Fairview commissioners ask staff to develop quarterly department report templates

Fairview commissioners instructed staff to develop uniform templates for quarterly department reports and to arrange a rotating schedule so each department reports at least once per quarter.

Commissioner Roberts proposed a template and said uniform categories would help the board and public compare departments across meetings. “I’m hoping that we can have something like a template so that we can make sure that we are receiving the type of information on a regular basis that’s uniform across the board,” Roberts said. He recommended including consistent high-level items such as funding needs, noteworthy events and departmental needs.

City staff said departmental reports vary by function and suggested the board accept department-specific templates that map back to common high-level categories. A staff member suggested delivering monthly high-level summaries by email and quarterly detailed reports in meetings.

Board members said the process would give departments a predictable forum to raise needs and would reduce the need for ad hoc agenda requests. One commissioner noted the schedule could be flexible so police, fire and other departments do not all appear the same night.

The board agreed informally to rotate departments across meetings so each is heard quarterly; staff will produce a draft template for board review and then finalize a schedule. No formal recorded vote was taken; staff will continue to provide the city manager’s report at every meeting as before.

Commissioners also discussed engagement and public visibility of department achievements, noting quarterly reports could highlight notable events and give citizens regular updates without requiring departments to request specific agenda items.