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Consultant Robert Hanna urges clearer council–manager roles and communication protocols at Odessa retreat
Summary
At the March 21, 2026 Odessa retreat, consultant Robert Hanna led an orientation on council–manager government, urging councilors to set strategic priorities while directing operational matters to the city manager and to avoid councilwide deliberation via email or texts; the group agreed to clarify notification protocols for emergencies.
Robert Hanna, a retired city manager and current president of strategic services for ZACTAX, spent a significant portion of the March 21 retreat explaining the council–manager form of government and advising Odessa’s council on clearer roles and communication practices.
"You don't have any individual authority," Hanna told the council. "When you come together as that governing body, you have all of the governing authority." He said the council's role is to set policy and hold the manager accountable, while day-to-day administration should be handled…
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