Jim's Minutes: Positions and Thoughts

This is where I'll submit thoughts and positions for your consideration. While most comments will be positions open for discourse, there will be those that are "stick in the sand" issues. Unless egregious, all comments, whether in agreement or not, will be received and replied to with respect. 

Cooperative Communication

City Councils are crucial in strengthening trust and relationships between the government and the citizen-partners through empathetic, effective, and resolution focused communications.

The quality of the communication is frequently evaluated by:

1) Speed of response

2) Accurate and relevant information focused on the individual specifics of the issue.

3) Bedside manner of the provider.

4) Integrity. Following up with any promised meeting or activities.

Groveland has a diverse citizen-partner demographic make-up with equally diverse communication preferences. Within District 4, it has been expressed to me on more than several occasions by more than several citizen-partners the frustration with the lack of satisfactory communications with the City Council and the management/staff. 

Are we communicating with our citizen-partners by their preferred method? Is it email? Is it website? Texts? Phone calls? Video Conferences? etc.?

Are we communicating at an appropriate awareness level or is our information littered with technical or legal bloviation? This is often a tactic used to intimidate opposition.

I intend to improve our communication effectiveness, at least within District 4, by developing an understanding and using the identified communication preferences and setting timelines for actions in the pursuit to resolve the expressed issue.

I'll hear and respect you.

RESET GROVELAND

“To set, adjust, or fix in a new or different way.”

District 4 Responsiveness

My foremost priority will be to ensure District 4 issues are prioritized and addressed in an effective and efficient manner. This does not mean that every issue that I am made aware of will be 100% implemented to the complete satisfaction of the claimant.

It does mean the issue will be addressed within 7 days and the affected constituent(s) will be updated at least twice per month on its status and progress. 

I will post a District 4 Project Chart that will be web-based for continuous access and review by District 4.

Additionally, I will also host a monthly District 4 video meeting to be scheduled between City Council meetings for discussions to review the content of the previous City Council meeting and any topics that you may want to be addressed.

RESET GROVELAND

“To set, adjust, or fix in a new or different way.”

Unbiased Government and Council Evaluations

To prove worth to our District 4 and Groveland constituents there needs to be a citizen-partner & government developed set of goals and benchmarks to assess the benefit and worth of the efforts that are tax dollar funded. These metrics are frequently known as Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

KPI’s are defined as, “a set of quantifiable measurements used to gauge overall long-term performance. KPIs specifically help determine… strategic, financial, and operational achievements. "The key is to provide the citizens with a tool to assess, without bias, the efforts of the city management and the city council to make the community better and more efficient by comparing actual results with the standards agreed to by the voters. The KPI’s should also be used by the city and council to self-assess and seek continuous improvement towards the negotiated benchmarks.

Example KPI’s: 

  • Response time to citizen complaints
  • Citizen satisfaction with public services
  • Departmental budget management
  • Turnaround times for paperwork approval
  • Governing document currency and compliance
  • Percentage of projects completed on time

This may be a disruptive change to the way we determine the value of the management and oversight of the city, but I propose it is a concept that should be discussed and note the rationale behind a dismissal of the conversation.

RESET GROVELAND

“To set, adjust, or fix in a new or different way.”

 

"Good luck Jim!!  You turned around TOVA way back then, now is the time for Groveland!"

Mike. G

Trilogy - TOVA