Item CEC
Community Engagement Committee
Item 7A
Mayor and members of the City Council,
The SPIN Standing Committee and staff are excited to bring forward Item 7A for your consideration, regarding a Community Engagement Committee.
Item
7A: Community Engagement Committee
1
Requested Action
Approve an ordinance reauthorizing
the Community Engagement Committee
The purpose for this item is to seek approval of an ordinance and bylaws to establish a Community Engagement Committee in succession of the current SPIN Standing Committee.
This committee
would act as an advisory board to the City Council in matters pertaining to community engagement and outreach programs.
Background where we started. Process & Recommendations.
2
Background
1993 to 2013 ● 20 years
The Southlake Program for the Involvement of Neighborhoods (SPIN) and the SPIN Standing Committee were originally created in 1993 for the purpose of community engagement, to connect
the Southlake community to local government.
As of 2013, the program has officially been in operation for twenty years.
Over the course of twenty years, many changes have occurred
socially and technologically. We now have new and innovative ways for residents to communicate and interact with local government, and the City Council has recognized a need for the
program to evolve.
3
Background
“What would SPIN look like if it were created today?”
In 2012, the City Council directed the SPIN Standing Committee to re-envision the SPIN program and further define their role in the program, asking “What would SPIN look like if it were
created today?”
Over the past year, the Standing Committee has worked closely with one another and with staff to explore options for improvements and develop recommendations. I’ll discuss
more about this process in a moment.
It is important to note that, particularly in the time that it was originated, the SPIN Program was a truly pioneering effort, a unique and innovative
community engagement program.
With this new step, the goal is to pursue a contemporary approach that will allow Southlake to remain on the leading edge of community engagement.
4
Community Engagement
“Civic engagement is a leading and trending practice for local governments and is critical to quality local decision making and community building.”
-International City/County Management
Association
ICMA has stated that “Civic engagement is a leading and trending practice for local governments and is critical to quality local decision making and community building.”
So, this is
important work, vital for the success of the city, and the steps we take today to advance our community engagement efforts will help us remain successful in the future.
5
City of Southlake Strategy Map
Critical Business Outcomes
CBO1 - Continue to implement Southlake 2030 Plan by focusing on short-term initiatives.
CBO2 - Become an employer of choice by developing a plan to recruit,
develop and retain employees committed to excellence.
CBO3 - Develop long-term strategies to address future financial uncertainties and challenges.
CBO4 - Improve mobility by proactively
completing traffic analysis of key areas.
CBO5 -Optimize resources through collaboration and partnerships to
reduce costs and add service value.
The City of Southlake provides municipal services that support the highest quality of life for our residents, businesses, and visitors. We do this by being an exemplary model of balancing
efficiency, fiscal responsibility, transparency, and sustainability.
Deliver on Our Focus Areas
Performance
Management &
Service Delivery
C1 Achieve the highest standards of safety & security
C2 Provide travel convenience within City & region
C3 Provide attractive & unique spaces for enjoyment of personal interests
C4 Attract & keep top-tier businesses to drive a dynamic & sustainable economic environment
C5 Promote opportunities for partnerships & volunteer involvement
Serve our Customers
Manage the Business
B1 Achieve best-in-class status in all City disciplines
B2 Collaborate with select partners to implement service solutions
B3 Enhance resident quality of life & business vitality through tourism
B4 Provide high quality services through sustainable business practices
B5 Enhance service delivery through continual process improvement
B6 Optimize use of technology
Provide Financial Stewardship
Promote Learning and Growth
F1 Adhere to financial management principles & budget
F2 Invest to provide & maintain high quality public assets
F3 Achieve fiscal wellness standards
F4 Establish & maintain effective internal controls
L1 Ensure our people understand the strategy & how they contribute to it
L2 Enhance leadership capabilities to deliver results
L3 Attract, develop & retain a skilled workforce
L4 Recognize & reward high performers
L5 Empower informed decision-making at all levels in the organization
C6 Enhance the sense of
community by providing excellent customer service and citizen engagement opportunities
L6 Foster positive employee engagement
This effort is also a significant piece of our city strategy.
The proposed ordinance aligns with the City Strategy Map under the Focus Area “Partnerships and Volunteerism” and Corporate
Objectives “C5 Promote opportunities for partnerships and volunteer involvement” and “C6 Enhance the sense of community by providing excellent customer service and citizen engagement
opportunities.”
6
Timeline
At the direction of Council, the SPIN Standing Committee has invested a great deal of time during the past year in developing recommendations that can help the city meet our strategic
goals more effectively. The process so far has been very robust. Outlined on the screen is the timeline. Many touch points with Council along the way.
In May 2012, Council members received
a project briefing on the SPIN program and sparked the idea for a new direction. Could we make SPIN more innovative and relevant.
June 27 2012 Retreat, the City Council discussed options
for evolving the SPIN program and standing committee.
Joint mtg Aug 14 2012, Council directed the committee to re-envision the program & committee.
Sept 11 2012, SPIN Standing Committee
defined a project timeline and methodical process to assess the program from top to bottom and determine the role for the standing committee.
January 2013 Council Meeting, the Standing
Committee brought forward a revised mission statement and received approval from Council to move forward.
2013 June retreat & joint mtg, the Standing Committee brought Council an updated
ordinance, with clear mission and goals, and the beginnings of an operational guide to set the course for both the program and the committee.
7
Process
Here is an overview of the process defined by the standing committee. Methodical process looking at the entire structure of the program.
Following the direction given by Council at
the 2013 June Retreat, the SPIN Standing Committee decided that some parts of the program were generally working well and just needed to be enhanced –like the Town Hall Forums. Meanwhile,
the committee itself needed to take a new direction, define a more modern role that would allow committee members to serve the city’s current needs in a more meaningful way.
To do
so, tonight, the SPIN Standing Committee recommends that their group be reestablished as a Community Engagement Committee.
This transition will allow the committee to work with the
City Council and staff in a more formal way, advising on key policy issues relating to community engagement and outreach programs.
8
Community Engagement Committee
Consistent mission
Seven committee members
Geographic distribution & diversity
Communication plan
Quarterly meetings
Joint meetings with other groups
Annual report
Community involvement
SPIN
Town Hall Forums
The proposed ordinance organizes the committee as follows:
• The mission and purpose remains consistent: "to connect the community to local government," serving as an advisory board
to Council on matters pertaining to community engagement and outreach programs.
• The number of committee members would be reduced to seven (7), consistent with the size of most other
boards or commissions. More streamlined and effective, emphasizing the active involvement of each member.
• The SPIN map would still be used for a number of planning and communication
purposes within the city, as it is today. However, committee members would not be directly tied to areas of the map. The Council would instead appoint members to the committee with "strong
consideration to the geographical location and diversity of committee members.“ This would allow for greater flexibility, more opportunities for residents to serve, and would reduce
the number of vacant seats on the committee.
• The group would annually review and provide comments on the City’s communication plan that highlights the City’s outreach and engagement
efforts for the year, identifies key topics of interest to community members, and identifies tools or techniques to aid in community engagement.
• The committee would hold quarterly
meetings, instead of monthly meetings. And, in between these quarterly meetings, they would meet jointly with other groups like the Senior Advisory Commission or the Youth Action Commission,
as appropriate. The focus for these meetings would be to share information from the City's communication plan, find out what specific interests a group may have, and learn what communication
tools are most effective in reaching their group. This information can then help shape future outreach/engagement efforts.
• The group would provide an annual report to the City Council
capturing the City’s community engagement efforts and the results of the committee's meetings throughout the year.
• Members serving on the committee would also commit to being involved
in the community by participating in other groups or organizations.
• SPIN Town Hall Forums would not be impacted by these changes to the committee. As recommended at the June Retreat,
the forums would move to Council Chambers and be recorded for Video on Demand. The committee members would still participate in scheduling and hosting those meetings, as they currently
do, with the committee member living closest to a proposed development assisting with and facilitating that meeting.
9
Measuring Success
Meeting attendance
Volunteerism
Participation in civic groups/city programs
Feeling informed
Marketing impact
Access to website, social media and VOD
Measuring Success
10
Questions?
Caroline Eckel at 817-748-8029
11
For questions regarding this item, please contact Caroline Eckel.
SPIN Town Hall Forums
From the public's perspective, the SPIN Town Hall Forums are intended to remain the same. The members of the new Community Engagement Committee would still have a presence at the Town
Hall Forums, with at least one member present and in charge of opening up each meeting. Members of the new committee would also still be involved in the scheduling process for the Town
Hall Forums, as the Standing Committee was in the past.
The primary difference will be that members will not be directly tied to or representative of a certain area of the city. So,
instead, the member living in closest proximity to a proposed development would be responsible for reviewing and recommending a meeting for a particular case. With the number of vacancies
on the committee in the last year, this has been the process used for all cases in vacant areas, and it seems to work well. The person living closest to a particular property is notified,
and they are then the designated committee member for that case.
The Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary are also notified when every request comes through. So, going forward, 3-4 committee
members would receive notification when a meeting request is made. The member living closest to the development would be asked to speak with the developer and provide a recommendation.
This member would then be responsible for attending the Town Hall Forums that they recommend.
12
SPIN Map
Used for communication purposes
Connect-CTY Phone Calls/Emails
Used for planning purposes
Tracking CIP investments/budget items
Identifying development cases
13
Communication Plan
14