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01-19-2018 Minutes Special RetreatMINUTES SPECIAL RETREAT MEETING January 19, 2018 A Special Retreat Meeting was held by the Schertz City Council of the City of Schertz, Texas, on January 19, 2018, at 8:30 a.m., Fairfield Inn & Suites, Meeting Room, 5008 Corridor Loop Road, Schertz, Texas. The following members present to -wit: Mayor Michael Carpenter Councilmember Mark Davis Councilmember Scott Larson Councilmember Angelina Kiser Staff Present: Executive Director Brian James Executive Director Kyle Kinateder City Attorney Charles Zech Finance Director James Walters Guests Present Mr. Glen Outlaw Call to Order (General Comments) Mayor Pro -Tem Edwards Councilmember Ralph Gutierrez Councilmember David Scagliola Councilmember Bert Crawford City Manager John Kessel Executive Director Dudley Wait Assistant to the City Manager Sarah Gonzalez City Secretary Brenda Dennis 1. Discussion and appropriate direction on strategic planning issues, including but not limited to policy discussion and prioritization, major projects, and how to apply the information to assist in appropriate priority -based decision making. (J. Kessel /Executive Team) Mayor Carpenter called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. and stated that this will not be an 8 to 5 day, but a slightly shorter day. Mayor Carpenter addressed the elephant in the room stating regardless of who is sitting in what seats, now or in November, be it staff or Council, this is the work of Council regardless of other activities or other things going on in our business. The work that we do today is as critical and as important as ever. He asked everyone to give it it's due time. Mayor Carpenter recognized City Manager John Kessel who provided a retreat overview stating this session is intended to be for exchanging perspectives rather than decision making. Open discussion and dialog is the goal. The idea is to get at the underlying assumptions needed to make important decisions. Are we all on the same page or do we all have different assumptions? ® Strategic Planning in Context: 01 -19 -2018 Retreat Minutes COUNCIL LEADERSHIP DEPARTMENTS STAFF 5 - 20 YRS 1 - 5 YRS 3 MTH - 2 YRS NOW SO�(sS I STG' ATIEGOES I PROCESSES W.— the Panties Wars the atntegles Ware the Tactla sacr�rw: sumeermr suceeeerwr Dialog on the need to change this model. • Success in twenty years... - The role of leadership is to align the vision of the Council, the expectations of the community, and the resources of the organization (time, talent, and treasure) to achieve that vision and expectations at a resource cost that is acceptable. Dialog on how do we align our vision, expectations, and resources? • Policy Values: Core Services (Dialog) Safe Community Essential Services is IS NOT -Functions that address basic community needs such as -Proper planning, design and construction security, life safety and infrastructure -Crumbling infrastructure -An informed, engaged community -Functions that enhance quality of life but do not address -Solely the blind reliance on enforcement of codes, ordinance basic community needs and laws -Being prepared for seen and unforeseen Incidents POLICY -Foundation of why we exist and it is what the community expects_ OPERATIONAL .Having staff who are not mindful of their day to day Impact on -Adequately Investing and maintaining the built community the safety of the community -Having appropriate stalling levels to support essential services -Being afraid of letting your kids walk to school -Proactive I •Heactive WHY POLICY •Providing a safe yet flexible environmont allows peoplo to live their fives and pursue their dreams (foundational to the whole community). OPERATIONAL •Sate communities are attractive to businesses end families and are necessary for meeting citizen expectations and for continued growth. Essential Services is IS NOT -Functions that address basic community needs such as -Frivolous security, life safety and infrastructure -Functions that enhance quality of life but do not address basic community needs -Services that satisfy only a small niche of the population WHY POLICY -Foundation of why we exist and it is what the community expects_ OPERATIONAL -Essential Serviccs provide for the most basic needs of our community. 01 -19 -2018 Retreat minutes Page - 2 - ... �4� _. a kw� zi Discussions regarding adding — being capable to respond to disasters /crisis — having resources to be able to respond, under safe community. a Policy Values: Quality of Life (Dialog) High Quality of Life IS IS NOT •A well planned community that creates convenient living -Clean and tidy - Umvelcoming -Having a variety of recreation, leisure, cultural and access - Poorly planned, poorly landscaped, poorly built and poorly •Llmlted options for work, live and play opportunities for all ages -Having aesthetically appealing places and buildings •A concrete Jungle -Poor schools and no access to higher education -A safe community OPERATIONAL -Attractive Communities appeal to businesses and residents, increase property values and provide for happier, healthier residents. -The lack of enforcement of city codes and ordinances -Having good schools and access to higher education -Poor maintenance of Infrastructure and servlcesfamenities •Afriendly city WHY JE POLICY •A High Quality of Life creates an environment conducive to people enjoying their lives while pursuing their dreams. OPERATIONAL •A High Quality of Life attracts people to the City who are looking for more then Just a place to live. Attractive Community Discussions regarding defining higher learning, possibly changing friendly city to active city /top quality city, city of high quality, welcoming city with consistency and purposeful standards. Mayor Carpenter called for a brief break at 10:15 a.m. and resumed at 10:15 a.m. Discussion continued with changing Friendly City — i.e., Welcoming city with quality standards and consistent performance. Council moved to discussion regarding attractive community. 01 -19 -2018 Retreat minutes Page - 3 - r -Clean and tidy -Dirty and unkempt -Awell planned, well landscaped, well built and well maintained - Poorly planned, poorly landscaped, poorly built and poorly community maintained -Having aesthetically appealing places and buildings •A concrete Jungle POLICY .Attractive Communities create a positive environment for businesses and families - quality begets quality. OPERATIONAL -Attractive Communities appeal to businesses and residents, increase property values and provide for happier, healthier residents. Discussions regarding defining higher learning, possibly changing friendly city to active city /top quality city, city of high quality, welcoming city with consistency and purposeful standards. Mayor Carpenter called for a brief break at 10:15 a.m. and resumed at 10:15 a.m. Discussion continued with changing Friendly City — i.e., Welcoming city with quality standards and consistent performance. Council moved to discussion regarding attractive community. 01 -19 -2018 Retreat minutes Page - 3 - a Policy Values: Economic Engine (Dialog) Economic Prosperity Fiscally Sustainable IS IS NOT :rr -Overly optimistic or Inflated projections expenses •A high bond rating -Irresponsible, Impulsive or frivolous spending •A non - diverse and a volatile commercial base -Wealth generation -Having adequate reserves -Lack of opportunity for economic growth •A diverse and resilient commercial base -The failure to establish priorities -High foreclosure rates -Maintaining an advantageous ratio between commercial and - Rscallychallenged residential tax bases WHY -A stable commercial base POLICY WHY POLICY OPERATIONAL .Economic Prosperity gives us the opportunity to execute on all of our goals and provides the leverage for good decision making. OPERATIONAL -Having Economic Prosperity is critical to fostering a long -term future for our residents and business community. Fiscally Sustainable IS IS NOT - Knowledge of municipal financing including mvenuas as well as -Overly optimistic or Inflated projections expenses -The integration of appropriate public and private sector best pmc- -Irresponsible, Impulsive or frivolous spending dces -Using reserves for unintended purposes -Having adequate reserves -The failure to establish priorities -Staying within budget •Long-term planning - Requiring the ability to say no to lower priorftl s WHY POLICY .Fiscal Sustainability mitigates our risk of failure to continually provide core services and quality of life enhancements and keeps us positioned to seize upon and maximize all potential opportunities. OPERATIONAL -A fiscally sustainable organization is equipped to navigate changing economic conditions and inspires trust among our various stakeholders. Council discussed combining the 3rd and 5th bullets. Council discussed changing knowledge to expertise. S Bridging Vision and Resources (Dialog) Of the three components of our resources (time, talent, and treasure), which is most in our control? Which is least in our control? Time? Talent? Treasure? What is our role in shaping our future resources to achieve our vision? 01 -19 -2018 Retreat minutes Page -4- Discussions regarding changing community expectations and why they are changing. What are some of the reasons expectations change? ® Bridging Vision and Budget (Dialog) Each year we develop a budget based on money available that year, the direction we are trying to take the community, and the 5 -year implications. While many of our choices are based on a dollars available vision, others are based on our underlying assumptions about our available resources, both near and long -term. What are our assumptions about our debt capacity and future revenues? • General Fund Existing Debt (Dialog) General Fund Existing Debt ■ PW Equipment Streets © ES Equipment Facilities n Drainage m Parks /Rec 01 -19 -2018 Retreat minutes Page - 5 - 0 General Fund Debt vs. Operations Debt Issuance Prior to 2013 Debt Issuance 2013 And Later ■ Core Service a Quality of Life 3 Economic Engine • tare Service . QuaLry of Life o Economic Engine 2006 to 2013 Average Issuance Per Year: $9,267,142.86* 2013 and Later Average Issuance Per Year: *I &S rate increase 5 cents because the Fun ran out of money it $5,456,000.00 was using to keep rate low Mayor Carpenter called for a lunch break at 12:07 p.m. Councilmembers Davis and Kiser left the meeting. Mayor Carpenter reconvened the meeting at 12:37p.m. • Historic Tax Rates — Total (Dialogue) Council began dialog regarding the Historic Tax Rates: O1 -19 -2018 Retreat minutes Page - 6 - 0.6000 0.5000 0.4000 0.3000 - 0.2000 0.1000 J 0.0000 `1O 0`tip��e Councilmember Kiser returned at 12:24 p.m. Discussions continued regarding the above. Councilmember Edwards left at 1:20 p.m., Councilmember Kiser left at 1:42 p.m., Councilmember Larson left at 1:42 p.m. —1:52 p.m. we lost a quorum of council. a Retreat Discussion Dialog What are our opportunities to increase revenue? (No ranking Order) A. Grants B. Seeking Partnerships C. Gain Efficiencies — some require an investment D. Stop doing things were doing — (past doing away with Marsha office — efficiencies) E. Outsourcing, hiring seasonal workers a What are our revenue challenges? - Down market - Unfunded mandates from state - 100% Veterans tax caps - Employee turn over - Crisis a Success in twenty years dialog 01 -19 -2018 Retreat minutes Page - 7 - Wrapping up, the role of leadership is to align the vision of the Council, the expectations of the community, and the resources of the organization (time, talent, and treasure) to achieve that vision and expectations at a resource cost that is acceptable. City Manager John Kessel and Members of Council still present provided their wrap up comments. Adiournment Mayor Carpenter adjourned the meeting at 2:11 p.m. ichael R. Carpenter, Mayor A7W: T: e Brenda Dennis, City Secretary 01 -19 -2018 Retreat minutes Page - 8 -