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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010.1130.TCOM.Minutes TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS MINUTES OF THE TOWN COUNCIL'S FY2011-2012 GOAL RETREAT NOVEMBER 30,2010 On November 30, 2010, the Town of Fountain Hills Town Council, Town Manager and staff met as a follow-up to the October 28, 2010 Council Goal Setting Retreat as part of the annual budget planning process for FY2011/12. The retreat between staff and Councilmembers took place at the Fountain Hills Community Center located at 13001 N. La Montana Drive, Fountain Hills, Arizona, beginning at 4:05 P.M. The workshop was posted as a public meeting, although no decisions were made and no formal votes were taken. Retreat participants included Mayor Jay T. Schlum and Councilmembers Henry Leger, Ginny Dickey, Tait D. Elkie, Vice Mayor Dennis Brown, and Dennis Contino; Councilmember Cassie Hansen was absent. Town Manager Rick Davis, Assistant Town Attorney Chris Schmaltz, and several senior staff members were present. This session was facilitated by Town Manager Rick Davis. AGENDA ITEM — DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE DIRECTION TO STAFF REGARDING STAFF'S PROPOSED INITIATIVES ON DRAFT COUNCIL GOALS FOR FY2011-12. Mr. Davis addressed the Council relative to this agenda items and presented a proposed list of staff initiatives for the Draft Council Goals FY2011-12 (copy of file in the Office of the Town Clerk). He stated this was an opportunity for staff to review their initiatives with the Council and for the Council to provide feedback prior to the adoption of the Council goals. He proceeded to discuss the methodology used to create the document and discussed each of the proposed initiatives listed under Civility; Environmental Stewardship; Civic Responsibility; Education, Learning and Culture; Economic Vitality; and Recreational Opportunities and Amenities. Discussion ensued with regard to the document previously prepared and provided by Audra Koster Thomas relating the recap of Council Goal Setting Retreat for FY2011-12 held October 28, 2010. Mr. Davis reviewed each initiative, Councilmembers expressed concern that the specific items they had mentioned appeared to have been omitted from this follow-up report; the comment by Mr. Davis that the document prepared for this meeting had incorporated their more specific goals but in a more general overview manner; the fact that staff was open to developing ideas relating to the Centennial initiatives; the utilization of Town Halls held in other than the Council Chambers as a way to provide citizens with updates (going to the citizens as the Strategic Planning Advisory Commission had done - possibly held semi-annually), and ensuring that various departments heads attended and were available to answer questions; the statement that these Town Halls needed to be distinguished from the Mayor's Town Halls; the Council's request to develop a method by which to list and address citizen questions to the Town or to the Council on the Town website so that there was a running list of questions, answers or Council responses (their hope was to close the communication loop); Mr. Davis' reminder that EFountain was available to track citizen requests and his comment that staff would look into how best to address capturing citizens' comments and questions to the Council and their responses and how best to make them available to the public; the question if there were other things that could be included in Volunteer Appreciation; the fact that staff was open to developing more specific Council goals but the document being reviewed represented staffs' ideas on initiatives that could be accomplished in FY2011-12; the point that some of the Council's initiatives for FY2011-12 were actively being worked on in the current budget year (i.e. Survey Monkey, expanded use of Channel 11, etc); a request to involve the Schools and expand the production of videos for Channel 11 (i.e. town issues, Council interviews, State of the Town Address, Fire and Law Enforcement public service announcements, and other various topics); the need to network with other communities for perhaps use of recording equipment and/or space; the concept of using another website to promote Town services (non-municipal information - event oriented, more tourism promotion) but not as a replacement for the Town's website, this would be additional website; the suggestion that a more simplified version of the budget document be created, along with perhaps a web application that would make the budget information interactive (such as with property tax and sales tax); the establishment of a Citizens' Academy - z:\council packets\2010\r12-16-10\101130tcgoalretreatm.rtf Page 1 of 2 perhaps recorded and placed on Channel 11; the request to place the pavement management presentation by Paul Mood, the Development Services Director, on Channel 11; the fact that staff was planning a budget presentation tour and that the Citizens' Academy was already being developed in this fiscal year; the request to expand the Academy to address the role of government and not have just the budget and its process discussed (i.e. explain State Shared Revenues and the Strategic Plan and its process); the comment that care needed to be taken with the definition of local government so that it was not just one individual's personal interpretation so as to put the Council at odds with staff; the suggestion that staff look at issues not the philosophy; the question as to if planning was the role of government; the desire to showcase local talents (i.e. working on a local talent show this fiscal year); the fact that staff would soon be rolling out the Centennial 100 events; Mr. Davis' comment that additional contact would be needed with the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation Council to ascertain if they would support and contribute towards the Centennial events; promotion of the urban trail system(natural trails); investigate if land owned by the Fountain Hills Unified School District could be used for the site of a higher education facility (novelty niche); the comment that economic development improved if there were higher learning opportunities within a community; the fact that some buildings in Town had been identified as possible locations of such a learning facility; budget strategies with meetings held with specific groups much like the Town Halls; the fact that good resources must be used when gathering information on sales tax and property tax; the need to continue evaluating the Town's codes to identify hurdles for those who want to invest in the community; the Mayor's comment regarding the initiative to continue funding the Tourism Bureau that the Town did not have a lot of resources so his preference would be to continue funding the RFPs at their current level and Mr. Davis' comment that their performance measures should be defined; and expanding the Town's recreation opportunities and amenities each year. Mr. Davis thanked the Council and staff for their participation in the process. He indicated that he would be meeting with the Mayor regarding the specifics of the initiatives, and at the conclusion, a copy of the goal initiatives would be provided to the Council for their review prior to placement on an agenda for their adoption. The meeting adjourned at 5:55 P.M. TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS 1411,0) By . Schlum,Mayor ATTEST AND PREPARED BY: Bevelyn J e er,Town Clerk CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Town Council' FY2011/2012 Goal Retreat held by the Town Council of Fountain Hills in the Fountain Hills Community Center located at 13001 N. La Montana Drive, Fountain Hills, Arizona, on the 30th day of November 2010. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and that a quorum was present. DATED this 16th day of December 2010. /6t1 -ii6/tAatAi Bevelyn Be der,Town Clerk z:\council packets\2010\r12-16-10\101130tcgoalretreatm.rtf Page 2 of 2