01-15-2016 MinutesMINUTES
SPECIAL WORKSHOP MEETING
January 15, 2016
A Special Strategic Planning Session Retreat Workshop meeting was held by the Schertz City
Council of the City of Schertz, Texas, on January 15, 2016 at 8:30 a.m., at the GVEC Western
Operation Center Meeting Room, Seguin, Texas. The following members present to -wit:
Mayor Michael Carpenter
Councilmember Cedric Edwards
Councilmember Robin Thompson
Staff Present:
Executive Director Brian James
Executive Director Bob Cantu
City Secretary Brenda Dennis
Assistant to City Manager Sarah Gonzalez
Councilmember Gricmpy Azzoz was absent.
Guests
Mr. Richard Dziewit, 2550 Chasefield
Mr. Glen Outlaw, 3729 Forsyth Park
Mr. Robert Brockman, 1000 Elbel Road.
Call to Order (General Comments)
Mayor Pro -Tem Jim Fowler
Councilmember Daryl John
City Manager John Kessel
Executive Director Dudley Wait
EDC Executive Director Kyle Kinateder
IT Director Myles Clauser
Mayor Carpenter called the meeting to order at 8:56 a.m.
1. Discussion and appropriate action on strategic planning issues, including but not limited
to policy values and prioritization, discussion of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and
threats (SWOT), major projects, and how to apply the information to assist in appropriate
priority based decision making. (J. Kessel)
Mayor Carpenter recognized City Manager John Kessel who went over the format for the
day, providing information on the previous day with staff. He stated today they wanted
to deal with some big issues, talk them through and say what the_ y are and discuss the
general direction we want to go.
He stated that we also want to get alignment between Councilmembers and each other,
between staff and each other and fmally staff and council as a body so we are all going in
the same direction. These are the two (2) big goals and what today is, is a strategic
planning session which is coming after the team building session we had in December
and before the pre- budget we will be doing in March. Mr. Kessel stated that if you will
recall team building is about getting everyone together and learning how to deal with the
complex issues, we talked a lot about vulnerability based trust. Once you trust people in
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that way, then you can have genuine conflict, because what you are trying to do with that
conflict is get to the truth so you don't just have to be in agreement and predicting what
the other person will say, avoiding hard or difficult issues. The transition to March is
where we are trying to look at that five (5) year window and say where we want to be in
five years and then what does this year's budget need and can reflect where we want to
get to five years from now. This session is between these two and picture perhaps look at
a twenty (20) year vision and where would we want to be and what would we have
wanted to accomplish as an organization, realizing we will be getting into the five year
and one year in March with the budget.
This is high level and the kinds of issues we want to discuss are probably the issues that
you said, in the context of this year's budget, would be unsolvable. If you approach it
from I need to have a final answer, a final solution, and I don't know how much it is
going to cost, the exact dollar amount and where that revenue is going to come from
today you will probably have a feeling of angst and frustration because we are talking
about 20 year kind of issues. It will take us 20 years to solve and 20 years' worth of
revenue to fund, and 20 years of decision making. Our biggest task is how we say what
those important few things are and how do we put the organization in a position to really
have continuity while we work on those.
Mr. Kessel stated that one of the biggest challenges with local government is that we
elect a percentage of new board of directors essentially every year, potentially every two
years we could have a whole new vision and how do you have continuity over a long
period of time if you are always changing that vision. Part of a strategic plan is to create a
document and a compelling vision that can speak to whomever is in office this year, next
year, five years, ten years. It needs to be a living document, it doesn't have to be final
but it needs to be something that can stand that test of time to get us there. Mr. Kessel
provided an example on the white board that he borrowed from taking one of the Dale
Carnegie Courses that explains where we are and the purpose of strategic planning.
Councilmember Edwards arrived at 10:05 a.m.
Mr. Kessel continued stating that today Council will be going over the City's Policy and
Operational values staff has been working on to also get alignment with the Council's.
Topics of the City's Policy Values included: Safe Community, Essential Services, High
Quality of Life, Attractive Community, Economic Prosperity and Fiscally Sustainable.
Mayor Carpenter recessed the meeting for a brief lunch break at 11:56 a.m., and went
back into session at 12:07 p.m. Mayor and Council discussed the following topics:
Systems Management, Engaged Workforce, Service Oriented, Innovative and Proactive.
Guest Richard Dziewit left the meeting at 12:54 p.m.
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Management staff joined the Mayor and Council at 1:00 p.m. and Mayor and Council and
staff continued their discussions providing a pre -swot dialogue on each of the values
which included discussion about future needs, roads, facilities, staffing etc.
Guest Robert Brockman arrived at 1:41 p.m.
Mayor, Council and staff continued their dialogue and staff provided their SWOT
analysis that was completed the day before with the following:
• Safe Community — Presenters Mike Hansen, Kyle Kinateder
• Essential Services — Presenters Kathy Woodlee, Brenda Dennis
• High Quality of Life — Presenters Linda Klepper, Chuck VanZandt
• Attractive Community — Presenters Lesa Wood, Melissa Uhlhorn
Guest Glen Outlaw left the meeting at 2:12 p.m.
Mayor Council and staff continued discussion with staff and presenters for the following:
• Economic Prosperity — Presenters Tony McFalls, Jason Mabbitt
Councilmember Edwards left the meeting at 2:36 p.m.
Mayor Council and staff continued discussion with staff and presenters for the following:
• Fiscally Sustainable — Presenters Juan Santoya, Jessica Kurz
Mayor and Council continued their discussions. Mayor, Council and staff discussed the
tolerance levels of each area discussed above providing information as compared to what
the staff had prepared the day before.
Councilmember Daryl John left the meeting at 3:30 p.m.; a quorum of Council was no longer
present.
Mayor, Council and staff concluded their day wrapping up discussions.
Adiournment
As there was no further business the meeting was adjourned at 4 28 -p my
Michael R. Carpenter, Mayor
ATTEST: -
Brenda Dennis, City Secretary
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