY, I THINK, WELL, LET ME COUCH IT, I WON'T SAY IMPROVEMENT, UM, PERFORMANCE AND YOUR NEXT CITY MANAGER.
I, I WOULD JUST SAY AS A, AS A GENERALITY, I THINK, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU HAD BROUGHT UP EARLIER, MAYBE, UM, KIND OF JUST THE RED TAPE OF, OF, OF GOVERNMENT, UM, I THINK JUST MAYBE SOME OVERALL, UM, LEADERSHIP QUALITIES.
UM, I THINK DECIDING THAT THAT'S THE JOB JUST KIND OF WASN'T WASN'T FOR THEM.
I MEAN, I THINK JUST SOME GENERAL GENERAL INFORMATION.
I MEAN, THAT'S INFORMATION THAT WE GOT BACK, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, OVERALL WHAT WE WANT TO SEE AS A COUNCIL IS, UM, A CITY MANAGERS UNDERSTANDS THAT WE MAKE THE POLICY AND THE CITY MANAGER IMPLEMENTS THE POLICY AND THAT, UM, IT'S OKAY.
I MEAN, I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT A DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY MANAGER OR STAFF AND COUNCILS IS PROBABLY GOING TO HAPPEN ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION, BUT I THINK ONCE THE DECISION IS MADE, UM, YOU HAVE THE DECISIONS MADE AND, YOU KNOW, PUSH BACK, UM, NOT DOING THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO GET DONE IN A TIMELY MANNER.
UM, I THINK WE'RE EXPERIENCED SOME THINGS THAT'S YOU MIGHT'VE COST US.
SO I THINK JUST IN GENERAL, WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOME EFFICIENCY, BUT THE CITY MANAGER UNDERSTANDS THAT ONCE COUNCIL MAKES A DECISION AND WE WANT TO SEE A POLICY IMPLEMENTED THAT WE HAVE A CITY MANAGER THAT SAYS, OKAY, THIS
[03:05:01]
IS THE, THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE LEGISLATION.AND THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
I PREFER FEEDBACK ALL UP UNTIL THE TIME THE COUNCIL MAKES THAT DECISION FROM THE DI SUITE.
WE DO THAT A LOT, BUT YET WHEN A DECISION IS MADE, WE NEED TO SEE SOME ACTION.
SO I THINK MORE EFFICIENCY IN THE PROCESS FROM LEGISLATION TO IMPLEMENTATION WOULD BE PROBABLY A BIG THING ON MY PART.
MAY EXPANDED COMMUNICATION ON EVERY LEVEL.
AND WHAT ELSE? YES, MARTIN, I THINK YOU TOUCHED ON THE SUBJECT OF EVALUATING OUR EMPLOYEES AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT STANDARDIZED IN MORE FORMALLY DONE FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, ALL THE DIVISIONS, ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.
ANYTHING ELSE? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, ANY, NOW THAT YOU'VE ANSWERED THE ONE THAT I NEEDED TO HEAR, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE AND TO BE THE CANDIDATE FOR YOUR POSITION.
AND I WILL SAY AGAIN, WE KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A, KIND OF A LONG PROCESS FROM THE, FROM THE VIDEOS, THE APPLICATION PROCESS, GETTING HERE.
UM, WE ARE VERY, VERY APPRECIATIVE OF YOUR INTEREST IN OUR CITY AND YOUR WILLINGNESS TO ENGAGE WITH US AND PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCESS.
UH, WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT A LOT.
WE'VE GOT FOUR GREAT CANDIDATES AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME, SOME HEAVY DECISIONS TO MAKE, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WELL RECESSED AGAIN FOR FIVE MINUTES AND THEN WE'LL GET, WE'LL GET STARTED.
WELL, UH, WE'RE GONNA START AT NINE O'CLOCK OKAY.
SO GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE PODIUM.
I'LL EXPLAIN KIND OF THE RULES, HOW WE'RE, HOW WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS.
SO EVERYTHING IS EQUAL ON EVERYTHING.
WE'RE ABOUT 30 MINUTES BEHIND, SO HOPEFULLY THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT, I'LL TRY AND CATCH YOU UP HERE.
SO JOHN THERE'S THERE'S 14 QUESTIONS.
UM, I WILL ASK ALL THE QUESTIONS AND THEN COUNCIL WILL CERTAINLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK ANY FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS TO DIG INTO ANYTHING, ANY FURTHER THAT THEY MIGHT WANT TO.
UH, ONCE WE GET THROUGH THE 14 QUESTIONS, THEN, UM, WE'LL GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, ASK SOME QUESTIONS OF US, UH, OF ME OR ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT.
UM, SO, BUT YOU'LL HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.
SO BEFORE WE GET STARTED WITH THE QUESTIONS, LET'S JUST GO AHEAD AND GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY NOBODY CAN HEAR YOU, UH, OUT AND HE WRITES LAND.
UM, BUT TOMORROW SOMEONE THEY LISTENED TO IT, UH, THEY, THEY WILL HAVE SOME SOUNDS SO UNDERSTOOD FOR, FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW JOHN RUSSELL.
WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD AND KIND OF TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND, UM, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE QUESTIONS.
I'M CURRENTLY A ADMINISTRATIVE BATTALION CHIEF WITH THE FIRE DIVISION HERE IN HEBREW HEIGHTS.
UM, I'VE BEEN IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS REALM OF PUBLIC SAFETY FOR 22 YEARS.
I WASN'T ABLE TO GET A JOB HERE BECAUSE BACK WHEN I WAS TESTING, IT WAS VERY COMPETITIVE.
UM, SO I DID LEAVE FOR A BRIEF BIT TO GO TO XENIA, CAME BACK HERE AS SOON AS I COULD, UH, GET BACK IN INTO THE CITY.
UM, I'M A LIFELONG RESIDENT HERE.
UM, ONCE MY DAD DECIDED TO STOP HERE, I AM A MILITARY BRAT.
SO I CAME IN 82 AND I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT HERE EVER SINCE.
UM, UH, MY ASCENSION INSIDE THE FIRE DIVISION, UM, HAS BEEN, UM, ONE TO WHERE, UM, I, I WAS A FIREMAN FOR, UH, SOME TIME DURING THAT TENURE.
I WAS ALSO, UH, THE UNION PRESIDENT FOR THE LOCAL, UH, WAS PROMOTED TO LIEUTENANT, WAS THE STATION, LIEUTENANT 20 THREES.
THEN I TOOK THE, UH, TRAIN LIEUTENANT WHERE AT THE TIME IT REALLY BLOSSOMED INTO ABOUT EIGHT AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY, UM, WITHIN THE FIRE DIVISION, UH, MY BOSS AT THE TIME REALLY LET ME KIND OF FLOURISH AND DO SOME THINGS AND GET MY HANDS INTO SOME THINGS THAT WE HADN'T BEEN INTO IN THE PAST.
UM, AND THEN BECAUSE OF ALL THAT I WAS REALLY ULTRA PREPARED TO, UH, ULTIMATELY BECOME THE ADMINISTRATIVE BATTALION CHIEF.
SO I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF LEADERSHIP QUESTIONS, JUST GENERALIZED LEADERSHIP QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, WHAT IS THE STRONGEST SKILL SET OR QUALITY
[03:10:01]
THAT YOU WOULD BRING TO THE CITY MANAGER POSITION, UH, AS OUR CITY MANAGER? AND THEN WHAT WOULD YOU SAY YOUR WEAKEST SKILL SET WOULD BE SURE.UM, SO RIGHT NOW I WOULD SAY THAT MY STRONGEST SKILLSET WOULD BE, UM, COMMUNICATION.
UH, I, I AM ADEPT IN MY POSITION AT HANDLING CITIZEN COMPLAINTS.
I HANDLE, UM, ANY RESIDENTIAL, UM, COMPLAINTS THAT COME IN ABOUT, UM, UH, INSPECTIONS.
I HANDLE THE, UH, BUSINESS SIDE OF THE INSPECTION AS WELL.
UH, SO I'M OVER TOP OF THE FIRE MARSHALS BUREAU, WHICH WE DO BUSINESS INSPECTIONS.
WE DO HOME INSPECTIONS FOR, UM, UH, ADOPTIVE PARENTS.
UM, SO AS FAR AS COMMUNICATION, I TOUCHED THE CITIZENS ON A, ON A, ON A ROUTINE BASIS.
UM, I ALSO TAKE IN I'M THE INTAKE OFFICER FOR ANY EMS COMPLAINTS.
UM, SO ANYTIME OUR CREWS GO OUT AND SOMEONE'S NOT HAPPY WITH SERVICE, THEN THEY CALL ME.
SO, UM, AS FAR AS COMMUNICATION GOES, I ALSO DIRECTLY MANAGE THE FIRE MARSHALL'S OFFICE.
I DIRECTLY MANAGE THE TRAINING BUREAU.
I DIRECTLY MANAGE THE MAINTENANCE DIVISION, UH, WITHIN THE FIRE DIVISION.
SO, UM, INTERNALLY AT THE FIRE DIVISION, UH, I'M PRETTY MUCH THE LINK TO ALL THOSE.
UH, AND COMMUNICATION'S PRETTY VITAL AS FAR AS CITY STAFF GOES.
UH, I'VE GOT A PRETTY GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH MOST SENIOR LEADERS OF STAFF.
I ROUTINELY WORK WITH HR, UM, THROUGH OUR HIRING PROCESS.
I ROUTINELY WORK WITH THE POLICE DIVISION ON A JOINT COLLABORATIVE, UM, PROJECTS, AND THEN EVERY DAY I'M TALKING TO PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, WE'VE GOT AN ISSUE, THEY'VE GOT AN ISSUE, WHATEVER IT IS, UM, OUTSIDE OF THE CITY REGIONALLY, UM, I AM THE CHAIR OF THE, UM, REGIONAL PROTOCOL COMMITTEE FOR ABOUT 2000 PROVIDERS.
UH, MY ROLE THERE IS I TAKE INFORMATION AND I TAKE, UM, NEW IDEAS.
UM, I'M TALKING ALMOST DAILY TO AREA FIRE DEPARTMENTS, FIRE CHIEFS, THEY'VE GOT NEW IDEAS, NEW THINGS.
I THEN SIT ON A BOARD AND PRESENT THAT INFORMATION TO A REGIONAL PHYSICIANS ADVISORY BOARD, UH, WHICH IS COMPRISED OF ABOUT 14 DOCTORS FROM BOTH HEALTHCARE FACILITIES.
I TRY AND PRESENT THE INFORMATION IN A WAY THAT WOULD THEN DIRECT THOSE PROTOCOLS TO BE CHANGED.
AND MOST OF THE TIME THAT'S SUCCESSFUL, UM, WHEN IT'S NOT SUCCESSFUL, THEN I THEN HAVE TO RELAY THE INFORMATION BACK TO, TO THE, UH, FIRE CHIEFS.
SO, SO COMMUNICATION YOU SAID IS, IS A STRONG SKILLSET.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY YOUR WEAKEST, YOUR WEAKEST SKILLSET WOULD BE? IT'S FUNNY.
I, I, I'M GOING TO MAKE A JOKE FIRST AND IT'S A BAD JOKE, BUT TODAY STAFFING AND I SAID IT WAS STAFFING.
UH, MY BOSS WAS OBVIOUSLY IN THERE.
AND IF YOU WERE TO PULL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW, THEY'D SAY THAT JOHN'S WEAKEST SKILLSET IS MORNINGS.
UM, THAT'S KINDA MY KRYPTONITE.
UM, THE RULE AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS DON'T TALK TO ME UNTIL I'VE HAD, AND IT'S ABOUT NINE O'CLOCK, BUT, UH, ON A SERIOUS NOTE, UM, I, YEAH.
UH, SO WE'RE NOT GONNA SCHEDULE ANY MEETINGS UNTIL AFTER NINE O'CLOCK.
SO, UM, ON A SERIOUS NOTE, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY, UM, INTERNALLY FOR ME, IT'S IT'S PATIENTS THAT I STRUGGLE WITH THE MOST, UM, YOU KNOW, MY BACKGROUND, WE'RE A PRETTY HIGH SPEED, LOW DRAG AT THE FIRE DIVISION.
I MEAN, WE'RE GOAL ORIENTED, WE'RE TASK ORIENTED.
UM, ANYBODY THAT KNOWS ME KNOWS I'VE GOT A REALLY COMPETITIVE NATURE AND WHEN THINGS TEND TO SLOW DOWN OR GET IN THE WAY OF SOLUTIONS, I GROW WEARY QUICKLY.
I'VE TRIED TO START A REEVALUATION PROCESS GOING BACK AND LOOKING AT THE PROCESS AND SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE COULD DO TO GET OVER THAT HUMP.
BUT, UH, I WOULD SAY MY, MY WEAKEST POINT RIGHT NOW IS I JUST, I LACK PATIENCE.
MY KIDS WOULD PROBABLY AGREE WITH THAT TOO.
IS THERE ANY UP FOR JOHN ON THIS QUESTION? OKAY.
UH, SO NEXT, TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE HANDLING OR RESPONDING TO CRISIS OR TO A CRISIS.
AND THEN WHO DID YOU CONSULT WITH OR INVOLVE IN RESPONDING TO THAT SITUATION? AND THEN WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO MANAGE THE IMAGE OF THE ORGANIZATION, UH, THROUGH ANY TYPE OF TRADITIONAL MEDIA OR SOCIAL MEDIA OR WHATEVER? SO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, AGAIN, YOU GUYS KNOW MY BACKGROUND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M PRETTY ADEPT AT HANDLING EMERGENCIES.
YOU KNOW, I'VE HANDLED EVERYTHING FROM A CARDIAC ARREST TO AN AUTO ACCIDENT TO A STRUCTURE FIRE.
UM, BUT THE ONE THING THAT REALLY KINDA I'M DEALING WITH MOST RIGHT NOW, AND THAT I'M REALLY MOST PROUD OF, I MEAN, UM, IS THE HIRING CRISIS IN THAT THAT'S IN FRONT OF THE FIRE DIVISION.
UM, WE'VE BEEN TO YOU GUYS, WE'VE TOLD YOU GUYS THE ISSUES THAT ARE THERE.
UM, WHEN I STARTED LOOKING FOR SOLUTION TO THAT PROBLEM, UM, I INSTANTLY REACHED OUT, I'VE TALKED TO OUR HR DEPARTMENT.
UM, WE'VE LOOKED AT OUR INTERNAL PROCESSES.
WE'VE TRIED TO STREAMLINE THOSE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UM, I REACHED OUT TO, UM, AREA COLLEGES I'VE REACHED OUT TO THE AREA OF PARAMEDIC PROGRAMS. I'M TRYING TO FIND WAYS THAT WE COULD,
[03:15:01]
UM, INCORPORATE SOME OF THE STUDENTS INTO OUR PROCESS ALREADY AND FINDING OUT WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO BE DONE SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD BE THROUGH THE PROCESS AND WE COULD HIRE THEM.UM, I'VE REACHED OUT TO, UM, AREA OF, UM, FIRE CHIEFS TO KIND OF SEE WHAT ELSE IS BEING DONE.
UM, I I'M CLOSE PERSONAL FRIENDS WITH A FEW AREA, FIRE CHIEFS, UM, FAIRBORN AND KETTERING TO BE EXACT, UM, AND ALSO THE MIAMI VALLEY FIRE DISTRICT.
SO I'M ALWAYS TRYING TO FIND WAYS THAT WE CAN MAKE THE, MAKE IT BETTER FOR US TO FIND THE APPLICANTS THAT WE NEED.
AND, AND LIKE I SAID, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, WE'VE ALMOST COME AROUND 180 DEGREES FOR US BECAUSE WHEN I WAS TESTING AND WHEN I WAS IN THE, UH, EARLY STAGES, I MEAN, IT WAS SO ULTRA COMPETITIVE.
I MEAN, WHEN I, FOR YOUR HEBREW HEIGHTS IN, I THINK 1999, THERE WAS PROBABLY 150 PEOPLE TAKING A TEST FOR ONE OR TWO SPOTS.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE GIVE TESTS NOW AND WE WERE LUCKY TO GET 12 PEOPLE AND WE GOT THREE OR FOUR SPOTS, YOU KNOW, COMING OPEN.
SO, SO I'D SAY I'M MOST PROUD OF AT LEAST TRYING TO FIND AN ANSWER TO THAT, UM, CRISIS THAT'S THAT'S HERE.
ONE OF THE ANSWERS FOR US HAS BEEN SOCIAL MEDIA, AND I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE ALL SEEN OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE.
I THINK ONE THING WE'RE TRYING TO DO IN THE FIRE DIVISION IS TO PUT THE CITY IN A POSITIVE LIGHT AND PUT THE FIRE DIVISION IN A POSITIVE LIGHT AND TRY AND FIND CANDIDATES THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE NORMALLY FOUND BY JUST A REGULAR POSTING IN THE DAYTON DAILY OR SOMEWHERE ELSE.
SO, AND IT'S WORKED FOR US, YOU KNOW, THE LAST ROUND OF HIRES WE HAD FROM LAST YEAR, WE HIRED A KID FROM CLEVELAND.
UM, THIS TEST THAT I JUST GAVE TWO SATURDAYS AGO, WE HAD A COUPLE OF PEOPLE FROM COLUMBUS, A PERSON FROM CINCINNATI, SO IT'S WORKING, BUT I STILL THINK WE CAN DO BETTER TO, UM, TRY AND FIND THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM.
ANY FOLLOW UP, YOU FOLLOW FOR JOHN.
SO NEXT, UM, WE HAVE THREE CITY COUNCIL QUESTIONS.
SO HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE TRUST AND WHAT SPECIFICALLY HAVE YOU DONE IN THE PAST, OR WOULD YOU DO WITH THE CITY OF HEBREW HEIGHTS TO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN A STRONG TRUSTING RELATIONSHIP WITH US OR COUNCIL YOUR STAFF ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND A COLLECTIVE BASIS? UM, OKAY.
TRUST FIRST PART OF THAT IS THE DEFINITION OF TRUST.
UM, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU DEFINE? I THINK IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE.
I MEAN, IF I TELL YOU I'M GOING TO DO SOMETHING, THE EXPECTATION IS I'M GOING TO DO IT AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE TRUST.
UM, IF YOU TELL ME YOU'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING AND PROMISE SOMETHING, AND I THINK THE EXPECTATION IS THAT THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, UM, AS FAR AS HOW YOU DEVELOP TRUST, UM, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S A, THAT'S A LONG PROCESS AND ONE THAT I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN DOING SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
I THINK IF YOU POLLED, DON'T ASK THEM ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN DEW QUESTION, BUT IF YOU PULL THE PEOPLE THAT I WORK WITH AND YOU PULLED MY CURRENT BOSS, UM, MY, MY PREVIOUS BOSSES, UM, MY PEERS, UM, CITY STAFF, IF THEY TRUSTED JOHN RUSSELL TO DO WHAT HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO DO, OR IF I'VE, IF I'VE, IF I'VE TOLD SOMEONE I WAS GOING TO DO SOMETHING, I'D SAY THAT THERE'S, THERE'S A LARGE, IF NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT MAJORITY THAT SAYS THAT, THAT, THAT HAPPENS.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, I THINK, ALTHOUGH TRUST TAKES A LONG TIME, IT CAN BE TAKEN AWAY PRETTY QUICKLY.
UM, PART OF TRUST IS COMMUNICATION AND HONESTY.
IT'S EASY FOR ME, TO BE HONEST, WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO LIKE THE RESPONSE, I FIND THAT A LOT, YOU KNOW, IN THE FIRE DIVISION, IT'S, IT'S EASY TO TELL SOMEBODY GOOD NEWS.
IT IS WAY MORE DIFFICULT TO TELL SOMEBODY WHAT YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR, BUT BEING TRUSTWORTHY AND HONEST, I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU THAT INFORMATION KNOWING YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LIKE IT.
SO, AND I THINK AGAIN, IF YOU LOOKED OVER TIME, MY 22 YEARS, I'VE GOT A SOLID TRACK RECORD OF BUILDING TRUST WITH BOTH STAFFING AND COUNSEL.
ANY FOLLOW UP FOR JOHN ON THAT QUESTION.
SO NEXT UNDER THE COUNCIL QUESTION.
SO HOW WOULD YOU KEEP CITY COUNCIL INFORMED ABOUT SOME OF THE KEY ISSUES, PROJECTS, AND OPERATIONS? THAT'S GOING ON TO SAY? SURE.
UM, I THINK THE FIRST THING IS TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT I PROVIDE YOU, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE KNOW THINGS ARE COMING, UM, FOR WORK SESSION OR WHATNOT, CONCISE, TIMELY DATA AND REPORTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE DIRECTLY RELATED TO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE DISCUSSING.
UM, I THINK SOMETIMES THAT INVOLVES AS WE DID IN THE FIRE DIVISION, BRINGING DEPARTMENT HEADS HERE TO MAKE SURE YOU, YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO ASK THEM QUESTIONS AND MAKE SURE YOU GET THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU HAVE TO VOTE ON SOMETHING.
[03:20:01]
BEEN KIND OF TOYING WITH IN MY MIND, AND, AND AGAIN, I'VE TALKED TO OTHER LEADERS AROUND THE AREA, JUST WHEN I KNEW I WAS APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION TO KIND OF JUST SEE, YOU KNOW, SOME THINGS.AND I KNOW, I REMEMBER AT ONE TIME LONG AGO, WE DID THIS, BUT I REALLY THINK THE CONCEPT OF MAYBE GOING BACK TO A MONTHLY, UM, STAFFING UPDATE OR, OR EVEN HAVING, YOU KNOW, A STAFF MEMBER SEND ME INFORMATION AND COMPILING A LIST OF, OF PROJECTS THAT EACH, YOU KNOW, HR IS WORKING ON THIS, FIRE'S WORKING ON THIS.
I THINK, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE INFORMATION FOR MEETINGS, BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO HAVE INFORMATION IN THE LONG RUN THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING ON, EVEN THOUGH YOU DON'T HEAR ABOUT THEM FROM, FROM TIME TO TIME.
SO I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY WHERE I WOULD START.
JOHN, WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED IS THAT SOMETHING LIKE A CITY MANAGER NEWSLETTER OR UPDATE TO COUNCILS AT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING, I I'D HATE TO CALL IT THAT, BUT SURE.
AND OBVIOUSLY I WOULD WANT TO MAKE SURE I GET ALL THE INFORMATION I CAN FROM EVERY DIVISION ON ANYTHING THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON AND MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT.
YOU KNOW, IF IT'S THE WATER PROJECT.
WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT WATER IN THREE MONTHS, BUT HEY, HERE'S WHERE WE'RE AT ON THAT, ON THAT.
SO THAT WAY YOU'RE NOT SITTING UP THERE AND NOT IN THE DARK, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW, MAYBE WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT WATER IN A WHILE, BUT HERE'S WHERE WE ARE.
AND IF SOMEONE ASKS YOU THAT QUESTION, YOU'RE AWARE OF, OF WHERE WE ARE ON THOSE SITUATIONS.
SO NEXT IN THIS POSITION, THE COUNCIL MAY GIVE DIRECTIVES THAT YOU AND STAFF DO NOT AGREE WITH.
SO HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE DIRECTIVES OF THE WHILE REMAINING AN ADVOCATE FOR THE STAFF? AND I THINK YOU TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SHARING BAD NEWS.
UM, I, SO WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF THINGS, UH, AND AGAIN, JUST ALL I CAN REALLY RELY ON IS MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES.
UM, THE BAD NEWS THINKS, YOU KNOW, BAD NEWS IS NEVER FUN.
UM, ONE THING IN THE FIRE DIVISION THAT WE'VE KIND OF LOOKED AT.
ONE THING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS, UM, UH, WE'VE KIND OF ADOPTED THIS, THIS MANTRA, IF YOU WILL, OF JUST EXTREME OWNERSHIP, UM, WITH IT.
AND AS YOU LOOK AT THAT, ONE OF THE KEY COMPONENTS TO EXTREME OWNERSHIP IS THERE IS A BELIEF OUT THERE THAT IF ME, AS THE LEADER CAN GET YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE POLICY OR DIRECTIVE HAPPENS AND UNDERSTAND HOW IT AFFECTS THE CITIZENS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO EVENTUALLY SAY, MAN, THAT'S NOT A BAD IDEA.
I THINK WE'RE WHERE THE, WHERE THE HICCUP HAPPENS IS A LOT OF TIMES MANAGERS OR STAFF MEMBERS GO BACK TO STAFF AND SAY, OH, HERE IT IS.
AND, AND ONE, IT'S NOT JUST THEIR DELIVERY.
IT'S, IT'S THEIR, IT'S THEIR NONVERBAL CUES.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S ON ME FIRST AS THE MANAGER TO MAKE SURE STAFF UNDERSTANDS THAT I HAVE A STRONG BELIEF THAT WHATEVER YOU HAVE DECIDED IS, IS A DIRECT MESSAGE FROM THE CITIZENS, FROM YOU AS AN ELECTED BODY.
ALSO NOT EVERYBODY'S GOING TO LIKE THIS, BUT AGAIN, I'M A MILITARY KID IN A PARAMILITARY ORGANIZATION.
WE ALL HAVE BOSSES WHEN THE BOSS SAYS SOMETHING, IT HAPPENS AND THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.
SO AS FAR AS BEING AN ADVOCATE, I'M NOT SAYING I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NEVER RIGHT.
YOU'RE NEVER RIGHT TO THE STAFF.
BEING A GOOD LEADER ALSO MEANS BEING A GOOD LISTENER, BEING AN ACTIVE LISTENER.
YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR BEST POLICY AND DIRECTIVE CHANGES HAVE ACTUALLY COME FROM FROM THE LINE PEOPLE.
AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, I SHOULD ACTIVELY TAKE THAT INFORMATION TO YOU TO AFFECT CHANGE.
SO THERE IS A, THERE IS A TWO WAY, UM, PATH, IF YOU WILL TO AFFECT CHANGE IN THE CITY.
I JUST, AGAIN, MY, MY, MY SOLID BELIEF IS IF YOU YOU'VE TOLD US TO DO SOMETHING, THEN WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S PROBABLY THE BEST THING FOR THE MISSION.
SINCE OUT, HAD EVERYBODY ELSE HAD THIS ISSUE WITH THIS UNDERSTANDING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE PROVIDE THE GUIDANCE TO ASSIST MANAGER AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT PUSHES THAT TO STAFF.
AND YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE BULLNOSE ON SOMETHING, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING, UM, UNLESS IT'S ILLEGAL OR WHATEVER, BUT, UM, BUT, BUT SAY THAT YOU'VE, YOU'VE GOTTEN WITH STAFF AND YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS JUST HAVE A STRONG BELIEF THAT WE'RE ONE, OR ALL OF US WERE JUST GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
HOW DO YOU APPROACH THAT WITH US, WITH YOU OR WITH STAFF WITH US, AND THIS IS GOING TO GO BACK AND I, AGAIN, WE'RE ALL GOING TO AGREE ON THINGS.
AND I THINK THAT'S JUST WHERE I HAVE TO TELL YOU, HEY, I, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA USE AN EXAMPLE IF YOU DON'T CARE.
I, WE BROUGHT UP A STAFFING PLAN TO YOU GUYS A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
I THOUGHT BRIAN DID A STELLAR JOB OF GIVING INFORMATION TO YOU.
[03:25:01]
OWN DECISIONS.AND I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU DID EXACTLY WHAT BRIAN WAS RECOMMENDING YOU DO.
BUT BRIAN SAID, THIS IS WHAT WE THINK WE SHOULD PROBABLY BE LOOKING AT.
AND ULTIMATELY, LISTEN, YOU'RE THE ELECTED BODY.
I WILL GIVE YOU THE HARD INFORMATION AND I WILL GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION YOU MAY NOT WANT TO HEAR, BUT ULTIMATELY, SIR, YOU'RE THE ONE THAT'S GOT AN ACCOUNT TO THE CITIZENS, NOT ME.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ENTITLED TO MAKE YOUR OWN DECISIONS THE WAY YOU WANT TO MAKE THEM.
NO, I MEAN THAT HONESTLY, I, I, I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON ALL THINGS.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHEN I'M WRONG.
IT W WE ALL WANT TO, BUT, BUT AGAIN, WE'VE ALSO HAD, I MEAN, I TOLD MY KIDS THIS, YOU KNOW, I'VE ALWAYS SOUGHT COUNSEL FROM MY DAD.
THE BEST DECISIONS I EVER MADE IS WHEN I LISTENED TO WHAT HE SAID, BUT I'VE ALSO MADE THE OPPOSITE DECISION.
DIDN'T ALWAYS GO WELL FOR ME, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT.
I THINK I DO THINK YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
I WANT TO KNOW WHEN I'M WRONG OR WHEN YOU AT LEAST THINK I'M WRONG.
BUT ULTIMATELY YOU ARE THE ELECTED OFFICIAL.
IT'S, IT'S YOUR, IT'S YOUR RIGHT.
AND YOUR DUTY TO DO WHAT YOU THINK IS CORRECT.
MA'AM UM, HOPE I CAN COMMUNICATE THIS, HOW I WANT IT.
YOU BEEN, YOUR ENTIRE CAREER HAS BEEN WITH THE FIRE EMT.
HOW DO YOU FEEL YOU CAN BRIDGE THOSE GAPS? BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO KNOW THAT DIVISION SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
HOW DO YOU, HOW WOULD YOU WORK TO BRIDGE THOSE GAPS SO THAT THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS DON'T FEEL THAT YOU'RE GIVING MORE ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU KNOW? WELL, I WOULD SAY THAT'S A SIMPLE ANSWER FOR ME IS I'M GOING TO NEED TO SPEND WAY MORE TIME IN THOSE OTHER DIVISIONS.
I DON'T NEED TO TALK TO FIRE AT ALL RIGHT NOW, IF, IF I'M ELECTED OR ELECTED, IF I'M SELECTED, I APOLOGIZE.
IF I'M SELECTED, I NEED TO LIVE IN JIM BELL'S OFFICE.
I'M PRETTY ADEPT WITH THE HR DEPARTMENT.
I DON'T NEED TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH POLICE AND FIRE.
I NEED TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
AND, AND MY TRUE GOAL IS I WANT TO LEARN EVERYTHING.
YOU KNOW, I WILL SAY THIS, YOU KNOW, LOVE HIM OR HATE HIM, NICK, SABAN'S A GENIUS, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THIS, NICK SABAN NEVER PLAYED EVERY POSITION ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD.
AND, BUT HE FINDS THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO PLAY THOSE AND COACH THOSE POSITIONS.
AND I WANT TO FIND THOSE PEOPLE AND I WANT TO ATTACH MYSELF TO THEM.
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND FROM EVERY DEPARTMENT, I REALLY TRULY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY DEPARTMENT IS REPRESENTED IN THAT, THAT THEY HAVE THEIR VOICE.
AS WE, AS WE GIVE ADVICE TO YOU AS COUNCIL, THEN THE SECOND PART IS HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR S HOW WILL YOU HANDLE IT? IF YOU MAKE DECISIONS THAT PEOPLE YOU'VE BEEN WITH FOR YEARS, THAT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY LIKE YOUR DECISIONS, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO HANDLE THAT FEEDBACK OR CRITICAL? I WILL TELL YOU I'M ALREADY DOING IT.
I ALREADY MAKE DECISIONS THAT THEY DON'T LIKE EVERY DAY.
UM, AND THAT IS PART OF BEING A LEADER.
I MEAN, I MAKE DECISIONS HONESTLY, AND TRULY BASED ON THE CARE THAT I FEEL WE SHOULD PROVIDE TO THE CITIZENS AND THE SERVICES THAT WE SHOULD PROVIDE LEFT TO, I WON'T SAY ALL, BUT TO SOME MEMBERS OF, OF CITY, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULDN'T DO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD BE DOING.
SO I, I THINK I ALREADY AM PRETTY GOOD AT THAT.
I'M NOT, I MEAN, I DON'T LIKE BEING THE BAD GUY.
I DON'T LIKE BEING THE GUY THAT SAYS HERE'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, AND WE SHOULD BE DOING IT THIS WAY, BUT I'M OKAY WITH IT.
I REALLY HAVE NO PROBLEMS. ANY OTHER FOLLOW-UP.
CAN YOU TELL ME REALLY, JUST ONE SENTENCE, HOW MUCH GRANT WRITING YOU HAVE IT ON HERE THAT YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF GREAT.
CAN YOU TELL ME THE LAST ONE THAT YOU WROTE THAT WAS SUCCESSFUL? I WROTE THE GRANT THAT GOT US ALL THE POWERLIFT CUTS FOR THE FIRE DIVISION PROBABLY SAVED US A COUPLE OF HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS VIOLATED AND THE FOLLOWUP.
SO RUN TO THE EMPLOYEE QUESTIONS ARE CORRECT.
SO DEALING WITH EMPLOYEES, SO HOW DO YOU MONITOR INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE AND WHAT ACTIONS DO YOU TAKE TO ENSURE THAT THE EMPLOYEES PERFORM AT A HIGH LEVEL? SO I THINK MAYBE YOU ADDRESSED THIS A LITTLE BIT, BUT SURE.
THIS IS KIND OF MANAGEMENT STYLE.
SO HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE? WELL, YOU'RE MONITORING THEIR PROFILE.
I THINK ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS IS, AND AGAIN, I'VE GOT SOME INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE CITY FOR AFTER 22 YEARS.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT I KNOW WE'RE ONE OF, NOT THE ONLY DEPARTMENT AT THE FIRESIDE THAT HAD BEEN DOING EVALUATIONS FOR 20 YEARS.
UM, I REALLY FEEL LIKE EMPLOYEES WANT TO DO WELL, BUT EMPLOYEES ONLY DO WELL WHEN THEY UNDERSTAND THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
SO, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I THINK OUR STAFF MEMBERS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS NEED TO IDENTIFY THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR ALL THE EMPLOYEES AND THAT THEY'RE, THAT THEY'RE UNDER.
AND THEN WE NEED TO INSTITUTE, INSTITUTE SOME TYPE OF ANNUAL EMPLOYEE
[03:30:01]
EVALUATION.AND AGAIN, WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING IN THE FIRE DIVISION.
I DO KNOW IN THE FIRE DIVISION, WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT SOME OTHER IDEAS SINCE WE'VE BEEN DOING IT SO LONG.
WE'RE TRYING TO KIND OF TWEAK IT NOW AND MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
UM, THERE IS A SCHOOL OF THOUGHT OUT THERE THAT ANNUAL EVALUATIONS ARE MAYBE TOO LONG.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WHEN I SIT DOWN TO DO AN EMPLOYEE'S EVALUATION, MY MEMORY, I CAN REALLY ONLY CONSIDER THE LAST THREE MONTHS BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY ALL I CAN REMEMBER.
AND SO I'M, IF I WERE WINNING SOMEBODY ON A THREE MONTH PROCESS, WHEN IT REALLY SHOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE 12 MONTH PROCESS, I AM NOT OUTSIDE THE REALM OF CONSIDERING MAYBE DOING QUARTERLY FOLLOWUPS, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE EMPLOYEE IS STILL ON TASK, STILL TRYING TO REACH THOSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
AND REALLY HONESTLY, IT'LL IN THE LONG RUN, IT WILL REALLY BENEFIT THE DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO THE EMPLOYEE, BECAUSE THEN, YOU KNOW, THE SUPERVISOR CAN SAY, HEY, YOU'RE NOT HERE.
WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE YOU GET HERE? AND SO I THINK POTENTIALLY QUARTERLY FOLLOWUPS TO AN ANNUAL EVALUATION MAY BE A LITTLE BETTER PROCESS.
NOW, THERE WAS A SECOND PART TO THAT.
CAN YOU READ THE LAST PART OF THAT? YOU SAID IT WAS JUST, UM, MAKING SURE THAT YOUR EMPLOYEES ARE PERFORMING AT A HIGH LEVEL.
SO I, I W I'D LIKE TO ADD A FOLLOW UP TO THAT THEN, UM, THE WAY EMPLOYEES PERFORM AT A HIGH LEVEL OUTSIDE OF EVEN EMPLOYEE EVALUATIONS IS WINDY.
WE NEED TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THE RIGHT TRAINING, THE RIGHT EDUCATION AND SOME TYPE OF MENTORSHIP.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I THINK EMPLOYEES COME TO THIS CITY BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHAT WE BRING TO THE TABLE, BUT WE'RE HIRING SOME REALLY TALENTED INDIVIDUALS.
WE NEED TO SET THEM UP IN THE FIRE DIVISION.
WE'VE GOT A, AND I KNOW I KEEP GOING TO THAT AND I APOLOGIZE, BUT IT'S, I'M PROUD OF IT.
I MEAN, WE, WE TRULY SAY WE'RE GOING TO TRAIN OUR REPLACEMENTS.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT EVERY EMPLOYEE WANTS.
EMPLOYEES STARTS TODAY WANTING TO ASCEND AND BE BETTER, AND WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD AFFORD THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY.
SO, JOHN, YOU HAD MENTIONED, YOU USED THE TERM KIND OF, YOU WERE A MILITARY BRAT AND YOU TALKED ABOUT IT, MAYBE A PARAMILITARY STYLES OF MANAGEMENT.
SO, UM, MY FOLLOW UP WOULD BE, DO YOU HAVE, SO IN DEVELOPING KIND OF KEY PERFORMANCE MEASURES OR GOALS, OBJECTIVES, OR WHATEVER THE EXPECTATIONS ARE, WHAT'D YOU GET FEEDBACK FROM THE EMPLOYEES AT WHAT, WHAT LEVEL OF, WHAT LEVEL OF INTERACTION WOULD YOU LET EACH ONE OF YOUR DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT ARE MANAGING HELP DEVELOP WHAT THOSE GOALS ARE? ARE THOSE GOALS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SAVE? JUST NO, NO, I WOULD ACTUALLY, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TOTAL AUTONOMY.
I MEAN, I I'M I AGAIN, I'M GOING TO WATCH OVER THAT PROCESS, BUT HR KNOWS HR AND HR SHOULD BE DICTATING WHAT THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR HR RIGHT NOW.
MY BIGGEST, MY GLOBAL PICTURE IS THAT I NEED TO MAKE SURE THOSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FALL IN LINE WITH YOU GUYS AND YOUR MISSION FOR THE CITY.
AND IF THEY'RE NOT, THEN WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT REALIGNING SOME OF THOSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
I THINK PUBLIC WORKS KNOWS PUBLIC WORKS.
AND I THINK THAT THEY, THEY SHOULD HAVE SOME SAY IF NOT A MAJORITY OF THE SAY IN HOW THOSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES GET, GET DEFINED.
JOHN, AM I HEARING YOU SAY THAT IF YOU WERE APPOINTED TO THE POSITION THAT YOU WOULD GLOBALLY THROUGHOUT THE CITY, THE CITY OF HUBER HEIGHTS ORGANIZATION IMPLEMENT AND EVALUATE THE EMPLOYEE, IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
IF I'M SELECTED, IT'S GOING TO, OKAY.
MA'AM I'VE ASKED THIS OF ALL THE CANDIDATES AT SHORT, BE FAIR.
I THINK YOU COVERED IT, BUT HOW OFTEN WOULD YOU ROUND THE, THE STAFF? HOW OFTEN WOULD I ROUND? SO LIKE, YOU'D SIT DOWN WITH THEM ONCE A WEEK.
YOU SAID YOU'D HAVE, SO, I MEAN RIGHT NOW, RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, AS, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THEY HAVE WEEKLY STAFF MEETINGS.
SO, AND I THINK THOSE ARE GIVEN TO JUST KIND OF FALL IN LINE WITH, WITH THE, UM, MEETINGS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE.
UM, AND I THINK I'D PROBABLY CONTINUE THAT.
I THINK THAT'S, WE, WE TRY AND DO THAT IN THE FIRE DIVISION.
I THINK THAT'S GOT SOME VALUE IN SOME MERIT.
UM, EVEN IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY BIG PROJECTS, LITTLE THINGS POP UP, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO AT LEAST HEAR FROM EVERYBODY ON A WEEKLY BASIS TO KIND OF SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO, TO ASSIST, OR IS THERE ANYTHING THAT THEY NEED FOR ME TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, UH, A PROJECT MOVE FASTER OR QUICKER.
SO JOHN, HOW WOULD YOU EFFECTIVELY DELEGATE AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO EMPLOYEES WHILE MAINTAINING THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND OPERATIONAL CONTROLS? SO THIS KIND OF GOES BACK TO WHAT WE JUST DISCUSSED BRIEFLY, BUT, UM, I HATE THE WORD DELEGATION.
I THINK WE'VE ALL HAD A BOSS WHO DELEGATION JUST MEANT YOU'RE GOING TO DO MY JOB AND I'M GOING TO DO NOTHING.
[03:35:01]
IDEA.UM, I THINK WE NEED TO INVOLVE OUR SUBORDINATES.
UM, I, I PREFER DECENTRALIZATION IF YOU WILL.
UM, IT'S, IT'S JUST DETERMINED SOME OF MY READINGS THAT I'VE PICKED UP IN SOME LEADERSHIP BOOKS, BUT, UH, UM, DECENTRALIZATION WOULD BE MORE OF EXPLAINING THE, THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF WHATEVER SOLUTION OR PROBLEM WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE.
UM, MAKING SURE THAT THE EMPLOYEES UNDERSTAND THOSE GOALS AND THAT'S THE KEY RIGHT THERE IS THEY HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ARE.
AND THEN HONESTLY, AND TRULY, AND THIS HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE.
EMPLOYEES WANT TO WORK, THEY WANT TO DO THINGS, LET THEM DO THOSE, LET THEM INNOVATE, LET THEM COME UP.
YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE BEST IDEAS WE'VE EVER HAD IN THE FIRE DIVISION CAME FROM THE PERSON TAKING THE EMS CALLS, NOT FROM THE PERSON SITTING IN CHIEF NAZIS POSITION.
SO AS FAR AS DELEGATION GOES, I THINK HAVING SOLID SOUND GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, LETTING THEM DO THEIR WORK.
NOW, I'M ALSO A BIG FAN OF TRUST, BUT VERIFY, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE IN THE PROCESS I NEED TO, I NEED TO COME BACK IN AND SAY, WHERE ARE WE AT IN THIS, IN THIS? AND SO DOES SORT OF THE STAFF MEMBERS AND THE SUPERVISORS.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S KINDA WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IS YOU MAY COME IN AND THERE'S, THERE'S AN ISSUE THAT THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET AROUND, AND WE CAN MAYBE PROVIDE SOME INSIGHT OR SOME IDEAS ON HOW TO GET AROUND THAT AND CONTINGENCY OR SOMETHING.
UM, BUT I, I LIKED THAT IDEA WAY BETTER THAN, YOU KNOW, DELEGATION.
UM, NOW, AS FAR AS ACCOUNTABILITY AND MARY YOU'VE SAID IT, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, MY UPBRINGING, I MEAN, ACCOUNTABILITY IS GOING TO STOP WITH ME.
UM, IF I'VE OUTLINED THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, IF I HAVE MADE THEM AWARE AND HAVE ENSURED THAT THEY'RE AWARE AND SOMETHING DOESN'T COME TO FRUITION, I'VE FAILED IF THE TEAM'S VALE.
SO I'M GOING TO, I MEAN, THE BUCK STOPS HERE.
THANKS ANY OTHER FOLLOW-UP OKAY.
SO THE LAST QUESTION OR EMPLOYEE QUESTION, SO HOW WOULD YOU EMBRACE AND PROMOTE DIVERSITY? SURE.
AND ESTABLISH A WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT WHERE EMPLOYEES FEEL VALUED AND RESPECTED.
I MEAN, I THINK THE FIRST STEP, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY THE FIRST STEP IS JUST, JUST STARTING THE CONVERSATION AND NOT BEING AFRAID TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION.
UM, I THINK IT'S A LOT OF TIMES IT GETS, UH, SOMETIMES A NEGATIVE MANTRA.
UM, SO WE NEED TO BE ENCOURAGED TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION ON HOW WE GET THERE.
I THINK THE SECOND PART IS WE'VE GOTTA BE TOTALLY OPEN AND TRANSPARENT ABOUT WHAT THE PROCESS IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
I THINK THE THIRD STEP FOR US IS, AND I'VE ACTUALLY SPOKEN TO HR ABOUT THIS IS WE'VE GOT TO SET OUR EMPLOYEES UP FOR SUCCESS.
WE'VE GOT TO PROVIDE THE RIGHT SKILLS AND TRAINING AND TOOLS TO CREATE THIS ENVIRONMENT THAT WE WANT TO CREATE.
UM, AND IN DOING SO I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET MORE BUY-IN FROM OUR EMPLOYEES.
WE'RE GOING TO GET THOSE, UM, UM, PEOPLE THAT WERE AFRAID TO SPEAK UP AND SAY THINGS, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, ABOUT CERTAIN SUBJECTS OR TOPICS OR WHATEVER, TO, TO BRING THOSE TO FRUITION.
AND WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE THAT.
AND AGAIN, IT'S, I'M A BIG FAN OF, OF OWNERSHIP AND IT'S GOING TO START WITH ME AND IT'S GOING TO START WITH MY, UM, ABILITY TO PROVIDE THOSE TRAININGS TO THE, TO THE HR AND TO THE STAFF MEMBERS.
BUT THEN IT'S ALSO GOING TO HAVE TO COME FROM MY OWN PERSONAL, UM, ACTIONS.
I'VE GOT TO SHOW THAT I BOUGHT INTO THIS FOLLOW-UP OKAY.
SO NEXT WE'LL GET INTO KIND OF SOME OF THE, UM, I THINK THERE'S SOME BUDGETING AND HUMAN RESOURCE QUESTIONS.
SO DECISION-MAKERS AND RESIDENTS HAVE VARYING LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING WHEN IT COMES TO FINANCIAL ISSUES IN THE CITY.
SO WHAT METHODS HAVE YOU FOUND TO BE MOST SUCCESSFUL IN CONVEYING INFORMATION TO DECISION-MAKERS WHERE NECESSARY AND ASSISTING THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF NEEDS VERSUS ONCE? ALL RIGHT.
LET ME MAKE SURE I, SO WHAT HAVE I FOUND USEFUL IN PRESENTING INFORMATION TO DECISION MAKERS AND THEN ALSO, HOW DO I MAKE THEM UNDERSTAND THE NEED VERSUS THE WANT CORRECT METHODS AND OKAY.
WE GOT NEEDS AND WANTS WE CAN'T.
UM, I REALLY, HONESTLY, I, I LIKE THE METHOD THAT WE'VE USED ROUTINELY, UM, FROM MY DIVISION.
UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO BRING INFORMATION TO YOU THAT IS, UM, UM, CONCISE, THAT IS ROOTED IN GOOD DATA AND GOOD FACTS.
AND I THINK THAT IF YOU'RE PRESENTED WITH THAT INFORMATION AND YOU HAVE THE DATA AND FACTS THAT WE PRESENTED AS WE PRESENTED THEM NOW, AGAIN, WE'VE ALSO GOT
[03:40:01]
TO MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT GOOD DATA, YOU KNOW, COMING IN, BUT IF IT'S GOOD SOUND DATA AND FACTS, AND WE PRESENT TO YOU IN A, IN A CONCISE WAY, I THINK YOU THEN HAVE THE INFORMATION NECESSARY TO MAKE A SOUND DECISION.AND THE FOLLOW-UP TO THAT WOULD BE THEN IS, IS HAVING THOSE STAFF MEMBERS HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT MIGHT ARISE, UM, UM, AFTER THAT PRESENTATION OR DURING THAT PRESENTATION.
SO PART OF THAT QUESTION WAS NOT JUST DECISION MAKERS, BUT RESIDENTS.
SO WE HAVE ISSUES WITH JUST REALLY EVERYONE IN THE CITY.
THAT WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE FINANCIAL ISSUES ARE.
SO HOW DO YOU RELAY THAT INFORMATION? SO I KIND OF WANTED TO GO FORWARD THEN TO THAT, THAT WANT VERSUS THE NEED.
AND I THINK THAT HELPS KIND OF GET WHERE YOU'RE WANTING TO GO HERE.
UM, TRULY I THINK TO MAKE SOMEONE UNDERSTAND THE WANT VERSUS THE NEED IT'S IN MY MIND, THE SIMPLEST FORM OF THE EASIEST THING IS TO TIE IT TO DIRECTLY TO CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SERVICE DELIVERY.
A NEED IS SOMETHING THAT IS RIGHT NOW IMPACTING SERVICE DELIVERY.
RIGHT NOW THEY WANT IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, DOWN THE ROAD IN THE FUTURE, IT MAY HAVE AN IMPACT ON SERVICE DELIVERY, BUT RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE STATUS QUO.
THE BEST EXAMPLE I'VE GOT IS, WAS IT FEBRUARY, WE BROUGHT TO THIS BODY, UM, A NEED TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR OUR LADDER TRUCK AND A MAINTENANCE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE WITH THIS, WITH THIS LADDER TRUCK THAT WE CURRENTLY OWN.
I THOUGHT WE DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF DESCRIBING THE NEED RIGHT THEN AND THERE.
AND YOU GUYS ACTED ON THAT BECAUSE OF THAT DESCRIPTION TO GET THAT, UM, THAT MONEY APPROPRIATELY PRETTY QUICKLY.
DID THAT ANSWER WHERE YOU'RE GOING OR, OKAY.
HANG ON THE FOLLOW-UP FROM THE COUNSELOR.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WOULD BE THE TIME TO ASK THE QUESTION, BUT JOHN, THIS CITY IS GOING TO BE FACED WITH A DECISION IN A COUPLE OF YEARS OF PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, TAX INITIATIVE, AS IT RELATES TO THE INCOME TAX THAT WOULD FIT INTO THIS QUESTION, UM, NEEDS VERSUS ONE TIME WE CAN.
SO IF THIS COUNCIL DECIDED TO PUT THAT INITIATIVE, THAT ISSUE ON THE BALLOT, HOW SUCCESSFUL DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE IN GETTING THAT MESSAGE OUT TO THE CITIZENS IN GETTING THAT ISSUE PAST? I WOULD SAY ROB SCHIRMER WAS A GREAT CHAMPION, BUT I LED THE LABOR FORCE IN GETTING INITIATIVES PASSED.
SO I WOULD SAY VERY SUCCESSFUL.
SO CONSIDERING HE WRITES GROWTH, WHAT STEPS WOULD YOU TAKE TO ENSURE THAT OUR STAFFING, OUR BUDGET AND EQUIPMENT ARE POSITIONED TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE QUALITY SERVICES TO ALL OUR RESIDENTS? AND THEN HOW WOULD YOU MANAGE TO STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE FROM, FROM PEOPLE SHARE EQUIPMENT? YEAH, SO I, I THINK KIND OF GOING BACK TO WHAT WE JUST DISCUSSED.
SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE'VE GOT TO GET ALL S ALL DEPARTMENTS GATHERING, APPROPRIATE DATA AND GETTING GOOD DATA FOR US AND GETTING GOOD DATA COMING IN BECAUSE WITHOUT INFORMATION COMING IN, WE REALLY HAVE NO MEASURE OF ABOUT WHERE WE'RE AT OR WHERE WE'RE GOING.
I GO BACK TO THE PRESENTATION WE JUST MADE FROM THE FIRE DIVISION.
WE CAN SHOW THROUGH THE DATA THAT WE'VE GATHERED THAT OUR CALL VOLUME HAS EXPONENTIALLY INCREASED IN THE LAST 10 YEARS.
AND OUR STAFFING IS, HAS NOT FOLLOWED THAT TREND.
UM, ONCE WE HAVE THE DATA AND WE'RE, WE'RE GOOD ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GETTING DATA FROM ALL DEPARTMENTS, THEN I THINK WE START THE ANALYSIS PHASE IN ANALYZING THE DATA.
I REALLY THINK THAT THAT WILL ASSIST US IN, IN SHOWING THE SHORTCOMINGS AND SHOWING THE DEFICITS OF WHERE THEY ARE IN MY EXPERIENCE, WE THEN START THE PLANNING PROCESS AND WE PUT THE PLANNING PROCESS UP AGAINST OUR CURRENT STAFFING BUDGET AND EQUIPMENT AND SEE WHERE WE FALL SHORT.
AND THEN IT'S UP TO US TO FIND OUT HOW WE, HOW WE BRIDGE THAT GAP AND CLOSE THAT, THAT SHORTFALL THAT'S THERE A FOLLOW-UP.
SO GIVE ME, UH, COMMUNICATIONS COMMUNITY STUFF.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO THE TEAM MANAGER, BE A STRONG COMMUNITY SUPPORTER AND ENGAGE WITH RESIDENTS.
HOW WOULD YOU ESTABLISH THOSE RELATIONSHIPS? AND HE WRITES IF YOU'RE SELECTED TO BE SYDNEY.
YEAH, I MEAN, THIS ONE'S PRETTY EASY.
UH, I THINK I LEAD OFF BY SAYING I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 40 YEARS.
I'VE SPENT 40 YEARS SUPPORTING THIS COMMUNITY, SUPPORTING THE SCHOOLS AND I'VE SPENT 40 YEARS BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS.
UM, I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE GOT SOME TOUGH DECISIONS TO MAKE THERE'S SOME REALLY GOOD CANDIDATES, BUT IT WOULD TAKE ALL THREE OF THOSE CANDIDATES AND ENTIRE LIFETIME TO DEVELOP THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT I HAVE.
[03:45:01]
I HAVE RELATIONSHIPS HERE LOCALLY, UM, WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF THE SCHOOLS, WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF THE, UH, YMCA.I HAVE, UM, RELATIONSHIPS HERE LOCALLY WITH, UM, CHURCHES, CIVIC GROUPS.
UM, I HAVE I'VE REGIONAL AFFILIATIONS AND, AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH BOTH HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS, UM, WITH MULTIPLE TEACHING FACILITIES.
UM, SO I THINK I'VE DID A GOOD JOB.
I THINK I'VE, I'VE WORKED HARD AT BUILDING GOOD SOUND RELATIONSHIPS, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS IN A WAY THAT, THAT BENEFITS THE CITY AND ITS CITIZENS.
ANY FOLLOW-UP ON THAT QUESTION DONE.
CAN YOU EXPAND ON JUST A LITTLE BIT? WHAT DO YOU SEE DOING DIFFERENTLY OR IN ADDITION TO WHAT YOU'RE ALREADY DOING AS A CITY MANAGER, HOW WOULD YOU REALLY, AND, UH, STRIVE TO ENGAGE IN THE COMMUNITY? I MEAN, I, I, I, I WANT TO BE THE AMBASSADOR.
I WANT TO BE THE HEAD CHEERLEADER.
I GET REALLY TIRED OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T SHOW US IN A POSITIVE WAY.
AND THAT'S, I MEAN, I, I WANT TO BE THE AMBASSADOR.
TOUTING HOW AMAZING I FEEL EVERY DIVISION IN THE CITY IS.
AND I THINK WE'VE GOT SOME OF THE BEST WORKERS IN THE CITY.
I LISTEN, I NETWORK, AND I KNOW WHAT OTHER CITIES HIRE AND I KNOW WHO THEY HIRE AND WE ARE TOP NOTCH.
SO DESCRIBE A SITUATION THAT WOULD ILLUSTRATE YOUR APPROACH TO ENGAGE IN THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY INTERACTING WITH AND GETTING INPUT FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE DIFFERENT CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS.
UM, PROBABLY MY BEST EXAMPLE AND ONE THAT I THINK YOU'RE ALL MOST FAMILIAR WITH WOULD BE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THE INITIATIVE THAT I FEEL BROUGHT A LOT OF DIFFERENT RESOURCES OF PEOPLE TOGETHER FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS WILL BE OUR PINK RIBBON INITIATIVE WITH THE PINK BAR TRUCK, YOU KNOW, UNDER MY LEADERSHIP.
UM, AT THE TIME WITH THE, UM, HUMAN RIGHTS FIREFIGHTERS, WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, BRING TOGETHER MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS TO, UM, SUPPORT THE PINK RIBBON GIRLS AND THEIR INITIATIVE TOWARDS, UM, UH, WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER.
UM, IN DOING THAT INITIATIVE, YOU KNOW, WE BROUGHT TOGETHER CITY RESOURCES, WE BROUGHT TOGETHER PRIVATE AND PUBLIC RESOURCES.
WE BROUGHT TOGETHER, UM, SCHOOLS, WE BROUGHT TOGETHER A CIVIC GROUPS, UM, OTHER NONPROFITS, AND AT OUR HEIGHT, OUR BEST YEAR IN A MONTH, WE WERE ABLE TO RAISE OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT YEAR.
WE WERE RECOGNIZED BY THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATES AND THE FIREFIGHTERS AS BEING ONE OF THE TOP EARNERS FOR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS.
SO I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING I'M MOST PROUD OF AND, AND JUST SHOWS THAT THAT WHAT A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT CAN DO TO GET PEOPLE.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF MOVING PARTS.
UM, YOU GUYS HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS WERE ALSO BECAUSE YOU JUST CAME HERE, YOU KNOW, GOT ON TOP OF THE FIRETRUCK.
AND, BUT THERE WERE, SO, I MEAN, WE WENT TO CINCINNATI RED, OR SINCE I'VE BEEN IN THOSE GAMES, THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAD TO USE THAT THOSE YEARS WERE.
SO A LOT OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, A LOT OF DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER FOR ONE CAUSE ANY FOLLOW-UP TO THAT.
SO WITH MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, A PRIMARY FOCUS OF THE CITY MANAGER WILL BE ADVISING CITY COUNCIL REGARDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, AND THEN WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ENTITIES TO ENSURE THAT FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IS IN THE BEST LONG-TERM INTEREST OF THE CITY.
WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? OKAY.
SO I'LL JUST GIVE YOU MY BACKGROUND CURRENTLY WHERE I'M AT IN A LITTLE FILL-IN.
UM, I LET OFFER INITIALLY SAYING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, MY DEPARTMENT, ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT I MANAGE IS THE FIRE PREVENTION, FIRE MARSHALL'S OFFICE.
UM, MY STAFF AND I ARE AT THE GROUND FLOOR WORKING WITH DEVELOPERS AS THEY MOVE INTO THE CITY.
UM, WE ASSIST IN THE PLANNING PHASES.
WE ASSIST FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, MAKING SURE THAT OCCUPANCY DESIGN LOCATION AND EVERYTHING MATCHES AND IS IN LINE WITH CURRENT LAWS AND REGULATIONS ESTABLISHED BY THIS BODY.
[03:50:01]
GET THEM THROUGH THE APPROVAL PROCESSES AND THE APPROVAL PHASES ALL THE WAY THROUGH FINAL INSPECTIONS.UM, SOMETHING THAT I ALSO BRING THAT THAT IS NOT FINALLY SOMETHING NOT FIRE DEPARTMENT RELATED, UM, IS, I MEAN, I'VE GOT 20 PLUS YEARS OF REAL ESTATE EXPERIENCE.
UM, I WORKED FOR A BROKER HERE IN, IN HUBER HEIGHTS.
UM, I'VE WORKED WITH DEVELOPERS, I'VE WORKED WITH BUYERS AND I'VE WORKED HARD TO BRING A GOOD SOUND AGREEMENT TOGETHER THAT BENEFITED MY CLIENTS.
SO THIS WOULD BE THE FOLLOWUP QUESTION TO THAT ONE.
AND THAT IS, DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE AND BUILDING PRODUCTIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUTSIDE GROUPS, SUCH AS ANY OTHER CITY OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS.
SO WE'RE, I MEAN, WE'RE ALREADY DOING THAT IN THE FIRE DIVISION.
UM, I'LL JUST GIVE YOU THE QUICKEST EXAMPLE I CAN THINK OF IS TWO WEEKS AGO.
UM, WE OPENED UP OUR, OUR TRAINING FACILITY AND WE INVITED RIVERSIDE VANDELIA FAIRBORN BUTLER, UM, AND COLLABORATIVE.
WE USED OUR RESOURCES, OUR INSTRUCTORS, OUR, UM, UH, TRAINING TOWER AND IN A COST SAVING INITIATIVE TO TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE AROUND THE REGIONS GOT THE SAME TRAINING.
AND I THINK I WOULD CONTINUE TO DO THOSE THINGS ON THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT I HAVE WITH, WITH THE CITY OF DAYTON, WITH KETTERING BEAVER CREEK.
UM, I THINK THESE ARE SOME THINGS THAT COULD, WE CAN STAND TALL AND BE PROUD OF ANY FOLLOW UP.
SO THIS IS THE LAST QUESTION SAYS, OH, THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
SO, UH, DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE IN ASSESSING THE STRUCTURE OF AN ORGANIZATION AND THEN RECOMMENDING CHANGES TO THAT ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE THAT WOULD PROMOTE EFFICIENCY AND A PHILOSOPHY OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.
SO, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY, SO I'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF EXPERIENCE IN DIFFERENT AREAS.
I'LL START OFF WITH, OBVIOUSLY YOU GUYS ARE TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT, UM, WE HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE CALLED QUALITY IMPROVEMENT AT THE FIRE DIVISION.
UM, FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS, BOTH AS A LINE FIREMAN, AS A, A UNION REPRESENTATIVE AND AS AN EXECUTIVE MEMBER OF STAFF, WE HAVE ALWAYS, ALWAYS LOOKED AT WAYS TO IMPROVE OUR SERVICE DELIVERY, TO FIND WAYS TO, UM, DO MORE WITH LESS TO USE GRANT FUNDING, TO, TO BUY FIRE ENGINES, TO BUY, UM, AUTOMATIC LIFT COTS.
UM, SO WE ARE ALWAYS, AND YOU JUST SAW, UH, TWO WEEKS AGO, WE'RE TRYING TO PROJECT AND PREDICT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALWAYS PROVIDING THE BEST SERVICES TO OUR CITIZENS.
SO RIGHT NOW I'D SAY, YOU KNOW, AT THE GROUND FLOOR, I'VE GOT A LOT OF EXPERIENCE INTERNALLY JUST WITH THE FIRE DIVISION NOW EXTERNALLY.
UM, I PROBABLY SHOULD'VE MENTIONED THIS EARLIER, UM, WHEN I DID MY INTRO, BUT, UM, I AM CURRENTLY THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT THE YMCA HERE.
UM, WE ARE ROUTINELY LOOKING AT AND REEVALUATING, UM, NOT JUST THE STRUCTURE, BUT JUST THE SERVICES THAT WE'RE DELIVERING TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND, AND WE'RE INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS ALMOST ANNUALLY.
UM, AND THEN I'M ALSO, UM, ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT THE FIREFIGHTERS CREDIT UNION DOWN IN DAYTON.
AND, YOU KNOW, OVER THE YEARS IN MY TENURE THERE, WE'VE LOOKED AT, UM, NUMEROUS, UM, RE-EVALUATIONS IN HOW TO MAKE OUR PROCESSES BETTER AND ALSO HOW TO LEAD US INTO, AND WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN THREE MERGERS NOW WITH OTHER CREDIT UNIONS.
SO, UM, I'D SAY I'VE GOT QUITE A BIT OF EXPERIENCE AT, AT EVALUATING A STRUCTURE AND TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
AT THANK YOU, MAYOR, UH, MR. RUSSELL.
I THINK YOU'VE DONE A VERY GOOD JOB TODAY.
UM, MY QUESTION DAY ONE AS CITY MANAGER, WHENEVER THAT DAY WOULD COME.
UM, HOW LONG WOULD YOU ESTIMATE IT WOULD TAKE YOU TO ASSESS OUR CITY, UH, THEN TO ASSESS OUR CITY STAFF AND THEN OUR ASSETS IN THE CITY GOVERNMENT, AND THEN TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON STRATEGIC PLANNING, UH, GOING FORWARD, APPROXIMATELY HOW LONG WOULD YOU ESTIMATE GIVING YOURSELF, UH, FROM DAY ONE BEFORE YOU CAN MAKE ANY OF SUBSTANTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL? I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I COULD DO IT QUICKLY AND GET IT BEFORE THIS BUDGET CYCLE THIS YEAR, BUT I'M NOT, I THINK THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S SHORTSIGHTED.
I THINK I'D LIKE SOME TIME I'VE GOT SOME INTERNAL HISTORY HERE, BUT I, AGAIN, THERE'S SOME DEPARTMENTS THAT I HAVEN'T TALKED TO AND I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO SHORT SIDE ANYBODY.
UM, I KNOW WE'VE GOT SOME OPENINGS.
I KNOW WE'VE GOT SOME AREAS WHERE WE COULD CONSOLIDATE A FEW THINGS AND MAYBE STREAMLINE A FEW THINGS.
UM, AND, AND I COULD MAYBE DO THAT FAIRLY QUICKLY, BUT I WOULD BE REMISSED IF I WOULD SAY I COULD TALK TO EVERY DEPARTMENT AND GET EVERYBODY'S INPUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, TRULY BEFORE THE BUDGET CYCLE
[03:55:01]
REALLY STARTED HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING, UM, AND UNDERSTAND THAT'S THE SAME QUESTION I'VE ASKED EACH CITY MANAGER CANDIDATE COMING FROM OUTSIDE THE CITY.EVERYONE HAS THAT LEARNING CURVE, ANY NEW JOB FOR ALL OF OUR CANDIDATES ARE GOING TO BE LEARNING AND THERE'S GOING TO BE A LEARNING CURVE.
SO I'D SAY MY CURVE WOULD BE SHORTER, HONESTLY, JUST BECAUSE OF THE HISTORY.
AND I DO KNOW SOME OF THE WORKINGS, UM, BUT IT THERE'S STILL GOING TO BE A CURVE, RIGHT.
A COUPLE MONTHS, THREE MONTHS, SIX MONTHS, SIX MONTHS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MS. RUSSELL.
ANY OTHER FOLLOW-UP WHAT HAPPENED? OKAY.
SO, UH, JOHN, NOW I'LL JUST KIND OF OPEN THE FLOOR TO YOU.
IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE FOR ME OR ANYBODY ON THE COUCH.
HONESTLY, THE ONLY REAL THING I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT AS I LOOK AT THINGS, AND I THINK YOU JUST HIT IT, SIR.
UM, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE'S AN APPETITE FOR POTENTIALLY SOME RESTRUCTURING.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF I FIND A WAY TO RESTRUCTURE AND, AND REORGANIZE AND KIND OF MOVE THINGS AROUND, IS THIS BODY OPEN TO THAT CONCEPT? WELL, I THINK WITH THE POSITION OF THE CITY MANAGER AND THERE, THAT WOULD BE YOUR DECISION.
I MEAN, I THINK CERTAINLY COUNCIL WOULD APPRECIATE ANY INPUT YOU HAD ABOUT ANY TYPE OF RESTRUCTURING I THINK ARE GOING TO BE DISCUSSION THAT COULD BE HAD.
UM, HOPEFULLY YOU WOULD BE, UM, WILLING TO MAYBE LISTEN TO SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OR THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE THE SAME WAY THAT WE WOULD LISTEN TO YOU AND ON YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
BUT ULTIMATELY YOU, I THINK I'VE, I'VE, I'VE HEARD, IT SAID LOTS OF TIMES THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CANDIDATE IS ONLY THE CANDIDATE UNTIL THE, UNTIL THE DAY THEY WALK INTO THE JOB, NOT THE DESK.
SO, SO WHEN THAT DAY COMES, IF THIS COUNCIL CHOOSES YOU, THOSE DECISIONS ARE YOURS, BUT I THINK I WOULD APPRECIATE JUST COMMUNICATION ON WHAT TOTALLY RESTRUCTURED AND I, AND I WOULD HONESTLY, I WOULD, I WOULD VALUE EVERYONE'S OPINION ON THAT, BECAUSE AGAIN, I THINK IT'S FOOLISH FOR ME TO SIT DOWN AND THINK THAT IN SIX MONTHS I'VE GOT ALL THE ANSWERS AND WE'RE GOING TO FIX THIS WITHOUT, I MEAN, SOME OF YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME REALLY DEEP INSIDE THAT THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL.
ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? UH, ANYTHING ELSE? OH YEAH.
DON AND WE'LL COME UP WITH, THANKS.
I'D JUST LIKE TO ANSWER JOHN'S QUESTION, UM, BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU THAT I WOULD APPLAUD THAT IF WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IN OUR NEXT CITY MANAGER IS VISION.
I WANT A COACH THAT COMES IN THAT RECOGNIZES THAT WE DO HAVE STRONG PLAYERS ON OUR TEAM.
WE DO WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN IS TO HAVE THAT PULL TOGETHER.
AND I THINK A CITY MANAGER NEEDS TO HAVE THE VISION, UH, THAT WOULD BE LOOKING AT RESTRUCTURING THE ORGANIZATION, UM, MAKING THIS THING WORK, UM, NOT UNLIKE WHAT I'VE SEEN THE FIRE DIVISION DO.
MY ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS ABSOLUTELY.
I'D LIKE TO ANSWER THAT AS WELL.
I'M A HUGE FAN OF AGGRESSIVE CREATIVITY, SO YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
I'M ALWAYS DOWN FOR A NEW THING TO CHECK IT OUT, SEE WHAT'S OUT THERE.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS ARE WORTH, REINVENTING AND REUSING, BUT THEN AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE CHANGE TIME CHANGES, SO WE SHOULD BE CHANGING, ALWAYS LOOKING FOR IT.
AT JOHN, THE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE NOW, UH, WITH THE DEPARTURE OF SCOTT BELL KOSKI AS A CITY ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, I THINK HE ACTED IN THE CAPACITY AS PLANNER.
UM, I'M NOT SURE WE NEED TO ASSISTANCE.
YEAH, BUT I AM A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE WE NEED A PLANNER.
I WOULD TOTALLY, AND I WOULD, I WOULD WELCOME A COMPLETE THOROUGH EVALUATION OF OUR CITY ORGANIZATION IN SOMEONE TO COME BACK AND GIVE US SOME RECOMMENDATION.
WELL, I WOULD BE WILLING TO DO THAT.
UM, TH THE ONE THING THIS CITY HAS NEVER DONE WELL, EVERY ONE OF US HAVE BEEN ON THIS DIOCESE IS EVALUATE OUR EMPLOYEES.
AND I THINK THAT'S, I'M NOT SAYING THAT YOU ARE SHORT-SIGHTED, BUT I THINK WE'RE DOING OUR EMPLOYEES A DISSERVICE WE ARE IN.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD CATAPULT US TO THAT NEXT LEVEL AS IT RELATES TO EMPLOYEES.
AND WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GOOD EMPLOYEES THAT WANT TO DO GOOD.
AND I THINK WE COULD START LOOKING AT WITHIN AND BEING ABLE TO ADVANCE PEOPLE MORE BETTER.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE CONSIDERATION.
[04:00:03]
OKAY.I'LL JUST ASK, IS THERE, UM, AN APPETITE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR A LITTLE BIT TO START SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS AND GET SOME IDEAS TO SCHEDULE ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO SCHEDULE ANOTHER SCHEDULE, ANOTHER MEETING, CAUSE I MEAN, NANCY AND AREN'T HERE, BUT I THINK JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, GETTING, GETTING SOME IDEAS OF WHERE, UM, OF WHERE PEOPLE ARE THEN CERTAINLY, UH, HAVE SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT WE HEARD TONIGHT.
WELL, I THINK WHILE NITA SAID, OH, IT'S FRESH.
AND THEN WE CERTAINLY SCHEDULE, UM, WE HAVE A WORK SESSION TOMORROW.
WE COULD HAVE ANOTHER EXECUTIVE SESSION AFTER THE WORK SESSION TOMORROW AND THEN SEE WHAT WE CAN COME TO A DECISION AND THEN SCHEDULE ANOTHER MEETING OR THE FOLLOWING COUNCIL MEETING, HOPEFULLY TO MAKE A DECISION.
I AGREE WITH ANITA ABOUT IT BEING FRESH IN OUR MIND IF WE HAD A FEW MINUTES.
SO WE'D NEED A FORMAL MOTION FOR THAT.
MOTION TO CONSIDER, UH, THE EMPLOYMENT AND EMPLOYMENT OF A PUBLIC EMPLOYEE.
MARK, WOULD YOU MAKE A MOTION SECONDED, ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT? AND THAT WOULD BE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THAT.
SO WE WILL SCHEDULE AN EXECUTIVE.
I CAN JUST WAIT, MAKE ONE STATEMENT AT THAT POINT.
UM, JUST HAVING BEEN INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS HERE, A COUPLE OF POINTS ONE, UM, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE.
AND IN TERMS OF SOME CONSIDERATION, I DON'T MEAN IT HAS TO BE TONIGHT, BUT, UH, THE FACT THAT WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF APPLICANTS FALL OUT FROM THE PROCESS BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN HIRED AT OTHER PLACES.
AND THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTIVELY SEEKING JOBS.
SO THEY'RE SEEKING OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, THE OTHER PIECE IS PATTY HEMANN OVER FROM BAKER.
TILLY HAS MADE HERSELF AVAILABLE TO BE IN TOWN FOR TONIGHT AND TOMORROW.
AND I, UM, AND THEN SHE'LL BE LEAVING ON WEDNESDAY AND, UH, SHE WAS GOING TO AT LEAST HELP FACILITATE THE DISCUSSIONS, UM, AT THE INITIAL STAGES AMONGST COUNCIL, UH, ALSO SHARING SOME OF THE INPUT THAT SHE HAS FROM, UH, THE MEETINGS WITH THE LEADERSHIP TEAM TODAY.
UM, AND, UH, SOME OF THE TOUR INFORMATION, OTHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION THAT SHE'S BEEN ABLE TO GATHER.
AND, UM, ONLY SHE HAS THAT INFORMATION.
SO, UH, AT A MINIMUM, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT COUNCIL ENGAGE IN THIS DISCUSSION AT LEAST BY TOMORROW.
UM, IN ORDER TO CAPTURE THAT INFORMATION FROM HER WHILE SHE'S PHYSICALLY PRESENT HERE ON SITE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
UM, I WOULD BE AMENABLE TO, UH, DISCUSS EMPLOYMENT ISSUES, UH, IN EXECUTIVE SESSION PRIOR TO OUR MEETING TOMORROW.
SO FIVE 30 WOULD BE FINE FOR ME, MARK.
I HAVE A CALL APPLIED THAT WON'T BE OVER TILL FIVE 30 TOMORROW.
SO IF YOU GUYS DO, YEAH, SHE'S PREPARED TO BE HERE TILL AFTER THE MEETING, BUT THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL DISCUSSION.
SO SHE, SHE COULD MEET AFTER THE MEETING AND EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE DO HAVE A PLANNED EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR ANOTHER TOPIC, NOT RELATED TO THIS DISCUSSION ALSO.
UM, SO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION COULD BE FOR BOTH PURPOSES, UM, INCLUDING, UM, INVOLVING MISS KEVIN OVER AND THAT DISCUSSION AS WELL.
I DON'T THINK SETTING AN EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR FIVE 30 WITH ANOTHER MEETING AT SIX GIVES US SAMPLE TIME TO REALLY HAVE, HAVE MEANINGFUL DISCUSSION.
AND IF WE TALK MUCH WHILE WE'RE OUT HERE, WE GO BACK TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO I THINK, UM, PROBABLY WOULD NEED A RECOMMENDATION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION TOMORROW AFTER THE WORK SESSION, BECAUSE IF IT'S, IF WE HAVE TO BE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR ANOTHER, FOR ANOTHER ITEM, WE WOULD JUST HAVE TO AMEND THE AGENDA OR AMEND THAT MOTION FOR, FOR THIS, FOR THIS.
WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE, UH, THE, THE AVERAGE, UH, THE EXECUTIVE SESSION PRE ADVERTISED, SO WE CAN GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FROM ANY MEETINGS.
SO, UM, THAT'S STILL A POSSIBILITY WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING, UH, TO CHANGE THE EXISTING AGENDA FOR TODAY.