Funk's Front Porch

City Manager Reaction to Budget Amendment

Yesterday, the City  Manager issued a memo criticizing the amendment to the submitted FY 2008-09 budget, which was developed under the leadership of council members Deb Hermann and Jan Marcason. Read the full text by clicking the link below:

Download budget_info.PDF

Green Solutions in Portland

Members of the City Council recently traveled to Portland. The main purpose for the trip was to check out that city's light rail system, but the elected officials also got a look at some of Portland's environmentally friendly practices. Council Members were impressed with what they saw.

Above is a photo Council Member Jan Marcason took of a green street project in which street runoff flows through storm water planters that are filled with plants. The plants slow the flow of the water while filtering it.

In today's meeting of the Finance and Audit Committee, Marcason said she plans to share some of these photos with city staff in the coming weeks and that she will push for new City projects to include green solutions such as this.

Click here to view a photo album with more of Marcason's pictures.

Red Flag Commission

During today's meeting of the Finance and Audit Commission, Councilman Russ Johnson mentioned a Red Flag Commission report on the processes, procedures and monitoring of contracts at City Hall. He said that this report ought to be posted on the city's website. Well, here it is:

Download red_flag_commission_report.pdf

Council Retreat

On Thursday, my fellow members of the City Council and I agreed to hold a retreat in late August. We’re going to spend a day at the Lakeside Nature Center, near Swope Park, talking with one another about what our priorities are. The goal is to find common ground so we can work together for the good of the City.

This might not sound like a big deal. A lot of people might think it an obvious first step for a newly formed group that has to work together for the next for years.

But it is a big deal.

For one, this is something that has happened only once during the 18 years I worked at City Hall as auditor. I checked with my chief of staff, Ed Wolf, who has worked here for 40 years, and he can’t recall any other time when it's happened. Councilwoman Jan Marcason deserves the credit for taking the lead and pulling the whole thing together.

Second, and most importantly, it gives us some time to look at the big picture and really get creative. At City Hall, things move at a fast clip. Sometimes it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. And when decisions are made in an environment like that, you run the risk of doing things that in the long run might undermine your higher priorities.

- Mayor Funkhouser

Top Priority

During my campaign for Mayor, I came up with 10 priorities that I said would become the goals of my administration. At that top of the list is “establishing a good working relationship with the Council.”

I have to confess I was a little surprised at the contentious nature of some of the first Council business sessions, which are less formal meetings held in advance of each week’s legislative session.

The lively debates that occurred were a healthy sign that real discussions were taking place in the public eye, and broadcast on the City’s Channel 2 cable channel.

I’ve said all along there is going to be conflict. Honestly, I’ve encouraged conflict everywhere I’ve worked. Conflict and dissent tends to produce much better decisions than happy talk.

I’ve made it clear that if you think we’re heading the wrong way, speak up. The object is to get better ideas.

Catholic Worker Movement leader Peter Maurin said the purpose of argument is the clarification of ideas. I think he’s right.

In objecting to my proposal that the Economic Development and Incentive Task Force be made up entirely of volunteers from the community, Councilwoman Cindy Baker Circo made an argument for Council representation. She said the members of the new Council were eager, energetic and wanted to be involved. 

Beth Gottstein pointed out that the Task Force needed to consider outcomes beyond the financial ones in their assessment of tax incentives. She argued correctly that the Councilmembers are charged to do just that.

That being said, these arguments were also a reminder to me that I didn’t know the members of the City Council as well as I should.

Leadership is about conversations that matter. And I was not having as many conversations that matter with the individuals I’d hoped to lead.

Since those first weeks, I’m doing better. I’ve scheduled monthly meetings – mostly lunches and breakfasts – with all of them. And I’m trying to get out of my own office to wander more often through the 24th floor where the Council offices are located.

I need to find out what each of their priorities are.

For instance, Cindy Baker Circo has spoken of her interest in improving the sidewalks and streetscapes in a nine-block area around every school.

God bless her. Her idea is a tangible way to prioritize a city-wide curb and sidewalk repair list that has an estimated price tag of $960 million. And it resonates with people. The idea received a resounding ovation when I mentioned it at one of my town hall meetings.

It ties in with two of my 10 priorities, specifically tending to our neighborhoods and improving the perception and reality of public education in the City.

In a similar way, I hope to find convergence among the Council members concerning each of my ten priorities. I’m hoping to find at least one Councilmember who is willing to help champion each priority.

- Mayor Funkhouser

Rental Housing Regulations

On June 1, City Manager Wayne Cauthen presented to the Mayor and City Council a report on rental property regulations. Today, Joan offered the Mayor a  review of the report. She also reported on a conversation she had with Leslee Fonseca of Mission, Kansas, about that city's rental regulation program.

Billboards

A memo on the status of ordinances regulating billboards:

Download billboards.6.5.07.pdf

Recommendations for the Audit Report Tracking System

Mike and Joan on the Policy Analysis Team recommend to the Mayor:

You should encourage the Finance and Audit Committee to re-start the Audit Report Tracking System (ARTS).  Doing so would provide the City Council with a tool to monitor staff efforts to implement audit recommendations and to oversee city programs.  Re-starting the ARTS helps you to address one of your priorities – to help the city council work together to oversee city staff and develop policy.

Read the full  memo.