Town Council

Town Council Retreat Meeting Report January 2024 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Table of Contents……………………………………………………2 2. Participants, Welcome, and Expectations……………….3 3. Project Purpose and Outcomes…..………………………….5 4. Agenda………………………………..………………………………...6 5. Strategic Assessment and Notes …..……………..………..7 6. Strategic Assessment Summary: SWOT ….…………….24 7. Town Manager Presentation…………………….…………..28 • Acknowledge predecessors…………………………..30 • Roles and Responsibilities………………………….….34 • Organizational Chart………………………………………35 • Vision of Success…………………………………………...37 8. Group Long-Range Vision of Success…………………….42 9. Marshal’s Office Needs and Discussion……………...…47 10. Prioritizing Themes – From / To.………………………..….49 11. Key Priorities Group Work……………………………………..51 12. Evaluation and Wrap up ….…………………………………….54 13. Appendix………………………………………………………………..55 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  PARTICIPANTS, WELCOME, AND EXPECTATIONS Mayor Roger Bourke opened the meeting by welcoming everyone, thanking them for their dedication to the Town, and inviting them to find consensus around long-term planning themes for the Town of Alta. Participants were asked to introduce themselves and share their expectations for the session. Chris Cawley, the Town Manager, talked about being the only municipality at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon (LCC). As you can see by the comments from everyone, the themes meet around finding shared agreement around short and long-term planning, clarity around roles & responsibilities, clear action items to productively move forward, creative thinking and new ways of working together. Council members expressed interest in hearing and learning from the staff. 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  PARTICIPANTS, WELCOME, AND EXPECTATIONS Roger Bourke, Mayor The retreat was publicly noticed. Participants included the Carolyn Anctil, Council town Mayor and Council, and leadership staff. John John Byrne, Council Guldner, Town Administrator Emeritus, attended the Elise Morgan, Council retreat at the request of the Town Manager, Chris Cawley. Dan Schilling, Council Chris Cawley, Town Manager Jen Clancy, Town Clerk Molly Austin, Deputy Town Clerk Craig Heimark, Town Treasurer Chris Otto, Asst Town Manager Mike Morey, Town Marshal John Guldner, Town Administrator Emeritus 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  PURPOSE AND DESIRED OUTCOMES The Purpose and desired Outcomes of the Council Retreat on January 11, 2024: To review an assessment and future vision of the Town of Alta with town staff and elected officials. By the end of the day, we will have… 1. Completed the Strategic Assessment by reviewing the interview and survey information and creating a SWOT 2. Listened to each other, a lot. 3. Articulated a shared vision of success. 4. Identified strategic themes and shared agreement around next steps. 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  Town of Alta Retreat Detailed Agenda Wednesday, January 11, 2024 Location: Our Lady of the Snows Center 10:00 Gathering 1:00 Group Vision of Success for 2030 − Draft development 10:30 Opening − Vision statement − Welcome – Roger − Team Breakouts / report out − Agenda, Introductions & Expectations - Julie − Ground rules and Communications 2:00 What is the shift we are making? – From - To , Rank 11:00 Strategic Assessment: Where are we Today? – Confirm top priorities − Review of Interview & Survey Findings − Questions/Comments captured during presentation – Cluster the initiative, re-cluster as necessary 11:45 Strategic Assessment Summary 2:30 BREAK – Small group discussion 2:45 Core Strategies, Short-term goals ➢ Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats – Generate/Group/Rank ➢ Most critical issues/areas to address in planning − Questions/Form Teams − Report out and synthesis − Team Breakouts 12:15 LUNCH − Gallery Walk 12:30 Vision of Success 3:30 Next steps & Wrap-up − Set Context – Julie − Communications − Vision Primer - Chris − Meeting Evaluation − Closing 3:45 Adjourn 6 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  The following pages include an assessment of the information provided in advance of the retreat as well as written notes and comments from the retreat session. The additional pages include comments and notes made by the note taker on flip charts, as well as text box additions (light blue as in this example) to memorialize the retreat and help the team identify next steps. Strategic Assessment: Where are we today? 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  Assessment Review Participants: Staff SOURCES OF INFORMATION: Molly Austin, Deputy Town Clerk • Survey of staff and elected officials Chris Cawley, Town Manager • Individual interviews with six staff and elected Jen Clancy, Town Clerk leaders Craig Heimark, Treasurer Mike Morey, Town Marshal Chris Otto, Assistant Town Manager The assessment information gathered in advance was from the same people that attended the retreat, except John Guldner, Town Administrator Emeritus for former Council member Sheridan Davis who participated in the survey. Elected Officials Roger Bourke, Mayor Carolyn Anctil, Council John Byrne, Council Elise Morgan, Council Dan Schilling, Council Sheridan Davis, Council Member Emeritus 8 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  Assessment Review What do you view as the greatest contributors to success of the municipality? STAFF LEADERS • Shared vision and expectations (5) o Strong sense of community and place among elected officials, staff, residents, voters, seasonal residents/employees, visitors, etc. o Broad stakeholder participation o Defined mission and core values o 53 yrs of experience since incorporation as a municipality o Credible delivery of services • Dedicated staff (3) • Strong partnerships • Community loves Alta • A well-maintained budget • Leadership • Availability to the citizenry ELECTED LEADERS • Elected leaders mesh very well • The professionalism and commitment of our full-time staff • Local leadership that is grassroots oriented with a vibrant, engaged constituency • Maintaining the character of Alta 9 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT Themes Vision of Success Shared agreement around themes: ➢ Planning and prioritizing ➢ Provision of essential public/municipal services ➢ Community-centric ➢ Self-determination “An efficient well-run town, responsive to the needs of its constituents.” 10 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  From your perspective, describe the vision of success for the town as a public service agency - What are you ultimately striving to achieve? STAFF LEADERS ELECTED LEADERS • Financial sustainability, infrastructure resilience, watershed stewardship • A cleaner, greener, quieter Alta, the Mountain Town that chooses not to race to the • Success would be realizing we are a small town and concentrating on the essential bottom as so many have with development and environmental degradation, but public services to serve the public. Focus and prioritizing are key. Have not had any embraces being different. This difference is in fact a business advantage. clear direction in the past. Direction of activities has been all over the map. • Transportation - hindering success • Town has good relationships with local constituents and relationships with • Long-term healthy sewer, water, transportation infrastructure to ensure the town is collaborative agencies best prepared for continued increase in human impact and to avoid catastrophes • Provide services that enhance quality of life for residents and ensure safe, due to insufficient planning on the part of our administration harmonious, and life for residents • Resist the outside forces trying to change us into something we aren’t • Generational burden for capital replacement • Trust • Transparency and inclusion of the community in decision making. Alta is a very small town and community. It should not IMO be difficult to get more meaningful community input to create a cohesive long-term direction Shared agreement around themes: • Delivery of credible and reliable municipal services ➢ Planning and prioritizing • The municipal government is: nimble, efficient, and pragmatic; focused on services ➢ Provision of essential public/municipal services within ➢ Community-centric, self-determination • The Town of Alta provides the structure that allows Alta to remain governed at the local (vs county) level - including local elected officials, utilities, and municipal services (post office, local police department, etc). Alta residents and businesses “ We are doing our job to the extent that we have long term invisibility – get the advantage of working with familiar and friendly faces right here in Little no one will see how well it is all being managed - - no crises because we Cottonwood Canyon. Without the Town, all of those services would be diverted to did our job well” Salt Lake County which has wildly different needs and priorities. Another shared value is "Keeping Alta, Alta" - as a Town, we have more agency in preserving (or changing) Alta in ways that would be impossible if governed by Salt Lake County 11 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  Strategic Assessment Notes Shared Agreement What we need to identify: ❑ Plan & prioritize • Understand what keeping Alta Alta entails ❑ Switch to proactive rather than reactive • We need a formal master plan / facilities ❑ Understand resource capabilities and study limitations ❑ Focus on essential services What we value: • Inclusion is important Alta thrives on “less is more” (but staff may not • Say YES more be thriving) • Services must be accessible but prioritized Protect the pristine nature of Alta • Disagreement leads to better decision- making Questions that were asked: ✓ How to navigate valley growth challenges? What we know and said out loud: ✓ Do we survive as a community if the gondola • COVID highlighted need for bathrooms is built? • Providing services isn’t always convenient – ✓ What are our goals? we need to understand our obligations to ✓ What do we want Alta to be? the public ✓ How will the new town government structure • Constituency goes beyond residents impact decision-making? • Focus on tackling staff challenges ✓ What is needed to sustain the Marshal’s • Sometimes waiting for consensus leads to office? getting stuck • We are under-spending – depreciation is under calculated (need more $$$) • Changing police protocols create big challenges for a small force 12 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT Themes Obstacles Hindering Success STAFF • Limited budget / lack of financial resources, revenue / lack of capital (5) • Lack of clear-cut goals: priorities must be established and well defined / Limited future and long-term planning (4) o Urgent crowds out the strategic, too many short-term challenges to clarify a future path • Staff size (3) o Everyone is always putting out the "fire of the day" while bigger issues smolder • Resistance to change (2) o Risk-averse culture and information reporting that favors insiders only - meaning it is too complex for outsiders to easily digest COUNCIL • Flow of information / communication (4) o Circular arguments that can distract our elected officials and hired staff o Practicing true democracy with transparency and effective communication is time consuming and not everyone’s natural style of leadership o Rules of order are not followed as much as they should o Lack of effective communication as well as no consensus building. • Boundaries between council with staff (2) 13 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  From your perspective, what are the town’s greatest capital improvement needs? Restrooms at trailheads and public areas 58.33% • Staff overwhelmingly identified Restrooms, Alta Central and Post Office Building • Staff chose more than the elected Alta Central 58.33% overall Sewer 33.33% • One staff and one elected chose every option on the list Water 58.33% Post office building 58.33% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved How should we prioritize these needs? • Planning and evaluation (5) o We should do a formal facilities study to help in prioritizing our needs. o Rank projects o This would include input from the staff and public comment (limited) in meetings ▪ Taxpayer input • Someone outlined a process: ✓ 1-Create an infrastructure master plan giving each department the opportunity to address their critical needs; ✓ 2-Identify funding/bonding opportunities; ✓ 3-Agree on design; ✓ 4-Break ground and get it done 15 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  Strategic Assessment Trends & Realities Impacting Success INTERNAL • Concentrate on the essentials, police, fire, sewer, water administration • A new community center • Affordable housing • Limited eligible/available candidates for public office, especially Mayor - does ToA have a reliable future as a Town as we know it? • Losing local Police and Dispatch services • Public bathrooms EXTERNAL • Visitation • Traffic/Transportation/Gondola • Population Growth • Climate Change • Construction/Development • Alta Ski Area ownership 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved • Tightening labor market 16  When you take the long view, what do you define as the greatest assets that will be depended on for success? Shared Agreement: • Staff • Long term plan for the Town • Identity and reputation • Well informed and unbiased community leaders and elected officials 17 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  Greatest Vulnerabilities Most common responses: Other comments: • Vulnerability to natural disasters, box canyon, one road • Concentrated, seasonal economy • Lack of planning • Public safety failures o Lack of defined priorities and understanding of what • Large scale infrastructure failures • Civil liability for failure to perform at best practice standards a small town is supposed to do - - The Town is too • Communication / interference scattered and the citizens and especially the • Climate change - our success relies disproportionately on the employees suffer weather and the ski industry o Narrowness of scope and shortness of time horizon • Maintaining a community of year-round residents that is the default position of the ToA council. • Maintaining qualified staff o Existing assets are in urgent need of maintenance or • Confidence around how we run the town council meeting – rules replacement of operation • Climate change • Transportation, canyon • Elites making decisions for elites at the expense of workers and • Conflicts between council, and staff and appointed officials our fragile Alta environment • Commercial interests that want to exploit our natural environment for their own benefit-- They are willing to kill the goose to get the golden egg 18 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  What will be critical to optimize for future success? SHARED AGREEMENT: • Long-term vision and planning o Leadership and direction o Medium-term unifying roadmap to guide decision making o Shared goals o New town manager position o Cohesive and collaborative teamwork among the staff and elected officials o Focus on attainable outcomes, topics within Town's jurisdiction o Focus on defined priorities of public service o Focus on resilience and sustainability: financial, environmental, social v • Flow of information / communication o Don't waste staff time o Go through mayor and town manager o Small staff and they work hard o The emergence of a consensus builder on the staff Other comments: • Allies on the side of keeping the unique beauty of this area • Wider representation of the workers of Alta in leadership and decision making • Maintaining and continuing to leverage strong partnerships 19 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  The Town of Alta is fiscally responsible with its resources Overall, elected leaders “Agree” while staff leaders more often “Somewhat agree” Comments: Agree 50.00% STAFF LEADERS • Great job of micromanaging but that doesn’t matter – there is no attention to strategic allocation of resources over time Somewhat agree 33.33% • We budget conservatively and make smart expense decisions - - We need to improve project delivery and expedite plans for major capital replacement Somewhat disagree 0.00% ELECTED LEADERS • We are sales tax dependent Disagree 8.33% • Budgets are moral documents. Do all Alta voters scrutinize and agree with the morality behind our expenditure priorities and amounts? If labor creates tax revenue, where is the reinvestment Do not know 8.33% in labor? • Hard question -- Don't know 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  Who do you define as partners? These entities, in some way, add value to what you are accomplishing. (Check all that apply and add to the list as needed) Other partners mentioned: Constituents 50.00% • Friends of LCC • Local and regional nonprofits • Salt Lake City Alta Ski Area 100.00% • Salt Lake County • Salt Lake County Emergency Management • Salt Lake County Service Area #3 Residents 83.33% • Salt Lake Valley Emergency Communications Center Alta Business Community • Salt Lake Valley Health Department 100.00% • Save Our Canyons • Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort Utah Department of Transportation 91.67% • State of Utah, esp Division of Drinking Water • Students for the Wasatch • UFA SLC Public Utilities 58.33% • Unified Fire • Unified Police/SLCO Sheriff • Utah Transit Authority Forest Service 75.00% • Visitors/tourists Other (please specify) 58.33% Comments: • UDOT might be a foe! Delicate balance with them. If town ran a transportation service I 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% would support that • All who live Alta, the place and the concept 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  What are the critical issues that must be discussed in this planning process? Shared agreement around key themes of setting priorities and a vision for the town and clarifying roles and responsibilities for staff and elected leaders. • Setting priorities • Vision for the Town – are we aligned? • Process and procedure, roles and responsibilities o We need an org chart! Clear guidance on who is responsible for what • Building consensus • Staff recruiting and retention • Roles and responsibilities 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  Success for this planning process… A clear direction to guide decision-making. 50.00% TOP THREE RESPONSES: The organization will have a clear, easy to understand story 8.33% (consistent messaging). 1. Develop a common vision of the Future town leaders will recognize that this period of management and leadership did everything it could to… 16.67% future that unifies. Clarity on what is needed to sustain our program direction 2. A clear direction to guide 33.33% (alignment of desires and capabilities). decision-making Develop a common vision of the future that unifies. 75.00% 3. Clear accountability; clear goals Clear accountability: clear goals and ownership to achieve 50.00% and ownership to achieve goals goals. A road-map to guide our growth over the next few years. 41.67% Enhanced partnerships. 8.33% The organization develops an effective way to communicate 41.67% to those who support the efforts. Other (please specify) 16.67% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  Strategic Assessment Template Broad and shared compilation of facts, beliefs, and perceptions Strengths After reviewing the assessment, the group Weaknesses developed a SWOT analysis working in small groups. The SWOT notes were agreed upon in • Strengths of your current business model group process. The notes and typed version detail • Issues, obstacles, trends or realities • Core competencies are included on the following pages. that you know you must plan to • Competitive advantage overcome to achieve success. • Brand heritage and reputation • People, processes & relationships • Typically, well known Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Opportunities Threats • The trends, innovations, shifts in • The trends, innovations, shifts in values values that can enhance your success that could become obstacles to your if you take advantage of them. success. • Typically, little knowledge about them 24 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT SWOT DEVELOPED IN GROUP SESSION Strengths Opportunities Weaknesses Threats 25 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  Strategic Assessment Template Broad and shared compilation of facts, beliefs, and perceptions Strengths This is the final SWOT with minor edits after final review. Weaknesses • Experience, dedication of staff • Setting priorities within current structure • Financial position • Lack of clarity around governance • Location • Short planning horizon • Small size allows for nimbleness • Dead-end canyon and one road • Resilience and strong partnerships • Town’s lack of land ownership • Barrier to communication is low Strengths Weaknesses • Subject to politics outside canyon • Engaged leadership • Finding and retaining staff • Weather, avalanche threats Opportunities Threats • Town building maintenance • Lost relationships with external leaders Opportunities Threats • Hyper-attuned to threats • Resources available to tackle challenges • UDOT and Forest Service • Increased strain on resources • Relationships with external leaders can be • Emergency and law enforcement changing strengthened and leveraged • Unique needs of our law enforcement • Change team • Increased visitation • External jurisdiction – decisions by others • Increased summer activity greatly impact Alta • Budget and resources of partners • Climate change 26 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  Council and staff working together in small groups. 27 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  TOWN OF ALTA VISION OF SUCCESS Chris Cawley came to the meeting having prepared his Vision of Success as the newly appointed Town Manager. He began with a nod to the past and acknowledged predecessors and their successes. He talked about the challenges they faces and those that continue. Chris reviewed roles and responsibilities and presented an organizational chart that he developed. His Vision of Success outlined a path to get there, what he and the staff need to do their job and serve the Town well. Participants then worked in small groups to articulate a group vision of Success for the Town. Pathway offered a framework of six major themes for the group to use. See Chris’s presentation and the notes and work accomplished on the following pages. 28 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved Roles and Responsibilities, Vision of Success Alta Town Council Retreat January 11, 2024  Let’s Acknowledge Our Predecessors  Total Tax Rate Comparison 0.012200 …and their successes 0.012000 0.011800 0.011600 Total Tax Rate 0.011400 • Just look at Alta! 0.011200 0.011000 • Healthy environment, landscape dominates 0.010800 0.010600 • Alta’s been thoughtfully developed 0.010400 0.010200 • People are passionate about Alta despite its challenges Alta Brighton Snowbird (Unincorp SL Co.) • Just look at our budgets • Stable, growing revenues • Town has provided consistent, reliable services over time in a radical, constrained environment • Alta property tax rates are competitive • 8 percent lower than Brighton • 10 percent lower than Snowbird • Outstanding relationships with partners …and the challenges they faced – and that we face… • Town of Alta has limited jurisdiction or direct control • Federal land, other overlapping jurisdictions • Limited resources • Budget, land ownership • Extremely challenging environment • Concentrated, seasonal economy • Constant litigation with developers • Population growth and increased visitation • Climate change …continued! • Revenues have grown faster than our capacity to plan and implement • Crisis focus: Development, Mountain Accord, Gondola, Covid, Parking, Dogs… • Inconsistent direction • Working in Alta is a blessing but also a burden • Unclear roles and responsibilities, disregard for them Roles and Responsibilities Elect mayor and council members to take input and make policy decisions about Town Implement policy services, programs, and decisions, manage Constituents regulations. Receive, consume town services, services. Participate! programs, and regulations. Serve constituents. Staff and Mayor and Manager Council Take input and make policy decisions about Town services, programs, and Town regulations. Represent Work with staff to present options for Manager implementation of policy decisions. Assist community and make mayor and council in taking input making decisions on their behalf. policy decisions. Direct staff.  Behold - Town of Alta Org Chart • Clerk, Treasurer, Marshal, Attorney, Building Official • Appointed by the council to perform statutory duties at the direction of the manager • Boards and commissions (planning commission) are empowered by state code and town ordinance Town Manager • A Brave New World…hopefully not 1984 • Statutory mayoral duties delegated • Manage internal affairs • Primary conduit between elected officials and staff • Carry out policies, provide reports • Supervise TOA assets • Execute and enforce laws and ordinances, • observe contracts etc. Vision of success The Town of Alta is: • High performance • Unified, linear • Modern, future oriented • Sustainable, resilient • Transparent, legible, understood, appreciated • Calm, cool, collected • Coalition of the willing? Competitive and selective • Open minded • We have a plan! How do we get there? Improve Capacity Lengthen Planning Horizon • Optimize • Short/medium/long term plans: • Embrace and Invest in technology • Capital improvements • Internal process improvement • Programs and projects • Reporting and accountability • Land Use • Prioritize attainable goals • Community Vision Communication, Engagement Improve Governance • Engage community in planning • Clarify council-staff roles & relationships • Does community understand the • Council focuses on policy and priorities town’s role and our limitations? • Planning and decision-making process What do I need? What does staff need? • A plan, and a planning process • Where do we go after today? 2 years? 10 years? • Town Council Direction • What outcomes does the council want to see? • What resources will be devoted to achieve the outcomes? • Staff proposes pathways to implement policy • Works with council to determine presentation, communication Thank you for your service!!  Town Manager Vision of Success ✓ High performance organization ✓ Unified and linear ✓ Operating according to a plan ✓ Future oriented and technologically empowered ✓ Sustainable and resilient in terms of revenue and as an employer ✓ Enhance transparency through streamlined communications ✓ Reactive to proactive – no more “hair on fire” ✓ Open-minded, open to improvement and change ✓ Short, medium, and long-term plans ✓ Community engagement in planning ✓ Role clarity across the board 41 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  VISION OF SUCCESS LONG-RANGE VISION OF SUCCESS Core Competencies What will you be known for? What do you want to be best at to achieve your vision? What are your core competencies? Fiscal Strength and Focus Organizational Model How our leadership manages accountability, role clarity, and How will you manage revenue and finances? How does responsibilities? How does our use of technology support the budget process align with our strategies? this model? Summary Vision Statement People and culture Key Collaborators & Partners What will set your organization apart? Who will your key partners be? What advocacy or policy How will you attract and retain staff, and make engaging activities will you take up with others? What relevant with your organization unique? competition must be considered? How have they shifted or evolved? How do you depend on them? Results and Performance Measures How will you know you are succeeding? What metrics/objectives/impacts will you use? What technology will help us manage the dashboard and the details? After Chris Cawley spoke on a vision of success for the town, participants worked in small groups to articulate and write the draft Town vision of success using this worksheet. Pathway offered these six major themes as a way to develop the vision. This is the draft Town of Alta Vision of Success developed in the retreat. The next page offers a typed version of the draft vision.  VISION DRAFT OF SUCCESS VISION OF SUCCESS REFLECT upon your wishes and dreams for the future. What would you like to have helped build; what will be your legacy? Our financial sustainability is … Our services are known for… Our model or structure is… • Comprised of diverse revenue streams • Based in consensus decision-making • Responsiveness • Enhanced by careful expense management • Consistency for staff support and • Welcoming management • Dedicated • Open to continuous improvement • Smooth running • High performing • Accessibility and reliability Summary Vision Statement Partners and allies contributed to Our success is measured by… Our people and culture are our success by … distinguished by… • Expanding our offerings • Public acknowledgement of our services • Stability as an employer • Advocating for our vision of Alta • Financial audits, financial strength • Competitive compensation and benefits • Being powerful allies and having influence • Technological advancements leading to • High-functioning team • Helping us to bypass red tape efficiencies • Having incredible vision • Increased transparency and streamlined • Happiness to be here! communicators • Passion for recreation and outdoors • Self-assessment of achievements • Our longevity • Updated and well-maintained infrastructure VISION STATEMENT WORK Why are we in business? (Vision) ❑ The agenda scheduled time for the • Vision is a compelling verbal image that forms a picture for group to review and update the Town of Alta Vision Statement. After a brief the future. It should define what the organization seeks to discussion the council requested that become, yet also describe something realistic. the staff team work on a suggested Vision Statement to bring back to the • What is our dream and the loftiest picture? council at a future date. Chris agreed • What will be different for those we serve? and the group left the topic. EXERCISE: Who do we serve? What end do we seek? CURRENT VISION  MARSHAL’S OFFICE DISCUSSION MARSHAL’S OFFICE As part of the assessment, a specific discussion around the Marshal’s office surfaced. Key needs identified were around challenges with staffing and recruiting, facilities, and more recent needs to adapt to complex investigations. Needs: ❑ Staffing and recruiting with valley PD competition ❑ Facilities and tools to do Marshall work ❑ Adapting to complex investigations ✓ Staffing ✓ Housing ✓ Staff decision-making empowerment 46 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  MARSHAL’S OFFICE: LAW ENFORCEMENT DECISION-MAKING PROCESS ACT, REVIEW, COLLECT AND RE-ASSESS INFORMATION CORE VALUES • Ethics & the law • Integrity, accountability • Public safety IDENTIFY • Proportionality • Sanctity of human ASSESS OPTIONS & life SITUATION, DETERMINE BEST THREATS, AND COURSE OF RISKS ACTION CONSIDER POLICE POWERS AND AGENCY POLICY 47 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  WHAT PRIORITIES MUST WE ADDRESS? Our NOW VISION FROM WHAT TO WHAT FROM – TO EXERCISE The group was asked to work on an exercise to outline priorities from the perspective of where we see ourselves NOW, and what our VISION would be for the future. The team built a list of FROM and TO, and then prioritized their choices with votes using sticky dots. See the following page to review the list and priorities. 48 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  DETERMINING TOP PRIORITIES Two top priorities emerged in this abbreviated format which begins to form the development of a strategic plan. In a full strategic planning process, more detail would surface in multiple priorities identified. Through the survey, interviews, and retreat to this point, two key priorities were agreed upon by the group: 1. Long-term planning 2. Governance and clarity around roles and responsibilities Participants were asked to work on one of these in small groups for about thirty minutes. After that, they reported on their progress. Note the following pages. 49 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  TOP PRIORITIES SMALL GROUP WORK These are the original worksheets from the small group work in the retreat. The following pages are the typed versions of the worksheets. 50 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved Working title: IMPROVED GOVERNANCE INITIATIVE WORKSHEET SELECT a note taker and a timekeeper. Names: 1. Clarify the scope of your initiative: What do you want to do? What is IN scope? What is OUT of scope? Statutory responsibility Implementation Organizational chart Operation Shared goals Prioritization planning Staff, council, public relations Decision-making process Updated CODE Administrative vs legislative 2. Define success: What will happen as a result of your initiative realizing its full potential? How will you measure success? Efficient decisions = projects COMPLETE, Services rendered Clear roles and responsibilities Citizens know and appreciate what they get Happy, empowered staff 3. Generate a list of what needs to be done/has to happen to achieve success as you have defined it. Clear Mission and Values Strengths and weakness assessment Improved information to Council Town Manager is always in the loop Plan to implement Reporting 4. Cluster/Group your list into three timeframes. Now Next Then The next 12 months Medium Term: 12+ to 36 months Longer Term: 36+ “ultimately” Capacity/needs assessment – council briefing ”Plan” in place Reporting, updates … Corrective actions Improve information to Council ID Mission / values Code updates Town Manager in the loop 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved Continuity, succession Roles and responsibilities Working title: LONG-TERM PLANNING INITIATIVE WORKSHEET SELECT a note taker and a timekeeper. Names: 1. Clarify the scope of your initiative: What do you want to do? What is IN scope? What is OUT of s cope? Infrastructure projects Engineering Timelines, realistic Cost Town management Staff planning / management 2. Define success: What will happen as a result of your initiative realizing its full potential? How will you measure success? More project completion Resilient infrastructure Plan utilization 3. Generate a list of what needs to be done/has to happen to achieve success as you have defined it. Conducting studies Facilities plan Long-term plan 4. Cluster/Group your list into three timeframes. Now Next Then The next 12 months Medium Term: 12+ to 36 months Longer Term: 36+ “ultimately” Facilities needs assessment* Project execution Generational equity Land planning Land acquisition Asset management New funding opportunities 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  EVALUATION AND WRAP UP Julie provided an overview of the work accomplished and the group weighed in with an evaluation citing what they liked and thought worked well, and what they would have changed. There was general appreciation for the commitment of each of the participants, staff and elected officials, to the Town of Alta. EVALUATION What did you like? • Individual interviews and surveys in advance • Facilitation (independent, neutral) • New format allowed for new alignment • Lots of listening • Comfortable venue • Equal opportunity for participation • Manageable group size What would you change: • More time • Do this more routinely • Less snowy time of year • Expand invite list by a few • Public involvement? 53 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  APPENDIX 54 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  PHOTOS FROM THE RETREAT 55 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  PHOTOS FROM THE RETREAT 56 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  PHOTOS FROM THE RETREAT 57 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved  Thank you for the opportunity to work with you on behalf of the future of the Town of Alta. This report includes the responses and assessment of those surveyed and interviewed, and in Julie DeLong the retreat session. Pathway Associates Julie@pathwayassoc.co As individuals, you express deep commitment to the Town. As a group, you embody a 866-306-0699 community with shared agreement in every key measure. We hope you feel empowered to www.pathwayassoc.com continue this important work. Pathway is confident that your continued work in strategy and planning will yield excellent results. 2024 Pathway Associates® All Rights Reserved