Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Governance Meeting Planning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lake Stevens council narrows retreat options to local venues, targets Sept. 13 full day with pre‑event dinner
Summary
Councilmembers and staff discussed retreat format, timing and cost, including a $16,000 overnight estimate for an out-of-town venue; council expressed preference for a local option with a dinner the night before and an all‑day session on Saturday, Sept. 13, and staff will send a clarified survey and research local venues and catering.
City staff and councilmembers spent a substantial portion of the June 17 workshop discussing options for the council retreat, focused on timing, location, budget impact and attendance constraints.
A staff presenter said the retreat is intended to support budget and strategic planning in the months before the fall budget cycle and asked council for preferences on length (one day versus a day‑and‑a‑half), weekday versus weekend timing, and venue. Staff noted the retreat timing ties into statutory budget deadlines and departmental budget submissions.
Councilmembers raised several constraints: the first week of school affects availability for members with children and for members with businesses that have high demand that week; some said taking two consecutive workdays would strain personal PTO; others said an overnight retreat supports networking and teamwork. One councilmember questioned the value of traveling 60 miles and spending approximately $16,000 at a venue called the Bellwether when a local option could reduce cost and be easier for scheduling.
Councilmembers generally expressed a preference for keeping the retreat local and minimizing cost. Staff proposed sending a clarified survey to capture availability and blackout dates; council asked staff to target early September and to avoid crossing staff preferences beyond the second week of September. On venue and format, councilmembers favored a locally hosted dinner the evening before and an all‑day session the next day rather than an overnight stay at a distant facility. Staff confirmed room availability in the Mill for Saturday, Sept. 13, and said they would seek a local dinner option for Sept. 12 and arrange catering if the all‑day session occurs in council facilities.
Council did not take a binding vote at the workshop; the meeting record shows informal consensus to pursue a local option with dinner on Sept. 12 and an all‑day session on Saturday, Sept. 13, subject to staff follow‑up on availability and the clarified survey results. Staff said they would circulate a new survey and return with venue options, cost comparisons and a proposed agenda window tied to the budget schedule.
