Yuma council to hold retreat on Tuesday and Wednesday

On the agenda: priorities, potential new initiatives and strategies

The Yuma City Council is holding a work session retreat on Tuesday and Wednesday in the Quechan Casino Resort Conference Room Pipa B, located at 525 Algodones Road in Winterhaven.

On Tuesday, the council will kick off the retreat at 12 p.m., with welcome comments from Mayor Doug Nicholls and Acting City Administrator Jay Simonton.

Facilitator Julia Novak, executive vice president of Raftelis, will then provide an overview of the agenda and ask attendees to introduce themselves and share their expectations for the retreat.

Novak will also share some thoughts on governance and the council-management form of government, leading into council exploring a series of questions and sharing their thoughts on what it means to govern well together.

The council will then focus on how different groups, such as the public, staff and council colleagues, might describe an “ideal” council member.

The first day will conclude with a discussion regarding communication expectations between and among members of the governing body and the city administrator and his team, including the assessment of what individuals can commit to ensure open communication.

The second day will begin at 8:30 a.m. with a debriefing of the first day. The discussion will then turn to the city’s accomplishments in the past year that made the council proud of the city.

The council members and staff will then break into smaller groups to discuss trends taking place globally, nationally and locally, giving consideration to the following six categories and then share the trends and how they are impacting the city: political, environmental, social, technological, economic and workforce

The council will review the strategic outcomes and goal statement with the department directors and identify what, if any, adjustments need to be made.

The council will have the opportunity to share their individual priorities and consider emerging needs shared by staff.

After identifying potential new initiatives and strategies, the council will identify what is most important and establish priorities for the coming 12 to 24 months. Simonton will share what council can expect, and when, as he works with his team to develop work plans that align with the outcomes.

The retreat will close with the council creating a “six word slam” (brief phrase) that crystallizes the day’s experience for them.