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R2021-125 2021-06-14RESOLUTION NO. R2021-125 A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Pearland, Texas, adopting the City of Pearland Strategic Priorities promulgated during the City's 2021 Annual Planning Retreat. WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes the necessity of identifying strategic priorities and initiatives to ensure the constant pursuit of improving the quality of life for the citizens of Pearland; and WHEREAS, the City Council held a retreat with City staff on May 14th and 15th, 2021, at which time strategic priorities and initiatives for the City's future were identified; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PEARLAND, TEXAS: Section 1. That the City Council hereby adopts and embraces the 2021 Strategic Priorities and post -retreat report attached hereto as Exhibit "A". PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED this the 14th day of June, A.D., 2021. EVIN COLE MAYOR ATTT: AL ROAN, TRMC, CMC CITY SECRETARY APPROVED AS TO FORM: ZaiS— sCW— DARRIN M. COKER CITY ATTORNEY City of Pearland City Values Strategic Priorities Resilient Finances Providing long-term community value through trusted stewardship and responsible financial management. Safe Community Making Pearland a welcoming place for everyone by ensuring a safe environment and providing efficient and effective Public Safety services for residents, businesses, and visitors. Strong Economy Developing and investing in an attractive community that allows talent, entrepreneurs, and businesses to thrive for generations to come by supporting stable, steady growth, and unending opportunities. +Trust +Respect +Integrity +Teamwork +Ownership +Innovation Sustainable Infrastructure Building quality of life on a well-planned and maintained foundation of essential water, transportation, and flooding infrastructure, appealing amenities, and long-term value. Welcoming Community Fostering a diverse and unified community with events, amenities, and public spaces that bring people together. Trusted Government Delivering transparent, high-quality, and accessible City services by developing cutting edge solutions, engaging with the community, and continuously improving our capabilities. THE COMMUNITY OF CHOICE City of Hilliard Page 0 Governing Body Retreat City Council Retreat May 14-15, 2021 City of Pearland , TX City of Pearland Page 1 Governing Body Retreat Trusted Advisors Transforming Communities The City of Pearland, Texas, held a Governing Body Retreat on May 14th and 15th, 2021. The retreat was planned and facilitated by The Novak Consulting Group, part of Raftelis. Day 1 Introductions & Expectations The retreat began with the City Council and staff introducing themselves and then sharing their expectations for the retreat:  I am really looking forward to getting a better understanding of what Council Colleagues have in terms of a vision for the City. I sometimes feel like Council is a little disconnected, so I’d like to have a shared vision and use it to make decisions moving forward.  I’m so new to the Council that my expectations are low, and happiness is a function of expectations. Being in the room together is a big win and determining what the future is would be great.  I don’t have huge expectations, but we’ll see how the weekend turns out.  Let’s set some goal posts that we can hold each other to and really figure out what to prioritize.  What are the next steps? We’ve been going flat out to figure out how to grow into the City that we are. We’ve been growing in big chunks, which causes stress, but a lot has gotten done and now we have the opportunity to fill in some gaps.  Set the big picture, long-term goals and within the organization, share the goals with everyone in the organization, so that everyone sees how everything ties up to the big picture for the City. I think it will help us to be cohesive and pull in the same directions.  Things are really different than when I started on Council. At one point, an inspection had to be done every seven minutes, the City was growing so fast. I think that this is important and one of the best things we’ve done in the last few years – it’s brought folks together. The mayor, City Council, and staff are custodians for the City, and we need to gel together.  It’s important that we give our direct reports more clear and measurable goals to determine success. We need to more clearly communicate expectations for what we do and don’t consider success. We need to get together and have these conversations – what do we want to be in the next 10, 15, 20 years, and how do we get there?  As the City transitions from a reactive to a responsive manner of growth, we can be more measured as we deal with public safety issues. I’d like to have some agreement between what Council expects and what my staff expects.  I’ve seen Pearland grow a lot, but we are in a time of transition. I’d like a cohesive vision for Council – they’re the ones who establish the vision so that there’s a clear direction up and down throughout the organization.  I look forward to the future of Pearland – we’re a wonderful and diverse community, and I look forward to a bright future.  There have been some growing pains. City management has done well, and we’ve faced several major crises – Hurricane Harvey, the ice storm, the pandemic – there’s room for improvement, but the staff has really stepped up.  My hope is that Council comes together as a group and coalesces around a vision for moving forward as a team. We can still disagree on specific areas but build on the team mentality and camaraderie. City of Pearland Page 2 Governing Body Retreat Trusted Advisors Transforming Communities Governing Together City Council was asked to explore a series of questions about what it means to govern together:  What does good governance look like to you?  What values are important to you in governing?  What is important to remember when your position is the prevailing decision, and what is important to remember when your position is not the prevailing decision?  What type of relationship do you hope to have with your colleagues on the City Council?  What type of relationship do you hope to have with the City Manager and Staff?  What do you hope this governing body will be known for? The responses are captured within the following table. Governing Together – Questions Responses What does good governance look like to you?  Trustee vs. representative: I think it’s a continuum – we should do this because this is what people want vs. we have more information and need to make the right decision even if it’s not popular. I’d like to put more policies in the Trustee bucket, as opposed to the responsive to public input bucket. Overall, I think good governance is putting long-term strategic objectives front and center in decision-making.  Transparent – as a body we need to be prepared and give clear direction.  Forward-looking, accountable, responsible. Governing by Facebook doesn’t work. We need to explain and reason out the thought process for decisions and explain the “why.” The citizens don’t hire/elect you because you’re you – your intellect and judgement are part of the package. This can be contrary to what the public wants, but it’s like vegetables.  Newer elected officials tend to be more representative focused – over time, they seem to shift to trustee-style governors. There are trends. If you allow yourself to be thrown off constantly, nothing really gets done. If you’re homed in on where you want to go, you can get there. Governing with a vision is super important. Good governance is forward looking, but it’s also looking at what’s happened previously and how situations have been handled before. There are things that we deal with on an on-going basis and having access to where the community has come from is helpful. I stay engaged with trends, travel, and engage with others across the country to examine what’s happening in our community and bring best practices home – innovate where we can. It’s also important to understand the role of government in peoples’ lives. Does the role of a government change as the size of the governed changes – has our role changed as we’ve added 100,000 people? There’s some disagreement within the Council.  Moving forward with a purpose, having a plan. Twists and turns happen, but knowing where we’re headed and not necessarily getting blown with the wind. Sitting back, planning, being deliberate, and being responsive and engaging with members of the public. We represent 130,000 people, but we have to trust that we were elected based on what we ran on – being deliberate and thoughtful. Not just being reactive – there’s a difference between responding and being reactive. City of Pearland Page 3 Governing Body Retreat Trusted Advisors Transforming Communities Governing Together – Questions Responses  We should have goals and visions for the City, which should come from interactions with the public – we’re accountable to them, we need transparency, and they need to know what’s going on and how folks are voting. Passing that vision on from the citizens to staff. Cooperation between Council and staff – we all have a common goal to make Pearland the best City we can. We occasionally disagree, but most of the time we agree to disagree and we do it in a friendly way.  Cooperation and, to some extent, acquiescence. We may come into an agenda item with one idea, listen to other views, and come out with a different perspective. For any organization, that’s what works well. While I’ve been on Council, it’s been useful and we’ve been an extremely productive council. We collaborate and work together. Governance needs to be thoughtful and steady. We need to be responsive, but not reactive – we’re an ocean liner, not a speedboat. It should take a while to accomplish things, because we have a huge impact and we need to weigh the consequences. A government that’s thoughtful needs to minimize bureaucracy – needs to engage without losing sight of what needs to be accomplished. Can’t have bureaucracy for the sake of bureaucracy. Good governance is based on customer service and a cooperative attitude. Staff helps to implement the vision, but neither of us should be combative.  Things have changed a lot. We used to be a small council, and it used to be more difficult to not vote the way the community prefers. We each bring something good to the Council chambers, and we’re all individuals. I look back over my experience – I wouldn’t change a vote. I get a ton of phone calls – you used to know who’d be at Council. The word now is that Councilors have been elected to represent. We have positive and negative reactions to agenda items, but when we discuss each item, there are different points of view that come out. The conversation is good, and the Council members are independent, but bring different things to the table. That’s what the people are looking for – not always agreement, but we’ll sit down and talk about it. For us, open discussions, transparency – the majority of Pearland has my cellphone. I’ll tell you how I’m going to vote – I listen to folk, but I’m open to the conversation. City of Pearland Page 4 Governing Body Retreat Trusted Advisors Transforming Communities Governing Together – Questions Responses What values are important to you in governing?  Integrity, responsibility, respect  Families, keeping Pearland safe (flooding, violence, living the American dream). There’s a tension in which values prevail. We’re not going to be right, but we’re going to do what we think is right.  Integrity transparency, being inclusive – accessible and transparent with the decision- making process. Put information out with more lead time, get input and see what the process was to come to a decision. Accountability  Integrity, respect, engagement, openness to thoughts, actions, being genuine  Cooperation, open-minded, accountability to each other, transparency, fiscal responsibility. Having a safe, clean city with good schools, respecting each other, and being succinct.  Honesty, productivity is important (we have a tendency to argue when we can find a flaw, but we can’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good – I don’t like sitting still). Inclusiveness – being willing to listen to neighbors and strangers. Open-mindedness and being clear about our purpose.  Honesty, trustworthy, concern for citizens and residents – Anything I’ve voted on hasn’t been for me – it’s for the residents, and that’s the way that I think it should be. We should be reflecting what the citizens are concerned with, but we should also be honest with them.  Sustainability (fiscal) – making sure that what we’re doing outlasts us and we’re good stewards; transparency – actually receiving public input, rather than just providing the opportunity; innovation – bias toward action – be prepared to advance goals and priorities that we think are important. Rights vs. responsibilities – when we’re deciding on a conditional use property – property owner’s rights vs. community interest in deciding the character of the community. Move more toward the solidarity of the community and City. Do what’s best for everyone. What is important to remember when your position is the prevailing decision, and what is important to remember when your position is not the prevailing decision?  Be gracious (that’s where we need to end up) – there are a lot of personal feelings that get tied into votes. Once the decision is made, you’re backing the decision of the City. Whether it’s 6-1 or 7-0, it’s decided and you move on. I think you owe your constituents where you were, but I don’t think you go to the negative place of “they were wrong.”  Responsible regardless.  I can lose a vote and see that each Council member is coming from a place of wanting to do what’s best for the City. In reverse, you don’t spike the ball.  When there’s disagreement, it’s usually 4-3. If it’s that close, it can go either way – I don’t lose sleep over it.  We don’t deal with much that’s as black and white in our voting. We have to be respectful of the fact that our votes help some and hurt others. I haven’t worked with a Council that hasn’t been cognizant of that. When we’ve disagreed, we’ve done it agreeably. I appreciate how members have tended to do things when we’ve been on opposing sides. I respect opinions and the perspectives of others, and while I don’t always agree, I haven’t lost that respect.  I don’t mind being the 1 in a 6-1. I’m going to vote the way I feel l should – and I want others to feel like they should too. Have to respect their feelings in how they voted and the reasons why.  Be gracious on either side.  Respect the body, from the winning or losing side. City of Pearland Page 5 Governing Body Retreat Trusted Advisors Transforming Communities Governing Together – Questions Responses What type of relationship do you hope to have with your colleagues on the Governing Body?  Moving forward, I hope to have a collaborative relationship. It’s been great to have folks to bounce ideas off, talk through perspectives with, learn from different thought processes and approaches. It’s great to have these resources.  Collaborative. As the mayor, I want to learn enough to help each of the Council members be successful – good, solid working relationship with a strong rapport.  Good, lasting working relationship – everyone wants what’s in the best interests of the City.  Respectful and professional.  Atomized City Council – everyone is doing their thing. There’s less outside coordination and collaboration on objectives. In an ideal world, everyone would have a better idea of where everyone else stands.  Respectful and professional – there is less cohesion outside of meetings right now, and I’d like more of that human face on things.  My viewpoint is very different than others. I believe that you can’t have traction without friction, and I think the discourse is positive. What type of relationship do you hope to have with the City Administrator and Staff?  Clear expectations in both directions (how Council can support and enhance staff work, what Council’s expectations and vision are for staff).  I see myself as a liaison between Council and staff, open door (cuss and discuss). Even if staff wants to share frustrations, I’d rather that they share it with me.  Mutual respect – most of staff’s workday is based around solving problems. It’s not an easy job – we’re all professionals, and so are they, which allows us to work well together.  Respectful and professional.  Relationship is there – there are some things that I wish had come to us sooner, but we’re together for the good, bad, and ugly. We need to know how we can set policy, whether we like it or not, and we need to deal with it. We’re all in it together.  Staff may be frustrated with lacking a clear direction, and on the Council side, trying to identify the appropriate junctures to influence policy decisions, where/ how to engage, etc. Clearer expectations – delineating the roles of City Council and staff.  Respectful and professional.  City functions still have to happen, even if there isn’t clear direction from Council. I want to hear just the facts reporting, and make sure that there’s feedback to close the loop. We also need honest feedback and to be able to defer to professionals at some point. Staff are the subject matter experts and Council isn’t voted into office based on expertise. City of Pearland Page 6 Governing Body Retreat Trusted Advisors Transforming Communities Governing Together – Questions Responses What do you hope this governing body will be known for?  Successfully seeing and understanding the next transition of the City. From hyper growth to maintenance, infill development, etc. and put the processes in place to support those needs.  Good group of people that got things done and worked well together.  Being productive – hope that we don’t achieve greater notoriety than previous Councils – people see and trust the Council.  Responsive to the residents’ needs, gave a lot back to the community.  Known for doing things not because they’re easy but because they’re hard, and should do an ambitious moonshot.  I want us to continue to do a good job, but don’t necessarily stick out. If we’re doing what we need to do, you don’t need to hear about us (want to be like garbage).  The one that set the trajectory for 2030, 2040, 2050 – we need to transition for what the future will look like. Families should be safer for us having been in office and it needs to be definitive.  Known to future councils that set in place processes that assist them in moving forward. As a new Council member, you get thrown into a lot. Having processes to help folks get up to speed would be great, so that people can depend on processes, not individuals. I want Pearland and this body to be the roadmap for the County, which is now growing at the breakneck pace that Pearland was growing at. City of Pearland Page 7 Governing Body Retreat Trusted Advisors Transforming Communities Ideal Governing Body Member We enter every relationship and engagement with certain expectations, many of which go unstated. This exercise considered how different groups (the public, the staff, and Council colleagues) might describe an “ideal” member of the Pearland City Council. The responses are captured on the following graphic map and have been transcribed within the following table. City of Pearland Page 8 Governing Body Retreat Trusted Advisors Transforming Communities The Public is looking for: The Staff is looking for: My Council Colleagues are looking for: No government intrusion Predictable Respectful Transparent Allows for differing thoughts on issues Respect staff to answer your questions Consistent Concerned with policy over politics Collegial Dependable Proactive Respectful of one another Conservative Attentive Approachable Customer Service Agent Approachable Even-tempered Responsive – answer messages Clear direction from Council Considerate Responsive Big raises Well-prepared for meetings Responsive Clear and concise Prepared Responsive Provide clear directives Knowledgeable Responsive Understanding Team player Responsive to their needs and complaints in a timely manner to show that we care Cooperative (not adversarial) relationship Respect others: time, thoughts, opinions Watchdog Consistent Open-minded and short-winded Forthright Cheerleader Cooperative Protective (of their interests and money) Well-prepared for meetings and discussions Reach out to others for better understanding Least expensive cost to government (high value) Respectful of our role Willing to cooperate and compromise Smooth Services Supportive (especially with providing capacity and tools) Not grandstanding or wasting time Respect Appreciative Cooperative Accessible Reaffirming Team player Accessible Compliant Concise Approachable Uninformed (Clarification below) Efficient City to tell them the truth in a timely manner Quick turnaround on information requested Leadership Honest Clear and concise Honest Dependable Visible Self-aware Self-improving and enriching Reactions from the Group:  Regarding self-improving and enriching: A Council member clarified that this was a positive thing, as the public appreciates that the Council is interested in learning more and broadening their experiences.  Regarding “uninformed”: One Council member expressed a desire for more responsiveness from staff, because it feels like there’s an information asymmetry. Staff responded that quite a lot of City of Pearland Page 9 Governing Body Retreat Trusted Advisors Transforming Communities information is shared, but not necessarily at the pace or frequency that a council member might prefer, especially as incidents are unfolding. o The norms of communication aren’t well-documented, which leads to a mismatch in expectations. o Can have a discussion about the timeline for information sharing - should be shared with a longer lead time for major budget decisions, less time for more pedestrian decisions. o How can we make the information more digestible and accessible – it’s overwhelming. Some of the data is less relevant to decision-making. o There feels to be less of a focus on sharing information on major incidents of high import (budget decisions, etc.) in a timely manner. Should it be continuously while an incident is in the news? o Can be hard to filter through what’s most important because we’re hearing a lot about some things and not others. o Documents are also subject to open records laws and should be relatively free of staff conjecture and speculation. Early information can also taint investigations and have long-ranging consequences, especially when other agencies are included. o If we’re receiving a lot of information for minor items, we should investigate receiving automatic updates on much more significant items quickly. Would be in favor of receiving more Sit-Reps, but want to be sensitive to sharing confidential information as well. City of Pearland Page 10 Governing Body Retreat Trusted Advisors Transforming Communities Expectations – the Psychological Contract Participants reflected on the thoughts they had in preparing for this retreat to articulate the expectations they have for one another as they move toward governing together. Prompt questions included:  What do you need from your governing body colleagues in order for you to be an effective governing body member? o What are you willing to give your governing body colleagues?  As a governing body, what would you need from the Mayor? o What are you willing to give the Mayor?  What does the Mayor need from the governing body in order to be effective? o What is the Mayor willing to give the governing body? The responses were captured in the subsequent tables. City of Pearland Page 11 Governing Body Retreat Trusted Advisors Transforming Communities What do you need from your governing body colleagues to be effective? What are you willing to give your governing body colleagues? Collective understanding of our role An ear to listen Clarity and focus on objectives and goals An opportunity to discuss Proper feedback to understand where colleagues are coming from A timer Preparation Time, openness to hear and listen Don’t ask questions answered in the packet, educate yourself on the issues The things on the list Respect Council time Reciprocity Be concise, don’t belabor issues, use time efficiently, don’t quibble with small picture items (manager vs. policy makers) Neutral ground for messages to be shared and heard Open discussion of pros and cons Willingness to cooperate and collaborate Introspection and share your positions Understanding that where we are today isn’t where we will be tomorrow – long-term focus As a governing body, what do you need from the Mayor in order to be effective? What are you willing to give to the Mayor? Unifier who coheres the perspectives from Council (and sometimes staff)  Would be good to have this happen pre-Meetings, as opposed to the middle of the meeting (when possible) Time One representative to the public for the City and helps to present a united front Feedback on role, perspectives, and issues Keep doing what you’re doing Whatever he needs (within reason) Latitude – non-voting mayor, smart people on the Council Give latitude – his judgement is good Patience – have to be aware of the Council dynamics Liaise with staff  Be outspoken, as necessary Dialogue with Council members on issues, support for Council concerns Good time management skills during the meeting  Use the gavel more What does the Mayor need from the Council in order to be effective?  Reach out if you need me – I want to be responsive and for each member of Council to be successful, and for us to be successful.  Respect the public – start on-time, move through the issues, be efficient (don’t speak if you don’t have content to add). City of Pearland Page 12 Governing Body Retreat Trusted Advisors Transforming Communities What does the Council need from the City Manager and staff in order to be effective? What is the City Manager and staff willing to give the Council? Integrity The best we can with the resources provided Trust Execution of decisions Honesty (even when it may potentially defy Council) Put the right people in the right place at the right time Well-respected by staff Honesty and integrity Professional Excellence throughout the organization Experienced/professional perspective and insight Professionalism (honesty, integrity, accountability) Ability to weigh in on major policy decisions Experience and perspective Just the facts Examples from others, good and bad Reach out to Council early for support Consequences of actions – pros and cons No micro-management Bad news fast Consistency Quality information Understanding of occasional political/ constituent pressure Actionable, quality information Constant improvement Accurate information and data Judgement/air traffic control Time Data room with key City information and reports Time Summaries/explanations of long-running and complicated issues A City organization ready for big suburban needs Cooperation Support for their decisions Cooperation An organization that can accomplish most anything Council policy wants to do Forthrightness Unified organization to accomplish things Responsible Room and support for individual interests / priorities where possible Responsive Support for Council decisions, whether supported by staff or not Preparedness Continuous improvement Consistency Continuous improvement Respect Seek efficiencies to extend limited resources When possible, let us know where opportunities for improvement exist Results-oriented efforts (sound problem solving) Concise communication Accountability for the staff – good and bad Ownership of the good and bad Take criticism as constructive, not personal Free beer City of Pearland Page 13 Governing Body Retreat Trusted Advisors Transforming Communities What does the City Manager and staff need from the Council in order to be effective? What is the Council willing to give the City Manager and staff? Recognition that the Council is our Board of Directors and that City Council is the City Patience Whole community outlook Patience Long-term view Support Honest perspective Full support Values driven direction Understanding for the challenges of the position Realization of scale and complexity of the organization Willingness to learn and/or understand Advocacy for the City with other government jurisdictions Open mindedness Appreciation for what is being accomplished Time to discuss items prior to Council meetings Defense in the public as possible My time to listen Consistency Time Consistency Direction After split decisions, support My honest opinion Limited surprises Goals Support Clear policy direction Clarity Constructive criticism Clarity Advocacy Resources (staff, equipment, training Share my frustrations Support for investments that are behind the scenes Energy Time (Thursday memos and AIRs) Honest feedback Preparation Neutral ground Time (response vs. react) A ride on my boat Six pack Effort Job Understanding different roles Team mindset Honest feedback City of Pearland Page 14 Governing Body Retreat Trusted Advisors Transforming Communities True Today, True in Ten Years The City Council was asked to share their responses to two questions:  What is true about Pearland today that you hope will still be true in ten years?  What is not true about Pearland today that you hope will be true in ten years? Responses were captured in the following table, as well as the subsequent graphic map. True Today – still true in Ten Years Not True today – hope it will be true in Ten years  Small town feel with big city amenities  Low crime rate, safe City  Clean City  Sense of community  Clean, well-planned City  Diverse City  Kick-ass public safety departments  Higher than average demographic stats (income, education, etc.)  On-going quality of life enhancements  Small-town feel  Valued public safety  Great place to raise a family  Resident satisfaction with core City services  Robust network of community organization  Strong reputation for home buyers – good stats  Great place to raise a family  Dynamic  Place where the American dream can thrive  Strong community  Small City neighborhood feeling  Continuing to grow  Less of a divide between east and west  Better debt management  Better traffic  Unified City  Zero traffic issues  No flooding  Comprehensive resiliency plan in place  More diverse commercial community  Multiple methods to traverse the City  Unified City  Unified City  Pro-business City in the region  Preeminent suburban City in TX  Low tax rate  Diversified economy (businesses reduce burden on residents)  Plan and funding to cover long-term liabilities  Entertainment and amenities to be a community of choice  No concerns on neighborhood flooding  Strong, stable community,  Local employment options  National/regional amenity draw City of Pearland Page 15 Governing Body Retreat Trusted Advisors Transforming Communities Parting Thoughts Participants were asked to reflect on the first day of the retreat and share their parting thoughts.  Revealing  Worked – it’s fine  Excellent  Great exchange of dialogue and ideas  Long-needed, helpful  Good, looking forward to tomorrow  Met expectations  Pleased, good dialogue  Very good  Great start City of Pearland Page 16 Governing Body Retreat Trusted Advisors Transforming Communities Day Two Initial Thoughts Participants were asked to reflect on the activities of the first day and share their reactions and reflections, captured below:  I liked that we started with different people and kept things fresh.  It felt like we were all professional and treated each other with respect.  I feel like there are some areas where we’re all interested – what do we need to do over the next ten years to lower the tax rate? I’d like to spend some time exploring that.  I think that yesterday highlighted the need for formalized on-boarding for new Council members, rather than taking an ad hoc approach.  We can be honest about feelings and limitations. We can be professional while not avoiding core issues, so being constructively candid. Organizational Update The City Manager and staff provided an overview of what the organization has been focused on as it implements strategies to accomplish the existing strategic priorities of:  Exceptional Government o This is our commitment to transparency, accountability, and continual improvement. We strive to be a model for other cities and aim to evoke pride from residents, visitors, and City employees.  Connected Community o At our best, we are in the intersection of government and community with a continuous feedback loop of information that deepens the relationship.  Sound Infrastructure o The literal foundation that makes the Pearland community a possibility. Long-term strategies focused on essential services (transportation, clean water, flood mitigation, etc.) keep Pearland successful.  Safe Community o We strive to create peace of mind for residents and visitors alike, and to deliver on the promise that Pearland is a safe place for everyone.  Strong Economy o Stable and steady growth that creates the unending opportunity to invest in building an attractive community that will thrive for generations to come. The group also discussed the City’s many plans, how they fit together, and when/how Council can provide input into each. The following graphic illustrates the timelines for some of the City’s planning efforts. City of Pearland Page 17 Governing Body Retreat Trusted Advisors Transforming Communities Council Priorities After considering the input from the True Today, True in Ten Years exercise, and the existing strategic priorities, Council updated the priorities, as well as the associated statements of what success will look like. The updated priorities include:  City Tagline: The Community of Choice  Resilient Finances o Providing long-term community value through trusted stewardship and responsible financial management.  Safe Community o Making Pearland a welcoming place for everyone by ensuring a safe environment and providing efficient and effective Public Safety services for residents, businesses, and visitors.  Sustainable Infrastructure o Building quality of life on a well-planned and maintained foundation of essential water, transportation, and flooding infrastructure, appealing amenities, and long-term value.  Strong Economy o Developing and investing in an attractive community that allows talent, entrepreneurs, and businesses to thrive for generations to come by supporting stable, steady growth, and unending opportunities.  Welcoming Community o Fostering a diverse and unified community with events, amenities, and public spaces that bring people together.  Trusted Government o Delivering transparent, high-quality, and accessible City services by developing cutting edge solutions, engaging with the community, and continuously improving our capabilities. City of Pearland Page 18 Governing Body Retreat Trusted Advisors Transforming Communities Council Initiatives Council members were invited to share individual initiatives that they were interested in pursuing over the next 1-2 years. These initiatives included: 1. Promote high-quality, dense development 2. Regional detention program for floodplain mitigation 3. Improve public safety resources (add staff, equipment) 4. Stormwater utility fee 5. Support small and expanding businesses/Simplify permitting 6. Creation of anchor districts, catalyst (regional amenity) 7. Develop a City Services complex 8. Line item scrubbing of the budget (lower tax rate) 9. Priority/Program-based budgeting reviews 10. Long term capital asset financial plan When prioritized, the following initiatives were agreed to by the group. Subsequent discussion and clarification have been captured in the bullets under each of the top initiatives. Top Initiatives 1. Support small, local, and expanding businesses/Simplify permitting o Simplifying permitting supports small/expanding businesses, address the idea that it’s difficult to do business in Pearland o EDC work on small business side o Better promote and hire local firms to do local work, doing business with the City conference o Pearland Prosperity Plan – incubate local businesses, start-ups, etc. 2. Scrub the general fund budget to identify $0.01 and $0.02 value options for expenditure reductions/reallocations for FY 23 o City Manager to do this with staff and reports back (not looking to reduce headcount) o Review expenditures to align with Council priorities o Council decides to reduce tax rate or reallocate High Initiatives 3. Long term capital asset financial plan (asset management tracking, plan to create internal service funds, financing) 4. Promote high-quality, dense development that adds the highest possible value – consider suite of options (residential and commercial) Other Initiatives 5. Adopt stormwater utility fee 6. Creation of anchor districts, catalyst, regional amenity City of Pearland Page 19 Governing Body Retreat Trusted Advisors Transforming Communities Day Two – Parting Thoughts Participants were asked to reflect on the retreat and share their parting thoughts.  Met my expectations and gave clear direction. The interesting thing about the priorities is that it raised some things that we don’t normally do. It doesn’t mean that things we aren’t talking about aren’t priorities.  Enjoyed the time – very worthwhile. I like the planning process and focusing on the strategic questions.  Council sets policies and a cohesive vision works best. This was definitely a step in the right direction.  We’ve really wanted to have this conversation, and this has been really useful.  It was a good time for the group to get together and focus on the community and have honest conversations.  Synergistic.  Helps me know how to shape the budget to make decisions – now we can all say no together.  I thought this was really good. This was the first in-depth session that we’ve had, and it was interesting to hear some of the different answers to the questions.  I think that we got some productivity at the end – we need to do this again, and earlier in the year. Important to do again before we have two new Council members. The next time we do this, we can get more out of it. There was a lot of broad commentary, and I’d like to be more specific.  This is what I was hoping to do when I got on Council a while ago. Helped to define alignment points. I’ll do my best to commit to the priorities as a member of this body and help to propel us forward.  Good first step. We haven’t done anything like this for a while, and we need to internalize and bring this to life. What does that look and feel like?  The last hour and a half were productive. If we could have started that part sooner, we could have made more progress. I was hoping for a bit more concrete direction for staff.  I think that it’s helpful to have the buy-in on the priorities and the initiatives. We’re moving in the right direction. We need to delineate where input can come into each of the overlapping plans? I want Council touchpoints to be more clear.  The governance piece was important and useful when we meet on a weekly basis. All things come in good time, and the timing of this was good, and we have some other things in the works that will help to reinforce this.  Exchange and dialogue were good and the process was good. We’ve circled a bit, and we’ve landed at a decent takeoff place.  I want to thank everyone for their participation. This was an initiative that I really wanted to see, and one of my stated goals was to bring Council together where possible. Let’s rally around the progress that we made in this session. Earlier in the year (at the start of the budget process) might be ideal, but I think that this session was a great first step and got Council’s fingerprints on the priorities and helps us to be vested on what we’re doing.