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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJanuary 27 City Council Retreat Governance RolesRoles of the Governing Body Adapted from ICMA -Novak, Briley, Nalbandian Six Roles of the Governing Body •Strategic Vision–Big Picture Thinker •Trustee–Steward •Representative–Constituent Advocate •Community Builder–Bringing People Together •Decision-maker •Oversight 2 Strategic Vision – Big Picture Thinker •Determining what is important in the short- and long-term •Focusing on decisions that can have significant impact •Thinking beyond present constraints •Identifying community wants and needs •Seeing interconnections •Leading new initiatives and ideas 3 Trustee- Steward •Responsibility to the community as a whole •Interest is in the greater good •Looking at the long-term implications of decisions •Fiduciary role 4 Representative - Constituent Advocate •Answering calls and emails from residents •Connecting residents with local government to help resolve issues •Responsive to individual concerns 5 Community Builder– Bringing People Together •Being present and listening to individuals and community groups •Convening important community conversations •Focusing on relationships and consensus- building •Celebrating accomplishments •Participating in events 6 Decision-Maker •Reading briefing materials •Participating in study sessions •Listening to residents and bringing expertise •Voting 7 Oversight •Conduct the manager’s performance evaluation •Reviewing the audit •Focusing on accountability of staff to the elected body 8 •Since development in 2016, the six governance roles have been incorporated into retreats with governing bodies nationwide. •Figure 2 shows the percentage of respondents who ranked each role as their primary strength. Figure 2 9 Roles in Practice Individual Self- Assessment Rank the roles where you naturally gravitate •Review the six Council governance roles listed. •Individually rank the roles from 1 (role you most naturally gravitate toward) to 6 (role you least naturally gravitate toward). •Base your ranking on your instincts, strengths, and how you typically show up as a Council member. •There are no right or wrong answers; this is a self-reflection exercise. 10 Council Assessment Rank the roles you think Council should emphasize •Consider the same six governance roles from the perspective of the Council as a whole. •Individually rank the roles from 1 (role the Council should emphasize more to be most effective) to 6 (role that needs less emphasis). •Focus on what would best support the Council’s overall effectiveness and impact, not individual preferences. •Your input will help identify shared priorities and areas for discussion. 11 12 Further Reading https://icma.org/articles/pm - magazine/getting-great- defining-roles-governing-body- and-local-government- manager ICMA PM Magazine, August 1, 2022 If you would like to read more, go to: 13 Council Roles Impact Budgets Deferring a decision in local government is often argued to be a tax increase on future generations… It impacts staff time Resource availability Scope and cost of projects Community needs Decision Making Matrix 14 15 Roles in Practice Most frequent assessments in other communities. Which roles elected officials naturally gravitate toward... •Representative-Constituent Advocate •Strategic Vision •Trustee-Steward •Decision-Maker •Community Builder •Oversight Which roles elected officials want to pay MORE attention to... •Strategic Vision •Community Builder •Trustee-Steward •Representative -Constituent Advocate •Decision-Maker •Oversight