COUNCIL RETREAT
The Council Retreat was held on January 25, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. with Council President Williams presiding. Council members present were Mr. Leary, Mrs. Russell, Mr. McGlumphy, Mr. Slavin, Mr. McGiffin, Mr. Hogan, Mr. Salters, and Mr. Ruane.
Council staff members present were Mr. DePrima, Mrs. Mitchell, Mrs. Townshend, Mrs. Tieman, and Mrs. McDowell. Mayor Carey was absent.
AGENDA ADDITIONS/DELETIONS
Mr. Hogan moved for approval of the agenda, seconded by Mr. Ruane and unanimously carried.
INTRODUCTION AND WARM UP
Mr. Deprima, City Manager, introduced Ms. Andrea Kreiner, Principal, A.Kreiner Company, and advised members that she would serve as facilitator for the Retreat. Ms. Kreiner introduced herself and provided a brief history of her background. She also conducted a warm-up exercise with everyone naming their favorite thing about Dover and the names of the nine steeples that could be seen from the Overlook.
WHY ARE WE HERE?
Mr. DePrima explained that the prioritization process will provide staff direction for development of next year’s budget, guide the City Clerk in drafting the strategic objectives for Council, and guide other departments in the development of their strategic objectives. Ms. Kreimer reviewed the Ideas From The Recent Past That Became Reality, as follows:
Centralized Customer Relations Tracking
Revenue Forecasting Model
Water Impact Fees
Quality of Life Task Force
Blue Light Safety Program
Regularly Scheduled (Focused) Council Workshops
and explained that they would:
Validate Vision, Critical Success Factors, and the Mission Statement
Review progress since the last retreat
Validate current and pending initiatives
Express and prioritize new ideas and initiatives
Focus on budget initiatives and goals (NEW)
WHERE HAVE WE BEEN? - ARE THESE STILL VALID?
Vision
The City of Dover is a place where people want to live! Through the team effort of its elected officials, employees, and citizens, Dover is a clean and safe community with a future of balanced growth and opportunity where all citizens are heard, enjoy a high quality of life, and diversity is valued.
Critical Success Factors
With these, we can achieve our Vision . . .
♦ Customer Satisfaction and Effective Community Communication
♦ Employee Satisfaction and Effective Employee Communication
♦ Cost and Revenue Efficiency
♦ Improve Downtown and Surrounding Neighborhoods
♦ Citywide Safety
♦ Economic Development and Job Growth
Mission Statement
The following comments were made regarding the Mission Statement:
It was Mr. McGlumphy’s feeling that it would be wise to look at the Customer Service Satisfaction Survey and modify the vision and critical success factors based on those results.
Due to concerns over “support” vs. “funding” for the Civic Center, it was the consensus of members that the Civic Center should be removed from the Mission Statement list (Mr. Leary and Mr. Hogan opposed)
Mrs. Russell stated that the “Development of a Plan to Secure Electric Generation for the next 20 Years” should be amended to occur sooner. Mr. DePrima stated that the 2030 Committee is currently working on long-range generation solutions that would span 20 years.
Mr. Ruane recommended that “Implement Brown Water Solutions” should be more broadly stated to include “maintain and improve our infrastructure, including brown water solutions.”
Mr. Slavin noted that the list could be segmented into three (3) bulleted categories, as follows: Quality of Life, Infrastructure, and Economic Development and suggested that staff revise the list accordingly.
Mission Statement (as revised during Retreat)
During the next two years, It shall be the mission of the City of Dover to advance the following policies and projects however and whenever possible:
♦ Establish a Regional Library in Dover
♦ Establish the “Delaware Civic Center Arena ”in Dover
♦ Promote Homeownership & Promote Affordable Housing
♦ Maintain and Improve Infrastructure, and Implement Brown Water Solutions
♦ Strengthen Property Maintenance and Enforcement
♦ Develop a Plan to secure Electric Generation for the next 20 years
♦ Support the building of Cultural Center
♦ Create an Economic Development Strategy
WHERE ARE WE GOING? - MOVING FORWARD
Mr. DePrima, City Manager, reviewed the list of Current & Pending Initiatives and provided brief updates on each, as follows:
1. Brown Water Solutions - Contact chambers are in service and there is an upcoming presentation to the Utility Committee on their effectiveness in reducing brown water.
2. Reducing Cost of Medical & Retirement Benefits - Ongoing committee has been looking for the past year at ways to reduce the costs of medical retirement benefits.
3. Future Generating Capacity –Dover Energy 2030 - The Committee is working on ideas for future generation and will be making a presentation in the very near future.
4. Reducing Inflow & Infiltration - Smoke testing and video camera inspections, contact with homeowner’s on repairing storm drains.
5. Silver Lake Management - Landscape Plan for improving Silver Lake Park, Silver Lake Commission is actively looking at ways to improve water quality.
6. Comprehensive Plan Update - Intern has been hired to work on update. Draft should be provided to the State for review by August/September, with completion by the end of the year.
7. Create Economic Development Strategy - A staff level Economic Development Professionals group, consisting of two people from the Delaware Economic Development Office (DEDO), Mr. Wolfensberger, Mr. DePrima, Mrs. Townshend, the Tourism Director, someone from the Chamber, and two representative from Downtown, including Mr. Lakeman and Mr. Patterson, is meeting to develop economic development recommendations for the Planning Department to include in the Comprehensive Plan, as required by State law. The goal is to present the Strategy to Council in the Spring. Members were reminded that they were advised during the Special Focus Workshop on Economic Development, as well as through the monthly updates to the PR&CE Committee, that a committee was being formed.
8. New Library - Efforts are ongoing. It was noted that the Governor included this item in the State’s budget.
9. Schutte Park Plan - Parks and Recreation Director is developing master plan for Schutte Park.
10. E-Government –More Online Services - Trying to put more services online. Difficulty due to vacancy in the IT Department. Customer Relations software is being implemented.
11. Implement the “Downtown Partnership” - City Manager and City Planner are actively involved in the Partnership and work on implementation continues.
12. “Pay as You Throw”Study for Trash Removal - Initiative being brought forward by the Public Services Director, Mr. Koenig. Trash fee would be based on the amount of trash.
13. Implementation of Facility Space Plan - Renovation of City of spaces. Will provide a revised presentation in the near future.
REMEMBER LAST YEAR? - TOP RECOMMENDATIONS FROM 2007
Mr. DePrima reviewed the top recommendations of 2007 and what results, if any, have occurred as follows:
1. Support New Location for Bus Terminal (6 votes) - A site has been found on Governor’s Avenue and DelDOT is working on designing a new bus station on the George & Lynch property.
2. Aggressive Pursuit of Water Infrastructure Replacement (5 votes) - Funds have been budgeted to address issue.
3. Create Economic Development Strategy (5 votes) - Work in progress
4. Create Nuisance Property Ordinance (Little Rock, AR) (5 votes) - Mr. Ruane advised members that the State has a new Nuisance law that they are implementing. He suggested that the City cooperate with the State and encourage the police to identify nuisance houses within the City.
5. Pass an Anti-Loitering Ordinance (5 votes) - No update.
6. Develop an Ordinance That Sets up a Committee of Non-elected Officials to Periodically Review Mayor & Council Compensation and Make Recommendations (5 votes) - Being considered by LF&A during their Charter Review.
7. More Incentives to Bring Businesses Downtown (4 votes) - Downtown Dover Development Corporation and Planning Department are working on incentives.
8. Move City Planner back under City Council (4 votes) - No movement to date.
2007 Citizen Survey Results
Mr. DePrima reviewed the 2007 Citizen Survey Results (Exhibit #1) which scored below 50, meaning they were ranked as poor or fair.
CTC Youth Survey
Mr. DePrima reviewed the Youth Survey conducted by Dover’s Caring Community Coalition (Exhibit #2).
Meeting recessed at 10:02 a.m. and reconvened at 10:10 a.m.
WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES?
Members brainstormed to encourage idea fluency and to identify opportunities to improve the City.
Afterwards, each member was given the opportunity to speak on those matters that they felt should receive Council’s support. Members were given 10 votes each to select their priorities. The results of this exercise are reflected on Exhibit #3.
Members recessed for lunch at 12:17 p.m. and reconvened at 12:59 p.m.
WHERE DO WE START? - THE NEXT BUDGET - WHAT DO WE WANT TO CONSIDER?
Ms. Kreiner conducted an exercise with members describing what type of animal they would be if they had to and why.
Due to the absence of Mayor Carey, Mr. DePrima reviewed the ideas that he provided in advance for discussion, as well as some of his own ideas (Exhibit #4).
Mr. DePrima reviewed the suggested priorities which would require budgeting funds in order to accomplish and provided a cost estimate and the number of votes the item received (Exhibit #5).
Mr. Ruane moved for adjournment, seconded by Mr. Salters and unanimously carried.
Meeting Adjourned at 2:59 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Beverly C. Williams
Council President
BCW/tm
S:ClerksOfficeAgendas&MinutesCouncil-Minutes2008