Minutes July 25, 2003CITY OF DENTON CITY COUNCIL M1NUTES
Annual Planning Session Agenda
Friday, July 25, 2003
Wild Horse Golf Club, Robson Ranch
9400 Ed Robson Blvd., Bldg. A
The Annual Planning Session of the City of Denton City Council on Friday, July 25, 2003,
convened at 8:00 a.m. The following items were considered:
The following Council Members attended the meeting:
Mayor Euline Brock
Mayor pro Tem Mark Burroughs
Council Member Raymond Redmon, District 1
Council Member Pete Kamp, District 2
Council Member Jack Thomson, District 3
Council Member Perry McNeill, District 4
Council Member Bob Montgomery, At-large
Mayor Brock called the meeting to order.
Council discussed norms and expectations and reviewed 2002 Council commitments:
Council Member McNeill: get more facts before deciding
Mayor Brock: organize field trips for council
Mayor pro Tem Burroughs: provide better feedback re: what involved in
Council Member Phillips: keep open mind
Council Member Montgomery: become resource about solutions other cities have discovered
Council interacted in a team building exercise.
Council made the following commitments to team building:
Mayor pro Tem Burroughs: Creative ideas contributed with humor
Council Member Redmond: Communicate other viewpoints effectively, w/out attacking
Council Member Montgomery: Make life better/easier for citizens today. Take long-range view.
Council Member McNeill: Get information before acting. Draw on full resources of Council,
staff.
Mayor Brock: Communicate better, and be more collegial and cooperative.
Council Member Thomson: Be open, welcome diversity and inclusiveness.
Council Member Kamp: Effectively use all available resources. Communicate better.
Council discussed the following major leadership strengths:
Proud of Denton
Visionary: future-focused
Operational efficiency/ability to target issues
Quality leadership: elected & staff
- Intelligent, analytical
- Experienced, skilled
- Professional
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July 25, 2003
Page 2
- Balanced
- Ethical
Respect for each other - Cooperation/consensus oriented
- No dogma
- Collegial, likable, value humor
- Dependable
Council identifies the following barriers to team effectiveness:
Internal Processes
External political and legal constraints
Internal and external communications
Special interest groups
Pressure of time/efficient use
Limited resources
Need for better citizen involvement
Internal attitudes
- Complacency
- Inertia
- Trust
- Reluctance to raise adverse views
- Staff dedication to community
Council participated in a focus group and determined the following commitments:
1. More council luncheons: retreat follow up-implementation; structuring Council agenda
2. Focus on increasing tax base, increase retail sales
3. Beef up monitoring of outcome policies to assure incremental progress
4. Streamline/expedite outcome statements, focus Council time on them
5. Keep special interests in proper perspective
6. Better citizen communication
7. Improve relationships with legislators, feds, county commission, school districts
8. Encourage overall dialog among all Council members (informal settings)
9. Improve Council role in external communications
Staff members also participated in a focus group and determined the following commitments:
1. Reciprocal support - staff and council - throughout community
2. Charter amendment: more effective term stagger - greater stability - amend term limits
3. Design informal interactions with Council
4. Support Council's role in maintaining effective boards and commissions
5. Citizen academies to encourage community leadership
6. Involve and demonstrate support for neighborhoods
7. Council take lead in external relations
8. More/continued "face-time" with each other
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July 25, 2003
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The meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m.
Euline Brock
Mayor
City of Denton
Robert Hanna
Assistam to the City Council
City of Demon