The Healdsburg City Council spent much of the day on March 25 discussing existing and future city goals, and how to maintain and enhance services.
The meeting, held at the city-owned clubhouse at Tayman Park, included all five city council members, city department heads, and more than two dozen members of the public, who came to advocate for a wide range of projects and concerns.
Public comments called for a visitor kiosk in the Plaza, a switch from traditional fireworks to a lighted drone show, a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers, more support for arts and culture, discounted water for residents who grow food in their gardens, and an emphasis on housing.
Facilitator Cathy Capriola then led the council through a discussion about personality types. Using a system called Sparketype, council members and city departments heads took an online test in advance that was intended to illuminate how individuals make decisions, what fuels their passions and what gives “spark” to their work.
The exercise was well-received by the council, who were able to reflect on each other’s types and appreciate each other’s motivations.
City Manager Jeff Kay and Finance Director Katie Edgar then discussed the staffing and fiscal context for the goal-setting and upcoming city budget.
Kay noted that city departments are performing at a high level, often taking on new tasks each year even though City staffing has remained flat for the past five years.
Edgar offered a brief overview of city revenues and expenses, pointing out that while most cities have higher revenues from property tax than sales tax, Healdsburg’s revenues are split differently, with sales tax and transient occupancy (hotel) tax making up the largest share of city revenue.
For much of the remainder of the day, the council reviewed previous goals and discussed new goals and ideas. Wordsmithing and discussions took place to consolidate and prioritize various goals.
The existing “City of Healdsburg Strategic Goals” fall into seven broad areas: Economic Diversity and Sustainable Growth; Environmental Stewardship; Affordable Housing; Infrastructure and Facilities; Effective Governance; Public Health and Safety; and Community Services. Any new goals will be added to these existing categories.
Most existing goals show significant progress, with the recognition that certain goals — such as affordable housing and street improvements — will likely be ongoing indefinitely.
Other goals — such as the completion of the Foley Family Community Pavilion and state-mandated building code updates — are complete.
A new suggested goal is to study the feasibility of a parks construction bond.
As the meeting concluded, Healdsburg Mayor Chris Herrod noted that the existing five council members have worked together four years in a row, and he praised the council’s track record of cooperation.
The goal-setting meeting will inform how the council and city staff work together moving forward, and updated goals will be voted on in the next few months.
The agenda for Wednesday’s meeting, including a slideshow with more details, can be found by visiting https://pub-healdsburg.escribemeetings.com/FileStream.ashx?DocumentId=1127.
