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Board retreat yields three priorities: innovation, outreach and resource management; staff asked to prepare timelines and resolution
Summary
At a Feb. board retreat, commissioners worked with a facilitator to identify three priorities — innovation/renewal/regrowth, outreach and engagement, and resource management — and asked staff to return with timelines, a resolution, and an implementation/reporting plan.
Assistant County Administrator Ashley (last name not specified in public transcript) presented a preliminary summary of the Feb. 7 board priority retreat facilitated by Dr. Morgan Milner of Eastern Michigan University. Commissioners identified three priorities to advance in the coming year: (1) innovation, renewal and regrowth; (2) outreach and engagement to increase accessibility and transparency; and (3) resource management, including identifying truly discretionary funding and creating cohesive policy for it.
Ashley summarized objectives, intended measures and timeframes for each priority and described an “observer rating” exercise completed during the retreat; resource management scored highest on feasibility while innovation/renewal received lower feasibility ratings from observers. Commissioners discussed how the retreat product should be used: some asked for more detail on concrete metrics and measurement and for a mechanism to align staff work and future budgets to the board’s priorities.
Ashley recommended next steps: staff and the board should clarify timelines and commit to the agreed timeframes; prepare a resolution reflecting the priority objectives and timelines to be voted on by the board; hold a working session with finance once resource-management work is complete to align policies and programs with priorities; and follow up at the end of the year with a progress report on implementation. Commissioners suggested using future facilitated sessions to drill down on specific objectives and measures and discussed bringing priority work to public meetings in different county locations to increase engagement.
Commissioners praised the facilitation and recommended turning priorities into actionable measures and timelines before asking staff for implementation resources. Multiple commissioners urged combining the facilitated (values/vision) elements with a second-session focus on concrete agenda items and measures to produce an actionable board directive for staff.
