11/19/1996 (2)
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CITY COMMISSION SPECIAL MEETING
CITY OF CLEARWATER
November 19, 1996
Present:
Rita Garvey
J. B. Johnson
Robert Clark
Ed Hooper
Karen Seel
Elizabeth M. DeptulF.l
Kathy S. Rice
Bob Keller
Pamela Skyrme
Pamela K. Akin
Cynthia E. Goudeau
Mayor/Commissioner
Vice-Mayor/Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner
City Manager
Deputy City Manager
Assistant City Manager
Organizational & Employee Development Director
City Attorney
City Clerk
The Mayor called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. at the Clearwater Beach
Recreation Center for the purpose of strategic planning.
The initial icebreaker was for each member to give good news, bad news.
Commissioner Clark presented his draft vision statement as follows: A place where
all people can prosper. Life long learning is easily obtainable. A multitude of well attended,
diverse events and activities are provided to bring people together while producing
economic impact. People exhibit caring attitudes about the environment and each other.
The City is clean and well landscaped. People feel safe and getting around the community
is easy. A place where we promote family oriented tourism and responsible small to mid-
size business. Community and service organizations flourish and help meet the needs of
others.
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Commissioner Clark explained he included the phrase, while providing economic
impact, because he felt if the activity did not provide an economic impact, it was not worth
doing. He stated he used the phrase, clean and well landscaped, to include several
thoughts and he felt the term, family oriented tourism, should be discussed.
The team broke up into groups of two to discuss the statement and then the entire
team brainstormed regarding the vision statement. ",
The meeting recessed from 10:25 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
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After brainstorming and discussion, it was decided Commissioner Seel, Pam Akin
nnd Bob Keller would develop a new vision statement for consideration by the group at the
next meeting.
Using the nominal technique/ the team determined its top 5 organizational values.
These were: caring, well run/ Integrity, unsurpassed quality, and future oriented decision
making.
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The meeting recessed from 11 :55 a.m. to 1 :15 p.m.
Philosophy of Operation of other organizations, as well as the one developed for
Clearwater, were distributed.
Consensus was the City of Clearwater's Principles of Operation were appropriate
with the following changes: 1) the last sentence in the second paragraph will read, We will
strive to provide the opportunity and assistance required to enable individuals and groups
to meet valid community needs 2) in the last sentence of the third paragraph, change,
maintain the high level of competence, to, ensure the high level of competence.
Mission Statement
Mr. Keller stated he felt the mission statement should be simple, straight forward,
noble and compelling. It was stated the mission states what your purpose is. The team
brainstormed regarding the mission statement and came up with the following statement:
Our purpose is to serve the interest of the entire City with special focus on public safety,
economic development, and tourism. We will strengthen our ever changing community by
fostering a spirit of cooperation and respect.
The meeting recessed from 2:45 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
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It was felt the group needed to give some additional thought to the mission
statement and that this would be discussed at the next meeting.
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Staff requested direction from the Commission regarding filling the City Manager's
position as Ms. Deptula will be retiring in May. The Commission and team came up with
the following qualities desired in a new City Manager: 1) A member of the team: 2)
focused on outcomes, not bureaucracy: 3) allows creativity to flourish: 4) background with
similar problems we have experienced: 5) Ability to manage 1,600 employees; 6) strong
management background; 7) good communication skills; 8) integrity; 9) problem preventor;
101 strong leadership skills; 111 embodies our principles of operation: 12~ has substance
over style; 13) is innovative: 141 puts plans into action; 15) is a visionary; 16) sees the big
picture; 17) has demonstrative experience in good hiring and personnel assessment; 18)
has a history of reaching outside government for ideas; 1 9) is qualifiable; 20) has the ability
to build partnerships; 21) is a team builder; 22) is not easily intimidated; 23) has versatility;
24) has a community focus and involvement; 25~ is a fiscal conservative and 26) is
employee oriented~understanding employee issues.
Discussion then turned to how to proceed to fill the City Manager's position. It was
felt there should be visits to the area in which a potential candidate is working, that the
newspapers should be read, and that previous work areas should be checked.
Discussion ensued regarding whether or not the City should use a search firm to
assist in the CIty Manager selection. Consensus was to use a search firm.
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Discussion ensued regarding whether or not the firms to be considered should be
limited to government experience. It was the consensus that government experience was
wanted but it did not have to be limited to that.
Staff will develop an RFP for the search firm for the Commission to review at the
December meeting.
Issues to be considered in evaluating the RFP responses include, cost, client list for
tt,e last two years, the time table for obtaining the City Manager, the process to be used,
the products that will be provided along the way, and the firm's guarantee.
The responses from the search firms will be presented to the Commission for them
to short list. It was the consensus the Commission would set a meeting to have
presentations by the short listed firms.
Mr. Keller indicated the Commission needed to decide how it wanted to deal with
internal candidates. Discussion ensued regarding the Commission not wanting to
discourage anyone from applying. Dr. Skyrme indicated if there were no internal
candidates that would be seriously considered, the Commission needed to say so. Ms.
Rice indicated she would not be ~pplying for the position.
Consensus of the Commission was to indicate that they would be looking outside
current City employees for the new City Manager.
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Discussion returned to the strategic planning process with consensus being that the
mission statement would not be ready by the next scheduled meeting of November 25,
1996. Consensus was to cancel that meeting, therefore the next strategic planning
meeting will be December 3, 1996.
As Commissioner Seel will not be present at Thursday night Commission meeting,
her input regarding the proposed contract with High~Point Rendel to help close out the
Municipal Services Building project was requested. Commissioner Seel indicated she was
still struggling with where to go on this issue. She stated if the contract is to find design
problems from which we can still recover, it would be prudent to do this. but if the purpose
is to just develop the punch list, she did not feel it was appropriate.
She indicated she felt the fee to be charged was somewhat high. She stated she
had a great deal of hesitation about this and said the City may be able to find an architect
or other firm able to provide these services at a Jesser fee.
The meeting adjourned at 4:05 p.m.
ATTEST:Jtr~ 1:', Ji.",-,&;~
City Clerk
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