I do have great expectations for the new Council, although perhaps not quite of Dickensian proportions, after our shared expectations retreat on Friday, January 2.

The incoming Council plus Interim City Administrator Joel Walinski met for 6 hours and discussed our expectations for the Council and especially how we could and would make decisions effectively and consistently while relying on our planning documents like the Comprehensive Plan.   For those looking for a change on the Council, I think you’ll get it.    We’ve been assigned homework to continue to develop our decision-making process (Joel Walinski, Rhonda Pownell, Jon Denison and me) as well as how we will work with public input including boards and commissions (Erika Zweifel, Jim Pokorney and Kris Vohs).

We did not discuss any specific issues nor dwell on past problems – truly we’re looking for ways to make government work better, more transparently, more responsively, and making the best use of your dollars and your input.    Some of this will depend on your continued input to make sure we stay on track and our good intentions and great expectations are realized.