HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 2025-03-11_09h Results from the Council Goal Setting WorkshopItem 9.h.
MEMORANDUM
TO: City Council
FROM: Matthew Downing, City Manager
BY: Aleah Bergam, Management Analyst
SUBJECT: Receipt of Results from the Council Goal Setting Workshop
DATE: March 11, 2025
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive and accept the results of the Council Goal
Setting Workshop held on February 10, 2025.
IMPACT ON FINANCIAL AND PERSONNEL RESOURCES:
There is no immediate fiscal impact from the receipt of the goal-setting results. However,
staff will return to the City Council at a future meeting to discuss the resource
requirements, budget impacts, and funding strategies necessary to implement the
prioritized goals.
BACKGROUND:
On February 10, 2025, the City Council held a Goal Setting Workshop as a noticed special
meeting. The Workshop was designed to allow City Council members to collaboratively
identify and prioritize strategic goals for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2025-27 Budget,
focusing on key issues impacting the community and guiding staff’s efforts in addressing
these concerns.
The Council discussed various topics, reviewed community feedback, and evaluated the
City’s current and future needs. The results are included as Attachment 1.
ANALYSIS OF ISSUES:
The goal-setting process involved the following key components:
Community Input: Prior to the workshop, community input was solicited through a
Community Priority Survey and the feedback was incorporated into the goal -setting
discussion. The top priorities selected by the community included:
Maintain and Repair Streets and Sidewalks
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Item 9.h.
City Council
Receipt of Results from the Council Goal Setting Workshop
March 11, 2025
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Economic Vitality/Thriving Economy
Public Safety
Fiscal Sustainability
Community Events/Recreation Activities
Water Resiliency (Securing Sustainable Water Sources).
Goal Identification: During the workshop, Council members identified and discussed
potential goals referred to as the “big rocks,” the facilitator reviewed the themes that
emerged from the Council interviews, and presented a draft set of focus areas based on
the themes. The Council discussed the broad focus areas and the specific interests within
them.
Prioritization: After receiving consensus on the focus areas and potential priorities, the
Council identified their top priorities as the following:
Complete the General Plan Update;
Redevelop the East Grand Avenue Corridor (Halcyon Road to Elm Street);
Pursue New Revenue Sources;
Implement Road and Sidewalk Improvements; and
Achieve Water Resilience.
Staff will be responsible for creating detailed action plans for the top-priority goals listed
above. These plans will include timelines, resources required, and performance metrics
to ensure progress is being made.
ALTERNATIVES:
The following alternatives are provided for the Council’s consideration:
1. Provide edits to the above described Council Goals; or
2. Provide other direction to staff.
ADVANTAGES:
The City Council Goal Setting Workshop provided a valuable opportunity for City Council
members to collaboratively identify and prioritize the City’s most pressing needs for the
upcoming budget cycle. Staff will now focus on creating action plans for the prioritized
goals and will keep the Council informed of progress as it moves forward.
DISADVANTAGES:
There are no disadvantages identified.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The receipt and acceptance of the results from the Council Goal Setting Workshop is not
a project subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) because it has no
potential to result in either a direct, or reasonably foreseeable indirect, physical change
in the environment. (State CEQA Guidelines, §§ 15060 (c)(2) and (3), 15378.)
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Item 9.h.
City Council
Receipt of Results from the Council Goal Setting Workshop
March 11, 2025
Page 3
Alternatively, the receipt and file of the results from the Council Goal Setting Workshop is
exempt from CEQA on the basis that it can be seen with certainty that there is no
possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment.
(State CEQA Guidelines, § 15061, subd. (b)(3).)
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION AND COMMENTS:
The Agenda was posted at City Hall and on the City’s website in accordance with
Government Code Section 54954.2.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. February 10, 2025, Council Goal Setting Workshop Report
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City Council Goal Setting Workshop
Held February 10, 2025
City of
Arroyo Grande , CA
Attachment 1
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Arroyo Grande / City Council Retreat Report 1
The City of Arroyo Grande, California, held a Goal Setting Workshop on February
10th, 2025. The retreat was planned and facilitated by Raftelis.
Introductions and Expectations
The workshop began with the City Council and staff introducing themselves, and then the Council shared their
expectations for the retreat. Expectations included:
Learning
Productivity and being concise
Clarifying goals
Giving shape and form to ideas
Identifying what we hope to achieve
Hometown Headlines
Council members were asked to think about the future of Arroyo Grande and develop a front-page newspaper
headline they would be proud to see in two years. Headlines are captured below:
Arroyo Grande Opening Slew of Small Businesses in the Next Month
Arroyo Grande Emerges as The Gem of The Central Coast
Arroyo Grande Wins the Strong Town, Strong City Contest
Arroyo Grande Expands Inventory of Low and Extremely Low-Income Housing
Arroyo Grande Secures Third Permanent Source of Water
Ten Year Financial Forecast Indicates Strong Reserves and an Increased Pavement Index
Accomplishments
The facilitator reviewed accomplishments mentioned during Council interviews in preparation for the retreat.
These included:
Governance and Budgeting
o Hired the City Manager and City Attorney, bringing stability to those positions
o Passage of Measure E sales tax measure
Public Safety and Services
o Resetting the Fire Joint Powers Authority (JPA)
o Collaborating with the Five Cities Homeless Coalition on a warming center
o Implementing complete streets for safer crossings and securing grants
Infrastructure and Maintenance
o Funding for infrastructure (Measure E)
o Taking over the state highway that runs through the City
o Progress on the Traffic Way Bridge
o Swinging bridge improvements
o Smart planning (sidewalks, crosswalks in downtown Arroyo Grande)
Community Engagement
o Engaging community volunteers to maintain the village's landscaping and streetscape
o Fostering community pride
o Supporting recreation and events with a small budget, achieving a big impact
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Arroyo Grande / City Council Retreat Report 2
Organizational Context
The Human Resources Officer, Ashley Garcia, reviewed community survey results, providing context for the
priority-setting work to follow. A copy of this presentation is included in the appendix.
In addition, the facilitator reviewed information regarding the overlap of political acceptability and
administrative sustainability for balancing council priorities and day-to-day operations, as well as typical
capacity expectations for effective management. These materials are included in the appendix.
Focus Areas and Council Priorities
Starting with the “big rocks,” the facilitator reviewed the themes that emerged from the Council interviews and
presented a draft set of focus areas based on the themes. The Council discussed the broad focus areas and the
specific interests within them. After getting consensus on the focus areas and potential priorities, Council
members used a dot exercise to identify their top priorities.
The table below contains the focus areas and how many Councilmembers voted for the potential priorities.
Each Council member was given six dots to place next to the items most important to them for the next two
years. There was agreement that all of the options were important for the City and choosing was difficult.
Focus Areas and Priorities Dot Exercise Results
Infrastructure and Resilience
Road maintenance (implement the pavement plan) 4
Water resilience 3
Emergency preparedness (wildfire, flood, earthquake) 2
Transportation planning (circulation and interchanges) 1
Investment in aging infrastructure 0
Economic Development and Vitality
Pursue new revenue sources (cannabis, TOT) 5
Redevelopment of East Grand Avenue corridor 4
General plan update 1
Arroyo Grande Village 0
Support for local businesses 0
Quality of Life
Affordable housing 2
Access to open spaces and recreational amenities 1
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Arroyo Grande / City Council Retreat Report 3
Community events 0
Public spaces (i.e., Elm Street Park, Short Street Plaza) 0
Organizational Effectiveness
Regional partnership 3
Community engagement 2
Financial resources 1
Attraction and retention of employees 1
Use of technology and efficiency 0
Forward-thinking policies 0
Continuous improvement 0
The dot exercise activity set the stage for a more extensive discussion of the Council’s priorities. Council
members clarified that although public safety does not show up as a top priority, it does not mean it’s not
important. It simply indicates that there are other areas that require greater attention. In addition, although the
General Plan Update did not receive as many votes, Council Members agreed it remains a top priority, and
they do not want to lose momentum. They also noted that regional partnerships touch a number of areas (i.e.,
water, emergency preparedness, and transportation planning) and that it be placed on the Bike Rack for
discussion at a future meeting. Following their discussion, the Council agreed on the final set of priorities as
displayed in the table below:
COUNCIL’S PRIORITIES
Complete the General Plan Update
Redevelop the East Grand Avenue Corridor (Halcyon Road to Elm Street)
Pursue New Revenue Sources
o Consider cannabis as a means of economic development
o TOT (reallocation)
Implement Road and Sidewalk Improvements
o Create five-year pavement plan
o Implement and communicate the pavement plan
Achieve Water Resilience
o Pursuing a ballot measure in 2026
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Arroyo Grande / City Council Retreat Report 4
Intentional Governance
The Mayor, Council, and the City Manager had an opportunity to discuss their aspirations for how they work
together to lead the community. The guiding question and the key themes from the discussion are captured
below:
WHAT IS AN IDEAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE GOVERNING BODY AND THE
MANAGER? HOW WILL YOU FOSTER IT?
The relationship should be civil, friendly, and open, where the City Manager feels comfortable
exchanging ideas and raising questions or concerns. Everyone is working toward the best outcomes for
the City.
Respect for roles and responsibilities is key. The City Manager should feel empowered to guide the
Council in the right direction, while the Council should bring constituent perspectives forward in a
respectful and constructive manner.
Understanding the limits of the Council’s role is essential. Governing as a collective body comes with
significant responsibility, and recognizing those boundaries helps maintain balance.
The biggest challenges often arise from navigating constituent concerns, requiring thoughtful
collaboration between the Council and the Manager.
Staff operate under team guidelines that define working relationships, including the principle of assuming
good intent, which fosters a productive and respectful environment.
During the discussion on the governing body’s relationship with the City Manager, the Council expressed
interest in reviewing sample Council norms for potential adoption. Norms serve as an effective self-
accountability mechanism, helping to maintain productive and respectful governance. It was noted that the best
time to implement norms is when things are going well, ensuring a strong foundation for future collaboration.
SAMPLE COUNCIL NORMS
Assume good intent.
Demonstrate honesty and integrity in every action and statement.
Inspire public confidence in our City government.
Work for the common good, not personal interest.
Respect the roles of elected officials and City staff in ensuring open and effective government.
Communicate through the City Manager.
Prepare in advance of Council meetings and be familiar with issues on the agenda.
Fully participate in City Council meetings and other public forums while demonstrating respect,
consideration, and courtesy to others.
Work for win-win -- strive for consensus and seek common ground.
Honor “discussion” before “decisions” – reserve making formal motions until initial discussions have
taken place.
Disagree agreeably and professionally.
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Arroyo Grande / City Council Retreat Report 5
Bike Rack
The “Bike Rack” was used as a time management tool to keep track of items that require further discussion
outside of the retreat. These items were:
Transportation planning
Regional partnerships
o Water
o Emergency preparedness
o Transportation
Parting Thoughts
As the day came to a close, each participant was asked to share one word to describe how they felt having reached
the end of the workshop. Responses included the following:
Enthused
Optimistic
Gauntlet
Hopeful
Encouraged
Bright
Opportunity
Clarity
Defined
Optimistic
Intentional
Stable
Productive
Calibrated
Optimistic
Relieved
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Arroyo Grande / City Council Retreat Report 2
APPENDIX:
Community Survey Results and
Governance Slides
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Arroyo Grande / City Council Retreat Report 3
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Arroyo Grande / City Council Retreat Report 4
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Arroyo Grande / City Council Retreat Report 5
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Arroyo Grande / City Council Retreat Report 6
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