succession * planning - Texas Municipal League

Transcription

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE
FE
FEBRUARY
E
16
VO
VOLUME CIII
NUMBER 2
NU
SUCCESSION ★ PLANNING
TEXAS INFRASTRUCTURE ★ WHAT’S NEW?
TEXAS TOWN & CITY •
1
• FEBRUARY 2016
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CONTENTS H FEATURES
Official Publication of the
Texas Municipal League.
This publication assumes no responsibility
for statements made by contributors
in signed articles. It is not operated for
pecuniary gain.
Editor Christina Corrigan
Asst. Editor Jennifer Stamps
Designer Noel MacDonald
Printing American Web
Texas Town & City (ISSN 1084-5356) is
published monthly except October for $30
per year ($3.00 per single copy) by the
Texas Municipal League, 1821 Rutherford
Lane, Suite 400, Austin, Texas 78754-5101.
Periodicals Postage Paid at Austin, Texas
and additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to Texas Town & City,
1821 Rutherford Lane, Suite 400, Austin,
Texas 78754-5101.
Section 305.027, Government Code, requires
legislative advertising to disclose certain
information.
A person who knowingly enters into a
contract or other agreement to print, publish,
or broadcast legislative advertising that
does not contain the required information
commits a Class A misdemeanor offense.
Texas Town & City contains material which
is legislative advertising as defined by law in
the state of Texas.
Mr. Bennett Sandlin has entered into an
agreement with American Web for the
printing of Texas Town & City magazine.
Mr. Sandlin represents the member cities of
the Texas Municipal League. His address is
1821 Rutherford Lane, Suite 400, Austin,
Texas 78754-5101.
6
2015-2016 TML Board of Directors
10
Texas Officials Fill Key National League of Cities Leadership Positions
11
Be a Part of the National League of Cities
12
City Fiscal Conditions
18
2015 Texas Municipal League Employee of the Year
22
Cedar Hill Teen Councils Shape Tomorrow’s Leaders
24
Fostering Leadership: San Antonio’s Women’s Leadership Mentoring Program
26
City of Fredericksburg: 2020 Employee Succession Plan
28
Essential Elements of the Nacogdoches Citizen’s Academy
32
City of Coppell Develops Aspiring Leaders
34
Engaging Residents Through the Kyle Leadership Academy
36
Leadership Aspects of Succession Planning
38
Can Leaders Teach Resiliency?
40
Celebrate Good Times at a Texas Festival
CONTENTS H IN EACH ISSUE
20
Legal Q&A
44
Career Builder
46
Instagram Highlights
48
Professional Cards
5
Message from the President
8
TML News
14
City Lights
16
Small Cities’ Corner
ABOUT THE COVER
Texas cities are identifying future
leaders, and encouraging them
to step forward and prepare for
future opportunities.
3
• FEBRUARY 2016
ABOUT H TML
BOARD OF DIRECTORS H TML
The Texas Municipal League exists solely
to provide services to Texas cities. Since
its formation in 1913, the League’s mission
has remained the same: to serve the needs
and advocate the interests of its members.
Membership in the League is voluntary
and is open to any city in Texas. From the
original 14 members, TML’s membership has
grown to more than 1,140 cities. Over 16,000
mayors, councilmembers, city managers,
city attorneys, and department heads are
member officials of the League by virtue of
their cities’participation.
TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The League provides a variety of services
to its member cities. One of the principal
purposes of the League is to advocate
municipal interests at the state and federal
levels. Among the thousands of bills
introduced during each session of the Texas
Legislature are hundreds of bills that would
affect cities. The League, working through its
Legislative Services Department, attempts
to defeat detrimental city-related bills
and to facilitate the passage of legislation
designed to improve the ability of municipal
governments to operate effectively.
The League employs full-time attorneys who
are available to provide member cities with
information on municipal legal matters. On a
daily basis, the legal staff responds to member
cities’ written and oral questions on a wide
variety of legal matters. The League annually
conducts a variety of conferences and
training seminars to enhance the knowledge
and skills of municipal officials in the state. In
addition, the League also publishes a variety
of printed materials to assist member cities
in performing their duties. The best known
of these is the League’s monthly magazine,
Texas Town & City. Each issue focuses on a
variety of contemporary municipal issues,
including survey results to respond to
member inquiries.
For additional information on any of
these services, contact the
Texas Municipal League at 512-231-7400
or visit our website, www.tml.org.
PRESIDENT
C. J. Wax, CMO, Mayor, Rockport
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Mary M. Dennis, CMO, Mayor, Live Oak
PAST PRESIDENTS
Nelda Martinez, Mayor, Corpus Christi
Jungus Jordan, Councilmember, Fort
Worth
Leonard Reed, CMO, Mayor, Willis
Henry Wilson, Councilmember, Hurst
Dock Jackson, Councilmember, Bastrop
Terry Henley, Mayor Pro Tem, Meadows
Place
Guy Goodson, City Attorney, Vidor
AFFILIATE DIRECTORS
Daniel Guerrero, Mayor, San Marcos
Association of Hispanic Municipal
Officials
Luanne Hanford, Director of Human
Resources, University Park
Texas Municipal Human Resources
Association
Scott McDonald, Building Official,
Amarillo
Building Officials Association of Texas
Jana Prock, Library Director, Keller
Texas Municipal Library Directors
Association
Kent D. Pfeil, Chief Financial Officer,
Richardson
Government Finance Officers
Association of Texas
Todd Reck, Water Utilities Director,
Irving
Texas Municipal Utilities Association
Stephen Mason, Councilmember,
Cedar Hill
Texas Association of Black City Council
Members
Belinda Mercado, Director of
Information Systems, Corpus Christi
Texas Association of Governmental
Information Technology Managers
DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE
Jimmy Bennett, Councilmember,
Arlington
Judy Freeman Chambers, CMO,
Councilmember, Mexia
Texas Association of Mayors,
Councilmembers and Commissioners
Steve Adler, Mayor, Austin
Colleen McIntyre, Councilmember,
Corpus Christi
Mike Rawlings, Mayor, Dallas
Emma Acosta, City Representative, El
Paso
Betsy Price, Mayor, Fort Worth
Larry V. Green, Councilmember, Houston
Ray Lopez, Councilmember, San Antonio
REGIONAL DIRECTORS
2-Charles Kelly, Mayor, Perryton
3-Lynn Buxkemper, Mayor Pro Tem,
Richard Briley, Managing Director of
Health and Code Compliance, Garland
Texas Association of Municipal Health
Officials
Belinda Willis, Director of
Communications and Marketing,
Mansfield
Texas Association of Municipal
Information Officers
Chance Sparks, Director of
Planning, Buda
Texas Chapter of the American
Planning Association
Slaton
4-John B. Love, III, Councilmember,
Midland
5-Michael R. Tugman, Commissioner,
Burkburnett
Kevin B. Laughlin, City Attorney,
Highland Village
Texas City Attorneys Association
6-Barbara Hooten, Mayor, Menard
7-Suzanne de Leon, Mayor, Balcones
Heights
8-Holly Gray-McPherson, CMO, Mayor
Pro Tem, Roanoke
9-Ric Holmes, CMO, Mayor Pro Tem,
Morgan’s Point Resort
10-Joyce Dalley, CMO, Mayor Pro Tem,
George T. Shackelford, City Manager,
Tomball
Texas City Management Association
Landra Solansky, Municipal Court
Administrator, Seguin
Texas Court Clerks Association
Rockdale
11-Peter Perkins, CMO, Mayor, Ingleside
12-Jim Darling, Mayor, McAllen
13-Marcus E. Knight, Mayor, Lancaster
14-Bert Miller, CMO, Mayor, Navasota
Steve D. Ross, Fire Chief, Haltom City
Texas Fire Chiefs Association
Lydia Lopez, City Secretary, Hewitt
Texas Municipal Clerks Association, Inc.
15-Phil Cory, Mayor, Tatum
16-Deloris “Bobbie” Prince, Mayor, Port
Arthur
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• FEBRUARY 2016
John Chancellor, Chief of Police,
Shenandoah
Texas Police Chiefs Association
P. Todd Reed, Purchasing Manager,
Sugar Land
Texas Public Purchasing Association
Shawn Poe, Assistant Director of
Engineering, Allen
Texas Public Works Association
Pam Nelson, Community Services
Director, The Colony
Texas Recreation and Park Society
EX-OFFICIO NON-VOTING INVITED
REPRESENTATIVES
TML Intergovernmental Risk Pool
Mary Gauer, Harker Heights
TML MultiState Intergovernmental
Employee Benefits Pool
James Stokes, City Manager, Deer Park
MESSAGE H FROM THE PRESIDENT
C.J. WAX, MAYOR
CITY OF ROCKPORT
Dear Texas City Official,
Many of our Texas cities are staffed by experienced, talented employees who have seen nearly every
problem and seem to instinctively know how to solve them. Rockport is blessed in this way; we have the
type of leadership in our departments that makes responding to citizens’ needs easy. But what happens
when those experienced leaders on staff retire, get ill, or move on to other opportunities? Our tendency
may be to stick our heads in the sand for now, and deal with such problems only when they develop,
but that would be a mistake. This is the type of problem that leaders focus on to ensure their citizens are
properly served.
This issue of Texas Town & City deals with active leadership development and succession planning. You’ll read articles about employee succession plans, resiliency among leaders, mentoring, and more. With today’s more mobile workforce, many of our newer employees aren’t typically committed to working at one employer for life, so staff development becomes even more critical. Where do tomorrow’s
leaders come from? Do you grow them or hire them? Dig into this issue and find out.
The Texas Municipal League is focused on helping its member cities develop leadership among city
officers and staff. I attended the League’s second annual Leadership Academy this past summer, and I
was impressed by the desire among employees and officials of all levels to sharpen their management
and leadership tools. Leadership is more than mere platitudes and morale boosting; there’s a science
and expertise to it that must be recognized and tapped. I strongly encourage you to consider this year’s
two-part Leadership Academy which will be held May 18-20 and June 15-17 in Round Rock. You’ll enjoy
it and you’ll learn a lot; I know I did.
C.J. Wax, Mayor
City of Rockport
TML President
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FEBRUARY 2016
« T E X A S M U N I C I PA L L E A G U E «
P RES IDENT
PRESIDE N T- E L E C T
C.J. Wax
Mary M. Dennis
Mayor
Rockport
PA S T
PR E SI D E NT S
Mayor
Live Oak
Nelda Martinez
Mayor
Corpus Christi
DIRECTORS-AT-LARG E
2
Jimmy Bennett
Councilmember
Arlington
Steve Adler
Colleen McIntyre
Mayor
Austin
Mike Rawlings
Councilmember
Corpus Christi
Mayor
Dallas
Charles Kelly
3
Lynn Buxkemper
Mayor
Perryton
Mayor Pro Tem
Slaton
10
Emma Acosta
City Representative
El Paso
Betsy Price
Larry V. Green
Mayor
Fort Worth
Ray Lopez
Councilmember
Houston
Councilmember
San Antonio
11
Joyce Dalley
Peter Perkins
Belinda Mercado
Judy Freeman Chambers
Texas Association of Governmental
Information Technology Managers
Texas Association of
Mayors, Councilmembers
and Commissioners
Mayor Pro Tem
Rockdale
Mayor
Ingleside
A FFI L I AT E D I R E C TO R S
Daniel Guerrero
Scott McDonald
Association of
Hispanic Municipal Officials
Landra Solansky
Mayor
San Marcos
Municipal Court
Administrator
Seguin
Texas Court Clerks Association
Kent D. Pfeil
Stephen Mason
Building Officials
Association of Texas
Government Finance
Officers Association of Texas
Texas Association
of Black City Council Members
Steve D. Ross
Lydia Lopez
Texas Fire Chiefs Association
Texas Municipal Clerks Association, Inc.
Building Official
Amarillo
Fire Chief
Haltom City
Chief Financial Officer
Richardson
City Secretary
Hewitt
6
Councilmember
Cedar Hill
Luanne Hanford
Director of Human Resources
University Park
Texas Municipal Human
Resources Association
FEBRUARY 2016
Director of Information Systems
Corpus Christi
Jana Prock
Library Director
Keller
Texas Municipal Library
Directors Association
Councilmember
Mexia
Todd Reck
Water Utilities Director
Irving
Texas Municipal
Utilities Association
« 2015–2016 BOARD OF DIRECTORS «
Jungus Jordan
Leonard Reed
Councilmember
Fort Worth
Henry Wilson
Mayor
Willis
Dock Jackson
Councilmember
Hurst
Terry Henley
Councilmember
Bastrop
Guy Goodson
Mayor Pro Tem
Meadows Place
City Attorney
Vidor
R EGIONAL DIRECTORS
5
4
John B. Love, III
Michael R. Tugman
Councilmember
Midland
Commissioner
Burkburnett
12
Jim Darling
Mayor
McAllen
6
Barbara Hooten
Mayor
Lancaster
Suzanne de Leon
Mayor
Menard
13
Marcus E. Knight
7
8
Holly Gray-McPherson
Mayor Pro Tem
Roanoke
Mayor
Balcones Heights
14
Phil Cory
Mayor
Navasota
Mayor
Tatum
Deloris “Bobbie” Prince
Mayor
Port Arthur
AFFILIATE D I R E C TO R S
Richard Briley
Managing Director of Health
and Code Compliance
Garland
Municipal Health Officials
John Chancellor
Chief of Police
Shenandoah
Texas Police Chiefs Association
Belinda Willis
Director of Communications
and Marketing
Mansfield
Municipal Information Officers
P. Todd Reed
Purchasing Manager
Sugar Land
Texas Public
Purchasing Association
E X- OF F I CI O
DI RE CTORS
Chance Sparks
Kevin B. Laughlin
George T. Shackelford
Texas Chapter of the
American Planning Association
Texas City Attorneys Association
Texas City Management Association
Director of Planning
Buda
Shawn Poe
Assistant Director of Engineering
Allen
Texas Public Works Association
Ric Holmes
Mayor Pro Tem
Morgan’s Point Resort
16
15
Bert Miller
9
City Attorney
Highland Village
City Manager
Tomball
Mary Gauer
Harker Heights
Representative of the TML
Intergovernmental Risk Pool
Pam Nelson
Community Services Director
The Colony
Texas Recreation and Park Society
7
FEBRUARY 2016
James Stokes
City Manager
Deer Park
Representative of the TML MultiState
Intergovernmental Employee Benefits Pool
TML H NEWS
Next TML Webinar:
Social Media and
Your City
Save the Date for
the TML 2016 Annual
Conference and
Exhibition!
Cities are using many different forms of social media to
engage with citizens. Social media gives cities the ability
to quickly disseminate information, identify residents’
concerns, and solve community problems. As the reach
of social media has expanded though, risks and potential
legal issues are providing some challenges for cities that
use social media platforms.
The League’s 2016 Annual Conference and Exhibition will
take place October 4-7 at the Austin Convention Center.
Delegate registration and housing will open in late July.
The League is now accepting presentation proposals for the
2016 Annual Conference through April 1 at www.tml.org/
speaker-proposal-form. Speakers come from all over the
United States to voluntarily share their experience and expertise with conference attendees. Conference sessions and
speakers will be chosen through a careful review process,
and will be notified in June of their selection.
Ready for Your Close Up?
TML recently launched an Instagram account to showcase
you - our amazing cities! Every week, we will post photos featuring everything city-related. And each month, we’ll publish
our favorite photos in Texas Town & City.
Join TML on March 3 for Social Media and Your City:
Possibilities, Policies, and Pitfalls. In this one-hour webinar, TML Legal Counsel Heather Mahurin will discuss the
current legal and practical issues in social media, as well
as the issues we expect to see in the future. You will also
learn what should be in your city’s social media policy,
and have opportunity to ask questions. Learn more at
www.tml.org.
2016 Budget
Workshops in
Levelland and Bastrop
Do you have a role in developing or implementing your
city’s budget? If so, make plans to attend the 2016
Budget, Tax Rate, and Audit Workshop. Designed for
elected officials and city staff, the workshop will cover
the basics of the budget and tax rate setting process,
forecasting municipal revenue, key components of the
annual financial report, and more.
It’s easy to get involved. Just email your photo to [email protected],
use the hashtags #MyTexasCity and #CitiesProvide, or tag us
(@tml_texas) from your Instagram account.
The one-day event will be held in Levelland on April
1, and Bastrop on June 9. All participants will receive
a complimentary copy of the newly released TML
Revenue Manual for Texas Cities.
Be sure to check out this month’s Instagram Highlights –
Celebrating Cities on page 46.
For more information and to register, visit
revenueworkshop.org. H
8
FEBRUARY 2016
You’re Building a Legacy.
Community decision makers inevitably
face competing interests when considering
apartment complex and condominium
proposals. Masonry requirements for
multifamily construction allow you to ease
neighbors’ concerns and contribute to a
beautiful, sustainable legacy. Thoughtful
masonry ordinances increase property values
and provide long-term tax base stability.
Masonry delivers benefits like safety and
durability, and lowered costs for insurance,
heating and cooling, and maintenance. Join
Cedar Park and Conroe among cities across
Texas that have enacted more than 250
masonry policies combined. Learn more
about municipal standards and view an
interactive map at MasonryOrdinance.com,
or call (254) 300-4544.
Masonry Makes Better Neighborhoods
“We worked with the local
development community
to develop a stronger
masonry ordinance that
would maximize mutual
value without impeding
residential or commercial
development. Stronger
masonry standards are
improving the safety and
aesthetics of our city. After implementation,
our demand in all sectors is as high as ever.”
—Cedar Park Mayor Matt Powell
“I have been on the city council for more than a
decade, and a contractor for nearly four decades.
I understand the lasting value of masonry
construction. Our Builders and Developers
Committee had some hesitation about a masonry
ordinance, but we all agreed we wanted ‘what is
best for Conroe long-term.’ After seven months
of research, cost analysis, and discussion, the
committee reached unanimous agreement, and
we adopted our Masonry Ordinance for multifamily
construction. Once everyone saw the enhanced value it brought, we
amended the ordinance to include hotels and motels. We have never
looked back, only forward, with a smile.” —Conroe Mayor Webb K. Melder
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FEBRUARY 2016
TEXAS OFFICIALS FILL
KEY NATIONAL LEAGUE
OF CITIES LEADERSHIP
POSITIONS
Jungus Jordan
Tito Rodriguez
Sheri Capehart
Four Texas city officials filled key leadership positions at the
November 2015 National League of Cities (NLC) Congress
of Cities Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
City of Fort Worth Councilmember Jungus Jordan and North
Richland Hills Councilmember Tito Rodriguez were both
elected to two-year terms on the NLC Board of Directors.
Councilmember Jungus Jordan has served on the Fort
Worth City Council since 2005 and is active in NLC. He is a
past president of the Texas Municipal League (TML).
Councilmember Tito Rodriguez was first elected to the
North Richland Hills City Council in 2011. He currently
serves on NLC’s Hispanic Elected Local Officials (HELO)
Board of Directors.
In addition, Arlington Mayor Pro Tem Sheri Capehart and San
Antonio Councilmember Ron Nirenberg were both appointed chairs of federal advocacy committees (Information
Technology & Communications Committee and Energy,
Environment & Natural Resources Committee, respectively). As committee chairs, both will serve a one-year term on
the NLC Board.
Ron Nirenberg
Mayor Pro Tem Sheri Capehart was first elected to the
Arlington City Council in 2000. She previously served a
term on the NLC Board from 2009-2011, and most recently
served as vice chair of NLC’s Information Technology &
Communications Committee.
Councilmember Ron Nirenberg began his service on the
San Antonio City Council in 2013. He recently served as vice
chair of NLC’s Energy, Environment & Natural Resources
Committee.
Approximately 175 Texas city officials attended the four-day
meeting in Nashville, and the conference attracted about
4,300 delegates from across the country.
The National League of Cities is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. NLC is a
resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns, and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.
For additional information on the National League of
Cities and how your city can become involved, contact NLC in Washington, D.C., at 877-827-2385.
NLC’s next major conference will be the Congressional
City Conference on March 5-9, 2016, in Washington, D.C.
Registration is now open at www.nlc.org. H
10
FEBRUARY 2016
BE A PART OF THE
NATIONAL LEAGUE
OF CITIES
The National League of Cities (NLC) and the Texas Municipal
League (TML) are partners advocating for and meeting the
needs of cities.
NLC offers you unique learning opportunities…
NLC conferences are unforgettable experiences—sessions on a wide range of issues,
nationally recognized expert speakers, a
chance to experience a new city, mobile
workshops where you can see firsthand
how another city is solving its problem, and
city officials from around the world. I come
back from the conferences recharged.
Membership in the NLC complements your TML membership and benefits you and your entire elected official and
staff leadership team by:
•
Representing municipal interests on Capitol Hill (federal legislation and regulations)
•
Creating more opportunities to share great ideas with
other local officials at conferences or online from your
office or home
•
Providing direct access to NLC’s lobbying team
•
Giving you access to solutions and savings programs,
research reports, toolkits, city practice database,
expert staff, and other resources to help you solve
problems
•
Offering outstanding leadership training programs at
member discounted rates
•
Recognizing the accomplishments of your city and city
leaders
Melodee Colbert Kean, Mayor, Joplin, MO
President, National League of Cities
53,316 population
NLC represents your city in Washington …
NLC works for you in Washington, D.C. the
same way our state league does at the
state capital—by lobbying for your interests and getting you the most up-to-date
information about legislation and regulations. I can assure you that there are a lot
of things happening in Washington that
you don’t even know about that can hurt
your community.
Bennett Sandlin,
Executive Director, TML
NLC is dedicated to helping city leaders build better
communities. Working in partnership with the 49 state
municipal leagues, NLC serves as a resource to and an
advocate for the more than 19,000 cities, villages, and
towns it represents.
For more information, visit www.nlc.org. H
11
FEBRUARY 2016
CITY FISCAL
CONDITIONS
AROUND THE
NATION
By Christiana McFarland, Research Director
National League of Cities
The impact of oil prices on local economies, efforts by the
state to limit local revenues, and embroiled politics are
shedding new light on the fiscal reality of cities. Nationwide,
the capacity of city budgets have not returned to pre-recession levels, although the challenges, roles, and responsibilities of cities have grown.
According to the National League of Cities’ City Fiscal Conditions survey, the nation’s city finance officers are optimistic, driven largely by a return of ending balances to pre-recession levels (25 percent of General Fund expenditures)
and a narrow expansion of General Fund revenues.
Gains in General Fund revenues, however, have not been
large enough to restore declines resulting from the recession. When compared to the 1990 and 2001 recessions, it is
clear that the impacts on city revenues from the Great Recession are much more substantial, both in terms of depth
and duration. This is due to the severity and broad impact of
the housing crisis, the extent of the loss of housing wealth
and therefore consumer spending, and the subsequent
slow pace of recovery particularly in the labor market.
When looking across cities nationwide, General
Fund revenues registered their first post-recession
gains in 2013 with consecutive but slower growth
since. Here’s a closer look at the performance of key
tax sources:
•
Property tax revenues increased a sizable 2.4
percent in 2014 with growth of 1.2 percent in
2015.
•
Growth in sales tax revenues reached a post-recession high of 6.2 percent in 2012 and registered 5.9 percent growth in 2013, 3.1 percent in
2014, and 2.3 percent in 2015.
•
Income tax revenues have been the most
volatile tax source during the recovery period.
Growth reached a post-recession high in 2012
with a 4.4 percent increase over 2011. Cities
experienced 3.6 percent year-over-year growth
of income taxes in 2013 followed by a dip of -1.7
percent in 2014 and a return to growth in 2015
with 3.6 percent gains.
In addition to suppressed revenues, cities are facing a
mounting infrastructure crisis and looming pension and
healthcare challenges. The state fiscal picture isn’t much
better, often equating to cuts in aid to cities, transfers of
program responsibility to cities without funding allocations,
and reductions in local taxing authority.
12
FEBRUARY 2016
Director of the Texas Municipal League. “Some smaller
cities and some cities in the
middle of shale operations
are hurting though as a result
of the speed of the decline.”
The Town of Alice, Texas is one
such example. The energy industry remains the predominant economic driver, and
the town is feeling the familiar
economic pain of an oil bust.
Several oilfield service companies have recently moved
their operations away from
Alice, resulting in extensive
layoffs and lower tax revenue.
Other areas that have been
negatively affected include
Long Beach, California, where
the drop in oil revenues has
forced the city to curb budget
plans and establish new criteria for funding projects, as well
as many cities in Colorado
which remain heavily dependent on oil and anticipate an
immense revenue decrease in
2017 when taxes are collected
on current oil and gas value.
For many cities, one countervailing trend is the drop in gas
and oil prices. Lower prices have been a fiscal boon with
lower costs to operate fleet vehicles and, for those cities
with access to the sales tax, increased sales tax revenues
from greater consumer spending resulting from gas savings. Meanwhile, cities with oil-dependent economies, like
those in Texas, are struggling as new drilling and industry-related construction slows and unemployment rises.
While the city of Houston has been negatively impacted by
the drop in oil prices, it is faring much better, both economically and fiscally, than in previous oil downturns. The city has
diversified its economy with energy now only making up 38
percent of local industry, compared to 80 percent in the 1980s. “Most Texas cities are managing the downturn better than
previous price drops because the economy in Texas is
more diversified than ever,” said Bennett Sandlin, Executive
Although uncertainty marks the fiscal landscape, city leaders have learned how to cope with limited fiscal tools and
revenue capacity. They may be even more prepared for
the next downturn given the build-up of ending balances.
However, simply because they are able to manage under
difficult circumstances does not mean that it will be easy
or without consequence. The choices that cities are making involve tradeoffs, and it has become evident that investments critical to our nation’s prosperity are at stake. In
the years ahead, as cities continue to navigate their roles
as fiscal stewards, stronger state and federal partnerships
will be critical to enabling the fiscal choices that will allow
cities to grow, innovate, and propel our economy forward.
Additional data and analysis on City Fiscal Conditions are
available at www.nlc.org/cfc. H
13
FEBRUARY 2016
CITY H LIGHTS
While monarchs are found across the United States — numbering around one billion in 1996 — their numbers have
declined by approximately 90 percent in recent years.
Degradation of wintering habitat in Mexico and California
has had a negative impact on the species, as has loss of
habitat due to agricultural practices, development, and
cropland conversion.
SAN ANTONIO
NAMED FIRST
MONARCH
BUTTERFLY
CHAMPION CITY
Last fall, millions of monarch butterflies funneled from
Canada and the central and eastern United States through
Texas on their way to their over-wintering grounds near
Michoacán, Mexico. This epic journey spans four generations of butterflies and thousands of miles of fluttering over
America’s grasslands, cities, and backyards. Through the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch
Pledge, towns and cities commit to creating habitats and
educating citizens on ways they can make a difference in
their very own home. Mayors who take the pledge commit
to at least three of 25 specific actions, including creating a
monarch-friendly demonstration garden at city hall, converting abandoned lots to monarch habitat, and changing
mowing schedules to allow milkweed to grow unimpeded.
If a local government commits to taking more than eight
actions, they become a member of the National Wildlife
Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch Leadership Circle. Mayor
Taylor has earned the title of “Monarch Champion” for
meeting all the actions. In December, City of San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor took the
National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge,
becoming the first “Monarch Champion” to commit to
taking all 24 specific actions that are part of the pledge.
“San Antonio is well-known as an attractive and welcoming city for visitors – particularly international visitors,” said
Mayor Taylor. “I am pleased that we have set the bar so
high in our efforts to attract and care for one very important
set of visitors, migrating Monarch butterflies. San Antonio
is the first city to be named Monarch Champion. I will work
with local, state, and national organizations to develop a
city-wide conservation plan including planting Monarch
habitats, encouraging ecosystem conservation, and educating the public. In fact, along with our partners at the San
Antonio River Authority and the University of Texas at San
Antonio, our community has already begun work on or even
completed all 24 action items necessary to protect and nurture our Texas state insect, the Monarch butterfly.”
Learn more at NWF.org/MayorsMonarchPledge.
DENTON AND WACO
SELECTED FOR
BLOOMBERG’S WHAT
WORKS CITIES
Bloomberg Philanthropies announced that the Cities
of Denton and Waco have been selected to participate
in What Work Cities, one of the largest philanthropic
efforts to enhance the use of data and evidence in
14
FEBRUARY 2016
the public sector.
Launched in April
2015,
the
$42
million
initiative
is designed to
improve residents’
lives
through
the use of data.
The
program
is already providing support to eight cities, and will
admit up to 100 cities on a rolling basis through 2017. “We’re excited to be the first North Texas city to
participate,” said City of Denton Mayor Chris Watts. “But,
even more so, we look forward to continuing progress
to improve open data and the city’s services. City staff
has made great progress in these areas through its
own initiatives, but this will take us to the next step.” “The What Works program gives the City of Waco access to
national organizations with expertise in managing municipal
data,” said Mayor Malcolm Duncan, Jr. “That knowledge
will help us deliver meaningful, accurate public data to
our citizens in a manner that is easily accessible and
understandable.”
that every city can use to improve public services, and our
What Works Cities initiative will help them do just that,” said
Michael R. Bloomberg, creator of Bloomberg Philanthropies. With the addition of the new cities to the program, What
Works Cities is now working in 21 cities in 15 states. Bloomberg
Philanthropies named the first eight cities in August.
Since then, these cities have made substantial progress
by passing open data policies, launching performance
management programs, and undertaking new efforts to
evaluate programs and manage contracts more effectively.
If you’re a city with a population
between 100,000 and 1,000,000
people with leadership that is
committed to using data and
evidence to improve results for
residents, you’re eligible to apply.
To learn more about the What
Works Cities initiative, visit www.
whatworkscities.org. H
Denton and Waco join 11 other new cities in publicly
committing to enhance their use of data and evidence
to improve services, inform local decision making, and
engage residents. Along with Anchorage, Alaska; Bellevue,
Washington; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Denver, Colorado;
Independence, Missouri; Las Vegas, Nevada; Lexington,
Kentucky; Saint Paul, Minnesota; San Jose, California; San
Francisco, California; and Tacoma, Washington; the Cities
of Denton and Waco will receive support from experts to
address local issues including open data practices and
safety and livability within communities. The consortium of leading organizations that has been
assembled by Bloomberg Philanthropies to provide a
program of support includes Results for America, the Center
for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University,
the Government Performance Lab at the Harvard Kennedy
School, Sunlight Foundation, and The Behavioral Insights
Team. What Works Cities collaborates with participating
cities to review their current use of data and evidence,
understand where they are using best practices, and
identify areas for growth. Through its expert partners,
What Works Cities will help Denton and Waco through
customized approaches that will expand the use of data
and evidence to make data more accessible and increase
transparency and accountability. “Cities around the country are looking to use data more
effectively, and the new What Works Cities range from
Alaska to the East Coast. They understand that data is a tool
15
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Program Management Energy Construction Services
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FEBRUARY 2016
SMALL CITIES’ H CORNER
HORLOCK ART
GALLERY AND
HISTORY MUSEUM:
TURNING A MONEY
PIT INTO A CITY
ASSET
By Bert Miller, Mayor, City of Navasota
The City of Navasota had a money pit, and most likely,
some other city officials have had to deal with such a place
during their tenure. Our money pit was a Victorian home
that was given to the city and was being used as a makeshift museum that required visitors to call-in to gain entry. It
was costing the city about $15,000 annually in maintenance
costs with no return. It was past time to make a decision on
whether to find a better use for the structure or sell it.
Navasota was in need of a better way to promote the arts,
culture, and history of our historic city. After discussions
with staff, the city council, local citizens, and other partners,
an idea was born. The city called on the Arts Council of
Brazos Valley (ACBV), which later brought the city a proposal to create an artist in residence program. The arts council
would be the program administrator, handling marketing,
call for artists, and the selection of artists. In return, ACBV
would receive a 30% commission on art sold. This arrangement would bring artists to the home, the Horlock Art
Gallery and History Museum, and would ensure that someone would be in the house seven days a week, making it
more accessible to citizens and tourists.
The Navasota City Council decided to spend hotel occupancy tax funds to remodel the historic home and make
much needed repairs. It is important to point out that the
city wasn’t looking for a solution to generate revenue and
profit. We were hoping to use the facility in a way that
would attract both residents and tourists, who would spend
money in our shops, eat at our restaurants, and stay in our
hotels and bed and breakfast establishments.
The Navasota Artist in Residency (AIR) calls for a six-month
residency. The artists reside in apartments on the second
floor, and the house is maintained by the city. Once settled
in, the artists become part of the community, creating art to
sell in the gallery, collaborating with teachers and students
at Navasota ISD, creating public art, and participating in
community events. For promotion, the city hosts a show
for the group of artists. The show is a great opportunity to
build public awareness, and it also allows the artists to sell
their work.
The program is special and successful because it provides
our artists – who come to the program from all over the
United States to participate – the opportunity to collaborate with other artists in an extremely creative environment.
During their tenure in the program, our artists are able to
focus on the most important aspect of being an artist—
creating their art. This allows them to build their portfolio,
hone their craft, and connect to a larger artist community. In
16
FEBRUARY 2016
The improvements to the Horlock Art Gallery and History
Museum don’t stop at the residency program. The museum
area of the Victorian home was also remodeled to create
different displays and artifacts about Navasota. The plan is
to change out the exhibits quarterly, focusing on the many
different historical attributes in the city.
addition, this residency program provides artists with a retail
gallery as well as marketing and networking experience,
which is essential knowledge for any small business owner.
Further, many of the artists that go through the residency
program have used the time to complete applications for
graduate school and seek employment in the arts field. It
is our hope that our community will be an inspiration to the
artists. We already have seen this with a mural that they
created near downtown.
AIR has become more successful than ever imagined. For
more information, visit our city’s tourism website, www.
visitnavasota.com, and the artists’ blog, www.navasotaair.
wordpress.com. You can also access AIR’s Facebook page
at https://www.facebook.com/NavasotaAIR/?fref=ts. H
17
FEBRUARY 2016
2015 TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE
EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR
as legal counsel, and is now TML’s legislative counsel.
When asked what he enjoys most about working at
TML, Bill said:
“The TML staff and city officials whom I get to
associate with on a daily basis are all wonderful.
Since I was a kid I’ve always been fascinated by
most everything about Texas. I’ve also been an
interested observer of government for years. So
to have a job that involves public policy at the
state and local level and that also allows me to
play a very small role in helping Texas cities is
about as good as it gets.”
As with many jobs, no single day is ever the same for Bill.
And as a member of the legal staff, no single year is ever
the same with the Texas Legislature in session every other
year. However, Bill primarily answers legal questions for
TML members. This can take the form of answering calls
or emails during a normal workday, writing articles for the
Legislative Update and Texas Town & City, or speaking
at conferences and workshops about various legal and
legislative issues. Over the years, Bill has been handling
a lot of economic development, tax, and revenue questions, becoming the League’s resident expert in this area.
Bill Longley, a member of the legal and legislative team,
was named the 2105 Texas Municipal League (TML) Employee of the Year. The TML Employee of the Year award
is a prestigious, peer-nominated award. Employees are encouraged to nominate a colleague who has shown exceptional service to TML, its members, and staff over an extended period of time. The nominations are then reviewed and
chosen by a committee made up of the executive director
and the previous year’s winner. The winner is announced
and recognized at the year-end employee luncheon.
Named after a Texas outlaw, William Preston Longley,
also known as “Wild Bill,” Bill has been with TML for more
than seven years. He started working as a law clerk while
attending law school at the University of Texas at Austin. He worked for the attorney general’s office for about
six months after passing the bar, then came back to TML
During Legislative Session, as legislative counsel, Bill’s job
description gets a bit more complicated. He spends most
of his time reading, drafting, and discussing legislation
that will impact cities at the TML downtown office with
other legal and legislative staff. On a typical day during
session, Bill arrives at the downtown office early in the
morning, reads the bills filed the previous day, and summarizes those that are relevant to cities. The rest of the
day is spent drafting legislation or amendments to bills,
writing letters on bills, watching the House and Senate,
and watching or testifying in House and Senate committee meetings. In a perfect world, he’s back at home at a
reasonable hour, though if there is a committee hearing
he needs to attend, it might be a late night. Fortunately, he
enjoys the company. “The TML staff who spend the session at the downtown office are a fun group of people. It’s
a lot of work, but we have a good time with it,” he added.
18
• FEBRUARY 2016
These days, Bill spends most of his free time with his wife,
Meagan and their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Evelyn.
On the rare occasion that Evelyn is sleeping or he’s able to
get out of the house, you can probably find him on the golf
course, watching baseball (mostly the Rangers), enjoying the
Austin music scene, or looking through his telescope in the
backyard.
“
And it’s true, by the way... he was named after Wild Bill.
However, only because his parents liked the name—
there is no known relation to the menacing outlaw.
Bill is devoted to TML
and its members,
and constantly thinks
of new strategies to
protect cities during
Legislative Session.”
Bill is a valued member of the legal and legislative department and the League as a whole. We are proud to have him
on the TML team! H
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“
According to his co-workers, Bill’s devotion to TML and its
members shines through. One TML staff member commented that “Bill is devoted to TML and its members and
constantly thinks of new strategies to protect cities during
session.” Another colleague said “Bill always has a friendly
disposition and an eagerness to help whomever, whenever.”
LEGAL Q&A
By Laura Mueller
TML Assistant General Counsel
H
Q May a city councilmember volunteer for his or her city?
A
It depends on the situation. The
attorney general has stated that a city
councilmember may not volunteer for
his or her city if: (1) the volunteer position is supervised and controlled by
the governing body; (2) the volunteer
activity is normally performed by a
compensated employee; and (3) the
volunteer activity is not temporary or
intermittent. Tex. Atty. Gen. Op. No.
JC-0371 (2001); see also Tex. Atty. Gen.
Op. No. JM-0386 (1985) (concluding
that an alderman may not serve on
the city’s police reserve force). Thus,
a city councilmember may be able to
volunteer to plant flowers or help with
a city festival, but would likely be precluded from regularly performing the
duties of the city secretary or a utility
employee. Some statutes expressly
authorize volunteer service. For example, a city councilmember may volunteer for a volunteer fire department
or other organization that protects the
health, safety, or welfare of the city
if the city council adopts a resolution
allowing city councilmembers to do
so. Tex. Loc. Gov’t Code § 21.003.
Q
May a city employee volunteer
for the same city at which they work?
A
According to federal labor law,
city employee may volunteer for the
same city, but only if her job duties
are not the “same type of services”
as her volunteer work. 29 C.F.R. §
553.103. The Department of Labor
(DOL) defines “same type of services”
to mean similar or identical services.
In general, DOL would consider the
duties and other factors contained in
the definitions of occupations in the
Dictionary of Occupational Titles when
determining whether the volunteer
activities constitute the “same type of
services” as the employment activities.
For example, police officers can volunteer for non-law enforcement related
duties in city parks, or can volunteer
to perform law enforcement for a different jurisdiction than where they are
employed. Another example is that
city staff could volunteer at a festival
or other special event. However, a fire
fighter could not sometimes work as
an employee and get paid and other
times be a volunteer fire fighter for
the same city. In addition, any extra
service must truly be voluntary and
the city’s own personnel policies must
allow the volunteering.
Q
May a city pay for its volunteer
police officers’ insurance or certification?
A
Some city officials have concerns
that providing Texas Commission on
Law Enforcement (TCOLE) certification
for their reserve officers will endanger
the officers’ status as volunteers. The
case of Cleveland v. City of Elmendorf
expressly held that TCOLE certification, which is required for peace officers engaged in law enforcement in
Texas, is not a benefit that violates an
officer’s status as a volunteer. 388 F.3d
522 (5th Cir. 2004).
City officials also often ask about insurance for reserve officers. Federal rules
expressly state that workers’ compensation is considered to be a “reasonable benefit” that does not jeopardize
an individual’s volunteer status. 29
C.F.R. Section 553.106. State law re-
20
FEBRUARY 2016
quires a city to insure or otherwise
cover each volunteer police force
member against any injury suffered
in the course and scope of the volunteer’s duties performed at the request
of the city. Tex. Gov’t Code § 614.192.
Q
Is a city liable for the actions of
volunteers?
A
The Texas Tort Claims Act waives
governmental immunity for certain
actions of governmental employees, but does not waive governmental immunity for volunteers (who are
unpaid). Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code
§ 101.021(1); 101.001; Harris County v.
Dillard, 883 S.W.2d 166, 167 (Tex. 1994)
(holding that volunteer deputy sheriff
was not an employee for purposes
of waiver of immunity under the Tort
Claims Act). Based on that law, the
city is generally not liable for the
actions of its volunteers.
However, liability can be predicated
on the actions of a paid employee
who supervised volunteers even if
liability cannot be predicated on the
actions of the volunteers themselves.
Smith v. University of Texas, 664
S.W.2d 180 (Tex. App.—Austin 1984,
writ ref’d n.r.e.).
Q
Is a city liable if a volunteer is
injured while performing work for
the city?
A
To the extent authorized by the
Texas Tort Claims Act, a city may
be liable to persons, including volunteers, for property damage, personal
injury, and death proximately caused
by the wrongful act, omission, or neg-
ligence of a city employee, or the
condition or use of personal or real
property. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code
§ 101.021. A city owes the same duty
of care to volunteers as to others on
city property. City of Austin v. Selter,
415 S.W.2d 489 (Tex. Civ. App.—Austin
1967, writ ref’d n.r.e.). Consequently,
a city may want to limit its liability
for negligence by obtaining workers’
compensation insurance coverage for
their volunteers. A city can opt to cover
volunteer fire fighters, police officers,
emergency medical personnel, and
“other volunteers” who are specifically
named under the cities’ workers’ compensation insurance. Tex. Lab. Code
§ 504.012. With limited exceptions,
the recovery of workers’ compensation benefits is the exclusive remedy
for the death or work-related injuries
of covered individuals. Id. § 408.001. H
21
• FEBRUARY 2016
CEDAR
HILL TEEN
COUNCILS
SHAPE
TOMORROW’S
LEADERS
By Theresa Brooks
Circulation and Administrative
Coordinator
Zula B. Wylie Public Library, City
of Cedar Hill
About 40 teenagers in the City of Cedar Hill are teaching
city leaders and police about today’s youth. Members of
two teen councils provide Cedar Hill with motivated, energetic volunteers for civic projects. They also give city leaders a fresh perspective on issues challenging their cities.
These students are members of the Mayor’s Teen Council
and the Cedar Hill Police Department Student Law
Enforcement Advisory and Development (L.E.A.D.) Council.
Both of these groups have symbiotic relationships with
community leaders that build interest in public service and
increase awareness of youth issues.
The selected students attend Cedar Hill schools or are
residents of Cedar Hill. Their work has attracted interest
and support from State Representative Helen Giddings and
the office of United States Representative Eddie Bernice
Johnson.
The Mayor’s Teen Council was created in 2012 to connect
with city youth and give them a voice. Mayor Rob Franke
and city staff expose students to the inner workings of
municipal government through leadership classes, staff
discussions, department tours, and interactive projects. The
council, which meets twice a month, crosses generational,
economic, and demographic barriers between city staff
and the students.
The teens develop leadership skills as they plan and execute service projects that help the community flourish.
These projects have included planting trees along the city’s
trail system, producing a video for the Martin Luther King, Jr.
Celebration, raising funds for the Blue Caboose Children’s
Fund benefitting children and families living with cystic
fibrosis, mentoring elementary students after school, and
volunteering for numerous community events. “They truly
care about people, their community, and finding meaningful ways to serve others, “said Mayor Rob Franke. “I continue to be amazed by the character, optimism, and world
view of our teens.”
Mayor Franke turned to the Zula B. Wylie Public Library
staff when he realized he wanted to form the Teen Council.
The Library already had a good relationship with teens from
the community through its Teen Volunteer Program and
were more than willing to help coordinate the council with
the Parks & Recreation Department, city administration, and
the Cedar Hill Independent School District. Library Director
Toni Simmons stated, “Our involvement with the Mayor’s
Teen Council has given us the opportunity to mentor to
22
• FEBRUARY 2016
teens, engage in ongoing dialogues and help them reach
their potential.”
experiences and learn how other communities are being
changed through their youth programs.
After seeing the success of the Mayor’s Teen Council and
recognizing the vast pool of talented community youth,
the Cedar Hill Police Department formed the L.E.A.D.
Council this year. Their goals are also to focus on leadership and developing a spirit of service. These high school
student leaders desire a greater impact on their community through positive relationships with law enforcement
officials. The L.E.A.D. council also serves in an advisory
role to assist in the development of procedures, policies,
and initiatives. Officer Lawrence Byrd says, “It’s an honor
to inspire our community’s youth!” The fledgling council
hopes to stimulate candid feedback and new perspectives.
“The youth councils have really shown growth and a desire
to serve their community.” Mayor Franke added, “In a world
of negativity, disrespect, and conflict, our teens are a shining
example of hope for the future.” H
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Both councils will be attending the Texas Municipal
League Youth Advisory Commission (YAC) Summit in
Pearland on February 20-21, 2016. The TML board of
directors encourages cities across the state to form YACs
to provide energetic volunteers for civic projects, give
leaders a fresh perspective on local issues, and create a
sense of accomplishment for the youth who are involved.
The YAC Summit is a great way for the teens to share their
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23
• FEBRUARY 2016
FOSTERING LEADERSHIP:
SAN ANTONIO’S WOMEN’S
LEADERSHIP MENTORING
PROGRAM
By Sheryl Sculley, City Manager
City of San Antonio
As manager of an organization with more than 11,000
employees, I work to ensure that we employ talented
and qualified staff at all levels of the organization. Part of
this strategy includes cultivating and retaining talented
employees within the organization. To accomplish that
goal, my staff and I have implemented a number of training and development programs during my tenure. One of
those programs is the Women’s Leadership and Mentoring
Program (WLMP) that was launched in 2014 to develop and
encourage up-and-coming women leaders in our organization.
•
Provide an avenue for women in the organization to develop and demonstrate their leadership abilities
•
Provide networking opportunities to enhance teamwork
in the organization
•
Promote an environment that recognizes the value of
women’s contributions in the organization
• Create a pool of internal candidates and strengthen
organizational succession planning
TWDB: SECOND ROUND
OF SWIFT APPLICATIONS
OPENED DECEMBER 1
Recent research indicates a disconnect between the number of qualified potential female leaders and the number
of actual female leaders. For instance, women represent
59 percent of the college-educated, entry-level workforce
and earn nearly 60 percent of the undergraduate degrees
and master’s degrees awarded; yet, women make up only
14.6 percent of executive officers, 8.1 percent of top earners, and 4.6 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs.1 The purpose of
the WLMP is to help amend that disconnect by developing talented female employees who are ready to take on
leadership; removing barriers to women advancing in their
careers; encouraging best practices and the city’s core values of teamwork, integrity, innovation, and professionalism;
and retaining promising talent.
How It works
The WLMP matches a current female city executive to a
female employee in a mentoring relationship. The program
runs for one year with one-on-one mentoring meetings and
full group educational sessions on alternating months. At
the end of the year, mentees will have completed a group
project to benefit the organization and the community.
The foundation of the WLMP is built on five key goals:
• Ensure professional growth and development to benefit individuals and the organization
To begin the program each year, 300 female employees
with leadership potential were identified and invited to
apply. In the inaugural year of the program, 43 women
were selected and paired with 28 executives – some
executives had multiple mentees. However, in the second
year of the program, each mentor was paired with only
one mentee to foster stronger mentoring relationships.
Over the course of the two program years, a number of
high-profile female executives from the community have
led workshops on topics such as generational differences
in the workplace, leadership development, innovation in the
workplace, creating effective teams, and negotiation strategies. In addition to planned workshops, mentees have met
for skill-building exercises in areas such as project management and networking events both internal and external to
the city. In addition, mentees participate in one of two group
projects available each year. Those projects have included
civic engagement, city-wide employee recognition program, the city’s Tricentennial festivities, and an employee
suggestion program. Mentees groups are expected to
develop an implementation-ready product, and each project is presented by the groups to city leadership at the final
meeting of the year.
Promoting Innovation and Leadership
The WLMP fosters innovation and leadership by attracting
a diverse group of participants, incorporating the city’s core
24
FEBRUARY 2016
values into the program, and through the two mentee service projects. Recent studies have shown the best ideas
and solutions to problems are developed by groups with
different backgrounds in a workplace culture that embraces diversity.2 The program’s rigorous selection process
ensures participants are likely future leaders, and the group
includes multiple perspectives and diverse backgrounds.
Incorporating the city’s core values into the program goals
means future leaders will be well-equipped to act as
agents of positive change within their departments and the
organization as a whole. Finally, the group service projects simultaneously foster both innovation and leadership
by providing leadership roles to mentees and produce an
innovative deliverable for implementation at the city.
Challenges Faced
We anticipated some challenges in the first years of the
program, which were addressed through the program’s
governing documents and structure. The largest challenge
is related to scheduling. The program will not be successful
unless mentors and mentees make time to grow the
relationship. Therefore, each mentor and mentee are
required to meet one-on-one at least every other month
when the group sessions are not scheduled. Another
challenge was determining how to select mentees and
how to pair them. To address this, the application process
required applicants to demonstrate their qualifications and
commitment and explain what they hoped to get out of
the program. Once an applicant was selected, the second
half of the application was used to create a strong match.
Going forward, we hope to maintain momentum, continue
to improve the program, and create the framework that will
sustain the program for the long-term.
mitted to the program. Additionally, starting a new program
requires a strong champion– someone from the highest levels of the organization– who gets participants engaged, sets
expectations, and sustains momentum. Next, it is important
to have a well-defined structure and shared goals to measure progress and define success. Finally, a willingness to
adapt is important to creating a sustainable program. As
this program completes its second year, we will continue to
look for ways to improve the program in the following years
and create a strong development tool for years to come. H
1 Center for American Progress, “Fact Sheet: Women’s
Leadership Gap; Women’s Leadership by the Numbers,”
March 7, 2014. Website: http://www.americanprogress.
org/issues/women/report/2014/03/07/85457/factsheet-the-womens-leadership-gap/.
2 Inc., “How to Foster Innovation through Diverse Workgroups,” Website: http://www.inc.com/guides/2011/01/
how-to-foster-innovation-through-diverse-workgroups.
html.
The Future of the Program
The strong initial interest from applicants and the positive
feedback so far indicate that the program has the potential
to create a significant impact on both the advancement of
women and development of strong future leaders for the
City of San Antonio. We recognize that empowering women
leaders will not be accomplished in just one year. Based on
feedback from participant surveys, we plan to modify the
program as necessary and continue it again in future years.
Lessons for Cities Interested in Building Their Own
Mentorship Program
The key to the program’s success is dedication from both
mentors and mentees. The requirements and selection process have helped ensure mentors and mentees are com-
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FEBRUARY 2016
CITY OF FREDERICKSBURG:
2020 EMPLOYEE
SUCCESSION PLAN
The reasons for developing a succession plan for the City
of Fredericksburg include:
By Kent Myers, City Manager
City of Fredericksburg
Over the next five years, the City of Fredericksburg expects
to lose a large number of highly trained, knowledgeable,
and experienced managers and skilled personnel in our
organization due to retirements. This will impact the city in
many different ways including the loss of knowledge and
experience throughout the organization. It is critical that we
recognize this loss and develop a plan for filling these positions with a focus on internal promotions when feasible.
A key element in any organization is institutional knowledge
at all levels of employees, including people who know how
and why past decisions were made. Much of this critical
information can be lost when key personnel retire unless a
succession plan is developed to capture this knowledge. In
addition, it is important for the city to hire people with the
necessary skills, abilities, and education that are needed to
continue to provide quality services.
The City of Fredericksburg has hired a number of very talented and qualified employees over the past five to ten
years. A number of these individuals are likely motivated to
move up within the organization and serve as future managers and leaders. The identification and training of these
key personnel so that they are positioned for future management and leadership positions will play a major role in
the City of Fredericksburg’s future.
•
52% of the workforce in the United States is between 55-65 years of age and will retire within the
next 5 years
•
Baby Boomers who currently serve in the majority
of leadership and management positions are declining at a rapid pace in the workforce
•
In the City of Fredericksburg, six out of the ten department heads are expected to retire in the next
five years
•
A large number of city employees are over 55
years of age, and many are likely to retire within the
next five to ten years. Some of these employees
are in supervisory positions.
Based on these factors, the following succession plan will be
implemented to ensure that the city is prepared with a quality staff needed to continue providing quality services. Keep
in mind that this document is a work in progress. It will be reevaluated every two to three years and updated based upon
the city’s changing needs. This plan will be shared with all City
of Fredericksburg employees so that they understand the
city’s commitment to their career development and to assist
them with future promotional opportunities. Employees will
be actively encouraged to contact the city manager or human resources director with any questions about the plan.
26
FEBRUARY 2016
Step One – Needs Assessment (January-March 2016)
During the period from January-March, 2016, the City of
Fredericksburg will complete a staffing needs assessment
for each city department. This will focus on the next five
years (2016-2020), and will include identification of all employees within each department who are anticipated to retire within this period. It will also include any new staffing
positions that the city anticipates adding during this same
five year period. This effort will be coordinated by the city
manager and human resources director with participation
by each department head.
Once each position that will be needed by 2020 is identified,
a listing of the skills, training, experience, and other requirements for each position will be listed. This includes computer skills and other technical aspects of the job that will
be required. The job descriptions for these positions will
be reviewed and revised to ensure that it includes all of the
necessary requirements.
Step Two – Identification of Future Leaders (April-May
2016)
The next step in the succession plan will be to identify future
leaders who may be interested and qualified to move into
supervisory/leadership positions within the next five years.
It is important that all current employees be involved in this
process to ensure that every employee is fairly considered.
In considering the future potential of our employees for
future supervisor/leader positions, several key issues and
questions will be considered. How long does the employee
plan to work for the city? Do they have the passion and vision for the organization? Are they currently identified to be
leaders within their team, crew, or division? Are they content with their current position or do they aspire for promotional opportunities? What are their values and do these
values meet our organizational values? Responses to these
questions will help to identify the interested, qualified, and
motivated individuals who will be included in the city’s succession plan.
Following this process, there may be some of our future
staffing needs that cannot be met by promotion of current
city employees. Because the City of Fredericksburg is a relatively small organization, not all positions can be filled from
current employees. Some of the positions include highly
technical training or other specific requirements that will require the city to hire from outside the organization. These
positions will be identified as part of a gaps analysis process
so that we can plan for future outside recruitment for these
positions. Our goal, however, will be to fill as many positions
over the next five years by internal promotion as possible.
Kent Myers, Clintaon Bailey, Brian Jordan, and Wynell Herbort
Step Three – Training and Education (June-November
2016)
Once the future leaders of our organization are identified,
training and education will be initiated to prepare them for
future promotional opportunities. This training will include
basic management skills such as planning, supervising, and
organizing employees. It will also include training in budgeting, human resources, and computer skills by representatives from the finance, human resources, and IT departments. The city manager will provide training on leadership
skills that will be necessary for employees to be positioned
for future promotional opportunities. While this training will
not guarantee that any employee will be promoted in the
future, it will provide them with enhanced knowledge and
skills necessary to effectively compete for future promotional opportunities.
We expect that this training will be conducted over a four
to six month process starting in June. A certificate with be
provided to each employee who completes the training.
Additional training will be provided every year if necessary
to meet the city’s future staffing needs.
In addition to this training, each of the future supervisors/
leaders will be assigned a coach/mentor who will be available on a one-to-one basis to guide the employee and provide continuous feedback and encouragement. This person should be a current supervisor or department head and
should meet at least once a quarter with the employee for
an update on their plans and discussion on any additional
needed training.
Summary
Organizations that have a long-term succession plan will be
better prepared to address future needs and challenges.
By adopting and implementing this plan, the City of Fredericksburg will be positioned to continue providing high quality services to our citizens that adhere to our core values for
many years. H
27
FEBRUARY 2016
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF THE
NACOGDOCHES CITIZEN’S ACADEMY
By Jim Jeffers, City Manager
City of Nacogdoches
So . . . you don’t have time to design and implement a citizen’s academy? Besides, what good is an academy?
person at a time. Is changing attitudes one person at a time
enough? Definitely not, but it is a good start.
Before we review the particulars of the Nacogdoches
Citizen’s Academy (Nac 101), there are dozens of successful
citizen academies in Texas, and emulation is a great form
of flattery. The Nacogdoches Citizen’s Academy template
came from the City of Plano, and Plano’s staff was very
helpful in assisting the City of Nacogdoches design Nac 101.
Since we took care of your time constraints, let’s talk value.
Three of Nacogdoches’ five elected officials are graduates of Nac 101. While each has their own story to tell, all
agree that being a Nac 101 alumnae allowed them to hit
the ground running when they won election. One councilmember will testify he never thought about being a local
elected official until he took Nac 101. One councilmember
proclaimed ‘city hall’ was run by a gang of incompetents
until he attended the academy.
The City of Nacogdoches is becoming heavily invested in
social media and other educational tools (marketing) to
reach the masses, but those programs and the statewide
initiative Local, Texas is a story for another time. Be mindful
that if cities are going to be successful in holding back the
tsunami of negativism, we must become more assertive
in getting our message out. There is an avalanche of unfiltered, inaccurate messaging being generated against the
great work Texas cities are doing. Need help? Ask a neighboring city or TML. You will be pleasantly surprised!
The value of a citizen’s academy is obvious. The academy
educates and may help change negative attitudes to a positive. The Nacogdoches academy is changing opinions one
Background
Now for the dry stuff . . . the following is a summary of the
essential elements of Nac 101 which is administered by the
City of Nacogdoches Director of Community Services Brian
Bray ([email protected]).
In 2010, Nac 101 was started as a way to give Nacogdoches
28
FEBRUARY 2016
citizens insight into how city government works and why we
do certain things the way we do. We also wanted citizens
to be aware of what types of programs they can become
involved in and how to stay aware of what is going on in the
city. In preparation for the program, city staff researched
citizen academies being held in cities such as Plano,
Colorado Springs, and Gainsville.
Program Preparation
The Nac 101 program is advertised in a variety of ways.
First, we send out several press releases to the local media,
letting them know that applications are available and when
Nac 101 starts. The program is also advertised through
social media. Primarily, we rely on the positive feedback
from Nac 101 graduates to get the word out and recruit new
applicants.
Applications are made available online two months before
the application deadline, as well as through the city secretary’s office, where completed applications are submitted.
The class is limited to the first 20 applicants, and the rest
are placed on a waiting list. Those on the waiting list are
given first priority for the next session. The 20 person limit
gives participants a greater opportunity to interact with city
officials.
Once admitted to the program, participants are given a program binder. The one-inch binder includes an index, eighttab divider, filler paper, session summaries, and evaluations.
We also include a city mission statement, board interest
form, and city contact lists.
Classes
•
Session covers the responsibilities of city
councilmembers, the role the city manager
plays, and the relationship between the city
council and the city manager. We also cover
economic development during this session.
 Session 2
•
Title - Show Me the Money
•
Presenters - Finance and water billing
•
This session covers budget and details differences between enterprise funds and the
general fund, along with how these funds are
used. The session also reviews appropriate
uses of hotel/motel tax, and a general overview of the entire city budget. Water billing
explains how the citizens’ water bills are calculated, what you can learn from a water bill,
trash, recycling issues, and schedules for these
city services.
 Session 3
•
Title - Law and Order
•
Presenters - City attorney and city planner
•
The city attorney addresses issues such as the
Public Information Act, harassment, and legal
action against or involving city government.
The city planner discusses zoning, specific use
permits, and why the city is laid out the way
that it is.
 Session 4
There are eight sessions in Nac 101: seven classes with
speakers with the eighth and final class being a roundtable
discussion led by the mayor and followed by a graduation
ceremony. All sessions have two topics. Internal service
departments, such as facility maintenance and information
technology are extremely valuable, but they are not areas
that interact with the general public on a regular basis.
Inclusion of other departments such as the library, airport,
or animal control received low marks in the past. The clear
preference for topics is outlined below. The city manager
typically attends each session to introduce speakers and
has an informal question and answer period 15 minutes
before each session. While our session topics may change,
the following length and schedule includes sessions that
have received the most positive reviews:
•
Title - Playing by the Rules
•
Presenters – Parks and recreation, and inspections
•
This session covers what is needed for work
permits, sign permits, and other permits issued
to citizens. The inspections department discusses ordinances which ensure neighborhoods are up to code, as well as nuisance
complaints like weeded lots. Parks and recreation discusses the different programs such as
gymnastics, craft classes, and adult athletics.
They also talk about what parks the city maintains and who can use them.
 Session 5
 Session 1
•
Title - City Government
•
Presenters - Mayor, city council, and city
manager
29
•
Title - We Build the City
•
Presenters - Public works and water utility
FEBRUARY 2016
•
This session addresses water treatment and
the water treatment facility. Speakers also
address the proper use of Lake Nacogdoches
and the newly drilled wells as sources of water
for the city. The public works department discusses improving and maintaining the roadways, clearing debris, and drainage issues.
 Session 6
•
Title - Keeping Citizens Safe
•
Presenters - Police and fire departments
•
The Nacogdoches Police Department
addresses crime rate in Nacogdoches, the
training of police officers, the K-9 unit, criminal
investigations, and public outreach. The police
chief details the Citizens Police Department
and the Civilian Emergency Response Team.
The fire department addresses the history
of the fire department in Nacogdoches, the
engines that have been used by the department, types of fires, and their response as well
as fire prevention.
 Session 7
•
Title - Something for Everyone
•
Presenters - Main street and historic sites
department
•
This session is aimed to dispel the “There’s
Nothing to do in Nacogdoches” myth. Main
Street talks about the “Shop Nac First” initiative, downtown programs, Farmer’s Market,
current downtown businesses, and how to
find out about upcoming events. Historic sites
talks about city run museums, programs at
these sites, and the annual events put on by
the department. Restoration and historic overlay districts are also addressed as well as the
Historic Landmark Preservation Committee
responsibilities.
 Session 8
•
Title - Round table and discussion
•
Presenters - All speakers attend
•
The mayor attends this session along with all
the speakers from the previous sessions. Students ask questions of the speakers and give
opinions concerning the program.
since their city council meetings and Nac 101 sessions were
held on opposite weeks.
Each speaker is usually a department head and is asked
to prepare a presentation, whether it is a Power Point presentation, short video that pertains to their subject, or just
handouts for the students. Participants respond very well
to receiving handouts to include in their binder. Many students have said they reference handouts after the class is
over.
During each session, the room is set up with tables, each
with two chairs to allow everyone enough space to take
notes and be comfortable. For the meetings, we provide
coffee, water, and cookies for snacks.
Each speaker is given 45 minutes to an hour to speak, with
time for questions at the end of their topic. There is a 15
minute break between the first and second speaker.
We have an attendance policy for the class to ensure we
always have a full and dedicated class. Participants missing
two or more classes do not graduate from Nac 101. They
have the option to make up the classes they missed when
the next Nac 101 class takes place. If they make up the sessions, they may graduate with the next class.
During our final session, we have a fruit and vegetable tray,
sandwiches, and cookies to celebrate the end of the class.
During the graduation ceremony, each student is presented
with a certificate of completion signed by the mayor, and a
Nac 101 polo shirt embroidered with the city logo. Their pictures are taken with the mayor and classmates to be sent
to the local newspaper and media outlets.
Evaluation
In the binders provided to participants, there are speaker
evaluations for each session. We ask the participants to
fill out individual speaker evaluations and turn them in to
a staff member at the end of each session. Each speaker
receives a summary of their evaluation so they can adjust
their presentation accordingly. During the last session,
participants are given a course evaluation that covers the
entire program and asks broad questions about how to
improve the course. We also take notes during the discussion to make sure we get as many comments, suggestions,
complaints, and praises recorded in case they do not put
those thoughts on their evaluation form. H
The sessions are held every other Thursday from 6:00 p.m.
to 8:15 p.m. in the city council chambers. The schedule
allows city councilmembers to attend more frequently,
30
FEBRUARY 2016
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CITY OF COPPELL DEVELOPS
ASPIRING LEADERS
By Clay Phillips, City Manager
City of Coppell
The City of Coppell has a history of maintaining the goal of
being a successful organization. That success is measured
not only in the achievement of citizen satisfaction, but also
in the continued operation of functions that may be imperceptible to the citizenry at large.
One of the most important elements found in a successful
organization is the availability of a workforce with the skills,
knowledge, and abilities to do the various tasks expected.
In other words, the workforce is competent in all of the
skills and abilities needed to successfully meet and exceed
customer expectations. Regardless of the organization’s
size, the staff must be capable of performing at or above
expected levels if success is to be both perceived and
achieved. It is also important to have the ability to replace
departing staff members with others who are capable of
continuing the mission in a seamless fashion to prevent a
disruption in service delivery.
32
FEBRUARY 2016
The growing complexity related to the services we deliver,
coupled with the ever-rising expectations of our citizens
and other customers, create an environment in which there
is no room for major service delivery interruptions or mistakes due to staff vacancies or a lack of a qualified, capable,
dedicated, and aspiring workforce.
Several years ago, the City of Coppell’s city manager’s
office and department directors met to determine how
succession planning could best be implemented within our
city. The team determined goals to describe the purpose
of, or what should be achieved by, implementing a succession planning process. When establishing these goals and
outcomes, the succession planning team considered the
city’s mission, vision and values, current workforce data;
and the perceived strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,
and threats for the development of such a program and
how it would potentially impact the future success of our
city. Executive development is an essential component of
every successful succession plan.
One of the major facets of our plan, the Succession through
Effective Executive Development (S.E.E.D) Academy provides opportunity for individuals aspiring to reach midto-upper management and executive levels to enhance
their strengths and improve on needed areas of attention
through a directed year-long experience. Once per year, a
group is chosen through a competitive application process
to spend time as a team learning and working on projects.
They will also undergo individual development to close any
behavioral or performance gaps they may have. The S.E.E.D.
Academy focuses on developing conceptual thinking and
human competencies while also providing hands-on experience with upper-level technical competencies such as
budget development.
The purpose of the S.E.E.D. Academy is to grow capable and
motivated individuals who have the ability to successfully
lead now and develop their executive leadership competencies for the future. Several personal assessment instruments are used to define what specific individual training
and development they may need. The annual S.E.E.D. Academy class meets together regularly over the course of a
year and class members are each given
a department director to mentor them
through the process.
While the planning
and effort put into a
sound
succession
strategy is critical
to the uninterrupted performance of
the organization, that
planning is for naught
if the same effort and
emphasis are not
placed upon the task
of developing quality employees. Each
employee of the City
of Coppell is held to
a high standard. This
standard starts with
the principles of respect and integrity which are the center of our culture. Each
employee is expected to act and conduct their work with
integrity for self and the organization, while showing respect
to all. Employees are expected to be accountable, show
quality and detailed work, and have tasks completed with
promptness and accuracy. Leaders are expected to be visionary, strategic thinkers, change agents, and mentors.
At the City of Coppell, we firmly believe we exist to humbly
serve the community. This basic tenet is emphasized at every level of our organization. We believe through our dedication to that and other guiding principles, such as building community through public service, future generations
will look back upon the services of the city and to society in
general, and that we, as individuals, will be judged and held
accountable for what we did and how we did it H
33
FEBRUARY 2016
ENGAGING RESIDENTS THROUGH
THE KYLE LEADERSHIP
ACADEMY
By Kim Hilsenbeck
Communications Specialist
City of Kyle
An informed and educated citizenry is the cornerstone to an
active and engaged audience. People who are ‘in the know’
about municipal issues share that information with friends
and neighbors. They come out to vote in elections and get
involved in city issues. They volunteer for committees and
contact their city leaders and elected officials. In essence,
they care about their city and want to see it run well.
The City of Kyle aims to build better, stronger, and more
tangible relationships with its residents. In turn, that should
have the desired effect of increasing residents’ interest and
participation in city business.
One of the many ways in which Kyle is ramping up
resident engagement is its Kyle Leadership Academy.
This is an ongoing educational forum allowing Kyle residents the opportunity to learn the inner workings of city
government. The goal of the program is to produce an
informed population that could serve as resources for
various city functions, including but not limited to serving on boards and commissions and the city council.
Throughout the multi-week course, participants learn about
the various functions of each component of government.
We accomplish this by using curriculum modules designed
to provide a first-hand perspective of the roles and relationships involved in the day-to-day management of a city.
The program is designed to cover 12 components over the
course of a year. We structured the academy so individuals
can participate in each component as their interest and
availability allow. In other words, there is no requirement
to attend every session each month. This flexibility takes
into account the busy schedules of suburban dwellers.
Participants who complete the preset numbers of
components over a period of time receive certification for finishing a level of the program. Those people are also recognized at Kyle city council meetings.
Past graduates of the Kyle Leadership Academy
include stay-at-home mothers, business leaders, college students, and retired residents, among others.
As Kyle continues to find ways
to engage its citizenry, the Kyle
Leadership Academy will play
a vital role in demonstrating
the importance of city government and facilitating a better
understanding of the myriad
components involved in effectively running the city.
34
FEBRUARY 2016
KYLE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY 12-PART CURRICULUM
1.
Introduction to City
Government Charter
8.
Administration
Council
2.
Role of the Council:
What it is/What it isn’t
Set policy
Approve budget
Mayor’s duties
Council’s duties
3.
City Administration
City manager
Assistant city manager
City secretary
City attorney
4.
Finance
5.
Parks and Recreation
6.
Library
7.
Budget, accounting, and
financial reporting
Utility billing and customer
service
Municipal court
Facilities
Recreation
9.
11. Public Service
Elected office
Boards and
commissions
Employment
Public Safety
Fire
Police
EMS
Public Works
Streets
Water supply
General infrastructure
10. Intergovernmental
Relationships
State
County
School district
12. Tour One: Facilities
Library
City hall
Tour Two: Public
Safety
Police station
Fire station
Tour Three:
Infrastructure
Water treatment plant
Construction sites
Get in the
Driver’s
Seat
Community Development
Economic development
Planning
Building and permits
Code enforcement
Communications
City engineering
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FEBRUARY 2016
LEADERSHIP ASPECTS OF
SUCCESSION PLANNING
By Craig D. Pedersen
Director, Executive Master in Public Leadership Program
LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin
Early in my career as a public sector CEO, my board chairman asked if I had identified my successor. This question
elicited an array of thoughts and feelings from “Is he trying
to get rid of me?” to “What is he really asking?” Once over
my immediate reaction, I concluded that maybe he was
just asking a totally appropriate and reasonable question. It
was. It is not only a completely reasonable question for any
leader at any level of an organization to ask of him or her
self, but it may be one of the most strategically important
questions any leader can ask.
But the behaviors associated with good succession planning can also help create a framework of thinking about
positions in general that enhances the broader human
resources development of the organization. One of the
key principles of organizational greatness identified by Jim
Collins in his book Good to Great is “First Who…Then What.”
He elaborates further:
We expected that good-to-great leaders would
begin by setting a new vision and strategy. We
found instead that they first got the right people on
the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right
people in the right seats – and then they figured
out where to drive it. The old adage “people are
your most important asset turns out to be wrong.
People are not your most important asset. The right
people are.
The Leadership Imperative
There are many reasons why succession planning is strategically important, especially at the senior level. Continuity in
critical decision-making is at risk if a qualified internal candidate is not available when vacancies occur. Additionally,
thinking about succession planning forces one to think
about the important attributes of that position: the skills,
mindset, and personal qualities of those holding such a
position. This can take people decisions beyond the typical “skills only” approach to which many hiring managers
resort. Building on attributes can lead one to have around
him or her a team of individuals who presumably share the
attributes the leader – and the organization – values.
Thoughtful succession planning can go hand in glove with
“First Who…Then What.” If the senior executive of an organization applies this to his or her reports, then encourages
those individuals to do the same and monitors it, the organization can soon have a cadre of individuals from which
to promote. It can help create a model that infuses the
organization and a behavioral norm for identifying needs
and then hiring and grooming people. Most organizations
I am familiar with would greatly benefit from this approach.
But only truly confident and competent leaders will surround themselves with individuals who can succeed him
36
FEBRUARY 2016
or her. Board members (and each subsequent level of
management) can use this as a test of leadership capability. Astute bosses can see direct evidence of both real
organizational and executive values (what attributes get
emphasized) and leadership capabilities (effectiveness of
implementation and judgment) in this most important strategic realm of management.
force, attendance in leadership training, internships, and
mentoring. It is important that this process involve multiple
methods of development. It’s critical that design of this
development include opportunities and expectations for
applying on the job the skills being learned.
4. Define, assess, and ‘reward’ the behaviors (processes)
you want to see.
Building Your Bench
How does an organization begin an effort to ‘build its
bench’? Becoming clear about the purpose and intended
outcomes is a critical first step. At all costs, avoid implementing a canned training program or forced mentoring
that quickly devolves to a ‘check off the box’ compliance
exercise. And while the human resources function can
be a valuable asset in such a program, top-level leaders
must be the ‘owners’ of the succession planning process.
The following steps are offered as a roadmap, of sorts, for
getting started.
1. Get your mind right.
Mindset, that is. Believe in the value of this exercise and
reflect that in your actions and behaviors.
2. Identify those who you wish to develop.
Noted authors Noel Tichy and Warren Bennis, in their book
Judgment assert that organizations that do not have viable
internal candidates ready to fill vacant executive positions
have failed in their strategic preparations. Yes, there are
times when it is preferable to hire from the outside, but if
that is the norm instead of the exception, the organization
has underprepared for its future leadership needs.
Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, and his board
put in place a rigorous, multi-year winnowing and development process to prepare his successor – starting with
more than a dozen employees and eventually culled down
to three – as they couldn’t know in advance who would
eventually be the best person for the job. An experienced
board member once told me “no one bats .1000 in hiring
decisions.” Putting all one’s “succession eggs” in one basket creates an unacceptable level of organizational risk. If
this one option fails, there is no fall-back position.
3. Identify the core competencies and experiences you
wish these people to have – and then devote the time and
resources to make it happen.
There are a number of processes available for identifying the critical competencies needed for each role.
Competency maps can be created for each leadership
job, and developmental experiences identified – such as
membership on an important cross-departmental task
Most performance appraisal systems in cities assess managers on the extent to which they achieve their part of
the organization’s goals. Far less common are systems
designed to additionally assess a leader’s results in developing other people. One question to pose: “If I knew that
half of my performance appraisal for the coming year will
be based on how well I develop each staff member to succeed at the next level up in the organization, what would I
do differently over the next year?”
The answers to that question can help in the process of
adjusting the performance management system to support the new efforts at developing people. The leadership
adage “what you define, measure, and reward is what you
get” is true if one keeps in mind that ‘measure’ isn’t only
what can be counted, and ‘reward’ is not only – or even
mostly – about money. What do you expect leaders at all
levels to ‘do’ in this new system? If you expect them to take
a coaching approach to management, then help them get
those particular skills. How will you hold leaders accountable for developing others, and how will you measure the
difference between those who do it extremely well and
those who only go through the motions? And how will
you ‘reward’ managers and leaders who are successful in
developing others? ‘Rewards’ in this case are not necessarily monetary, but make no mistake: if you expect leaders to
‘own’ the development of others, make sure those efforts
get the reinforcement and recognition that are commensurate with those given the other results valued by the
organization.
Conclusion
Finding and grooming the right people throughout the
organization is a critical and strategic organizational function. In too many organizations – both public and private
- the level of attention to people issues and the sophistication of that attention are lacking. Succession planning – or
more broadly the development of the next generation of
leaders – is a critical process for building the capacity of
your city for the future.
Craig D. Pedersen is Director of the Executive Master in
Public Leadership Program for the LBJ School of Public
Affairs at UT Austin. Craig can be reached at cpedersen@
austin.utexas.edu. H
37
FEBRUARY 2016
CAN LEADERS
TEACH
RESILIENCY
By Mary Kelley, Ph.D., Author and Speaker
Why do some people bounce back from difficult life events
seemingly easier than other people? How do some people,
such as firefighters, law enforcement, and the military (and
I would include teachers, all teachers) manage tough situations better than others. Some people seem to press on
and be more resilient than others. How? Is this ingrained or
is it taught?
The truth is some people deal with life’s challenges and
tragedies better than others. This is resiliency.
Some people respond faster and better in crises than
others. They seem to always know what to do, while their
counterparts are often paralyzed with shock. What is the
difference?
Researchers studying resiliency looked at United States
Marine Corps and Navy Seals to see how they manage to
train for action when confronting difficult situations.
What they found is there are neurological differences
with people who tend to rebound from difficult situations.
Highly resilient people experience a shorter time between
the emotional response and taking action. Some observers used to dismiss that as “those people just don’t care”
which is why these warriors were able to respond quickly
and appropriately. That could not be further from the truth.
Resilient people care as deeply as anyone else, but they
manage to postpone the emotional reaction until the crisis
is concluded.
Once the crisis is over, they process the difficulties better
than others. Can this be taught?
38
FEBRUARY 2016
•
Researchers found that we can train for resiliency by helping people prepare, and then by giving them the right path
and action to take. The brain, through practice, then goes
more quickly to the action, instead of being incapacitated
by the emotion. This research also showed that people with
high levels of exercise increase the neurons, so the path to
the action speeds up in our brain.
Training for difficult situations helps us respond appropriately. Most of us would agree that rational people do not
go into burning buildings. Yet firefighters do. They are able
to overcome the innate desire to run from fire because they
have the training and the gear that gives them the response
of going into the building instead of out. Training and the
confidence in the training builds resiliency.
So how can we build resiliency?
•
“What do you think you should do?”
•
It is hard watching people make mistakes without stepping in to help, but people don’t learn
if someone else is doing the job for them.
•
How can leaders teach this?
Leaders can help build resiliency and help people be successful by:
Letting people fail. Paradoxically, allowing people to fail builds resiliency. People need to try, to risk, and then try
some more. This comes from failing a few times
along the way. Resilient people are not people
who have never failed. They are people who
have learned from trying, failing, and trying again.
Alibaba founder, Jack Ma, was rejected from 30
jobs, including Kentucky Fried Chicken, before
becoming the richest man in China.
“What is the next step?”
Defaulting to the right response.
Making allowances for people to fail is not carte
blanche for not holding people accountable.
Failure without a lesson IS failure.
We have to believe that events or the situation will
improve with effort.
What did Grandpa tell us? “If you fall off, get
back on the horse.” One of the issues today
is that people are afraid to allow for mistakes,
and they want to protect others from failure.
Falling off the horse is not the end of the
world. Being scared and not getting back on
the horse is failure. Failing and trying again
helps us become more resilient.
•
•
We need a strong sense of the ability and the need to
move forward to overcome the setbacks and obstacles. •
“What do you think will happen next?”
Remembering the goal.
It is easy to get discouraged if you only see the
failures. Every attempt is a step toward success,
even if that attempt wasn’t the solution. Keep the
big picture in mind.
We need community.
•
•
•
We need a core of people to trust when things go wrong.
We need to know that others have succeeded. Have
you ever thought “Oh, I can’t do that,” and then you meet
someone who did whatever “that” was and you think, “if he
or she can do that, I can do that too”?
Teaching the ability to solve problems.
This means not solving all of the problems yourself. The most difficult task a leader (or a parent)
has, is not doing something ourselves when we
know we could solve the problem quickly. Instead
we need to pull back and ask:
•
When the United States military conducts an
exercise, we have a “hot wash” where we discuss the quick “what went right and what went
wrong” part of the exercise. Then in the final
summation, there is a “lessons learned” section. We have to learn what to do when things
do not go right. We take note of the failures
and figure out a way to avoid failing in the
future. We accept responsibility for the problem and move to create a better outcome.
Knowing the difference between a problem and
an inconvenience.
Problems are life threatening, serious issues.
Inconveniences are when you get the middle
seat on an airline, when someone cuts you off in
traffic, when your neighbor doesn’t keep the lawn
mowed, or when you don’t get that promotion or
pay raise. Let the inconveniences go. Focus on
solving real problems.
Mary Kelly, PhD, CSP, Commander, US Navy (ret) is the
CEO of Productive Leaders, dedicated to leadership and
business development. Her new book, Why Leaders
Fail is available in March 2016. Contact Mary at Mary@
ProductiveLeaders.com or 719-357-7360. H
39
FEBRUARY 2016
CELEBRATE
GOOD TIMES
AT A TEXAS
FESTIVAL
Looking for fun in Texas? You don’t need to look far. Pack up the
family or round up a few frolicsome friends and find a festival.
Some of this country’s most feted festivals are held in the Lone
Star State. Boasting a wide range of eclectic themes, these events
often feature parades, children’s activities, music, entertainment,
culinary treats, and plenty of old-fashioned fun.
40
FEBRUARY 2016
Celebrate and have a good time! Here’s a sampling of
events taking place in TML member cities around the state
from February 1 through August 31, 2016:
March 11
City of Keller: Teen Black Light Egg Hunt
www.cityofkeller.com/services/the-keller-pointe/special-events
After the sun goes down, enjoy a black light egg hunt and
an evening at The Keller Pointe with family and friends. You will get a a black light flashlight and a chance to win
prizes from local vendors. Pack a picnic and blanket or
visit the food and beverages stands. Come bright-eyed
and bushy-tailed! March 13
City of Aledo: Kelly Miller Circus
www.aledo-texas.com
Kelly Miller Circus returns to Aledo at Bearcat Park on
March 13. Join the fun and watch the elephants raise the
tent. This circus includes live animals, trapeze acts, clowns,
and more. Bring the whole family to enjoy the show.
March 15-20
City of Nederland: Nederland Heritage Festival
www.nederlandhf.org
With a carnival, parade, concession row, market, car show,
chili cook-off, and fun races, the Nederland Heritage
Festival has it all. This popular event supports all local
organizations and is known for its delicious fare, enthusiastic volunteers, and family-focused activities.
Family-friendly activities and entertainment await you
at the annual Haslet Wild West Fest held at Haslet
Community Park. The park will be transformed with an
arena for Bull Riding and Mutton Bustin’. The Wild West
Fest will feature an International Barbeque Cookers
Association sanctioned Bar-B-Q Cook-Off, live music,
rides, face painting, a mechanical bull, and vendors.
April 22-24
City of Georgetown: Red Poppy Festival
poppy.georgetown.org
The City of Georgetown’s Red Poppy Festival kicks off
Friday night with vendors and a street dance. Saturday,
watch a parade and a car show, explore more than 100
handcrafted artisan booths, and take the kids to the Safe
Place Kids Zone! Later, enjoy a Saturday night concert,
and return again Sunday for more free fun and games at
Georgetown’s celebrated event.
April 22-24
City of Southlake: Art in the Square
www.artinthesquare.com
Art in the Square is an annual fundraising event coordinated by the Southlake Women’s Club with proceeds designated for various local charities. A three-day art festival,
the event is free to the public and offers more than 140
national and local unique artists, children’s arts and crafts,
and ongoing entertainment.
April 23
City of Sunset Valley: Annual Sunset Valley ArtFest
www.sunsetvalley.org/artfest
March 19
City of La Grange: La Grange Uncorked
www.lagrangeuncorked.com
An afternoon of wine and memories awaits you at La
Grange Uncorked. Your admission ticket includes wine
samples, tasty treats, live music, a commemorative wine
glass, and a tote bag. With more than 15 wineries to sample and local chefs preparing bites of their culinary delicacies, your taste buds will thank you for visiting.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Sunset Valley ArtFest
is a free outdoor event that hosts area artists, displaying
varying forms of art, woodworking, oil paints, and jewelry.
The event attracts 5,000 visitors, and has live music on the
main and kids’ stage, local foods, and children’s activities.
Fete the arts at this all-day celebration!
April 29-30
City of Colleyville: Old Tyme BBQ
www.colleyville.com
March 19
City of Humble: Humble Good Oil Days Festival
www.goodoildays.com
Visit the 36th Annual Good Oil Days Festival located on
Main Street in Humble, featuring over 100 vendors selling
their wares, live entertainment, food vendors, a Classic Car
Show, Kidz Zone, and the famous senior plant sale. All
proceeds will benefit the Humble Senior Activity Center.
April 15-16
City of Haslet: Wild West Fest
www.haslet.org
The City of Colleyville’s annual Old Tyme BBQ brings people together for good food and a great cause. See a live
band, and eat fried fish for free on Friday. Come back on
Saturday with the family, and pay a small fee for barbeque plate lunches while supporting the Special Olympics
Texas.
41
FEBRUARY 2016
April 29 - May 1
City of Denton: Denton Arts & Jazz Festival
www.dentonjazzfest.com
One of Denton’s signature events, the Arts & Jazz Festival
is a three-day celebration of the arts. More than 2,500
professional and amateur performers on seven stages
showcase the best in jazz, pop, rhythm and blues, and full
orchestra music. Fine artists and craftsman come from all
over to participate in this lively event.
April 30
City of Conroe: KidzFest
www.cityofconroe.org/departments/parks-recreation/
special-events/kidzfest
Come to downtown Conroe to play, create, explore, laugh,
and learn. KidzFest offers an assortment of entertainment,
interactive villages, stage acts, and hands-on activities to
pique the interest of every family member. There is something for everyone at this free admission event!
April 30
City of Denison: Doc Holliday Festival
www.denisonlive.com
Celebrate the 1870-1880’s when Doc Holliday had an
office in downtown Denison. Festival events will include
author Victoria Wilcox speaking about her 18 years of
research on Doc, wild west photos, stories, card games,
antiques, gun fights, food, and music.
May 7
City of San Augustine: Texas Treasure Heritage Festival
[email protected]
Celebrate Texas “firsts” in historic downtown San
Augustine at the Texas Treasure Heritage Festival. San
Augustine was founded in 1833 and is still graced today
with the clean air and environment that its earlier settlers
enjoyed. Celebrate good food, shopping, art, music, and
demonstrations all complementing the city’s beautiful forests and lakes.
May 21
City of Santa Anna: Santa Anna Funtier Days
www.santaannatex.org/p/funtier-days.html
Taste culture on the go at the Food Truck Championship
of Texas where food trucks from around the state will
gather at America’s largest downtown square to compete for a $10,000 grand prize. The Graham Chamber of
Commerce will host the annual Possum Pedal Bike Ride,
and later that night at the historic Graham Drive In, Robert
Earl Keen will be live in concert.
June 11
City of Mesquite: Summer Sizzle
www.cityofmesquite.com/pard
Mesquite’s Summer Sizzle festival has a full menu of family entertainment. Enjoy local and regional music, vendors
and concessionaires, children’s activities, a BBQ cook-off,
and a mud volleyball tournament, all capped off with a
fabulous fireworks display in beautiful Paschall Park.
June 30 – July 4
City of Belton: 92nd Annual Fourth of July Celebration
www.rodeobelton.com
Santa Anna Funtier Days is where the west meets fun!
Cooks from all over the country will test their recipes and
their reputations not just on beef, chicken, and pork, but
on buffalo. Featuring arts and crafts, a horseshoe tournament, entertainment, homemade pies and ice cream, and
buffalo, this event is for the young and the young at heart.
June 4
City of Graham: Food Truck Championship of Texas
www.foodtruckchampionshipoftexas.com
The week-long festivities at Belton’s 92nd Annual Fourth of
July Celebration draw more than 50,000 people. Delight
in classic events such as a parade, Festival on Nolan
Creek, carnival, Texas Ole Time Fiddlers’ Contest, Patriotic
Program, Kick-off BBQ, and a rodeo.
42
FEBRUARY 2016
July 1
Town of Sunnyvale: Sunnyfest
townofsunnyvale.org
July 4
City of Leon Valley: The 3rd Annual Fourth of July
Celebration
www.leonvalley4thofjuly.us
Bring the whole family and spend the evening in
Sunnyvale where you will enjoy a live band, pony rides,
train rides, bounce houses, face painting, and vendor and
food booths. End your evening watching the sky light up
with a fantastic firework show.
July 2
City of Wylie: Bluegrass on Ballard
www.ci.wylie.tx.us/living/events/bluegrass_on_ballard.php
Wylie will be wide awake on July 2 for Bluegrass on
Ballard, a free festival featuring top bluegrass bands, a car
show, arts and crafts, and great food. Bring your instrument, and pick and jam with other musicians on the street
or in shops and restaurants. The event in downtown Wylie
continues the tradition of drawing citizens and members of
neighboring communities into the heart of this historic city.
July 2
City of The Colony: Liberty by the Lake
www.libertybythelake.com
This free Independence Day festival features a fun run or
walk, parade, live music, children’s activities in the Family
Fun Zone, stunt shows, vendor expo, food-based competitions, and an outstanding fireworks display presented over
Lewisville Lake.
July 4
City of Lake Dallas: Lake Cities 4th of July
www.lakedallas.com/210/Lake-Cities-4th-of-July
Come to the Lake Cities 4th of July celebration for the
parade, kids’ water slides, horse rides, contests, live music,
and one of the biggest fireworks shows in the area. The
event at Lake Dallas City Park also features a great selection of vendors and food trucks.
Celebrate the Fourth of July with the City of Leon Valley.
The celebration starts with the Star Spangled Fourth of
July Parade, followed by the Pioneer Firecracker 5k hosted
by the Leon Valley Historical Society, and finally a daylong Celebration & Fireworks Spectacular. Last year’s celebration attracted 15,000 people. Let’s see if you can help
Leon Valley top that mark!
July 16
City of Friona: Cheeseburger Festival
frionachamber.com
Recognized as the “Official Cheeseburger Capital of Texas”
by the 80th Texas Legislature, Friona will host its annual
Cheeseburger Festival on the 3rd Saturday in July. Enjoy
the festivities while sampling some great cheeseburgers,
or bring your secret recipe and see if you have what it
takes to compete for the Top Cheeseburger award.
August 11-13
City of Vernon: Summer’s Last Blast Car Show and
Cruise Night
summerslastblast.com
Summer’s Last Blast is a fun weekend all about cars of
all eras. Come for the car shows, a swap meet, burn out
contest, and a concert on Friday night. Saturday features a
golf tournament, car show, and the Nostalgic Cruise Night
with entrants cruising the streets of Vernon for a blast
from the past.
August 27
City of Jonestown: Swift Fest
www.swiftfest-jonestown.com
This festival centers around the chimney swifts that make
Jonestown their home. There will be games and activities
for families, nature-themed vendors, live music, food, and
the famous “Swift Drop,” when the birds put on their own
show, forming a tornado-like swirl as they return to their
cistern home in the evening. H
43
FEBRUARY 2016
CAREER H BUILDER
SUCCESSION PLANNING:
NOW IS THE TIME!
•
Align workforce requirements directly to strategic
and operation plans
•
Identify and implement gap closing/reduction
strategies (for example, training, mentoring, and
coaching) to transition from the existing workforce
to the workforce needed
•
Build an internal workforce planning capability to
continually shape the workforce in response to
emerging trends, shifting priorities, and technological progress.
By Patrick Ibarra
The Mejorando Group
Every day 10,000 people turn 65 years of age. According to
the Pew Research Center, for the first time, millennials now
outnumber baby boomers in the workplace (76 million to 75
million), and they will make up 75 percent of the workforce
by the year 2025. As a result of the rapidly aging workforce,
cities throughout Texas, small and large, rural and urban,
are experiencing a “brain drain” which places their organizations at a critical juncture. The need for experienced and
seasoned employees has never been greater, and the trend
shows these employees are the most likely to be departing
the organization in the very near future. According to recent
research, for the second consecutive year, state and local
governments are reporting an increase in hiring.
It is important to recognize that the process of establishing
systematic succession planning is the equivalent of making a long-term culture change. It can be a major shift in
an organization where decision-makers may have been
accustomed to filling one vacancy at a time.
Succession planning requires commitment to a longer-term
view of talent needs, and features these benefits:
1. Departments and divisions meet both long-term
and emergency leadership, management, and
non-supervisory needs at all levels by identifying
the bench strength in place.
Small cities are challenged when an employee leaves
because a natural successor may not be within their
workforce. On the other hand, mid- and large-sized cities
typically have decent size numbers in a single occupation
(police officers and maintenance workers, for example)
so when a group retires or leaves for other reasons, the
impact can be disruptive to service delivery. Replacing the
sole incumbent who handles a breadth of responsibilities
and possesses extensive tacit knowledge is a dilemma for
organizations of all sizes.
2. Promoting people is good for morale – and essential to a positive organizational culture. People will
want to join and stay with your city since it develops its own people. And promoting from within
is consistent with an empowerment philosophy
that encourages people to take on responsibility,
assume risk, and grow through their achievements.
More than simply replacing positions that become vacant,
succession planning is an ongoing process of identifying,
assessing, and developing talent to ensure leadership,
management, and supervisory continuity throughout an
organization and moreover, to sustain the performance of
the organization. The major focus in succession planning is
to have replacements ready to fill key vacancies on short
notice, with individuals having the development capacity
to assume greater responsibilities and exercise increased
technical proficiency and expanded management role in
their work.
Effective succession planning requires the advocacy and
visible support by all members of the leadership team, not
simply the human resource function. A well-designed succession planning program will enable your city to:
3. Your city will have a clearer sense of an internal candidate’s strengths and opportunities for
improvement as well as access to more and better
data on that person’s performance than with outside candidates leading to better informed and
accurate selection decisions.
4. Succession planning helps align human resources
with the strategic direction of the organization.
Succession planning is an ongoing and dynamic process,
not a static objective. In today’s highly competitive search
for talent, Texas cities must look beyond simply replacing
employees. Strategies must focus on recruiting, selecting,
and developing employees in a way that supports organizational goals while also empowering employees to achieve
their professional goals. H
44
FEBRUARY 2016
Endorsed by
45
FEBRUARY 2016
INSTAGRAM HIGHLIGHTS H CELEBRATING CITIES
@cityofbryan
The Bryan Dire Department made significant gain and achievements in
fiscal year 2015! They added 6 new firefighters this year (and currently
hiring more!) All current self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)
masks were replaced with new high-temperature masks to increase
firefighter safety, and the city acquired land necessary to construct
new Fire Station 2. #ElfOnAShelf #ElfTheShelf #BetterInBryan #BCSTX
#Firefighter #Fireman #Safety #Texas #BryanTX
@tml_texas
From soccer games to a picnic and walking your
dog to jogging — city parks provide a healthy
place for citizens to exercise, relax, and spend
time with one another. #MyTexasCity
#CitiesProvide
Featuring You!
Do you want your city’s photo published here?
We will feature our favorites each month. Email us
([email protected]), use the hashtags #MyTexasCity and
#CitiesProvide, or tag us on Instagram (@tml_texas).
@tml_texas
#MyTexasCity
#CitiesProvide
@eulesslibrary
About 40 new books just went out in the YA section! Get them
while you can! #ireadYA #bookstagram #YAlit #newbook
#librarylife #readingforfun #booksworthreading #goodreads
46
FEBRUARY 2016
Registration is open for
The Congressional City Conference
March 5–9, 2016 | Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. has been attracting visionaries,
revolutionaries, and doers since 1790. As a city
leader, you fit right in. Be a part of a long history
of men and women who have come to Washington
to make a difference in your communities and in the
lives of the families who live in them.
Come to Washington, D.C. March 5-9,
2016, to become a history-maker for your
community. Hear from federal policy makers and
those vying to be the next President of the United
States, as you prepare to advocate for cities on
Capitol Hill.
LEARN MORE AND REGISTER NOW AT NLC.ORG/CCC
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FEBRUARY 2016
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52
• FEBRUARY 2016

succession * planning - Texas Municipal League

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