 Traditional role: council set policy; manager implement and administer policy. (Some overlap)  Studies show that members of City Councils are concentrating more on short term issues and constituent advocacy.  Councils expecting Mayors and City Managers to focus on establishing Mission and Long Term Goals.  Role change leads to tension between manager and elected representatives.

:  Role of City Council is fulfilling the public interest:  outcomes best serving the long term well being of the public.  Taking actions that allow future generations to have the same quality of life that we enjoy today.  Based on public values; citizen rights and benefits; citizen obligations to state and one another; shaped by interaction and dialogue  Two roles followed by elected officials:

 Trustee-Make policy decisions on what you consider to be in the interest of the whole electorate.  May or may not represent a majority opinion of the population.  Address the public interest or common good; what is in best interest of whole.  Public judges through election.  Delegate-Make policy decisions in the interest of what is believed as popular opinion.  Typically based on those who show up at meetings. Those who interact with members of council.  Does not represent the public interest.

 Public Safety Police Police Fire Fire  Public Services Parks and Recreation Parks and Recreation Senior Programs Senior Programs Public Works Public Works  Streets, storm water,street lighting, Signals etc, etc.  Engineering  Code Enforcement  Building Permitting & Inspection  Public Utilities Water, wastewater, electric Water, wastewater, electric  Community-Economic Development  Other

 How do we establish policy that reflects the public interest? Do those few who show up at meetings become the Public? Do those few who show up at meetings become the Public?  Our system of involving public in public policy is reactionary. Public comment after agenda items or general public comment Public comment after agenda items or general public comment  We formulate the basics of public policy and then ask the public to make comment.

 Current process is not sustainable for long term success, or identifying the public interest  Some new ideas for public participation Web based interactive meetings-social media 21 st century town meetings –America Speaks Governance Councils. Deliberative polling-representative sampling, community forums. Citizen assemblies-World Café’ Citizen based budgets-strategic planning

Strategic Planning  A tool for policy leadership that engages citizens, community leaders, city council in identifying a common vision for where the City wants to be in the future, and establishes the most important strategies, & performance indicators the City must accomplish to obtain that common vision.  Citizens must be integrated into plan formulation; multiple entry points.  Policy must reflect plan.  Plan must be integrated into City budget.

I may be contacted at mail.ucf.edu