CITY MANAGER SEARCH ADVISORY TASK FORCE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING Sunday, December 3, 2017, 9:00 a.m. City Hall Boards and Commissions Room 301 W. 2nd Street Austin, Texas 78701 CURRENT TASK FORCE MEMBERS: Laura Huffman, Chair Saundra Kirk, Vice Chair Claudia Conner Susan Hambright Perla Cavazos Julio Gonzalez Altamirano Bill Spelman Channy Soeur Walter Muse Bobby Inman Jan Lehman AGENDA CALL TO ORDER 1. NEW BUSINESS Briefing and discussion on City Manager Search Process, Interview Process and Next Steps. ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Sonya Alexander-Harry at Human Resources Department, at 512-974-3228, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the City Manager Search Advisory Task Force, please contact Sonya Alexander-Harry at 512-974-3228.
CITY MANAGER SEARCH ADVISORY TASK FORCE REGULAR MEETING Thursday, July 27, 2017 4:30 p.m. Austin Energy Headquarters Town Lake Center – Assembly Room, Room 130 721 Barton Springs Austin, Texas 78704 TASK FORCE MEMBERS: Laura Huffman, Chair Saundra Kirk, Vice Chair Claudia Conner Susan Hambright Perla Cavazos Julio Gonzalez Altamirano Bill Spelman Channy Soeur Walter Muse Bobby Inman Jan Lehman AGENDA CALL TO ORDER 1. CITIZENS COMMUNICATION: GENERAL (Individuals will each be allowed 3 minutes to address the Task Force.) 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF JULY 19, 2017 TASK FORCE MEETING 3. NEW BUSINESS Discussion and possible action regarding the following: a) Updates on City Manager Recruitment Process. b) Discussion, review and approval of the report of synthesized feedback from District Meetings, Online Community Survey, 3-1-1 Feedback and Culture Analyst™ Report. ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Sonya Alexander-Harry at Human Resources Department, at 512-974-3228, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the City Manager Search Advisory Task Force, please contact Sonya Alexander-Harry at 512-974-3228.
Private and ConfidentialAustin City Manager Search Community Feedback SummaryJuly 2017Steve NewtonErin Carbrey Private and Confidential2Executive summaryThe Next City Manager: The next City Manager must be someone who’ll serve as a strategic advisor to the Mayor and City Council, implement policies, and will be an advocate for all members of the community. This individual must have experience managing a City or entity with similar or larger size and scale of Austin. There are three themes surrounding skills/abilities and characteristics of the next City Manager and critical issues facing Austin over the next 5-10 years: Communication and Leadership: The next City Manager must demonstrate exceptional communication skills and have a genuine willingness to listen and engage with the community. This individual must have experience managing a City or entity with similar size and scale of Austin. Residents and community stakeholders want a leader who’ll have the skills and experience to lead Austin by combining vision, efficient strategy, and operational excellence together in an open, communicative style.Embrace Austin: The next City Manager must be able to embrace Austin and the spirit of the community. This individual must support an environment of transparency, community, innovation, and open-mindedness. The next City Manager will be someone who is a proponent of diversity and inclusiveness and values the perspectives of others.Rapid Growth: Rapid growth is the number one issue facing Austin across multiple areas including, but not limited to: affordability, housing, equity, transportation, maintenance, infrastructure, and funding budget requests. The next City Manager will be charged with advising key stakeholders on innovative strategies to address these issues. Private and Confidential3Community outreachMembers of the Austin Community had the opportunity to participate in Phase One of the search process. There were four overlapping outreach efforts from which we collected feedback to learn more about the desired abilities, skills, and characteristics of the next City Manager as well as critical challenges facing Austin over the next 5-10 years:Employee SurveyCity Manager Search Advisory Task Force MeetingsDistrict OutreachOnline Survey and 3-1-1Districts created opportunities for their constitutes to participate in our search process. RRA received a report from each of the 10 districts. Reports were shared with RRA and Task Force Committee Members.Four public meetings were hosted by the City Manager Search Advisory Task Force.Community members and stakeholders were invited to speak.Residents were encouraged to attend and speak at each meeting.Residents had the opportunity provide feedback via an online survey or by calling …
CITY MANAGER SEARCH ADVISORY TASK FORCE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Thursday, July 27, 2017 The City Manager Search Advisory Task Force convened in a regular meeting on Thursday, July 27, 2017 at Town Lake Center, Austin Energy Headquarters, 721 Barton Springs, Austin, TX 78704 Chair Laura Huffman called the Task Force meeting to order at 4:35 p.m. Board Members in Attendance: Laura Huffman (Chair), Saundra Kirk (Vice Chair), Claudia Conner (via phone), Perla Cavazos, Julio Gonzalez Altamirano, Bill Spellman, Channy Soeur, Walter Muse, Jan Lehman, Susan Hambright, and Admiral Bobby Inman. Staff in Attendance: Debby Maynor, Lara Foss, Lee Crawford, Rodney Crain, Rod Sigler, Daniel Murphy, and Sonya Alexander-Harry. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF JULY 19, 2017 TASK FORCE MEETING Recommendation by Task Force Chair Laura Huffman to approve the minutes for the July 19, 2017 City Manager Search Advisory Task Force Meeting was approved by Task Force Member Walter Muse’s motion with Task Force Members Perla Cavazos and Susan Hambright second on a 8-0 vote. Task Force Members Bobby Inman, Bill Spelman, and Jan Lehman were absent at the time of vote of approval. 2. CITIZENS COMMUNICATION: GENERAL No one signed up to speak. 3. NEW BUSINESS Discussion and possible action regarding the following: a) Updates on City Manager Recruitment Process Russell Reynold Associates Representative Steve Newton briefly noted a correction was made to the Culture Analyst™ Report. b) Discussion, review and approval of the report of synthesized feedback from District Meetings, Online Community Survey, 3-1-1 Feedback and Culture Analyst™ Report. Russell Reynolds Associates Representative Steve Newton reviewed and discussed the report of synthesized feedback from District Meetings, Online Community Survey, 3-1-1 Feedback and Culture Analyst™ Report with the Task Force. A recommendation to approve the report of synthesized feedback from District Meetings, Online Community Survey, 3-1-1 Feedback and Culture Analyst™ Report with changes requested by Task Force was approved on Task Force Member Spelman’s motion with Task Force Member Perla Cavazos’s second on an 11-0 vote. 4. ADJOURNMENT Task Force Member Perla Cavazos motioned to adjourn the meeting. Task Force Member Susan Hambright seconded on an 11-0 vote. The Task Force Meeting was adjourned at 5:07 p.m. The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please …
CITY MANAGER SEARCH ADVISORY TASK FORCE REGULAR MEETING Wednesday, July 19, 2017 2:00 p.m. Austin Energy Headquarters Town Lake Center – Assembly Room, Room 130 721 Barton Springs Austin, Texas 78704 TASK FORCE MEMBERS: Laura Huffman, Chair Saundra Kirk, Vice Chair Claudia Conner Susan Hambright Perla Cavazos Julio Gonzalez Altamirano Bill Spelman Channy Soeur Walter Muse Bobby Inman Jan Lehman AGENDA CALL TO ORDER 1. CITIZENS COMMUNICATION: GENERAL (Individuals will each be allowed 3 minutes to address the Task Force.) 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF JULY 12, 2017 TASK FORCE MEETING 3. NEW BUSINESS Discussion and possible action regarding the following: a) Discussion and updates on City Manager Recruitment Process and feedback/survey input. b) Review, discussion and approval of draft City Manager profile. ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Sonya Alexander-Harry at Human Resources Department, at 512-974-3228, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the City Manager Search Advisory Task Force, please contact Sonya Alexander-Harry at 512-974-3228.
CITY MANAGER SEARCH ADVISORY TASK FORCE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, July 19, 2017 The City Manager Search Advisory Task Force convened in a regular meeting on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 at Town Lake Center, Austin Energy Headquarters, 721 Barton Springs, Austin, TX 78704. Chair Laura Huffman called the Task Force meeting to order at 2:07 p.m. Board Members in Attendance: Laura Huffman (Chair), Saundra Kirk (Vice Chair), Claudia Conner, Perla Cavazos, Julio Gonzalez Altamirano, Bill Spellman, Channy Soeur, Walter Muse, Jan Lehman, Susan Hambright, and Admiral Bobby Inman. Staff in Attendance: Joya Hayes, Debbie Maynor, Rodney Crain, Lee Crawford, Trinh Bartlett, Lara Foss, Sonya Alexander-Harry, Cindy Henson, Rod Sigler, Gary Luedecke, Daniel Murphy. Steve Newton and Erin Carbrey from Russell Reynold Associates were in attendance. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Recommendation by Task Force Chair Laura Huffman to approve the minutes for the July 12, 2017 City Manager Search Advisory Task Force Meeting was approved on Task Force Member Admiral Bobby Inman’s motion with Task Force Member Susan Hambright second on a 8-0 vote. Task Force Members Jan Lehman, Bill Spelman and Walter Muse were absent at the time of the vote of approval. 2. CITIZENS COMMUNICATION: GENERAL No one signed up to speak. 3. NEW BUSINESS a) Discussion and updates on City Manager Recruitment Process and Feedback/survey input. Russell Reynolds Associates Representative Steve Newton gave an update on the City Manager Recruitment Process, the Culture Analyst™ Report and answered questions from the Task Force. He agreed to bring back Synthesized Feedback to the next Task Force Meeting to review and approve. A recommendation to approve the Culture Analyst™ Report was approved on Task Force Member Admiral Bobby Inman’s motion with Task Force Member Jan Lehman’s second on an 11-0 vote. b) Review, discussion and approval of draft City Manager profile. Russell Reynolds Associates Representative Steve Newton reviewed and discussed the draft City Manager Profile and answered questions from the Task Force. A recommendation to approve the draft City Manager Profile was approved on Task Force Member Bill Spelman’s motion with Task Force Member Jan Lehman’s second on an 11-0 vote. 4. ADJOURN Task Force Member Walter Muse motioned to adjourn the meeting. Task Force Member Admiral Bobby Inman seconded on an 11-0 vote. The Task Force Meeting was adjourned at 3:12 p.m. The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal …
Private and ConfidentialCulture Analyst™ReportThe City of Austin GovernmentJuly 2017Steve NewtonStacey Shapiro, Ph.D. Jacob Martin, Ph.D. Private and Confidential2Executive summaryCulture strength: The City of Austin (COA) does not have a particularly strong culture. Scores are lower than what we typically see across the macro factors: Performance and discipline: COAdesires a stronger culture across all of the macro factors in the future. Respondents indicated a particular desire for an increased emphasis on performance and discipline. Talent management and pay: The survey and open-ended responses highlight grievances in talent management processes. Many cite the new MCS rules that inhibit pay for performance and also prevent employees from being fired. The lack of pay for performance is viewed to be a serious hindrance for attracting and retaining top talent, particularly as Austin’s cost of living continues to rise. This is also captured in the desire for more of an orientation towards training and development. Integrity: There are also some concerns around discipline and the notion of integrity. Participants desire a culture that holds people accountable for upholding the values and rules set forth by the COA. The lack of structure around firing under-performing or unethical employees is seen as the chief cause of this problem.Openness: COA’s desired culture is one that is more open and inclusive. Participants would like city leaders, such as City Council members and other key stakeholders, to be more transparent in decision making and strategy. There is also a call to have a stronger focus on multiculturalism and diversity. Private and Confidential3Table of contentsExecutive summary2Methodology4Current and desired culture6Gaps / implications analysis15Discipline 17Openness 19Strategic Growth Orientation21Performance Orientation23Relationships 25Appendix27 Private and Confidential4Our methodologyThe Culture Analyst™ survey was completed throughout June, 2017by 286* respondents-Participation rate: 34%Individuals were asked to consider the organizational culture in the COA Government and provide their responses in relation to the current and desired organizational cultureResponses were reported on a scale ranging from 1 to 5, where:Averages were calculated for each of the micro factors and macro factors, as well as an overall culture strength measureThis report presents the current and desired culture as described by participants1 Very Inaccurate2 Moderately Inaccurate3 Neither Accurate nor Inaccurate4 Moderately Accurate5 Very Accurate* Additional responses included to reflect partially-answered surveys Private and Confidential5Culture Analyst™ FactorsCulture AnalystTM provides a model, a method and a language for objectively evaluating culture in the context of executive search, succession planning or organizational change.The rigor involved in day-to-day …
Candidate Profile City of Austin City Manager Private and Confidential Candidate Profile July 19, 2017 Ref: City ManagerCity of Austin 1 of 5 City of Austin Austin is the state capital of Texas and is the fastest growing metro city of its size. With a population of more than 947,000, Austin is the fourth largest city in Texas and the eleventh largest city in the United States. Home to a substantial regional concentration of headquarters/regional offices for Fortune 500 (Amazon.com, Dell, Google, and Whole Foods to name a few), the University of Texas at Austin, a vibrant music scene, eclectic mix of award-winning restaurants, and over 250 parks, Austin is consistently ranked as the number one “Most Popular Place to Live.” Since 2011, Austin has received more than 50 local and national rankings in categories such as economic growth, environmental leadership, education, quality of life, and real estate. Most recently, Austin was named by Forbes as a Top 10 Employer for 2017 and the highest-ranking employer in the government services sector. As a result of its tremendous success, Austin has experienced challenges that the next City Manager will need to address. In particular, the rapid growth of the city has taxed housing, transportation, infrastructure, affordability, and equity, in ways that a new innovative approach will seek to solve. For more information about the 2017 State of Austin City, please visit http://www.mayoradler.com/2017-state-of-the-city-address-the-spirit-of-austin/ Governance Structure The City of Austin has a Council-Manager form of government whereby the elected City Council sets policy objectives and the City Manager ensures they are carried out and administered effectively. The City Manager also serves as a trusted advisor to the Mayor and City Council. Under the November 6, 2012, voter-approved charter amendment, Council Members are no longer elected citywide. During the 2014 election, the Mayor was elected citywide, and the other 10 Council Members were elected by residents from geographic districts. City Manager Search Process The selection of Austin’s next City Manager will be the most important decision the Mayor and the City Council make in the coming months. The success of the 10-1 council system depends on a productive and trusting partnership with the City Manager and creates the most basic building block of successful policymaking and implementation. Candidate Profile July 19, 2017 Ref: City ManagerCity of Austin 2 of 5 In recognition of the importance of conducting a transparent selection process, Council created the …
DRAFT July 19th, 2017 Dear Council Member Casar, Earlier today, the City Manager Search Advisory Task Force adopted a profile recommendation at its final scheduled meeting. The profile recommendation forwarded to City Council affords the City’s executive search firm the flexibility to provide qualified City Manager candidates for in‐depth review by you and your colleagues. Thanks to the leadership of our Chair and Vice Chair, the Task Force worked collaboratively and effectively to meet the tasks required by Council in a timely fashion. Our profile recommendation is worthy of Council’s support. As the Task Force’s work unfolded, several unexpected potential risks in the existing process have become clearer. In the sections below, I specify these risks, as well as some suggestions for ameliorating their potential negative impact in the remaining City Manager process. Black Boxes & Bad Hires Figure 1. City Manager Search & Selection Process In its current form, the remaining City Manager search & selection process includes five potentially risky decisions. These are risky choices because their mishandling could lead to substantial misjudgment about the management aptitude of candidates, their qualifications to meet the critical challenges identified by the public, or their fit with Austin’s civic values. DRAFT Figure 1 outlines the remaining City Manager search process. Each dot represents an individual candidate. Each collection of “candidates” (dots) is a phase of filtering in the remaining process. The squares represent the moment in the remaining process chronology were risk is concentrated. The first major risk precedes the actual filtering. This initial risk is the gap between the search firm’s expertise in identifying general management aptitude (e.g. team leadership, visioning, talent retention) for large organizations and the community’s desire for issue‐specific skills (e.g. transportation, IT, code enforcement, capital project oversight). During Task Force discussions, a range from 100 to 200 individuals has been mentioned as the full theoretical potential pool of qualified candidates for the Austin City Manager position. The search firm’s internal catalogue of the full recruitment pool may excessively tilt towards strong generalists with murky track‐records on the specific issues prioritized by community input. Second, the method by which the search firm will select individuals for outreach from its self‐identified pool is fully within their discretion. They might be culling from an already existing list of leading public sector managers, or using a highly‐customized research process to identify new prospects that precisely fit profile, or something altogether …
CITY MANAGER SEARCH ADVISORY TASK FORCE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, July 12, 2017 The City Manager Search Advisory Task Force convened in a regular meeting on Wednesday, July 12, 2017 at Town Lake Center, Austin Energy Headquarter, 721 Barton Springs, Austin, TX 78704. Chair Laura Huffman called the Task Force meeting to order at 2:12 p.m. Board Members in Attendance: Laura Huffman (Chair), Saundra Kirk (Vice Chair), Claudia Conner, Perla Cavazos (Attended via conference call), Julio Gonzalez Altamirano, Bill Spellman, Channy Soeur, Walter Muse, Jan Lehman, Admiral Bobby Inman. Susan Hambright was absent. Staff in Attendance: Ray Baray, Debbie Maynor, Rodney Crain, Lee Crawford, Trinh Bartlett, Lara Foss, Sonya Alexander-Harry, Cindy Henson, Rod Sigler, Gary Luedecke, Daniel Murphy. Steve Newton from Russell Reynold Associates was in attendance. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Recommendation by Task Force Chair Laura Huffman to approve the minutes for the June 28, 2017 City Manager Search Advisory Task Force Meeting was approved on Task Force Member Admiral Bobby Inman’s motion with Task Force Member Bill Spelman’s second on a 8-0 vote. Task Force Members Claudia Conner, Jan Lehman and Susan Hambright were absent at the time of the vote of approval. 2. CITIZENS COMMUNICATION: GENERAL No one signed up to speak. 3. NEW BUSINESS a) Russell Reynolds Associates Representative Steve Newton gave an update on the City Manager Recruitment Process, the Culture Advisory Management Survey and answered questions from the Task Force. b) Russell Reynolds Associates Representative Steve Newton discussed, reviewed and took feedback from the Task Force on the draft City Manager Profile he provided. He will bring a revised draft to the next meeting for the Task Force to review and approve. 4. ADJOURN Task Force Member Admiral Bobby Inman motioned to adjourn the meeting. Task Force Member Walter seconded on a 10-0 vote. Task Force Member Susan Hambright was absent. The Task Force Meeting was adjourned at 3:58 p.m. The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Sonya Alexander-Harry at Human Resources Department, at 512-974-3228, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the City Manager Search Advisory …
Private and ConfidentialLeadership SpanMarch 2017 Private and Confidential2Confidence in leaders is fallingas the era of constant change continuesDisruptive factors are already defining the 21stcentury economy, and organizations struggle to predict how future changes will impact leadership teams. $$$$$50%$560%$770%$980%$1190%$13100%$15% reporting some degree of confidenceBillions US$Confidence in leadership Annual spending onleadership19961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020122011Percentage of Organizations Experiencing Significant ChangePercentage of Executives Expecting Frequency of Change to Increase“No other factor plays a bigger role in determining the fate of organizations than the quality of their leaders.”-Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, CEO of Hogan Assessment SystemsSources: Harris Interactive; Kaiser RB, Curphy G. Leadership development: The failure of an industry and the opportunity for consulting psychologists. Consulting Psychology Journal; CEB research; RRA analysis.91%73% Private and Confidential3Many legacy leadership evaluations fall short of recent demandsOrganizations have responded to new leadership imperatives by creating new roles, adapting cultures, and seeking new experiences for top C-suite executives. Despite these solutions, too many still struggle to predict leadership potential.Questions Left Unanswered by Current Approaches to Leadership Assessment1)Which competencies are less or more relevant for tomorrow’s challenges?2)What type of leaders will prove most adaptable in navigating disruption?3)Which competencies are more relevant for the C-suite?4)How can CEOs and Boards identify leaders who can thrive andendure in the face of future uncertainty?Characteristics of Existing Leadership Evaluation MechanismsNotTailored for SeniorityBuiltDecadesAgoStaticView of LeadershipMade to Select, not Develop Private and Confidential4Tension should be mastered, not fearedThe most common questions clients ask us today are about tomorrow –what types of leaders can help us best navigate future uncertainty? RRA combined decades of market expertise, proprietary research on leadership characteristics, and millions of scientifically validated personality assessments via Hogan Assessment Systems, revealing 3 broad findingsIncreasingly, the traits that get a leader to the C-suite are different from –and, at times, in sharp contrast to –what predicts their performance once in the C-suiteC-suite PersonalityThe complexities and transformation mandates facingC-suite roles requires future leaders who break the traditional “either/or” trade-offs many rely on to prescribe success profilesChanging CircumstancesA fast-paced and uncertain environment undermines durability for unaware or inflexible leaders who are overly dependent on their primary strengthsC-suite Performance& Longevity Private and Confidential5RRA’s New Competency Model –Leadership SpanTMLeadership SpanTM, by design, is a future-focused, CEO and C-suite specific, and truly dynamic model. When combined, the competencies shown here differentiate leaders that can succeed in the C-suite.C-suiteDifferentiatorsCoreLeadershipPRAGMATICDISRUPTIVERELUCTANTRISK TAKINGVULNERABLEHEROICCONNECTINGGALVANIZINGSETTINGSTRATEGYEXECUTINGFOR RESULTSLEADINGTEAMSRELATIONSHIPSAND INFLUENCECore Leadership SkillsFoundational competencies crucial for leadership success at anylevel –at the C-suite or in junior leadership rolesC-suite …
CITY MANAGER SEARCH ADVISORY TASK FORCE REGULAR MEETING Wednesday, July 12, 2017 2:00 p.m. Austin Energy Headquarters Town Lake Center – Assembly Room, Room 130 721 Barton Springs Austin, Texas 78704 TASK FORCE MEMBERS: Laura Huffman, Chair Saundra Kirk, Vice Chair Claudia Conner Susan Hambright Perla Cavazos Julio Gonzalez Altamirano Bill Spelman Channy Soeur Walter Muse Bobby Inman Jan Lehman AGENDA CALL TO ORDER 1. CITIZENS COMMUNICATION: GENERAL (Individuals will each be allowed 3 minutes to address the Task Force.) 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF JULY 8, 2017 TASK FORCE MEETING 3. NEW BUSINESS Discussion and possible action regarding the following: a) Updates on City Manager Recruitment Process and feedback/survey input. b) City Manager Draft profile. 4. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Sonya Alexander-Harry at Human Resources Department, at 512-974-3228, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the City Manager Search Advisory Task Force, please contact Sonya Alexander-Harry at 512-974-3228.
CITY MANAGER SEARCH ADVISORY TASK FORCE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, July 12, 2017 The City Manager Search Advisory Task Force convened in a regular meeting on Wednesday, July 12, 2017 at Town Lake Center, Austin Energy Headquarter, 721 Barton Springs, Austin, TX 78704. Chair Laura Huffman called the Task Force meeting to order at 2:12 p.m. Board Members in Attendance: Laura Huffman (Chair), Saundra Kirk (Vice Chair), Claudia Conner, Perla Cavazos (Attended via conference call), Julio Gonzalez Altamirano, Bill Spellman, Channy Soeur, Walter Muse, Jan Lehman, Admiral Bobby Inman. Susan Hambright was absent. Staff in Attendance: Ray Baray, Debbie Maynor, Rodney Crain, Lee Crawford, Trinh Bartlett, Lara Foss, Sonya Alexander-Harry, Cindy Henson, Rod Sigler, Gary Luedecke, Daniel Murphy. Steve Newton from Russell Reynold Associates was in attendance. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Recommendation by Task Force Chair Laura Huffman to approve the minutes for the June 28, 2017 City Manager Search Advisory Task Force Meeting was approved on Task Force Member Admiral Bobby Inman’s motion with Task Force Member Bill Spelman’s second on a 8-0 vote. Task Force Members Claudia Conner, Jan Lehman and Susan Hambright were absent at the time of the vote of approval. 2. CITIZENS COMMUNICATION: GENERAL No one signed up to speak. 3. NEW BUSINESS a) Russell Reynolds Associates Representative Steve Newton gave an update on the City Manager Recruitment Process, the Culture Advisory Management Survey and answered questions from the Task Force. b) Russell Reynolds Associates Representative Steve Newton discussed, reviewed and took feedback from the Task Force on the draft City Manager Profile he provided. He will bring a revised draft to the next meeting for the Task Force to review and approve. 4. ADJOURN Task Force Member Admiral Bobby Inman motioned to adjourn the meeting. Task Force Member Walter seconded on a 10-0 vote. Task Force Member Susan Hambright was absent. The Task Force Meeting was adjourned at 3:58 p.m. The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Sonya Alexander-Harry at Human Resources Department, at 512-974-3228, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the City Manager Search Advisory …
Candidate Profile for Discussion and Feedback City of Austin City Manager Private and Confidential Candidate Profile for Discussion and Feedback July 12, 2017 Ref: City ManagerCity of Austin 1 of 4 Our Client The City of Austin is the state capital of Texas and is the fastest growing metro city of its size. With a population of more than 947,000, the City of Austin is the fourth largest city in Texas and the eleventh largest city in the United States. Home to a substantial regional concentration of headquarters/regional offices for Fortune 500 (Amazon.com, Google, 3M, and Whole Foods to name a few), the University of Texas at Austin, a vibrant music scene, eclectic mix of award-winning restaurants, and over 250 parks, Austin is consistently ranked as the number one “Most Popular Place to Live.” Since 2011, Austin has received more than 50 local and national rankings in categories such as economic growth, environmental leadership, education, quality of life, and real estate. Most recently, Austin was named by Forbes as a Top 10 Employer for 2017 and the highest-ranking employer in the government services sector. As a result of its tremendous success, Austin has experienced a number of challenges that the next City Manager will need to address. In particular, the rapid growth of the city has taxed housing, transportation, infrastructure, affordability, and equity, in ways that a new innovative approach will seek to solve. For more information about the 2017 State of Austin City, please visit http://www.mayoradler.com/2017-state-of-the-city-address-the-spirit-of-austin/ Governance Structure The City of Austin has a Council-Manager form of government whereby the elected City Council sets policy objectives and the City Manager ensures they are carried out and administered effectively. They City Manager also serves as a trusted advisor to the Mayor and City Council. Under the November 6, 2012, voter-approved charter amendment, Council Members are no longer elected citywide. During the 2014 election, the Mayor was elected citywide, and the other 10 Council Members were elected by residents from geographic districts. Responsibilities The Mayor and City Council seek to recruit a new City Manager for the City of Austin. This individual must have the skills and experience to lead Austin by combining vision, efficient strategy, and operational excellence together in an open, communicative style. Reporting to the Mayor and City Council, s/he will serve the citizens of Austin by providing executive leadership and representation on all matters concerning their city …
CITY MANAGER SEARCH ADVISORY TASK FORCE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Saturday, July 8, 2017 The City Manager Search Advisory Task Force convened in a regular meeting on Saturday, July 8 at City Hall Council Chambers. Chair Laura Huffman called the Task Force meeting to order at 1:06 p.m. Board Members in Attendance: Laura Huffman (Chair), Saundra Kirk (Vice Chair), Claudia Conner, Perla Cavazos, Susan Hambright, Bill Spellman, Channy Soeur, Walter Muse, Jan Lehman, Admiral Bobby Inman. Julio Gonzalez Altamirano was absent. Staff in Attendance: Joya Hayes, Debbie Maynor, Rodney Crain, Trinh Bartlett, Lara Foss, Sonya Alexander-Harry, Cindy Henson, Doron Silberstein, and Doug Hucker. Steve Newton from Russell Reynold Associates was in attendance. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Recommendation by Task Force Chair Laura Huffman to approve the minutes for the June 28, 2017 City Manager Search Advisory Task Force Meeting was approved on Task Force Member Admiral Bobby Inman. Task Force Member Perla Cavazo’s second on a 10-0 vote. Task Force Member Julio Gonzalez Altamirano was absent. 2. CITIZENS COMMUNICATION: GENERAL a) Terrell Blodgett spoke about City Manager candidate selection process. b) Greg Anderson spoke about Affordable Housing 3. INVITED TESTIMONY FROM HISPANIC/LATINO QUALITY OF LIFE RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION ON CITY MANAGER QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS – JILL RAMIREZ 4. INVITED TESTIMONY ON CITY MANAGER QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS FROM LGBTQ AND FRIENDS AFFINITY GROUP – MATTHEW RAMIREZ 5. INVITED TESTIMONY FROM COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND STAKEHOLDERS ON CITY MANAGER QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS a) Adrian Shelley with Public Citizen b) Roger Davis with Black Professional Alliance c) George Cofer with Hill Country Conservancy 6. GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT ON IDEAL CITY MANAGER QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS AND KEY ISSUES TO INCLUDE IN CITY MANAGER PROFILE. a) Carmen Lanes Pulido with the Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Commission and Go Austin/VAMOS Austin b) Robert Matlock c) Johnny Limon d) Lonnie Limon e) Robin Orlowski f) LeeAnn Camron ACLU People Party Movement g) Martha P. Cotera with Latino Policy Coalition h) Chas Moore i) Teresa Perez-Wiseley j) Pat Valls-Trelles 7. NEW BUSINESS a) Russell Reynolds Associates Representative Steve Newton gave an update on Recruitment Process and answered Task Force Questions. Director Joya Hayes gave an update on feedback received and outreach. b) Russell Reynolds Associates Representative Steve Newton stated that he will provide a draft City Manager candidate profile for Task Force to review at the July 12 meeting. 8. ADJOURN Task Force Member Admiral Bobby Inman motioned to …
CITY MANAGER SEARCH ADVISORY TASK FORCE REGULAR MEETING Saturday, July 8, 2017, 1:00 p.m. City Hall Council Chambers 301 W. 2nd Street Austin, Texas 78701 TASK FORCE MEMBERS: Laura Huffman, Chair Saundra Kirk, Vice Chair Claudia Conner Susan Hambright Perla Cavazos Julio Gonzalez Altamirano Bill Spelman Channy Soeur Walter Muse Bobby Inman Jan Lehman AGENDA CALL TO ORDER 1. CITIZENS COMMUNICATION: GENERAL (Individuals will each be allowed 3 minutes to address the Task Force.) 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF JUNE 28, 2017 TASK FORCE MEETING 3. INVITED TESTIMONY FROM COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND STAKEHOLDERS ON CITY MANAGER QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS Discussion and possible action (Each invited organization/stakeholder will be allotted 3 minutes to speak) 4. GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT Discussion and possible action regarding the following: To help ensure consistency, the Task Force is requesting public comment/feedback around three critical questions that the Consultant Steve Newton from Russell Reynolds will use to develop the profile for our next City Manager. a) What skills and abilities are most important for someone to manage our city? This could include previous job experience, education, etc. b) What are the personal characteristics that are most important for our next city manager to lead our unique community? Please think about the attributes that would be essential for someone to thrive in this environment. c) What do you see as the most critical challenges to Austin over the next 5-10 years? Our next City Manager is going to have to have the professional skills and personal attributes to tackle these issues, so we think it is important to provide this specific feedback to the City Council. (Individuals may sign up to speak on any of the three questions. Each speaker will be allotted 3 minutes to speak.) 5. NEW BUSINESS Discussion and possible action regarding the following: a) City Manager Recruitment Process, updates on district meetings, public meetings, website to solicit community input, and utilizing 3-1-1 to survey public. b) Development of the City Manager profile. 6. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Sonya Alexander-Harry at Human Resources Department, at 512-974-3228, for additional information; …
CITY MANAGER SEARCH ADVISORY TASK FORCE REGULAR MEETING Saturday, July 8, 2017, 1:00 p.m. City Hall Council Chambers 301 W. 2nd Street Austin, Texas 78701 TASK FORCE MEMBERS: Laura Huffman, Chair Saundra Kirk, Vice Chair Claudia Conner Susan Hambright Perla Cavazos Julio Gonzalez Altamirano Bill Spelman Channy Soeur Walter Muse Bobby Inman Jan Lehman AGENDA CALL TO ORDER 1. CITIZENS COMMUNICATION: GENERAL (Individuals will each be allowed 3 minutes to address the Task Force.) 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF JUNE 28, 2017 TASK FORCE MEETING 3. INVITED TESTIMONY FROM HISPANIC/LATINO QUALITY OF LIFE RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION ON CITY MANAGER QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS – JILL RAMIREZ Discussion and possible action 4. INVITED TESTIMONY ON CITY MANAGER QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS FROM LGBTQ AND FRIENDS AFFINITY GROUP – MATTHEW RAMIREZ Discussion and possible action 5. INVITED TESTIMONY FROM COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND STAKEHOLDERS ON CITY MANAGER QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS Discussion and possible action (Each invited organization/stakeholder will be allotted 3 minutes to speak) 6. GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT Discussion and possible action regarding the following: To help ensure consistency, the Task Force is requesting public comment/feedback around three critical questions that the Consultant Steve Newton from Russell Reynolds will use to develop the profile for our next City Manager. a) What skills and abilities are most important for someone to manage our city? This could include previous job experience, education, etc. b) What are the personal characteristics that are most important for our next city manager to lead our unique community? Please think about the attributes that would be essential for someone to thrive in this environment. c) What do you see as the most critical challenges to Austin over the next 5-10 years? Our next City Manager is going to have to have the professional skills and personal attributes to tackle these issues, so we think it is important to provide this specific feedback to the City Council. (Individuals may sign up to speak on any of the three questions. Each speaker will be allotted 3 minutes to speak.) 7. NEW BUSINESS Discussion and possible action regarding the following: a) City Manager Recruitment Process, updates on district meetings, public meetings, website to solicit community input, and utilizing 3-1-1 to survey public. b) Development of the City Manager profile. 8. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications …
CITY MANAGER SEARCH ADVISORY TASK FORCE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Saturday, July 8, 2017 The City Manager Search Advisory Task Force convened in a regular meeting on Saturday, July 8 at City Hall Council Chambers. Chair Laura Huffman called the Task Force meeting to order at 1:06 p.m. Board Members in Attendance: Laura Huffman (Chair), Saundra Kirk (Vice Chair), Claudia Conner, Perla Cavazos, Susan Hambright, Bill Spellman, Channy Soeur, Walter Muse, Jan Lehman, Admiral Bobby Inman. Julio Gonzalez Altamirano was absent. Staff in Attendance: Joya Hayes, Debbie Maynor, Rodney Crain, Trinh Bartlett, Lara Foss, Sonya Alexander-Harry, Cindy Henson, Doron Silberstein, and Doug Hucker. Steve Newton from Russell Reynold Associates was in attendance. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Recommendation by Task Force Chair Laura Huffman to approve the minutes for the June 28, 2017 City Manager Search Advisory Task Force Meeting was approved on Task Force Member Admiral Bobby Inman. Task Force Member Perla Cavazo’s second on a 10-0 vote. Task Force Member Julio Gonzalez Altamirano was absent. 2. CITIZENS COMMUNICATION: GENERAL a) Terrell Blodgett spoke about City Manager candidate selection process. b) Greg Anderson spoke about Affordable Housing 3. INVITED TESTIMONY FROM HISPANIC/LATINO QUALITY OF LIFE RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION ON CITY MANAGER QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS – JILL RAMIREZ 4. INVITED TESTIMONY ON CITY MANAGER QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS FROM LGBTQ AND FRIENDS AFFINITY GROUP – MATTHEW RAMIREZ 5. INVITED TESTIMONY FROM COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND STAKEHOLDERS ON CITY MANAGER QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS a) Adrian Shelley with Public Citizen b) Roger Davis with Black Professional Alliance c) George Cofer with Hill Country Conservancy 6. GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT ON IDEAL CITY MANAGER QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS AND KEY ISSUES TO INCLUDE IN CITY MANAGER PROFILE. a) Carmen Lanes Pulido with the Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Commission and Go Austin/VAMOS Austin b) Robert Matlock c) Johnny Limon d) Lonnie Limon e) Robin Orlowski f) LeeAnn Camron ACLU People Party Movement g) Martha P. Cotera with Latino Policy Coalition h) Chas Moore i) Teresa Perez-Wiseley j) Pat Valls-Trelles 7. NEW BUSINESS a) Russell Reynolds Associates Representative Steve Newton gave an update on Recruitment Process and answered Task Force Questions. Director Joya Hayes gave an update on feedback received and outreach. b) Russell Reynolds Associates Representative Steve Newton stated that he will provide a draft City Manager candidate profile for Task Force to review at the July 12 meeting. 8. ADJOURN Task Force Member Admiral Bobby Inman motioned to …
District #1 City Manager Search Community Outreach and Input Conley‐Guerrero Senior Activity Center Saturday, June 24, 2017 Commonalties 1. What skills and abilities are most important for someone to manage our city? General Knowledge of running a large, growing, diverse and progressive city, similar to Austin Corporate management style (city is a municipal corporation) Not a policy maker but a strong executor of policy Austin‐centric and understand history Culturally Sensitive Community oriented Democratic leader Accountable Focus on issues, especially in a “Me” first environment Self‐Evaluation Expertise in city government and public employees Experience should be 10 years or more, manage at least 2,000 employees Manage at least 500,000 employees Consensus builder Work with creative community 2. What are the person characteristics that are most important for our next city manager to lead our city? Engaging Does not make policies, work with council on policy and execute Transparent Visionary Good Character: Honest, trustworthy, courageous, compassionate, empathetic and patient Public involvement Uninfluenced by big business and money Consider diversity a strength Visionary Problem Solver Diverse Competent Fiscally Responsible Charismatic Environmentally Responsible Great Communication Inclusive Committed to social, racial, economic justice and their group Emphasis on housing 3. What are the most critical challenges facing Austin in the next 5 – 10 years? Infrastructure expansion and improvement Respond to Austin and deal with controversies successfully Transportation Improvements: public transportation, roads, sidewalks and bike lanes Affordable Housing Curbing Gentrification Budget Economic Disparity Sustainability Entitlement discussions Manage development department (data driven) with focus on “Smart City” Implement Code Next and Imagine Austin Fiscally responsible with Public Safety budget, overtime paid 4. Feedback on the City Manager Selection Process Public involvement should have started sooner and have been greater More explanation on candidates More information on the Consulting Firm Great process Very transparent Willie Lewis
City Manager Search Advisory Task Force District 10 ‐ Town Hall Meeting June 19, 2017 1. What skills and abilities are most important for someone to manage our city? This could include previous job experience, education, etc. 2. What are the personal characteristics that are most important for our next city manager to lead our unique community? Please think about the attributes that would be essential for someone to thrive in this environment. Leadership; not necessarily previous City Manager experience. Knowledge of Austin and Texas community. Don’t want candidate to have a long learning curve. Strong Mayor system Experience in large city (ex: LAX, NY); knowledgeable Consensus builder Strong enough to stand up to growth or curtail it if we don’t have resources; can stand up to state of TX Embrace change (but not change for sake of change) Understands math and budges; can say “No”; looks down the road Sustained history of success and accomplishments Understands needs and concerns of current residents (retain existing residents vs. newcomers and adding growth); need a good balance Experience with large government; creative; saves money; “scale ability”; willing to look at private/public partnerships Well-educated “like Council Member Altar” Miracle-worker Thick skinned; honest; transparent; frugal; knows how to build infrastructure Follow-up on email and phone calls; responsible and responsive to citizens Like Council Member Altar – new to Austin but she cares, listens and making a difference Plans to work for 5-10 years Respect historical buildings and East Austin Use technology Ability to work with all government entitites; cut down expenses – schools can have multiple use Experience – big time experience – been there done that ADA – need more comprehensive accessibility and coordinator Listen; heart; comes from big city 3. What do you see as the most critical challenges to Austin over the next 5-10 years? Our next city manager is going to have to have the professional skills and personal attributes to tackle these issues, so we think it is important to provide this specific feedback to the City Council. Real-estate Growth conscious Retirement numbers are high – what next? Manage growth Historic poverty; control growth “Losing it’s soul” – what happens 20 years down the road? Deal with growth and …
IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM CITY MANAGER SEARCH ADVISORY TASK FORCE-DISTRICT 2 PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS SURVEY BY JULY 1, 2017 A search for a new City Manager is in the initial phase that began with the creation of an Advisory Task Force by the City Council. Our city is part of one of the fastest growing urban areas in the country. The opportunities and challenges associated with this growth must be identified quickly to ensure we preserve the special character of Austin and grow with grace. The selection of the next City Manager is the most important decision the Mayor and Council will make. That final decision should flow from a community process that reaches deep into the community and broadly across the country. The purpose of this message is to give the community an opportunity to help shape this important decision. The Mayor and Council recognize the importance of engaging our community in identifying the kinds of skills, abilities, experience and personal characteristics the next City Manager should possess. Gaining this input on the front end of the process is critical because it will inform the subsequent recruiting process, candidate pool and narrowing of that pool to semi-finalists. The Task Force is responsible for the first stage of a three-phase process that will be utilized by the City Council to select a new City Manager. In this first phase, the Task Force will independently collect public input and, based on the input, develop and submit recommendations with the assistance of the City's selected recruitment firm, Russell Reynolds Associates. To help ensure consistency, the Task Force and the recruiter have identified four core concerns and developed questions around those concerns. Your answers/feedback will be used by the recruiter to develop the profile in selecting candidates for our next city manager: 1. What skills and abilities do you think are most important for someone to manager our city? Progressive, democratic view that matches the culture of Austin. Previous experience and education in city growth Financial knowledge Communication Skills related to attracting and retaining economic growth funds that support community needs. The City Manager should be an integral part in persuading Mayor/Council to stop providing fee waivers and tax incentives to new businesses and committing those savings to supporting the community of PEOPLE that live here and those that new business brings. Each business that relocates will lose employees along the way, many …
District 3 Community Meeting on City Manager Search Hosted by Council Member Sabino Renteria and Perla Cavazos June 30, 2017 Pan American Recreation Center, 6pm to 7pm Below is a synthesis of emerging themes from the public feedback received at the District 3 community meeting held on June 30, 2017. There were six individuals present, in addition to the Council Member and three of his staff. Question 1: What skills and abilities are most important for someone to manage our city? Theme 1‐A: Attendees believe proficiency in communication, outreach and interaction with different groups of people and entities are most important in the next city manager. Good communication skills. The public wants to know what he/she is doing. Be interactive and proactive in the community. Do more public outreach to inform the community about initiatives. Know how to listen and work with different (interest) groups. Ability to work and collaborate with Travis County officials. Theme 1‐B: Attendees believe political awareness, knowledge of other governing bodies and aptitude for advocacy are important in the next city manager. Understand Texas versus Austin politics and be an advocate for Austin. Knowledge of federal relations and resources/grants available to Austin. Theme 1‐C: Attendees believe a keen knowledge about the affordable housing challenge in Austin is important in the next city manager, as well as the ability to generate creative ideas to face this challenge. Knowledge of the Affordable Housing policies. Be an expert in this area. Other General skills and abilities Be Bilingual (English and Spanish) Knowledge of Finance and accounting Knowledge of how to manage and delegate to city staff with proper oversight Question 2: What are the personal characteristics that are most important for our next city manager to lead our city? Theme 2‐1: Attendees believe the next city manager should be open to feedback and listen with sensitivity and responsiveness to the community and elected officials about the Austin we want, and think outside the box to overcome the challenges we face in our city. Be creative with public policy challenges facing Austin. Listen and act on the needs and desires of the city council and community without having to be told. Embrace the character of Austin and try not to change it (Keep Austin Weird), understanding we need to be reasonable about growth that is happening. He …
Manager Matters District 4 City Manager Profile Feedback Submitted by Julio Gonzalez Altamirano July 5th, 2017 2 Table of Contents Overview ............................................................................................ 3 Skills & Abilities .................................................................................. 4 Facilitating a new public safety consensus ........................................................................................ 4 Supporting shared prosperity ........................................................................................................... 4 Coordinating transportation mode shift ........................................................................................... 5 Enhancing neighborhood-‐level democracy ....................................................................................... 6 Preparing for climate change ............................................................................................................ 7 Leading Austin’s best workforce ....................................................................................................... 7 Acting as a bulwark for responsible budgeting ................................................................................. 8 Delivering performance turnarounds ............................................................................................... 8 Personal Attributes .......................................................................... 10 Empathy ......................................................................................................................................... 10 Accessibility ................................................................................................................................... 10 Creativity ....................................................................................................................................... 10 Culture Fit ...................................................................................................................................... 10 Integrity ......................................................................................................................................... 11 Collaborative .................................................................................................................................. 11 Analytical ....................................................................................................................................... 11 Loves Cities .................................................................................................................................... 11 Critical Challenges ............................................................................ 12 Growth management ..................................................................................................................... 12 Economic shocks from automation & climate change ..................................................................... 12 Federal & Texas state assault of local governance .......................................................................... 12 Appendix A: Suggested Reading ....................................................... 13 3 Overview In the coming decade, Austin will face continued challenges creating inclusive economic growth while responding to a hostile state and national policy environment. District 4 residents are looking for a uniquely talented public sector manager that can successfully lead the sizeable and complex enterprise that is the City of Austin as it provides a vigorous municipal response to challenges our community will face. In accordance with the feedback format selected by the City Manager Search Advisory Task Force, this document provides resident responses in the areas of (1) skills and abilities, (2) personal attributes, and (3) critical challenges. The feedback presented in this document is based on a community meeting attended by 28 residents, as well as ten separate one-‐on-‐one conversations with District 4 residents and stakeholders conducted by the document’s author. The document’s text attempts to relay the precise language and terms utilized by District 4 residents whenever possible. These items do not reflect the public feedback and invited testimony received by the Task Force at its public hearings. 4 Skills & Abilities Facilitating a new public safety consensus Over the past decade, public safety has dominated Austin’s General Fund spending as the City increased budgeted positions for its police, fire, and EMS services. National events, state policy intervention, along with local fiscal and management concerns have prompted District 4 residents to raise a variety of pressing questions about accountability and effectiveness in policing, as well as questions about fiscal sustainability across all the public safety services. The following skills and abilities will help the next …
TO: Members, City Manager Search Advisory Task Force Ms Sonya Alexander‐Harry, City of Austin Human Resources Department FROM: Bill Spelman, Task Force Member ABOUT: 5th Council District recommendations Councilmember Kitchen and her staff have discussed the qualifications of the next city manager with a wide variety of Council District 5 constituents over the past few weeks. In particular, the selection criteria were a prominent part of a meeting with neighborhood leaders (the “Kitchen Cabinet”), held on 13 June 2017. Everyone agrees the city manager is a critical player, but most people find it hard to describe quite what they’re looking for. Although this may be surprising given the importance of the role (and the amount of grousing that folks do about city management), it also suggests a fundamental problem with what we’re trying to accomplish: City Manager is a very public job, but only a fraction of the Manager’s work is done in public. The public sees the consequences but not the process. Nevertheless, consistent probing uncovered a few, basic themes. Innovate. Many city practices and procedures have changed little in decades. These practices may have been appropriate years ago, but are increasingly slow and ineffective. (Several constituents mentioned land use and code compliance procedures as examples.) Other cities have succeeded in developing new approaches, either through a creative problem‐solving process or by borrowing effective practices from elsewhere. The next city manager should encourage managers and employees to identify, understand, and solve problems on their patch. This will require doing things they have never done before. Take reasonable risks. Not all new policies and practices will succeed. (If they do all succeed, some argued that we just haven’t tried hard enough.) If failure has only negative consequences for city employees, they won’t try anything new. Some risks are not worth taking, but some are. A willingness to take reasonable risks is necessary for innovation. The next city manager should encourage managers and employees to take reasonable risks. In general, failure should be considered a learning opportunity rather than cause for disciplinary action. Recognize that Austin is different. Yes, we tell people what they can and can’t do with trees on their land. We also regulate lawn irrigation and water wells, payday lenders, texting while driving, public vaping, and impervious cover over the Edwards Aquifer. Our water utility manages protected lands, our electric utility encourages people not to buy electricity, and …
City Manager Search – Notes from District 6 (Moderated by Council Member Jimmy Flanningan, Marti Bier & Channy Soeur) 6.26.2017 @ 6:30 PM – Spicewood Springs Library 1. What skills and abilities are most important for someone to manage our city? a. Clear communicator with council and staff. b. Ability to listen c. Ability to learn quickly d. Multi‐tasker e. It would help if he or she could walk on water f. Communication g. Financial background h. IT literacy i. Ethical background j. Management experience k. Ability to connect with all people l. To take the “politics” out of it m. Data interpretation, analysis and communication n. Technology understanding – forward thinking creation of efficiency o. Experience managing successful programs relevant to the city’s problems – i.e. success in a transportation or housing project(s) p. Ability to play with others, collaborative, colleague q. Experience in managing an urban‐metro city of 1 million+ population r. A leader who can persuade the staff to follow him/her in moving forward s. To be able to work well with staff. t. Stern – but not a micro‐manager. u. Has a financial background ‐ Able to operate within budget v. Forward thinking of public education, how are we educating our future? 2. What are the personal characteristics that are most important for our next city manager to lead our unique community? a. Strong personal and business ethics b. Ability to expect/demand excellence of staff/department heads as well as ability to support those same people c. Good sense of humor d. Empathy e. Courage to stand up for Austin f. Super‐high IQ g. Even higher emotional IQ h. Thick thick skin i. Ethical j. Willing to listen to workforce/public k. Ethical, empathetic, diverse l. Able to see the big picture of all the citizens, not just the top tiered citizens m. Empathy n. Background of positive ethical performance o. Excellent meme lord? – (Sense of humor!) p. Able to empathize – disagreements happen, need to understand other sides POV q. Has Austin’s best interests in mind/at heart r. Is a renter? – Aus majority renter s. Easy to speak to, accessible to constituents t. Open door policy, friendly to the press, high integrity, good ethics u. Have thick skin, be resilient v. Be strong, yet empathetic w. Be able to determine financial needs to maintain the city services x. Once hired should be able to hire …
Page 1 | 4 CITY MANAGER SEARCH ADVISORY TASK FORCE FEEDBACK REPORT ─ DISTRICT 9 PUBLIC MEETING Saturday, June 24, 2017, 10:00 – 12:00 p.m. One Texas Center Room 325 505 Barton Springs Road Austin, Texas 78701 Sponsored by Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo Hosted and Facilitated by Task Force Vice Chair, Saundra Kirk, Staff in attendance: Joi Harden, Senior Policy Advisor to Kathie Tovo Ashley Richardson, District 9 Council Office Staff 1. INTRODUCTIONS 2. INVITED PUBLIC COMMENT ON IDEAL CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS AND IDENTIFY KEY COMMUNITY ISSUES FOR CITY MANAGER PROFILE Citizens spoke to the following three questions: a) What do you see as the most critical challenges to Austin over the next 5-10 years? Our next city manager is going to have to have the professional skills and personal attributes to tackle these issues, so we think it is important to provide this specific feedback to the City Council. b) What are the personal characteristics that are most important for our next city manager to lead our unique community? Please think about the attributes that would be essential for someone to thrive in this environment. c) What skills and abilities are most important for someone to manage our city? This could include previous job experience, education, etc. Page 2 | 4 3. PUBLIC INPUT A. CRITICAL CHALLENGES – The successful candidate must be able to devise and manage effective solutions that positively impact the following problems: Cognitive Dissonance between the City’s reputation as successful, economically thriving, livable, and highly desirable against its dysfunctional administration that has not solved long-term, critical problems The disconnect between the Imagine Austin Master Plan and Neighborhood Plans, and the CodeNext replacement land development code that should implement them, is a severely divisive crisis that warrants a mid-course correction Lack of follow-up implementation of the Zucker Report detailed recommendations based on the external consultant’s extensive audit and analysis of problems within City departments Imbalance of power between the City Council, the City Manager, and departmental leadership Rather than providing facts, information, context, and options to Council, City staff too often pitch policy directions with huge implications and predetermined benefits to insider business and developer interests rather than public interests Low accountability of managers back to City Council regarding the failure to implement well-deliberated policies; ordinances drafted by legal department are often parsed to conveniently reflect staff perspectives …
CITY MANAGER SEARCH ADVISORY TASK FORCE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, June 28, 2017 The City Manager Search Advisory Task Force convened in a regular meeting on Wednesday, June 28, 2017 at City Hall Council Chambers. Chair Laura Huffman called the Task Force meeting to order at 6:08 p.m. Board Members in Attendance: Laura Huffman (Chair), Saundra Kirk (Vice Chair), Claudia Conner, Perla Cavazos, Julio Gonzalez Altamirano, Bill Spellman, Channy Soeur, Walter Muse, Jan Lehman, Admiral Bobby Inman. Susan Hambright was absent. Staff in Attendance: Joya Hayes, Debbie Maynor, Trinh Bartlett, Lara Foss, Lee Crawford, Sonya Alexander-Harry, Rod Sigler, and Doron Silberstein. Erin Carbrey from Russell Reynold Associates was in attendance. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Recommendation by Task Force Chair Laura Huffman to approve the minutes for the June 16, 2017 City Manager Search Advisory Task Force Meeting was approved on Task Force Vice Chair Saundra Kirk’s motion. Task Force Member Admiral Bobby Inman seconded on a 10-0 vote. Task Force Member Susan Hambright was absent. 2. CITIZENS COMMUNICATION: GENERAL a) Robert Matlock spoke about the Electric Utility Commission’s working group’s recommendations for power generation for the next 10 years and looking for a City Manager with a strong environmental track record. 3. INVITED PUBLIC COMMENT a) Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Quality of Life Advisory Commission – Dr. Victor Martinez b) Asian American Quality of Life Advisory Commission – Vince Cobalis c) African American Employee Network – Carla Johnson d) Austin/Travis County EMS Employee Association – Anthony Marquardt e) Austin Police Association – Kenneth Casaday f) Austin Federal, State, County, Municipal Employee Union – Carol Gutherie 4. GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT ON IDEAL CITY MANAGER QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS AND KEY ISSUES TO INCLUDE IN CITY MANAGER PROFILE. a) Erwin Mazanegos b) Mike Burnett c) Bob Hendricks d) Shane Johnson e) Sylvia Mendoza 5. NEW BUSINESS a) Task Force Chair Laura Huffman asked everyone to sign the City Email Agreement Form. b) Task Force Chair Laura Huffman mentioned the memo that she and Saundra Kirk wrote to the Mayor and Council regarding the City Manager Search Advisory Task Force Scope that would be going out later that day. This memo was passed out to each Task Force Member. c) Russell Reynolds Associates Representative Erin Carbrey brought three sample candidate profiles and passed out copies to each Task Force member to review. d) Task Force Chair Laura Huffman mentioned that several Task …
City Manager Search Online Survey ResultsWhat skills and abilities are most important for someone to possess to manage our city? This could include previous job experience, education, etc.What personal characteristics are most important for our next city manager to embody to lead our unique community? Please think about the attributes that would be essential for someone to thrive in this environment.What do you see as the most critical challenges Austin will face over the next 5-10 years? Our next city manager is going to have to have the professional skills and personal attributes to tackle these issues, so we think it is important to provide this specific feedback to the City Council.1Previous job experiences streamlining city processes and eliminating bureaucratic hurdles, especially in zoning and planning approvals. A focus on urban form and reducing sprawl while making their previous city a more compact, dense and connected place. Previous experience using public-private partnerships to fund development of transit, housing and public spaces such as streetcar lines, parks and transit oriented developments.He or she needs to be steadfast in their values and adhere to the stated goals of the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan. They cannot be swayed by local or developer threats or interests that stray from that plan even if it makes individuals angry. They must represent the people of Austin and not individual council members, neighborhood leaders, political party ideologies or state or national legislators. Make decisions on data and not on opinions or gut feelings, but actual data that is gathered to inform decisions.The most critical challenge is transitioning Austin to a big-city mindset that is mindful of both current residents but inclusive of new residents' ideas, wants and needs. A vocal population of Austin is hostile to those that want to bring big-city ideals of effective transit, dense, affordable housing and economically integrated populations to the Urban Core of the city. The new city manager needs to be able to resist the temptation to cater to well-known, politically powerful local influencers that already have a platform and give a voice to those who aren't as involved but want to have a say in how their city grows.2CEO from a Fortune 100 company, or top 10 US City, even someone who has managed a large international city. It would be interesting to have someone with international experience.We need someone who cares about City employees, most of us city employees …
