special – webcast: “city staff & city council in

Special – Webcast: “City Staff & City Council in Partnership”

with Professor John Nalbandian – recorded live from San Jose

now available as digital video and audio recordings

Professor Nalbandian is a world-renowned expert in local government andprofessor at Kansas University. We appreciate the Professor’s gracious offer toallow the session to be webcast for the Cal-ICMA Coaching Program. The Cityof San Jose is generously providing the videotaping and Granicus is making thelive feed and digital recording available as an additional contribution to itssponsorship of the Cal-ICMA Coaching Program. Thank you all.

Teams at agencies in California and across the country enjoyed tuning into thelive webcast. Many have taken particular interest in the discussion about“Governing Body Working Conditions” and the distinction between “Politics andAdministration.” This begins at approximately hour 2 (2:09) of the webcast.

You can access the digital recording at www.cal-icma.org/coaching and click onthe event at “Live Audio & Archives.”

The “Council Staff Partnership” article that appeared in the September 1999edition of “Western Cities” is available athttp://web.ku.edu/~nalband/research/council.pdf

The Cal-ICMA Coaching Program receives funding through the generosity of:ICMA, California City Management Foundation, Municipal ManagementAssociation of Northern California, Municipal Management Association ofSouthern California, the County Administrative Officers Association of California,California Communities Joint Powers Authority, California RedevelopmentAssociation, Bob Murray & Associates, CPS Human Resource Services,Granicus, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Piper Jaffray, the Public AgencyRetirement Services, and Keenan & Associates.

MORE RESOURCES--See the "Coaching Corner" at www.cal-icma.org/coachingfor valuable resources to boost your career. These include listings of futureTelephone Panels, recordings of past sessions (including a free subscription topodcasts), the expanded "Dear eCoach" offering (that invites you to askquestions anonymously--check out some of the hot topics), expanded One-to-One Coaching opportunities, and complimentary, confidential management styleprofile reports to be more effective and fulfilled in your work.

SIGN UP FOR FREE NEWSLETTER--Subscribe to the Cal-ICMA CoachingProgram email list to receive updates on events and the availability of recordedsessions. Go to www.cal-icma.org/coachingList.

Enjoy the resources and support to thrive in local government.

Don Maruska, Master Certified CoachDirector, Cal-ICMA Coaching ProgramSee "Coaching Corner" at http://www.cal-icma.org/coaching

Agenda City Manager’s Quarterly Management Meeting

“City Staff & City Council in Partnership” with Professor John Nalbandian

DATE: August 27, 2009 TIME/LOCATION: 830-1200 noon - Council Chambers OUTCOMES:

• View the purpose of governance as community building • Identify 4 political values that underpin public policy-making and implementation • Understand the constellations of logic that separate elected officials from

professionals • Understand staff’s facilitative role that emerges from the GAP

PRE-READING AVAILABLE: “Council Staff Partnership” Western Cities article by John Nalbandian Item Who Topic Time

1. Debra Figone

City Manager

830 Introduction to Meeting & Professor Nalbandian

10

2. 1.

John N. 840 Review Agenda and Outcomes

5

3. 4.

John N. 845-945 Community Building and Political Values HANDOUT 1: POLITICAL VALUES HANDOUT 2: EVERYDAY EXAMPLES OF VALUES IN PUBLIC POLICY

60

4. 3.

John N. 945-1015 Case Study of Political Values HANDOUT 3: TRAFFIC CONTROL AT BABCOCK PLACE

30

1015-1030 BREAK 15

5. John N. 1030-1115 Governing Body Working Conditions Connecting What is Politically Acceptable and Administratively Feasible Implications for Department Head Role Importance of Citizen Engagement

45

6. John N. 1115-1200 Politics/Administration Chart HANDOUT 4: CHARACTERISTICS OF POLITICS AND ADMINISTRATION

45

High Performance Government

Governing Body and Staff in Partnership

John Nalbandian University of Kansas

[email protected]

John Nalbandian www.goodlocalgovernment.org


Objectives   Discuss politics as choices among

conflicting values

  Compare political and administrative values and perspectives

  Identify translating and aligning roles for chief administrative officers and senior staff


Values   RESPONSIVENESS =

  Representation/Participation +

  Efficiency/Professionalism +

  Social Equity +

  Individual Rights

John Nalbandian Page 2 Department of Public Administration University of Kansas POLITICAL VALUES (Handout 1) Frequently, when we think of values, qualities like honesty, reliability, love and sincerity come to mind. These are values--deep-seated beliefs that lead to judgments about right and wrong--but they have to do with individuals and how we lead our lives individually. Political values influence public policy development as opposed to the lives of the individuals who make policy. The primary political value in our culture is responsiveness of governmental officials to public wants and needs. The value of responsiveness is reflected in demands for representation, efficiency, individual rights, and social equity. Representation. This is the deep-seated belief that government answers to the will of the people through elected representatives. The wishes of citizens should be represented in governing bodies. If a public policy is going to have an impact on a group of citizens, that group should have the opportunity to be heard. Efficiency. Citizens expect government to be run prudently. This is achieved through cost-consciousness and rational, analytical decision making and through an emphasis on expertise and professionalism, planning and merit. Social Equity. Frequently, citizens are treated as members of groups rather than individuals. Sometimes we classify people as veterans, disabled, African American, female and senior citizen rather than as Jose, Mary, Rita, and Jacob. As group members they expect treatment equal to members of other groups. And, they compare their treatment with that given to members of other groups. For example, people living in one neighborhood expect to receive a level of government service similar to that received in other neighborhoods; older neighborhoods might expect more service. Individual Rights. Citizens are granted legal rights that protect them from arbitrary decisions by those who govern--both elected and appointed officials. These rights may be expressed in ordinances, statutes and laws, and the constitution. Property rights and civil rights fall into the broader value of individual rights.

John Nalbandian Page 3 University of Kansas

EVERYDAY EXAMPLES OF VALUES IN PUBLIC POLICY (Handout 2) Representation

• Homeowners say, “We have a petition signed by 20 residents on our block requesting a stop sign at 4th and Elm.”

• A group of citizens who supported you in your last election remind you, “You pledged to hold the line on taxes and now you are talking about raising taxes. That’s not what we elected you for.”

• A group of citizens says, “The city ought to be paying more attention to the welfare of its children. We’ve heard teenagers say they have no place to go at night. For their well-being and that of the city as a whole, we should build a teen center.”

Efficiency/Professionalism

• Staff says to the council, “At your request, we now have available a comprehensive parks and recreation master plan, and for your consideration we would like to develop a five year capital improvements budget to implement it.”

• A budget shortfall leads the chief administrative officer to consider layoffs. One of the alternatives presented to council is to make any layoffs based on job performance of the employees.

• The public works director is having a difficult time with the city’s director of neighborhood development on a road project. The public works director argues that according to the engineering consultant’s design, the best route will take the road parallel to 11th street. The director of neighborhood development argues that the preferred route will split an existing neighborhood.

Social Equity

• A representative of the neighborhood association argues that the city wants to build an addition to its motor pool on the east side of town because that’s where the poor people live. The representative says, “You wouldn’t think of putting it on the west side of town.”

• The affirmative action officer reminds the city manager that a layoff policy based on “last hired, first fired” will have a disproportionate effect on minorities who were hired as part of the affirmative action program.

• The city council, elected at-large, wants a report from the city manager on the distribution of funds for infra-structure repair. There is some concern in town that more money is going to new development compared to the older parts of town.

Individual Rights

• A new road is being built and an environmental group argues that to preserve green space the city ought to require a significantly greater setback than it presently does. The land owners along the route indicate their displeasure saying, “If the people want my land for green space, they should buy it.”

• The fire fighters union objects to layoffs based on performance because it gives too much discretion to supervisors who it contends will play favorites. Union spokespersons argue that employment decisions should be based on seniority.

• An angry group of parents confronts the city commission and says, “The city should put a crossing guard at 9th and Kentucky. Our children have a right to cross the street safely on their way to school.”

John Nalbandian Page 4 Department of Public Administration University of Kansas TRAFFIC CONTROL AT BABCOCK PLACE (Handout 3) Scenario I (Please do not read Scenarios II and III before discussing Scenario I) A group of senior citizens living in subsidized housing at Babcock Place sent a letter signed by 30 residents to the city council requesting a crosswalk at 17th and Massachusetts Street, a four lane road. In the letter, the seniors expressed their desire to get to the church across the street and to visit the Dairy Queen. Some 150 residents live at Babcock Place. Residents vote in greater numbers than the average throughout the city. The letter was referred to the Traffic Safety Commission, a group of citizens appointed by the city council, whose purpose is to advise the council on traffic control issues. The city engineer counted traffic at the intersection, consulted the Manual on Uniform Traffic Safety Control Devices, and recommended against a crosswalk. According to these national and commonly accepted standards, a crosswalk is not warranted and if placed at the intersection would give the false impression that crossing here was safe. The Traffic Safety Commission unanimously votes to forward a negative recommendation to the city council. The issue is put on the city council's agenda for discussion and a decision. During the week prior to the city council meeting, several letters appear in the newspaper expressing support for the senior citizens and appealing to the council's role as representatives of the people. In addition, an adjacent neighborhood association has supported the request, saying a safer crossing would help neighbors wanting to walk to the market near Babcock Place and children attempting to get to school. All city council members are elected by district. Possible Questions: Are there questions of values here? Is this a 2+2 problem? Has staff adequately performed its job in preparation of the item coming to the city council? What factors would you consider if you were a council member? What do you think the city council ought to do?

John Nalbandian Page 5 Department of Public Administration University of Kansas TRAFFIC CONTROL AT BABCOCK PLACE (Handout 4) Scenario II (Do not read Scenario III until you have discussed Scenario II) The city council expresses sympathy with the Babcock Place residents, but following the Traffic Safety Commission's recommendation, rejects the request for the crosswalk, and asks staff to look into additional alternatives. The residents are upset, as is the neighborhood association. You, the district council member, arrange to meet with the residents. During the course of the conversation, you read between the lines, and you discover that for these residents their self-respect and dignity are tied to their sense of independence and mobility. The ability to cross the street symbolizes their independence, and they seem to be saying, "Isn't it the role of government to help older citizens maintain dignity in their lives?" After you visit Babcock Place the city council receives information from the public works director that additional analysis of the intersection turns up no practical alternatives. According to the director, a traffic signal--which is the most plausible form of traffic control at this intersection--is not warranted and establishing one at this intersection would set an undesirable precedent as well as hinder the flow of traffic trying to get to and from downtown. Building a median where pedestrians could pause after crossing two lanes of traffic would require widening the street and would be opposed by neighboring residents. A crosswalk would falsely signal a safe crossing and could do more harm than good. Possible Questions: Has staff adequately fulfilled its role? At this point, what would the staff want from the council? As a city council member, would you vote for the traffic signal?

John Nalbandian Page 6 Department of Public Administration University of Kansas TRAFFIC CONTROL AT BABCOCK PLACE (Handout 5) Scenario III A few days prior to the council meeting, an 84-year-old resident of Babcock Place is killed trying to cross the street at 17th and Massachusetts. A motion to place a traffic signal at 17th and Massachusetts Street is placed on the agenda. Questions: What is staff's role at this point? Should the city council reconsider its earlier decision?


Efficiency and Politics Efficiency

High

Low

• Representation

• Social Equity

• Individual Rights


Governing Body Working Conditions

  No Hierarchy

  Vague Task Definition

  No Specialization

  Little Feedback

  Open Meetings


Reduce uncertainty

  Know policymaking role

  Goals setting

  Develop norms of behavior

  Team building

  Partnership with staff

Staff

Elected

Hi

Low

Time

Then Now

The Gap

Learning

*Credit to John Arnold

Potential for Misunderstanding

Gap between Professional and Political Learning*

John Nalbandian

University of Kansas


Characteristics of Politics and Administration

Characteristics Politics Administration

Activity Values allocation/Game

Problem Solving

Players Representatives Experts

Conversation “What do you hear?”   Passion   Dreams   Stories

CAO and Senior Staff

“What do you know?”   Data   Plans   Reports

Pieces Intangible: Interests and symbols

Tangible: Information; money, people, equipment

Currency Power (stories) Knowledge (deeds)

Dynamics Conflict, compromise, change

Predictability, cooperation, continuity

Handout 6 Page 7

John Nalbandian University of Kansas www.goodlocalgovernment.org

Characteristics of Politics and Administration

Characteristics Politics Administration

Activity Game/Problem Solving Problem Solving

Players Representatives Experts

Conversation “What do you hear?”

• Passion • Dreams • Stories

“What do you know?”

• Data • Plans/goals • Reports

Pieces Intangible:

Interests and symbols

Tangible:

Information, money, people, equipment

Currency Power (stories) Knowledge (deeds)

Dynamics Conflict, compromise, and change

Predictability, cooperation, and continuity

CAO, Senior Staff, Elected


Facilitating Roles   Translate politics and administration

  Align   Staff priorities with governing body goals   Governing body and staff expectations and

contributions   Passion and data

  Create intersections


Summary

  Role of governing body is community building   Promote inclusion and goal accomplishment   Good politics is about values not right answers   Value conflicts require compromise and

negotiation   Do not ignore any value over a period of time   Democratic process is “messy”   Politics/administration=ways of thinking   Role of translator is critical   Alignment is crucial

special – webcast: “city staff & city council in

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