HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - Retreat - 01-26-2018November 29, 2017
Meeting Plan
Orange County Board of Commissioners Retreat
Friday, January 26, 2018
Maple View Agricultural Center, 3501 Dairyland Rd, Hillsborough, NC 27278, (919) 942 -6122
Retreat Attendees
At the table (12): Seven members of the Board, County Manager, Assistant County Manager,
County Attorney, one open seat for any staff member invited by Manager to address the
Board, and Facilitator.
• Invited resource persons: Consultants from Management Partners (working on the County's
five year financial plan) and The Timmons Group (working on the SWOT analysis of the
County's economic development districts).
• Observers: Department heads as needed and interested members of the public.
Desired Outcomes
• Greater awareness of the impact of any new policies, programs, and projects upon the
County's budget and tax rate.
• Priorities for the County's FYI 8-19 budget.
• Updated view of the potential and design challenges related to Orange County's Economic
Development Districts and Commercial Industrial Transition Activity Nodes.
• Prioritized strategies for realizing the potential of our EDDs and CITANs.
Preparation
Prior to the retreat, the Manager will survey the Commissioners to identify potential budget
priorities (i.e., new policies, programs, or projects for FYI 8-19) for which any of the
Commissioners would like to see staff - researched cost ranges presented at the retreat.
Consider asking for potential priorities under each of the six BOCC Goals (attached).
Agend
8:30 Gather /Breakfast available
9:00 Convene
• Welcome by Chair.
• Facilitator leads group in reviewing/clarifying facilitator's role and the retreat's desired
outcomes, agenda, and ground rules.
• Quick ice breaker to deepen interpersonal appreciation.
9:40 FY18 -19 budget
Presentation by Management Partners on County's Five Year Financial Plan (20 minutes)
• Discussion as needed to clarify "budget drivers" for FYI 8-19 (40 minutes)
(10:40)
• FY 18 -19 Budget Exercise: "What do things cost, and how might we prioritize across new
budget items in FYI 8 -19 ?"
Prior to the retreat, the Manager will survey the Commissioners to identify potential
budget priorities (i.e., new policies, programs, or projects for FYI 8-19) for which any
of the Commissioners would like to see staff - researched cost ranges presented at the
retreat. Consider asking for potential priorities within the six BOCC Goals (attached).
At the retreat, the Manager will present all the potential budget priorities identified by
Board members under each of the six BOCC Goals, with cost ranges for the potential
budget priorities (20 minutes).
(11:00)
After the Manager's presentation on what things cost, Board discussion to clarify as
needed (30 minutes)
11:30 Individual Board member would then have time to think quietly about how
they would prioritize across all the potential budget priorities under the assumption
that the tax rate will not increase beyond the amount needed to cover the school
bond. No one's set of priorities may exceed the dollar amount that corresponds to that
limit. (20 minutes)
11:45 The facilitator (working off of a list of potential priorities) will ask for each
item on the list, "how many Commissioners included this item in their individual set ?"
We'll note the items a majority of Commissioners included in their set of priorities, and
then break for lunch.
12:00 Lunch Break
12:45 Continue Budget Exercise
We'll focus on the set of items favored by a majority of the Board for the next
discussion:
• What Board values /goals is advanced by this set of potential priorities, and how?
• What concerns would staff or Board members have if this (majority) set of budget
priorities were adopted by the Board?
• How might the Board or staff address those concerns?
• Do you need to prioritize further? If so, do one more round of votes and discuss, as
needed and time allows.
1:45 Stretch Break
2:00 Economic Development Districts
• Presentations by The Timmons Group on EDD SWOT analysis recommendations and the
Economic Development Advisory Board's ranked list of strategies (30 minutes)
• Board discussion to clarify and to add strategy ideas, as needed (25 minutes)
(2:55)
• Individual Board member would then have time to think quietly about how they would
prioritize across all the EDD strategy options. Give each Commissioner n/3 dots, where n is
the number of items on the menu. (10 minutes)
• Commissioners then place their dots on a menu posted up front of all potential strategies. The
facilitator will lead group in counting up the dots and making sense of the results (40
minutes):
— Where does the majority will appear to be (i.e., which potential strategies received
at least 4 dots ?)?
— What Board values /goals are advanced by this set of potential priorities, and how?
— What concerns would staff or Board members have if this (majority) set of
strategies were adopted as the Board's priorities?
— How might the Board or staff address those concerns?
— Do you need to prioritize further? If so, do one more round of votes and discuss, as
needed and time allows.
3:45 Retreat Wrap Up
Last thoughts from each person at the table reflecting on the retreat, including what worked well,
what to consider doing differently in future retreats?
4:00 Adjourn