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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025/02/27 - ADMIN - Agenda Packets - City Council - Study SessionRETREAT & WORKSHOP AGENDA FEBRUARY 27 AND 28, 2025 Members of the city council will be in attendance at this event. No formal actions will be taken. Feb. 27, 2025 - City Council Retreat – Westwood Hills Nature Center 5:00 p.m. Welcome 5:30 p.m. Facilitated conversation with consultant – City Council Norms 8:00 p.m. Wrap-up Feb. 28, 2025 - City Council and City Staff Workshop – Westwood Hills Nature Center 8:30 a.m. Welcome 9:00 a.m. Facilitated conversation with consultant – Misinformation and Disinformation 11:00 a.m. Debrief 11:30 a.m. Meal break 12:30 p.m. Facilitated activity with city staff – Community Creativity 2:00 p.m. Debrief and farewell David J. Unmacht Summary of Professional Career Fall 2024 David J. Unmacht, LLC Established in May 2023 Perform consulting services for municipal associations and local governments (city and county) in areas of strategic planning, goal setting, board and staff communication and relationships, leadership development, general facilitation, board governance including roles and relationships, and developing organizational values. Builds trust easily, understands organizational dynamics, and how trends in municipal governance impact culture and service. Brings a highly practical, experienced based approach to engagement with municipal leaders. Executive Director, League of Minnesota Cities 2015-2023 Executive Director of the League of Minnesota Cities. The League is the largest member-based organization representing Minnesota Cities in Minnesota. The League provides a wide range of services including education, training and conferences, communication, legal representation, research, advocacy, loss control and insurance. Served on the Insurance Trust Board. Director/Senior Vice President, Springsted, Incorporated 2009-2015 Responsible for the administration of the company’s organizational development business as well as direct client consulting and service, including working with city and county governments in the areas of organizational development, executive recruitment, facilitation services, goal setting, and strategic planning. County Administrator, Scott County, Minnesota 1997-2009 Served 11 years as County Administrator for Scott County, Minnesota, overseeing an operating and capital budget that reached $100 million and a workforce of approximately 700. Responsible for the day-to-day operations of a large southwest suburban metropolitan county in the Twin Cities. Most notable achievements were implementing a sustained and historical culture change and one of the principal founders of the collaborative called Scott County Association for Leadership and Efficiency (SCALE). Deputy County Administrator, Dakota County, Minnesota 1992-1997 Served for five years as the Deputy County Administrator in Dakota County. Responsible for the operations of the General Services Division, which included property management, risk management, capital and facility planning, legislative affairs, information technology, budgeting and finance, and employee relations. City Manager, Prior Lake, Minnesota 1987-1992 Served as City Manager in Prior Lake for five years. Responsible for the day-to-day operations of growing and developing suburban city with a population of 10,000. Other positions: Assistant City Manager, Economic Development Director, Prior Lake, Minnesota 1985-1987 City Administrator, Belle Plaine, Minnesota 1983-1985 Work Experience • Minnesota Association of County Administrators (MACA) Joe Ries Excellence in County Management Award in 2000 • Minnesota City/County Management Association (MCMA) Dr. Robert A Barrett Award for Management Excellence in 2006 • President, Minnesota Association of County Administrators (MACA) in 2006 • President, Minnesota City/County Management Association (MCMA) in 2007-2008 • Scott County, Minnesota, Joseph F. Ries Achievement Award in 2009 • Community faculty member with Metropolitan State University, Saint Paul, Minnesota. 2011 to 2020 • Community faculty member with Hamline University, Saint Paul, Minnesota 2016 to 2019 • Served on Governor’s Council for Law Enforcement and Community Relations 2016-17 • Served on the National League of Cities (NLC) Board of Directors in 2019-20 • Served on the National League of Cities Board Executive Committee 2019-20 • Served on numerous boards, commissions, and task forces throughout career • Speaker, panelist, writer on numerous topics and subjects in local government • Employee Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Patriotic Employer Award • President’s Award, League of Minnesota Cities, 2023 • Grant Review Committee, Minnesota Historical Society, 2024 • Bachelor’s Degree – Political Science and Business Administration Wartburg College, 1981 • Master’s Degree in Public Administration Drake University, 1982 • Senior Executive Institute (SEI) University of Virginia, 2007 David J. Unmacht dave.unmacht@comcast.net 612-202-2391 © Professional Achievements Education Resource management and planning (Resources) Balance short and long-term resources (people, land, and capital) Efficiency and effectiveness (Systems) Implement high performing structures and operating models; flexibility to adapt and change as needed Communication and information sharing (Connections) Internal, external and with all constituencies Roles are clear and defined (Team) Operate as a high functioning body; accepts responsibility for your role on the team Individuality and diversity of opinion (Self) Seeks consensus when possible; differences are respected Premier Councils St. Louis Park City Council norms DO: •Assume good intentions. •Agree to disagree. •Pay attention to each other; listen. •Accept the vote once taken and support implementation. (Suggested response: “I accept the body’s decision, even though I didn’t vote for it.”) •Make sure everyone has opportunity to speak. •Be respectful, open and honest. •Exercise humility. •Seek opportunities to make/build connections with each other. •Address problems with other council members in a timely and constructive manner. •Accept the decisions of other council members. •Focus discussions on policy. •Check self in adherence to norms; practice self-regulation. DON’T: •Have side conversations. •Personalize policy disagreements or take offense to what someone says as their truth. •Get stuck when you disagree with an outcome. Accountability to norms •Exercise caution calling each other out in public. •Identify/own your feelings and needs when speaking up. o Say “I’m not feeling heard” or “I’m feeling we are not able to agree to disagree” •Address issues/concerns one on one or with an intermediary. Guidance for council/staff interactions •DO strive to request only information you need to make the decision at hand. •DON’T re-litigate points with staff during implementation. •DO strive to adhere to our governance model – separation of responsibilities, ends/means, big bowl/small bowl, etc. Established January 27, 2022; updated May 9, 2022; updated March 9, 2023; updated Feb. 15, 2024 Council protocols for key situations Titles • During council meetings, council addresses each other using titles (for example, Mayor Spano) • During study sessions, council uses first names. • Staff use council titles in public communications with council; council uses first names for staff. Public discussions • Council wants more organic and free-flowing discussion; the mayor is responsible for facilitating this. • Mayor will generally speak last in council meetings but will participate more flexibly in study sessions. • Mayor will actively create space for at-large members in discussions. Ward considerations • For issues specific to a ward, the impacted ward member speaks first and make(s) the motion unless they decline to do so. Recusals • Council members should recuse themselves from an issue as soon as a conflict is reasonably apparent or identified, and no later than before a vote. • Once a council member has recused themselves from an issue, they should not work on the issue with staff or speak on it as a council member. • When a vote happens, they may elect to sit at or leave the dais and may choose to leave the room during the discussion. • They also may only speak to staff or other council about the topic on the same basis as any other member of the public. Connections • Council will have recurring dinner connections on the first Monday of each month. There may be additional after-council meeting connection points. Spokesperson • In general, the mayor represents the council to the media on issues of “why” and staff work with media on the “how.” • Council may represent themselves on issues they feel strongly about, making it clear they don’t speak for the city council. • As a general rule, council should always notify staff of media requests and/or appearances to avoid surprises. Emails • When a member of the public sends an email to multiple council or staff, the impacted ward member takes the lead (or mayor if not a ward issue). • Suggestion is for the ward member to “reply all” to say, “Thanks for your message, I’ll reach out separately to avoid any open meeting law conflicts.” • The group will give the mayor or ward member 48 hours to respond. • It’s okay for council members to reply directly to senders to acknowledge the message. • Staff are also available to assist with crafting responses. Opening Paragraphs for Norms and Protocols The City Council of St. Louis Park has an adopted set of standards called Norms and Protocols. These standards establish clear expectations for behavior and interaction between individuals and as a governing body. They serve to create and foster a productive environment by encouraging participation, minimizing conflict, and ensuring everyone feels comfortable speaking. Consistent application of these standards leads to better collaboration and outcomes in service to the city and community. An agreed upon set of Norms and Protocols provide for clarity and consistency, offer a shared understanding of what is expected from each member, creates a safe and inclusive culture, and reduces confusion and misunderstandings. By following these standards, everyone feels valued and heard. Norms and Protocols serve to hold individuals and the group accountable for their actions and behaviors, builds trust among colleagues, serves to minimize conflicts, and provides for efficiency and effectiveness in managing the council’s business. The Norms and Protocols are reviewed and updated annually by the Council. St. Louis Park City Council Standards and Expectations 1 2 The City Council of St. Louis Park has an adopted set of standards called Norms and Protocols. These standards establish clear expectations for behavior and interaction between individuals and as a governing body. They serve to create and foster a productive environment by encouraging participation, minimizing conflict, and ensuring everyone feels comfortable speaking. Consistent application of these standards leads to better collaboration and outcomes in service to the city and community. An agreed upon set of Norms and Protocols provide for clarity and consistency, offer a shared understanding of what is expected from each member, creates a safe and inclusive culture, and reduces confusion and misunderstandings. By following these standards, everyone feels valued and heard. Norms and Protocols serve to hold individuals and the group accountable for their actions and behaviors, builds trust among colleagues, serves to minimize conflicts, and provides for efficiency and effectiveness in managing the council’s business. The Standards and Expectations and Protocols are reviewed and updated annually by the Council. The City of St. Louis Park has eight Standards and Expectations: • Focus your comments and remarks on policy and not persons and peers. • In dealing with each other assume good intentions, pay attention, and listen respectfully. • When the Council acts, accept the vote and decisions of your peers; support implementation and if the situation warrants agree to disagree and move on. • Everyone’s voice is equal, ensure opportunities to speak, be open, honest, and respectful, and use caution and be judicious if speaking about your peers in public. • Support the Council’s governance model, ask for clarity and interpretation if needed. • In relationships with your peers, exercise humility, build connections, and address any problems in a timely and constructive manner and with an intermediary if desired. • Seek only the information from the staff and Council that you need to make a decision at hand. • Hold each other accountable for your words and actions; practice self-awareness and self- regulation and identify your own feelings when speaking up. 1 I like the reference to Standards and Expectations; hence, I am including the wording in this draft. This document only rewrites and reorganizes the Norms, not the Protocols. 2 I purposely eliminated the four sections that split the norms in the current draft; and aggregated common themes. I tried to include all content at the same time minimizing redundancies. Bob McNaney Founder and CEO of The McNaney Group Bob McNaney is a globally minded strategic communication and crisis communication strategy counselor who drives results by supporting organizations of all sizes through crisis and issue response, crisis-preparedness management, executive and senior leadership counseling, and media coaching. Bob serves as trusted outside crisis counsel to CEOs, boards, and executive leadership teams before, during and after situations which may impact the bottom line and reputation of their enterprises. Bob provides the City of St. Louis Park with crisis communication strategy when significant issues arise. Bob works with federal, state and local governmental bodies while also supporting organizations in various sectors including healthcare, technology, higher education, financial services, pharmaceutical, and retail. Previously, Bob was a National Emmy Award-winning investigative journalist with more than 24 years of national and international reporting experience. Prior to forming The McNaney Group, Bob was Senior Vice President of Padilla providing counsel to clients globally. As a proud alum of the University of St. Thomas, Bob remains actively involved in mentoring students. Bob is Chairman of the LifeScape Board of Directors in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and serves on the Board of Directors of The Airport Foundation MSP in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Bob is a sought-after keynote speaker who brings his interactive style to audiences across the globe. St. Louis Park February 2025 Our Time Together Today •Our Goals •Misinformation v. Disinformation •Hurt v. Harm •Responding v. Reacting •Expectations •When and How to Respond •Small Breakout Groups Misinformation v. Disinformation Misinformation:False information that is spread regardless of intent to mislead. (Dates back to early 1500s) Disinformation: Misinformation that is knowingly or intentionally spread. (Dates back to 1960s/70s) Hurt v. Harm Examining the Impact Hurt •Upsets us as community leaders. •Gossip or negative mainstream of social media coverage which lasts a relatively short about of time. Harm •Creates long-lasting hardship to the community. •Significantly harms the community’s reputation as a great place to live. Respond v. React Stop and Think Respond •Comes from our brains. •A thoughtful and measured approach to the situation. React •Comes from a place of emotion. •Often a knee-jerk reaction which can lead to creating another problem or escalate the issue at hand. How, When, and If to Communicate Misinformation •Potential opportunities to “educate” or “enlighten”. •View the situation as more of a “mistake” than “malice”. •Measure the “growth” of the issue-is it impacting the community or city leadership, or is it contained to a small group of people? •Often, we can “educate” in the course of normal communication with the community-no need to call it out on a larger scale with a separate communication. How, When, and If to Communicate Disinformation •Potential opportunities to “set the record straight” in a more aggressive way. •View the situation as intentional and thus, an intentional response may be necessary. •Call out the source of disinformation to provide motive-but make sure we have our facts straight. •Measure the impact to the community and decide if proactive or reactive steps are necessary. Best Practices When Communicating •Follow your best practices when communicating-don’t reinvent the wheel •We do our homework on the source of the information •We examine the source of the information •We monitor its “growth” like any other issue •We listen to our community New Year’s Day (New Orleans & Las Vegas) •I am here to discuss not only the latest investigative information we have here in New Orleans, but also let you know about other investigative activities outside of the state. •As you know, there is an FBI investigation in Las Vegas. We are following up on all potential leads and not ruling anything out. At this point, there is no known definitive link between the attack here in New Orleans and the one in Las Vegas •Again, our thoughts are with the victims of this tragedy, and everyone impacted across the country. They remain at the heart of our investigation California Fires •Critics used both misinformation and disinformation to criticize California’s efforts to prevent and respond to fires. California Fires (Response) •A Jan. 8 post on Newsom’s website said that California has “dramatically ramped up state work to increase wildland and forest resilience” treating more than 700,000 acres of land for wildfire resilience in 2023. That’s up from about 572,000 acres in 2021, according to a state dashboard tracking fire prevention work. •Prescribed fires (a controlled burn used to control wildfires) more than doubled from 2021 to 2023, the governor’s post said. Newsom’s press office said the state invests $200 million annually for healthy forest and fire prevention programs, and that his budget commits $4 billion more in prior and future investments in wildfire resilience over the next several years.