City Council Guidelines for Decision Making

In their continuing effort to provide the best representation possible, City Councilors agree to uphold the following guidlelines in their relations with other City Council Members and Staff:

1. Ensure that the thoughts of each person are sought out.  Seek to understand one another’s perspective.
2. Focus on issues and not personalities.
3. Encourage open discussion and decision making.
4. Whenever possible, staff should present new proposals at the committee level or a work session. Complex issues should be discussed at the committee level or a work session before presenting the issue in regular session.
5. Be willing to table issues.
6. The City Council must demonstrate courtesy and respect for the presenting (or speaking) Council member or staff member.
7. Council direction to staff should be done by consensus rather than by an individual Council member.
8. Once a decision is made, everyone should move on and expect that staff will implement the decision as directed.

ABOVE ALL, WORK DILIGENTLY TO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS, IMPROVE COMMUNICATION, AND BUILD TRUST, RESPECT, AND COOPERATION.