SUBJECT: General Business
Title
Board of Trustees Confirmation of 2021 Work Plan Priorities, Issue Objectives, Deliverables and Schedule
Body
DEPARTMENT: Administration
PRESENTER: Malcolm Fleming, Town Administrator
TIME ESTIMATE: 45 minutes
only required for non-consent items
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
1. Board review of the stated Objective for each issue and either confirm staff’s understanding of the expected outcomes reflects what the Board wants to accomplish, or address any questions or clarifications the Board wants on each objective.
2. Determine if any issues lack majority support, and if so refine the Work Plan list accordingly
3. Consider the amount of meeting time tentatively allocated to each issue to reflect the Board’s expectations
4. If necessary due the allocated meeting time exceeding the schedule “time budget”, indicate when the Board would want to add Board meetings so Board Members and staff can plan ahead and schedule accordingly.
End
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT MATTER:
In 2019, 2020 and again for 2021, the Board has considered all the potential issues and projects confronting the Town and adopted an annual Work Plan to prioritize effort, set clear and reasonable expectations, allocate time and set a rough schedule for the Board to consider each issue, and help ensure staff stays focused on the Board’s top priorities.
2021 Work Plan
As part of the Board’s November 19, 2020 Retreat, the Board gave general direction on issues to prioritize in the 2021 Work Plan. The Town Administrator presented the resulting draft plan for consideration during the Board’s January 12, 2021 meeting. During that meeting the Board asked for more detail on each issue and another opportunity to refine the list and confirm a majority of the Board supports pursuing all issues.
To help with this review, staff has prepared the attached 2021 Work Plan Issues, Objectives, Deliverables and Timelines. The Objective for each issue is intended to clearly state what we hope accomplish. Staff asks Board members to review the stated Objective for each issue and either confirm staff’s understanding of the expected outcomes reflects what the Board wants to accomplish, or address any questions or clarifications the Board wants to see on each objective.
The Deliverables/Timeline is the rough schedule for key elements/milestones for each project. Once the Board has refined the list and confirmed the issues the Board wants staff to pursue, staff will use the Timeline to start scheduling on the Advance Agenda Board meeting time for all of the issues that require Board input in study sessions or Board action in regular meetings.
The second attachment, the 2021 Work Plan summary table, reflects the tentative allocation of Board meeting time for each issue, including contingencies for unanticipated issues and regular workload matters, such as land development applications. This tentative allocation indicates there will be insufficient time to adequately cover all issues unless the Board either (1) adds 4 more regular meetings and 5 more study sessions to the Board’s calendar, (2) scales back the amount of time devoted to some issues, or (3) eliminates or defers until another year some of the issues on the list.
Consequently, staff askes the Board to (1) determine if any issues lack majority support, and if so refine the Work Plan list accordingly (2) consider the amount of meeting time tentatively allocated to each issue to reflect the Board’s expectations, and (3) if necessary due the allocated meeting time exceeding the schedule “time budget”, indicate when the Board would want to add Board meetings so Board Members and staff can plan ahead and schedule accordingly. The third attachment is a summary meeting calendar showing the scheduled Board meetings in 2021.
Core Departmental Work
As noted in the January 12, 2021 meeting, in addition to the specific issues and projects listed on the Work Plan, staff manages many issues and activities as part of every Department’s work. The fourth attachment lists high level work for each Department. There is some overlap between this list and the 2021 Work Plan items.
Board Priority(s) Addressed:
ü Attractive Community Amenities
ü Engaged and Diverse Community
ü Prosperous Economy
ü Well-Maintained Transportation Infrastructure
ü Small Town Feel
ü Safe and Healthy Community
ü Effective Governance
ü Environmentally Sustainable
ü Fiscally Responsible
ATTACHMENTS:
1. 2021 Work Plan Issues, Objectives, Deliverables and Timelines
2. 2021 Work Plan (Summary Table)
3. Meeting Calendar
4. Core Departmental Work