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Council discusses goals in retreat
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| Round table: Mayor Mark Fenn, left, along with Vice Mayor Toney King and other members of the City Council and Benson staff discuss goals and plans for the future in a City Council retreat last week. (Thelma Grimes photo) |
Thelma Grimes
SAN PEDRO VALLEY NEWS-Sun
A lack of funding and a dreary economy put a damper on the Benson City Council retreat Thursday, as council members looked at goals set in 2006 and discussed priorities for the future.
This was the second retreat called by Mayor Mark Fenn this year. The first one allowed department heads at the city to update council members on projects and future plans.
On Thursday, it was all about the council. They discussed priorities and looked at the strategic plan created at a similar retreat in May, 2006.
Mayor Fenn said this time he'd like to look at the goals of the plan, see what has been accomplished and what can be updated and instead of shelving the plan until another council retreat, update it regularly.
All seven council members attended the six-hour retreat along with City Manger Glenn Nichols, City Attorney Michael Massee and City Clerk Vicki Vivian.
The six areas of focus included public safety, transportation, utilities, administration, recreation and internal government agreements.
Fenn, Vice Mayor Toney King, Councilman John Lodzinski and Councilwoman Lori McGoffin were part of the 2006 goal-setting session. New additions to the council since then include David Lambert, Al Sacco and Jo Deen Boncquet.
While most of the topics were touched lightly, the council did discuss at length the direction public safety is taking.
The fire department was one of the main areas of focus, with the council questioning Nichols on whether or not it is still cost-effective to keep Chief Keith Spangler on as the full-time fire chief.
Nichols said since the department has started taking emergency medical calls, having Spangler in charge is an even bigger benefit.
In 2006, the council had set a goal to have a full-time fire department by the fall of 2007. While Spangler is a full-time chief, no other personnel has been added, and the department remains volunteer.
Councilman Lodzinski said the outlook for Benson was much more optimistic in 2006. Then, the councilman said they expected all the housing developments to move forward and the population to grow by 5,000 or 6,000 people.
Instead, the economy sputtered, and Benson's population grew by only 500 or 600.
Moving forward, Lodzinski said all city planning is going to have to center around population needs, and having a full-time fire department would not be fiscally responsible at this time.
Needing new facilities for the police and fire departments was also a priority in 2006. Nichols said that's still a concern, but noted that a new police department may take longer than expected.
The city has conducted feasibility studies on building a new police department where the old City Hall building used to be along Huachuca Street.
But for now, the property is being used as extra parking for downtown.
At some point, Nichols and council agreed they'd like to build a new police department and allow the fire department to take over the entire building on 7th Street. Right now, the police and fire departments share a building.
Fenn also suggested Nichols move forward with talking to the local ambulance service and the Mescal Volunteer Fire Department about the Benson Fire Department's answering more medical calls for a fee.
After reviewing the 2006 document, the council also told Nichols they wanted more updates on an annual basis. The council decided that all department heads will give an annual report on their needs, how they are impacted by population and economy, and what they need in the future.
"Each year we should have each department have their strategic plan that becomes an appendix to the budget," Lodzinski said. "That would be better than coming through every three or four years where the council gets hot about it for six months, but in the end just ends up forgetting about it."
Council members agreed that department heads should have an annual strategic plan submitted by March each year.
Under transportation, Nichols said the city has been able to make some road improvements on the north side of town using Community Development Block Grants, which provide funding for improvements to neighborhoods falling under the poverty line.
But Nichols said that has caused citizens from the south side of town to complain that no improvements are being made to their streets.
As Fenn stressed several times throughout the retreat, a lot of projects require funding that the city just doesn't have at this time.
Unfortunately, Fenn said the city is at a crossroads. On one hand they don't have the money to spend on improving city streets, but on the other hand, with the failing economy and lack of work in the construction industry, prices to contract these services are at their lowest in years.
One option discussed by the council is the possibility of asking residents for a property tax increase. Fenn said he would like to formally poll residents on whether or not they would support a property tax increase if the city promises to use the money for specific projects such as street improvements.
Fenn said the infrastructure of the city is his current priority, noting that it includes improving city streets.
In administration and personnel, the council may be shifting from its original plan to leave vacated positions vacant to save money. The city has not replaced Building Official Mike Locket, and has not yet hired a new city inspector after Jeff Smith resigned.
Instead, all the duties have been handled by Public Works Director Brad Hamilton, who also oversees progress at the Benson Municipal Airport.
Fenn said he doesn't like how many hats Hamilton is wearing, and felt it was time to get him some help.
For inspections, the city is paying a Tucson firm to help while they continue to take applications for a new inspector.
The council and Nichols also discussed the possibility of hiring someone to manage the planning and zoning department.
For the most part, the council agreed that departments will move forward as the economy improves.
Councilwoman McGoffin and Vice Mayor King still say their top priorities are the community and parks and recreation. The two continually focus on ways the city can provide more for the community's youth.
Councilman Lambert said his priority is to create some kind of teen council, while Councilwoman Boncquet said she is interested in resurrecting the city's Clean and Beautiful organization.
Councilman Sacco said he will continue to focus on rewriting the city's planning and zoning codes that should be brought before the council for approval later this year.
SAN PEDRO VALLEY NEWS-Sun
A lack of funding and a dreary economy put a damper on the Benson City Council retreat Thursday, as council members looked at goals set in 2006 and discussed priorities for the future.
This was the second retreat called by Mayor Mark Fenn this year. The first one allowed department heads at the city to update council members on projects and future plans.
On Thursday, it was all about the council. They discussed priorities and looked at the strategic plan created at a similar retreat in May, 2006.
Mayor Fenn said this time he'd like to look at the goals of the plan, see what has been accomplished and what can be updated and instead of shelving the plan until another council retreat, update it regularly.
All seven council members attended the six-hour retreat along with City Manger Glenn Nichols, City Attorney Michael Massee and City Clerk Vicki Vivian.
The six areas of focus included public safety, transportation, utilities, administration, recreation and internal government agreements.
Fenn, Vice Mayor Toney King, Councilman John Lodzinski and Councilwoman Lori McGoffin were part of the 2006 goal-setting session. New additions to the council since then include David Lambert, Al Sacco and Jo Deen Boncquet.
While most of the topics were touched lightly, the council did discuss at length the direction public safety is taking.
The fire department was one of the main areas of focus, with the council questioning Nichols on whether or not it is still cost-effective to keep Chief Keith Spangler on as the full-time fire chief.
Nichols said since the department has started taking emergency medical calls, having Spangler in charge is an even bigger benefit.
In 2006, the council had set a goal to have a full-time fire department by the fall of 2007. While Spangler is a full-time chief, no other personnel has been added, and the department remains volunteer.
Councilman Lodzinski said the outlook for Benson was much more optimistic in 2006. Then, the councilman said they expected all the housing developments to move forward and the population to grow by 5,000 or 6,000 people.
Instead, the economy sputtered, and Benson's population grew by only 500 or 600.
Moving forward, Lodzinski said all city planning is going to have to center around population needs, and having a full-time fire department would not be fiscally responsible at this time.
Needing new facilities for the police and fire departments was also a priority in 2006. Nichols said that's still a concern, but noted that a new police department may take longer than expected.
The city has conducted feasibility studies on building a new police department where the old City Hall building used to be along Huachuca Street.
But for now, the property is being used as extra parking for downtown.
At some point, Nichols and council agreed they'd like to build a new police department and allow the fire department to take over the entire building on 7th Street. Right now, the police and fire departments share a building.
Fenn also suggested Nichols move forward with talking to the local ambulance service and the Mescal Volunteer Fire Department about the Benson Fire Department's answering more medical calls for a fee.
After reviewing the 2006 document, the council also told Nichols they wanted more updates on an annual basis. The council decided that all department heads will give an annual report on their needs, how they are impacted by population and economy, and what they need in the future.
"Each year we should have each department have their strategic plan that becomes an appendix to the budget," Lodzinski said. "That would be better than coming through every three or four years where the council gets hot about it for six months, but in the end just ends up forgetting about it."
Council members agreed that department heads should have an annual strategic plan submitted by March each year.
Under transportation, Nichols said the city has been able to make some road improvements on the north side of town using Community Development Block Grants, which provide funding for improvements to neighborhoods falling under the poverty line.
But Nichols said that has caused citizens from the south side of town to complain that no improvements are being made to their streets.
As Fenn stressed several times throughout the retreat, a lot of projects require funding that the city just doesn't have at this time.
Unfortunately, Fenn said the city is at a crossroads. On one hand they don't have the money to spend on improving city streets, but on the other hand, with the failing economy and lack of work in the construction industry, prices to contract these services are at their lowest in years.
One option discussed by the council is the possibility of asking residents for a property tax increase. Fenn said he would like to formally poll residents on whether or not they would support a property tax increase if the city promises to use the money for specific projects such as street improvements.
Fenn said the infrastructure of the city is his current priority, noting that it includes improving city streets.
In administration and personnel, the council may be shifting from its original plan to leave vacated positions vacant to save money. The city has not replaced Building Official Mike Locket, and has not yet hired a new city inspector after Jeff Smith resigned.
Instead, all the duties have been handled by Public Works Director Brad Hamilton, who also oversees progress at the Benson Municipal Airport.
Fenn said he doesn't like how many hats Hamilton is wearing, and felt it was time to get him some help.
For inspections, the city is paying a Tucson firm to help while they continue to take applications for a new inspector.
The council and Nichols also discussed the possibility of hiring someone to manage the planning and zoning department.
For the most part, the council agreed that departments will move forward as the economy improves.
Councilwoman McGoffin and Vice Mayor King still say their top priorities are the community and parks and recreation. The two continually focus on ways the city can provide more for the community's youth.
Councilman Lambert said his priority is to create some kind of teen council, while Councilwoman Boncquet said she is interested in resurrecting the city's Clean and Beautiful organization.
Councilman Sacco said he will continue to focus on rewriting the city's planning and zoning codes that should be brought before the council for approval later this year.
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Frank Edward Blanchard wrote on Oct 14, 2009 1:31 PM:
you need more of this Good Idea
Talk and planning is a good thing . "