City Manager Performance Evaluation Committee

City Manager Performance Evaluation Committee 10 N. Division St., Room 302B Battle Creek, MI 49014 Wednesday, October 7, 2015 2:00 p.m. Committee Members Present: Commissioners Susan Baldwin, Andy Helmboldt, Dave Walters and Dean Newsome Committee Members Absent: Staff Present: Rebecca Fleury, City Manager: Nancy Mullett, Employee Relations: Vicki Houser, City Clerk Call to Order: Comm. Newsome called the meeting to order at 2:01 p.m. Public Comment: None Approval of Minutes: A motion was made by Comm. Baldwin, supported by Comm. Helmboldt, to approve the meeting minutes of August 12, 2015. All yes. Motion carried. Feedback on Annual Performance Appraisal Comm. Newsome, speaking on Ms. Fleury’s performance the last 7 months, stated Ms. Fleury has been consistent, forward leaning, and engaging, while encouraging teamwork. Comm. Newsome complimented Ms. Fleury’s communication skills with the Commission, staff and community. Comm. Newsome expressed appreciation to Ms. Fleury for her work on the City goals, stating she consistently moves the City forward while working with City partners and stakeholders, congratulating her on a great first year. Comm. Walters noted the highest survey scores were in relation to the Commission’s concerns, including oral and written communication, the relationship with the City Commission, and operating a progressive and adaptive government. Ms. Fleury stated the evaluation process was just as beneficial to her as it was to the Commission, stating it provided a roadmap ensuring she was aligned with the Commission’s goals and objectives. Ms. Fleury stated the feedback she has received, both positive and negative, allowed her to look at areas of strength and improvement, ensuring she was able to continue her work. Ms. Fleury also expressed her appreciation for the consistent feedback she received from the Commissioners. Comm. Helmboldt asked Ms. Fleury if she participated with Aspire, asking if that process has given her anything to help her develop professionally. Ms. Fleury stated she has applied to be a credentialed manager with ICMA, stating the interview was good for 5 years, stating she will only receive credit for her service with the Village of Middleville and the City of Battle Creek. Ms. Fleury stated the application was due January 1st, and included annual professional development of 40 hours. Ms. Fleury noted her attendance at the ICMA and MML conferences both counted, along with her attendance at the Priority Based Budget Conference. Full Commission’s City Manager Performance Evaluation Score Comm. Newsome informed Ms. Fleury her overall performance rating was 3.894, which Exceeds Expectations. Performance Award Recommendation Comm. Newsome noted Ms. Fleury’s contract has a provision for a bonus if the City Manager’s performance exceeds the “meets” standard. Comm. Newsome recommended a 3.5% bonus, based upon the 7 month period, at an amount of $2,552.00. A motion was made by Comm. Baldwin, supported by Comm. Walters, to award a 3.5% bonus in an amount of $2,552.00, for an overall performance rating of 3.894 (Exceeds Expectations) for the 7 months period beginning March 3, 2015 to October 1, 2015. Comm. Helmboldt questioned the 3.5%, noting a lower amount was discussed at the Closed Session meeting the prior evening, stating he did not oppose the 3.5% amount. Comm. Newsome noted the Commission agreed the City Manager Evaluation Committee was to recommend the amount of the bonus. 1 Comm. Walters expressed his agreement with the 3.5% bonus, stating it was not to set a precedent for future years, stating future bonuses could be affected by many circumstances, including goals, budgets and the economy. Comm. Baldwin noted Ms. Fleury was rated as outstanding in several key areas, including communications and relations with the Commission, promoting a progressive City government and a focus on customer service. All yes, none opposed. Motion approved. Proposed 2015/2016 Performance Goals Comm. Newsome discussed Ms. Fleury’s draft of proposed goals, noting some have been recommended for removal, specifically “Improve the Ease of doing business with the City,” stating this is imbedded further in the survey, with more specifics contained in the goal sets. Comm. Newsome also noted some of the financial goals in the prior cycle were now included in the managerial competencies, stating fiscal stewardship is an inherent responsibility of the City Manager. Comm. Newsome noted some of the initiatives within the goal set have specific time lines, noting everything will not get done in the 2015/2016 cycle, stating the Commission will want to see progress on those goals. Comm. Baldwin stated she understood the comment regarding ease of doing business, stating she wanted to ensure the process for setting up a business or development was more efficient, stating she wanted to see the process sped up, not just for housing. Comm. Baldwin expressed concerns regarding the Building Inspections department. Ms. Fleury discussed improvements that were being developed regarding inspections, stating that upon a second inspection, if an issue was missed, and it was not a safety issue, the Inspections department cannot require changes. Ms. Fleury also noted that by reinstating the Chief Building Official, this position can address issues immediately. Ms. Fleury stated safety issues varied for every project, therefore a specific safety list did not exist, noting the age of the City’s housing stock makes it difficult to bring all buildings up to code. As to development in the City, Ms. Fleury recommended a “one stop shop” to walk businesses and contractors through the process of doing business in the City. Ms. Fleury also noted John Hart would be working with new businesses in the downtown area and other business corridors in the City. Ms. Fleury noted Ted Dearing is working on a development process. Ms. Fleury agreed to change the goal to “streamline the process for creating or doing business in the City." As to the Quiet Zone, Ms. Fleury stated there are several stake holders, requiring a lot of time to meet with everyone, and funding from the federal government, stating the City does have a timeline. Ms. Fleury noted Ms. Bedsole and Mr. Bowron have been involved with the project, meeting with the stakeholders, with Mr. Dearing recently becoming involved. Ms. Fleury stated that although it was a large list, she would consistently work to show progress on the projects, resulting in more narrowly defined, targeted goals. Comm. Newsome requested Ms. Fleury send the revisions to him by the end of the week, stating he will then forward to the full Commission. Comm. Newsome requested a resolution be created for the City Commission October 20, 2015 agenda to present the Committee’s recommendation of a 3.5% bonus and approving the 2015/2016 set of goals. Determination of the 2015/2016 Community Survey participants Comm. Newsome requested the Committee review the 2015/2016 list of survey participants, asking they return a response by the following Sunday. Comm. Baldwin recommended the list of survey participants remain a fluid document, with a final recommendation prior to the delivery of the survey in 2016. City Manager Self Evaluation: Comm. Newsome referenced the City Manager’s Report Out, the last update, stating he would send the documents to the Commission. City Manager Bi-monthly Feedback: Ms. Fleury agreed to send the Bi-monthly Feedback report to Comm. Newsome. Committee Discussion: There were no additional Committee discussions. Adjournment: Comm. Newsome adjourned the meeting at 2:46 p.m., noting the next meeting would be held on December 9, 2015 at 2:00 pm in Room 112. 2