pages: CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf, 24
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CityCouncil | 2019-12-18 | 24 | City Council Workshop Workshop Report Management Partners Understand and respect the city council/city manager plan of governance: It is critical for you to understand why your city is organized under this plan of governance and how it should operate. It is important to understand and appreciate- ate the distinction between policymaking and implementation and the different roles played by individual councilmembers, the city council as a whole, the city manager and the city staff. Allow time for you and the city manager to get to know each other and develop a working relationship: Try not to overly rely on what you have heard from others regarding what it will be like to work with the manager-others views may or may not be accurate. Most city managers understand the need to work very hard to adjust to the issues, concerns and priorities of the new city council. Try to be open-minded to your ability to establish a productive and effective working relationship with the manager. City managers will do their best to carry out the policy direction of the city council (even when there is a major change in policy direction): Professional city managers are committed to carry out the policy direction of the city council regardless if they personally agree or disagree with the policy as long as what they are asked to implement is: - Legal. - Ethical. - Within their/the city's authority. It is often misunderstood that when a city manager effectively implements a city council's policy, the manager personally agrees with the policy or can only implement city services consistent with that policy. City managers can change the organization's approach to an issue as may be directed by a new city council. Avoid overly associating the city manager with the policies that the city has previously implemented at the direction of the previous council. Take your role seriously, but not yourself: This common advice is particularly important for mayors and councilmembers. While you are doing important and serious work on behalf of the community, you will do it better and more effectively if you keep the normal "ups and downs" and "wins and losses" in perspective. You were elected to make tough decisions on - 4 18 | CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf |