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MINUTES
CITY OF FORT COLLINS
FUTURES COMMITTEE MEETING
Date: May 14, 2018
Location: CIC Room, City Hall, 300 Laporte Ave.
Time: 4:00–6:00pm
Committee Members Present:
Mayor Wade Troxell
Kristin Stephens
Ray Martinez
City Staff:
Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Jeff Mihelich, Deputy City Manager
Jackie Kozak-Thiel (Staff Liaison)
Presenters:
Ginny Sawyer, Senior Project Manager, City Manager’s Office
Ted Settle, Economic Advisory Commission
Sam Solt, Economic Advisory Commission
Additional Staff Present:
Wendy Williams, Assistant City Manager
Teresa Roche, Chief Human Resources Office
Beth Sowder, Director of Social Sustainability
Janet Freeman, Social Sustainability
Sue Beck-Ferkiss, Social Sustainability
Adam Molzer, Social Sustainability
Lindsay Ex, Environmental Services
Delynn Coldiron, City Clerk
Christine Macrina, City Clerk’s Office
Annie Bierbower, Communications and Public Involvement Office
Community Members:
Mark Houdashelt, Air Quality Advisory Board
Karen Artell, Air Quality Advisory Board
Steve Backsen, Community Development Block Grant Commission
Jen Bray, Affordable Housing Board
Kevin Jones, Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce
Elizabeth Hudetz, Natural Resources Advisory Board
2
Dale Adamy, Citizen
Nina Bodenhamer, Citizen
Meeting called to order at 4:08 pm
Approval of Minutes:
Ray moved to approve October minutes. Kristin seconded. Motion passed unanimously 3-0-0.
Chairman Comments:
None.
Think Tank Item 2-2018: Future of Citizen Advisory Engagement
Ginny Sawyer, Senior Project Manager, City of Fort Collins; Sam Solt, Chair, Economic
Advisory Commission; and Ted Settle, Co-Chair, Economic Advisory Commission
presented on the future of citizen advisory engagement as it relates to the role of the City’s
boards and commissions
• Currently there are 27 boards and commissions, seven are quasi-judicial, 225 total
volunteers, 27 staff liaisons and 11 administrative support roles
• Continuous improvement efforts have been ongoing
• Current proposal is for member-driven multi-board experiment utilizing triple bottom line
(TBL) framework
• Future trends include considerations of technology, demographic representation and
engaging across generations
• Project born out of Economic Advisory Commission’s experience preparing for five-year
review with Wade Troxell (EAC Council liaison):
o Saw work on boards as independent, not inter-dependent
o Fairly minimal engagement with Council
o Presenters/guests with limited time for analysis, no deep dives
o TBL needs more integration and wider utilization at board level
• The Experiment: What is it?
o Five boards and commissions within Sustainability Services Area (SSA) to meet
twice on an issue relevant to all, use TBL lens
o Steering committee (with representative from each of five boards) to organize and
manage process
• Anticipated outcomes:
o Better analysis and recommendations to Council using TBL lens
o Potential impact on organization of boards and commissions moving forward
• Lessons learned:
o Board and commission members want their time to valued/valuable
o Some struggle to recruit members – perceived lack of impact
o Members would like more contact with Council liaison
• To make structure more effective:
o Create explicit purpose of boards and commissions
o Council liaisons attend meetings and provide feedback directly to members
3
o Interplay between all 27 boards, commissions and ad hoc
committees
Comments/Q&A:
• Each board and commission does have purpose stated individually, but not as a whole
• How to gain traction and cross-pollinate
• Council members do read through materials sent by boards and commissions, but there is
no formal mechanism for feedback
o This information does impact Council decisions
• Women’s Commission sends rotating members to every City Council meeting – this
practice could be implemented more widely
• Concern about board diversity
o Young people increasingly interested in involvement, terms may be too long
• How do we blend boards and commissions to avoid working in silos?
o Some work in silos is beneficial, depending on issue
• Gathering all boards and commissions does not allow any formal decision-making unless
each has quorum
• Some discomfort getting too in-depth with Council members present? That was an issue
discussed in the past.
o Council liaison meant to communicate with board but not to get too involved
• How can we make sure all citizens have an active channel for engagement? How do we
engage every citizen where they are?
• Engagement is two-way, has to be reciprocal
• Try new methods of engagement using social media
• How boards advise is unclear for some more than others (e.g. CDBG has very clear
mission, purpose and advisory level)
• Path forward: Don’t have to have the answer, can innovate our way there
• Require boards to send quorum to super board meeting
• Offer college students shorter terms and/or allow at-large non-voting member position
• Air Quality Advisory Board has been supportive of EAC integration ideas
• Part of zoom out process: Why are we engaging? Who is engaging and who isn’t? How
and when are we engaging?
• May be time to explore transition of structural change (length of term, role of liaison, ad
hoc committees, etc.)
DO: Next Steps
• Explore an experiment
• Team could look at exploring some other ideas related to zoom out, boards and
commissions system and structure
• Create memo for Thursday packets
• Bring back resolution for full Council consideration regarding experiment
• Continue exploring implementation of recommendations for Public Participation Report
4
Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative
• Mayor Wade Troxell reported that many Bloomberg activities have expanded:
o Recognized by C40 Cities due to implementation of Climate Action Plan
o Fort Collins selected for What Works Cities
o Submitted proposal to the Public Art Challenge
o Mayor’s Challenge Champion City
o One of 10 finalist cities nominated for the Engaged Cities Award
Additional Discussion:
None.
Meeting adjourned by Wade Troxell at 5:39 pm.