Menifee City Council, Staff Members Unite, Develop Strategic Plan for the City
It's no secret that Menifee city officials have faced a huge challenge ever since the city was incorporated in 2008. Inheriting and mo...
http://www.menifee247.com/2012/06/menifee-city-council-staff-members.html
It's no secret that Menifee city officials have faced a huge challenge ever since the city was incorporated in 2008. Inheriting and modifying old county ordinances to meet the demands of a diverse community within a new city structure has not been an easy task.
By the same token, it has sometimes been challenging for city council members to represent those diverse interests and stay on the same page with one another. As Mayor John Denver put it Thursday, "Some of us want to have Beverly Hills and some of us want goats and chickens."
Thursday may go down in Menifee history as the day those on the fast track and those on the country path found common ground.
Meeting in special session in a strategic planning "retreat" led by an outside facilitator, city council and staff members identified the top goals and objectives for Menifee in a six-hour meeting that appeared to help unify the council at just the right time.
"There's this self-perpetuating theory around town that the members of the city council can't agree on anything," City Manager Bill Rawlings said after the event. "I think you saw today that it isn't true."
The event was led capably by facilitator Marilyn Snider, who in 32 years in this role has worked with more than 100 cities in team-building and goal-setting strategies. Staff and city council members sat in a semicircle in a conference room at Mt. San Jacinto College, exchanging ideas and sometimes meeting in small groups. A very structured format set by Snider kept city officials on track and resulted in clear objectives for the growing community.
"I was pleasantly surprised to see that the council agrees way more than I thought we did," said council member Sue Kristjansson.
Added council member Wallace Edgerton: "I was not looking forward to this, but I thought it was very well done. I'm pleased with the way the council and staff came together."
In the meeting, the city council and staff laid the groundwork for a three-year plan by identifying five top priority goals. They are, in no particular order:
-- Improve the city's infrastructure (including road improvements)
-- Increase economic development
-- Improve city council relations
-- Increase community amenities
-- Beautify the city
Realizing the residents want to see specific objectives, not just goals, the group continued on to identify the top objectives in working toward each of these goals. Some of these objectives are:
-- By Nov. 1, the director of public works and engineering (Don Allison) will supervise the design and reconstruction of the Newport Road overpass and turn pocket from westbound Newport Road to southbound Haun Road. This is the first scheduled project in a series of much-needed road improvements. (In an interview with Menifee 24/7 after the meeting, Allison explained the reasons the Newport project will be completed before a proposed Holland Road overpass. This will be reported on our site tomorrow).
-- By Oct. 15, the economic development director (Jeff Wyman) will contact 60 businesses, providing them with information regarding the benefits of locating in Menifee.
-- By Dec. 1, the economic development director will initiate a relationship with 12 existing Menifee businesses and offer assistance as part of the city's business retention program.
-- By Aug. 1, the mayor, city manager and assistant city manager will plan a council-only team-building retreat to be held within the city and will present the plan to the city council for consideration.
-- By Dec. 1, the community improvement and outreach manager (Rob Johnson) will identify and recommend to the city council for consideration at least five community amenities to pursue in the next three years.
-- By Sept. 30, the community improvement manager will present a tree-planting program to the city council for consideration.
"This meeting gives us the opportunity to get 40,000 feet above Menifee and look at the city overall," Denver said. "It helps us get together and give the staff direction. As a facilitator, she (Snider) is the perfect person for us. She's direct, yet she listens to us."
In the next 48 hours, all city officials who attended the meeting will receive a transcript of the meeting and will be asked to share the information with other city staff members. At the July 17 city council meeting, the strategic plan will be presented to the public.
Those wishing to request a complete transcript of the meeting should call City Hall at 951-672-6777 or email City Clerk Kathy Bennett at kbennett@cityofmenifee.us
Road improvements is a big plus, but I would like to see not a huge ammusement park, but something for families to do here in our city.
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE to move my manufacturing company to Menifee. I have lived in this city for 12 years. The problem is that we do not have any commercial warehouses. I need something in the area of 10,000 - 15,00 square feet.
ReplyDeleteI love the specific dates and goals that have been established and think that is a positive end result to the meeting. We definitely need improvements to the Newport Rd overpass and I'm glad that is in the works. Hopefully with an improved infrastructure we can attract more business to keep our sales tax dollars in Menifee!
ReplyDeleteMy only concern is the "council only team building". Sounds a bit like a junket to me. While I think that holding it within the city helps mitigate that concern, I think people getting involved in politics should already have the interpersonal skills necessary to interact with others without the need for these types of activities. If taxpayers need to fund sending our council members on retreats just so they can learn to work with each other, that will certainly carry weight in my decision next time they are up for reelection.
team building is done in any corporate setting I've ever worked, why is it done, because it works! They don't need to be sent on 'retreats' they just need to go someplace where they will not get disturbed by citizens or anyone else. A hotel room in Temecula would work, one here if we had a hotel. They need to learn to be a 'team' and work together for the betterment of the community,not their own personal achievements. That does not say, they can't disagree however. I like red, and you like purple, we can agree on pink....same thing! We need to concentrate on building a commercial center, and a manufacturing center and get businesses to come in to town...I suggested some time ago on building a truck stop off Ethanac, we have hundred of truckers moving up and down 215 each and every day and night, it would make great money for someone, but, you can't sit on your thumbs and do nothing. I emailed soakcity to see if they would bring their waterworks here for the young folks to have something to do, unfortunately they've already built their limits in Palm Springs and another city that I've forgotten. We really need to start doing something for our youth here soon. As for beautification, I love tree's, but flowers brighten the city up, especially on busy intersections at the entrance of the city, and the exit. We need welcome signs and not the small things we're seeing, or not in a few places in town. Much to do here, Mr.Rawlings needs to initiate milestones,and follow thru with them with his staff. things take waaaaaaaaaaaayyy to long to get done here. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteWe have a motel 6 in Menifee...perhaps we should see if they have any meeting facilities so they can host events.
ReplyDeleteI doubt if Motel 6 has conference rooms, its a motel. However, I realize you want to keep it in the city. Menifee 24/7 does advertise conference rooms available here in Menifee, and I think they're located in a Medical center off of Newport, Steve can correct me on this, but that's a possiblity too, as long as its private, quiet and away from folks who could interrupt this session. That's the whole idea, and I for one, applause the city for taking this step.
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