The Sandpiper

April 2008 issue

City Council Retreat
A web-exclusive article, April 2008

By Dave Druker

On Saturday, March 1, the City Council and the executive staff of the city met for an all day retreat along with an outside facilitator. This was a publicly noticed meeting although no members of the public were there. In the past two years the City Council has met with only themselves, the City Manager and City Attorney along with a different outside facilitator (Steve Alexander). These past meetings have mostly dealt with communication issues between council members. Over the past year these issues have dissipated.

Karen Brust (our new City Manager) and the executive staff had met at the end of January with the same facilitator (Dick Lyles) to discuss how to more effectively implement many of the goals that the citizens of Del Mar want. From this discussion it became apparent that the council and executive staff needed to have a better understanding of communicating with each other; determining strategies and priorities and how to more effectively implement the goals established by the council.

Over the past few years, the City Council has been attempting to make our goals more outcome-based so that there will be measurable progress for many of the multi-year goals. By creating outcomes, the city staff and council can be more responsive to the community and ensure that goals are accomplished. It also allows the City Council to set strategies rather than the specific tasks that are the responsibility of the staff. It also provides a framework for city staff to accomplish specific tasks.

This is the fourth retreat that I have been involved as a City Council member. Each retreat has built on the success of the prior retreats. Because of these retreats, the city should be able to be better organized to face the decisions we have, build upon the achievements of the past and to achieve the goals we have for the future.

The City Council will hold its usual annual goal setting workshop during a mid-month meeting in April or May.

Dave Druker is Mayor of the City of Del Mar.