PM

Data collection is such an important part of management but the actual data collection is booooring.

Need An Answer

With all these voices, it’s hard to read where we stand as a community. We all wish there was an easy answer. After all, taxes haven’t gone down. But city revenue has clearly gone down as state aids and construction has plunged — and both show no signs of an early recovery.
Considering the many competing demands and often scarce resources that confronts the City today, how can management decisions best address the needs of the community? Well, maybe it’s time to ask residents directly for the important part of the answer.
A citizen survey is a high quality, low-cost, scientific service designed by the National Research Center, Inc. in partnership with ICMA, to help busy local government managers make effective decisions informed by a well-rounded view of citizen opinion.

Today's Quote

A disposition to preserve, and an ability to improve, taken together, would be my standard of a statesman.
Edmund Burke

Organization Question

Continuous improvement means not being satisfied with “a good job,” but always striving to do a better job and improve services. When did what was done in 1970 become the benchmark for doing a good job?

Ready For The New Year

Evaluation is a data driven process. Selecting the right technology to collect the data can involve several data collection strategies. Since we are adding expansive amounts of new data while reducing the number of employees available to do the work means exploring strategies and methods that will be using data from systems no longer used to project the new needs.

Super Majority

A slight change in organization format is now required, but no significant change to what will occur.
The newly approved budget incorporated the separation of the Clerk/Treasurer duties. The approved budget recognized the changes in the scope of the job over the years and resulted in the City Manager opting to appoint a Finance Director and incorporate the Treasurer duties into this position. The charter ordinance would have separated the Clerk’s statutory duties from the Treasurer’s duties because the tasks of the Treasurer and Finance Director are similar and the statutory duties of the Clerk are consistent with the Human Resource activities.
The City Manager will have to create minor administrative offices that are attached to the Clerk-Treasurer and Deputy Clerk-Treasurer positions and appoint persons to fill those positions without confirmation by the Council. Such officials serve at the City Manager's pleasure and may be removed without notice and hearing or a finding of cause.
The manager’s authority includes the appointment of department heads and subordinate employees, preparation of the budget, and creation and termination of minor administrative offices. Sec. 64.11(3), Stats.

Funds

The Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) issued Statement 54 “Fund Balance Reporting and Governmental Fund Type Definitions” in February 2009 and is effective with the 2011 reporting year. These new requirements will mean the Council needs to officially set a fund balance policy and provide the required definitions.
GASB 54 separates fund balances into five categories. Under the old standards, there were three categories; Reserved, Designated and Undesignated. The new categories are more descriptive and focus on how the City plans to use the funds. The resolution provides the definitions for the new classifications and sets a fund balance policy.

Passing Thoughts

In times like the present, men should utter nothing for which they would not willingly be responsible through time and eternity.- Abraham Lincoln

Yes, I have said a lot of things I wish I could take back. A man who sees and reacts to the world through his strengths and weaknesses is different than the man who can see and react to it through others strengths and weaknesses.

To speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves. – Will Durant

Aw, the true definition of politics today. We all do it and enjoy our clever conversations. My favorite answer to give and least liked to receive is they all do it.

The measure of a man’s real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out. – Thomas B Macaulay

A man contained by nothing other than the values he exposes in public; I wonder what it would be like – never seen it and don’t know if it could really exist. I’ve seen men who want to be good make mistakes and men who want to be bad accidently do something good.

Look at the word responsibility—“response-ability”—the ability to choose your response. Highly proactive people recognize that responsibility. They do not blame circumstances, conditions, or conditioning for their behavior. Their behavior is a product of their own conscious choice, based on values, rather than a product of their conditions, based on feeling. – Stephen R. Covey

I once thought I was responsible – now I’m not sure. What principles’ should determine if you’ve been responsible or not. As I work on continual learning – my perspective has changed.

Know Nothing

Mr Kraus, I also know members of the new "Know Nothing" Party.