Henderson City Council outlines communication, meeting cadence and budget priorities at annual retreat

Henderson City Council met for a two-day strategic planning retreat Feb. 21–22, 2018, to review departmental work and set priorities for the coming fiscal year. Facilitator Madeline Henley led sessions that produced consensus around clearer public communication, greater council visibility in the community and exploring ways to accelerate decision-making.

Council members described their working relationship as collegial and cited strong communication with City Manager Frank Frazier and staff as a strength. Members also identified areas for improvement, including ‘‘progressive thinking,’’ better promotion of the city, and helping residents better understand what the council does. Henley asked members to give the city clerk their preferences on whether the council should meet more than once a month; Manager Frazier said he would bring back a recommendation on agenda-setting or an alternative to move issues more quickly.

The retreat grouped morning presentations by department and reserved the afternoon for finance and CIP discussion. Council members were asked to review budget handouts and submit concerns to the manager in advance of FY 2018–19 planning. Henley recommended the council use the updated Key Strategic Objectives attached to the minutes as the basis for budget direction.

The retreat closed with a set of agreed objectives: promote engagement between council and citizens, set concrete goals and implementation steps, be proactive, increase council visibility, and encourage community pride. By consensus the council adjourned at 4:00 p.m.