Town Council Retreat 2008

[Brent]

Coming up this weekend!

To be held at Mid Pines (Southern Pines area). Starts noonish on Friday, goes all day Saturday and also Sunday morning.

This is a public meeting, so public is invited (although only as observers; there's not any dialogue during the meeting, but there are some opportunities for networking during breaks, etc.).

If you're going, please contact Town Clerk Sue Rowand (Sue.Rowland@townofcary.org) to let her know, so that she can ensure that there is enough seating and materials for all observers.

Full agenda is not yet published, but topics will include visioning, water resource planning, and Council priorities.

I'll be there and will try to provide "reports from the field". I'll also keep my usual copious notes and offer excerpts from time to time on carypolitics.org (see the similar thread in this same "Council Agenda" forum topic with some of those notes from last year).

[kellyc]

I recall the place in Southern Pines has wi-fi.

Brent I expect up to the minute play - by - play. Perhaps as our representative you could request press credentials!

Kelly

[d4vendel]

Maybe you could set-up a webcam and stream the meetings as well as record them.

That is more than our Town is willing / able to do!

[Brent]

Since this is a golf resort, maybe I can do a whispered voice-over also...

"Mr. Frantz is consulting with his caddy...he pulls out a five-iron...oh, that one ends up in the bunker"

:D

[kellyc]

Since this is a golf resort, maybe I can do a whispered voice-over also...

"Mr. Frantz is consulting with his caddy...he pulls out a five-iron...oh, that one ends up in the bunker"

:D

2 boxes of Rice A Roni if you do.

[chaboard]

Since this is a golf resort, maybe I can do a whispered voice-over also...

"Mr. Frantz is consulting with his caddy...he pulls out a five-iron...oh, that one ends up in the bunker"

:D

2 boxes of Rice A Roni if you do.

I'll throw in a Hamburger Helper, too.

[Brent]

Since this is a golf resort, maybe I can do a whispered voice-over also...

"Mr. Frantz is consulting with his caddy...he pulls out a five-iron...oh, that one ends up in the bunker"

:D

2 boxes of Rice A Roni if you do.

I'll throw in a Hamburger Helper, too.

OK, if Rice-A-Roni is the San Francisco treat (and I'm not sure why that is :? ), is Hamburger Helper the...what?...Omaha treat? :-D

[Brent]

Full agenda is not yet published, but topics will include visioning, water resource planning, and Council priorities.

Oh, and let me object even before the meeting starts...

"Vision" is NOT a verb!

Nor is "Decision", Mr. Former Mayor O'Commerce

[Brent]

The published Retreat agenda is here: http://www.townofcary.org/agenda/2008retreat.htm

Nothing earth-shattering today. Mostly touchy-feely stuff. My own highlights/items worth noting:

This year, the retreat is facilitated by a professional facilitator (Phil Boyle). All council members and senior staff are here (except Jack Smith, recovering from surgery, but he joined by phone for much of the meeting).

Council started by reviewing "coats of arms" that they had developed for themselves (an ice breaker/getting to know you activity). Each person had to come up with his/her own coat of arms answering these questions:
1. Strength as a friend
2. Strength as a family member
3. Strengths as a staff member/elected official
4. What are you good at?
5. Something very few people know about you
6. What would the title of your autobiography be?

They split into groups for this exercise. I listened to one group's answers. Some were interesting, and some were funny. I'm not listing them here because I am not a fan of these sorts of activities (if you are and you want the answers, make me an offer or come to the retreat yourself). When this sharing was done, they went around the room and everyone told something that they observed from this exercise. Again, a few cute items but nothing I'm going to spend my time writing about.

After wasting that first hour, they moved to Goals and Expectations. There was a lot of talk about how the participants wanted to end the retreat with items about how council can work together better and how council and staff can work together better. The agenda is designed around each council member describing what's important to them, and then identifying where there's common ground (this will occur tomorrow).

The facilitator then presented a module about policy choices, values and decisions. Net: Values are Liberty, Prosperity, Equality, Community. Policy decisions are based on these values and their relative priority by council for a particular issue. Each implies tradeoffs against the other. The facilitator cautioned against "single-value decisions". Five things that council should consider and 5 things that staff can do to help council were presented (if you want the details, make me an offer, or request the slides from the Town Clerk). There's no rocket science here.

Next Council split off from Staff and each group worked on things about how they can work better together. There were many excellent ideas presented, most revolving around good communication, mutual respect and putting the good of the group ahead of the good of the individuals. These ideas need to be operationalized with processes if they're to be effective.

---------------------------------------------

I will post my detailed notes at a later date. This is the summary for today, and now Brent's editorial:

- I am rather unimpressed with the amount of person-hours spent today for the value received. Yeah, it's a nice "get to know everybody" session, but the taxpayers are paying for it. I hope/expect more "real work" tomorrow and Sunday.

- Quote of the Day [a box of Rice-A-Roni to the first person to guess which council member said this]: "We should give VALUES to staff that we want them to pursue, NOT specific solutions we've come up with that we want them to pursue" [this is in quotes, but is a paraphrase but is an accurate rendering of the quote]

- Peeve of the day: The meeting started at 2:00 p.m. But the retreat started at noon. Why? So that we taxpayers could pay for lunch. Why would they start with lunch? What's wrong with "Grab your own lunch on the way down, the meeting starts at 2:00"? Geesh.

[d4vendel]

Thanks for the update, Brent.

It is good to know that it was not worth a day of vaction, $3.05 a gallon for gas, and either 2+ hours of driving round-trip or an hour of driving and the cost of a hotel room to attend today's "open" meeting.

[Wuptdo]

Brent -- never under estimate the value of team building -- it helps build trust, understanding, and respect. And Lord knows we need a high functioning CTC more than ever. Remember it was a clean sweep, and now time for a bright new day! :D :D

Also, thank you for the updates and commentary.

An FYI for next year. I believe the Wessex Clubhouse can be rented for $125.00 per day and there is plenty of parking. :wink:

[Brent]

Dave & Wup,

Glad to be of service.

If anyone wants to read what a real, professional reporter has to say, Beth Hatcher (the only other non-council/non-staff person in the room yesterday besides me) is blogging at http://blogs.newsobserver.com/swakechat/ .

Also, as noted, I will post more detailed notes, including some of the stuff I omitted in the earlier post, at a later date.

Wup, I don't underestimate the power of team-building. I believe this council is genuinely pursuing many of the teaming ideas that came up yesterday. I'm just not a big fan of the typical activities used at events such as these (let's all do the Myers-Briggs test and compare our personality types; let's all do a scavenger hunt; let's all do a ropes course; let's all find someone who has each of these characteristics on this list; let's all do our coat of arms, etc.). They're often cute and fun and enlightening (and oh-so-great for Cub Scouts!) but my experience is that the results/effects are not long-lived. Supposedly, once I know your Myers-Briggs type and you know mine, we're supposed to change our behavior when interacting with one another. How many times have you seen this happen, let alone for a sustained time?

Well, way more than enough said about that. I'll have to get to the meeting soon; if they're going to get in a big circle and sing "Kum-Bah-Yah", I want photos! :-D

Anyway, more tonight (Kelly -- there is indeed Wi-Fi at the conference center, and it's that kind of Wi-Fi that doesn't work. :? Really. So my updates, at least, will be after the sessions conclude.

P.S. No guesses as to who said the quote in earlier post?!? A box of Rice-A-Roni is on the line folks! The San Francisco treat! One guess per person, please.

[Brent]

P.S. No guesses as to who said the quote in earlier post?!? A box of Rice-A-Roni is on the line folks! The San Francisco treat! One guess per person, please.

Oh, and Don and any other CTC member who decides to join Don in actually posting here is disqualified. :wink:

[JoeCiulla]

First guess in the quote contest, it came from Jennifer Robinson. Going out on a limb here, but back-to-back dinners of Rice A Roni and Hamburger helper is too good too be true. Oh, and Hamburger Helper is a 'family dinner in 10 minutes.'

Maybe today they will be taking the Rorschak test.... tell me what this divot makes you think of...

[Karen]

I'll echo David and Wup. Thanks for posting from the retreat Brent!!! :D

If I guess correctly can I trade in my box of Rice A Roni for what's behind curtain #3? :-D Just for the heck of it I'll go with one of the new members...Gale???

~karen

[chaboard]

I'll echo David and Wup. Thanks for posting from the retreat Brent!!! :D

If I guess correctly can I trade in my box of Rice A Roni for what's behind curtain #3? :-D Just for the heck of it I'll go with one of the new members...Gale???

~karen

I'll guess Erv. And if I win I'll donate my box of Rice-A-Roni so that Council can eat large at next year's retreat!

[Wuptdo]

Brent -- let us know if those Raleigh Elitist from WCPSS or School Board show up to sell their "snake oil" to the new Mayor and CTC members.

[Don]

P.S. No guesses as to who said the quote in earlier post?!? A box of Rice-A-Roni is on the line folks! The San Francisco treat! One guess per person, please.

Oh, and Don and any other CTC member who decides to join Don in actually posting here is disqualified. :wink:

Aw....You're no fun Brent. ;-)

[Brent]

First guess in the quote contest, it came from Jennifer Robinson.

We have a winner!

I'll even throw in a box of instant Jello pudding!

[Brent]

Brent -- let us know if those Raleigh Elitist from WCPSS or School Board show up to sell their "snake oil" to the new Mayor and CTC members.

Nope. Last year, school board was on the agenda and Eleanor and Pattihead were here.

This year I was the only "voluntary" attendee yesterday. Today, Sandy Jordan and Howard Johnson showed up for awhile. And Beth Hatcher from the Cary News is here. NBC17-Chris was here for awhile yesterday.

And that's pretty much it, other than council or staff.

[Brent]

Saturday summary (details at some future date):

Today had much more value in my opinion. Council actually drilled down on what's important to them as individuals and as a group.

The day began with each council member describing his/her "big items". These were recorded and then council went through them and distilled them down into categories. They came up with:

1. Downtown
2. Environment
3. Planning & Development
4. Citizen Involvement
5. Transportation & Transit
6. Safety
7. Recreation
8. Schools
9. Council effectiveness

They then spent much of the afternoon refining mapping their individual items to these categories, and refining and prioritizing them. Eventual deliverable is a work plan that enables highest priority items to be worked on to completion, "crossed off the list" and replaced by other items that are teed up next.

The most sobering sessoin was the last one. Jeff Ulma presented where we are today, what's in the pipeline and where Cary will be at buildout from a growth & development perspective.

Cary is about 80% built out right now. Another 10% is already approved, in the pipeline. Only about 10% can be affected.

And the 10% in the pipeline will more than double the number of multifamily residential units (another 12,000 already approved) and includes 11 million square feet of non-residential.

At buildout, projections USING CURRENT PLANS include:
- the ratio of single-family to multi-family will decrease
- 61 million square feet of non-residential
- parks & greenways will increase commensurate with population
- but road miles won't (although the figures given were linear miles, not lane-miles)
- and the population will be about 216,000 people, and overall density (population per square mile) will increase.

Council seemed disposed to wanting to get significant citizen input on the vision over the next decade or two, but also noted that we can affect only about the last 10% of buildout, and any redevelopment that might occur.

I had been wondering for awhile if it was too late to really have an effect on Cary's ultimate "look and feel". I now fear that it might be too late to make a significant difference. And there's now ample evidence that Ernie's 4-year sellout to developers has already altered Cary's face -- especially density and multifamily development -- unalterably and significantly.

Quote of the day (same prize to first correct guess of the source, who is a council member): "I think we should repeal the entire mixed use overlay section of the Land Development Ordinance".

Peeve of the day: we reached the "visioning" exercise, and "vision" STILL is not a verb!

P.S. If you communicate with Erv Portman, aske him for his reduced, edited version of the LDO.

[Brent]

P.S. No guesses as to who said the quote in earlier post?!? A box of Rice-A-Roni is on the line folks! The San Francisco treat! One guess per person, please.

Oh, and Don and any other CTC member who decides to join Don in actually posting here is disqualified. :wink:

Aw....You're no fun Brent. ;-)

You're here to work, Don, not have fun! :-D

[DarylB]

My best guess is that Cary will soon be ripe for ReMansioning..... that is to say, tearing down existing homes and constructions for ever bigger, more elaboarate construction... the McGigaMansion phase of Cary in full bloom. Just like "repurposing" those barrels, we'll be repurposing the land of Cary. No tree left behind. Nor former long term resident. Perhaps homes with corporate naming rites? ... ie the CVS house and gardens (at maybe 300,000 s/f?)



Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Teardown update

N&O reporter Sarah Lindenfeld Hall reports today on the Comprehensive Planning Committee's recommendation regarding teardowns.

"The committee today recommended that the full council organize a study group to look at the trend of tearing down homes in older neighborhoods and replacing them with new ones. It also wants the council to move forward on a plan to speed up the process to create neighborhood conservation overlay districts. Such districts set standards for new construction in established neighborhoods."

The proposal was put forward by Councilman Russ Stephenson and will be discussed at next Tuesday's full City Council meeting. The study group will apparently include seven members, a chair and three each from the pro and anti teardown camp.

[chaboard]

Cary is about 80% built out right now. Another 10% is already approved, in the pipeline. Only about 10% can be affected.

Is there no way to revisit the 10% already in the pipeline? It would seem that the pending water crisis might offer a justification for doing so.

[Brent]

Is there no way to revisit the 10% already in the pipeline? It would seem that the pending water crisis might offer a justification for doing so.

Nope. That's already being built or already approved. And aside from rare legal issues, you can't revisit what's already approved.

[Brent]

Sunday Summary:

Today was spent on water issues.

Summary of policy items (ideas to explore, not decisions):
- impact of consumption on our "reservoir"
- reduce comsumptoin
- conservation
- high amount of water used for irrigation
- continue to lead
- staff monitor tools & techniques
- understand impact fee for irrigation -- impact feesshoould fully reflect use, consumption, peak demand
- perform as much irrigation as possible with reclaimed water
- restrict outdoor watering
- move to installing drought-resistant grass, plants
- increase water fees drastically above certain limits, or put a cap on the amount of water used for irrigation
- certification-based rate (user takes education to become "certified" in, e.g., irrigation systems, then receives reward on rates
- see your water meter ticking real-time on town Web site; have a highlight on your water bill or receive a robo-call when you hit the "penalty tier" of usage
- time-of-day rate adjustments; peak/off-peak rates
- leakage identification and reduction. Penalties for major leak incidents
- restrict irrigation from sources other than town water supply (e.g., wells)
- improve existing education materials
- incentives to those who consistently have low water consumption

Generally, all items in place now, being considered by staff or brainstormed by council, fall into one of the areas of education, regulation or incentives. Staff is going to synthesize all the top ideas, provide cost and time frame information, and council will schedule a work session to move forward on water policy items.

The feedback/reflections from council and staff about the retreat were quite positive. There was a LOT of talk inside and outside the meetings that this was the best, most useful retreat in several years. It was evident from an observer's perspective that the council really did gel and form a foundation of relationships that will help them in the future. We'll see, but this group seems more team-driven that some past "dysfunctional family" councils.

Peeve of the day: whoever was in charge of weather could have done a better job. :D

Quotes of the day:

1. This is a bonus if you guess both parties:
Council member: "Holy moly! ... sorry for the strong language"
Staff member: "Holy moly is strong language?!?"
Council member: "Well, it is Sunday"

2. Council member: "You could have 4 different matrices in this paradigm".

Same prizes. :wink:

And finally, those of us present now know which council member likes to have her/his feet massaged in watermelon. However, I am NEVER telling. This is why you spend your time and money to attend in person. :wink: