Mayor McLallen called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.

ROLL CALL: Mayor McLallen, Mayor Pro Tem Crawford, Council Members Clark (absent/excused), Kramer (arrived 7:40 p.m.), Mitzel, Mutch, Schmid

Mayor McLallen noted the Clerk and City Manager have requested that their reviews be conducted in an Executive Session.

MATTERS FOR COUNCIL ACTION

1. Report from City Attorney, Re: Council Goal Setting and New Council Member Orientation Meeting

Mayor McLallen had asked the city attorney to revisit the parameters under which a Council can have closed meetings and added she understands goals sessions do not fall under that category. Mayor McLallen advised over the past several years, Council has held goal sessions at the Tollgate Farms Conference Center and the Novi Civic Center. She added they had a facilitator at Tollgate, but not at the session held at the Civic Center. Mayor McLallen advised they have discovered that the sooner they conduct goal setting sessions, the better it is within the budget process so they can provide clear direction to Administration about what Council expects during the upcoming year.

Mr. Kriewall stated historically they have found that January is a good month for goal setting since it follows the holiday rush and although staff is submitting their budgets, they do not do much with them until February.

There was a Council consensus to conduct the first goal session in January on a Thursday evening or Saturday morning. The Mayor noted the meetings are generally three hours.

Mayor McLallen added they will need to select a site and she advised the alternatives are the Civic Center, Tollgate, Walsh College or JCK’s conference room. The Mayor advised JCK’s engineering staff offered to give the new Council a tour of their facility and an update on their new equipment in terms of how it interfaces with City Hall.

Councilman Mitzel thought they may want to wait and schedule a tour of JCK and the Town Hall on another day. He reminded Council that they only have one opportunity for a goal session.

Councilman Kramer would support having an impartial facilitator and he understands Detroit Edison offers this service.

Mayor McLallen restated Council has done it both ways with moderate success and suggested that they leave it open at this point.

Mr. Kriewall suggested if Council decides to use a facilitator that they retain someone who works in local government. Mr. Kriewall recalled the last facilitator had assigned things to council members that should have been assigned to a staff member because she did not understand the process.

Mayor McLallen asked Mr. Kriewall to make some recommendations for a facilitator. Mr. Kriewall agreed.

Councilman Mitzel suggested that they assign someone else to chair the meeting so that it does not seem like a council meeting. Mayor McLallen recalled that was how they conducted their meeting last year.

Mayor McLallen concluded by stating they will look for a goal session in January and some recommendations on facilitation.

B. City Manager

Nay: None

There being no further business before City Council, the meeting was adjourned at 7:49 p.m.

Transcribed by Barbara Holmes

Date Approved: November 10, 1997