The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About03-25-18 Public Comment - S. Macevicz - Strategic PlanFrom:Steve Macevicz To:Agenda Subject:Comments on Proposed Strategic Vision Statements Date:Sunday, March 25, 2018 1:16:07 PM TO: Bozeman City Commission RE: Proposed Strategic Vision Statements From: Steve Macevicz 1114 South 3rd Avenue Bozeman, MT 59715 Dear Sirs, Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed City Vision Statements. The high level statements 1-7 are very good and I support them. However, the subsequent elaborations of the high level statements contain language and concepts which could provide justification for inappropriate City actions that go beyond the traditional scope of city government and that may be contrary to the desires of Bozeman citizens. Therefore, I respectfully request that the City Commission amend the three following proposed vision statements as shown below. FIRST AMENDMENT: 3.3 Friendly Community - Ensure Bozeman is welcoming to everyone without regard to race, creed, religion, color, sex, physical or mental disability, age, or national origin. continues to welcome diversity through policies and public awareness. a) Anticipate, celebrate, and incorporate an increasingly diverse population into the community, city advisory boards, and city staff. b) Review the feasibility of all city vendors and suppliers to establish and enforce a gender pay equality policy. REASONS: Phrases like “welcome diversity,” “anticipate … an increasingly diverse population,” and “incorporate … an increasingly diverse population,” are completely vague and do not provide clear principles for city action. Because they are vague and undefined, there is a danger that they may be used to justify actions that are wasteful, outside the traditional bounds of city government, and contrary to the desires of Bozeman citizens. I recommend that section 3.3 be amended as indicated above. The proposed language captures the sentiment of section 3.3 and tracks the language from the Montana Human Rights Act, which provides a clear well-thought-out principle for city action. Part a) becomes unnecessary. The city’s function is to serve the existing population. If the existing population becomes, in some sense, “diverse,” then the city should respond to the needs of such a population. However, it is beyond the scope of city government to “anticipate” the composition of possible future populations, beyond size or economic capability. Otherwise, I submit that the existing language would provide justification for all sorts of undesired actions, such as recruitment, or even exclusion, to meet anticipated “diversity goals,” or to meet other inappropriate objectives. Part b) (policing city vendors for compliance with “gender” pay standards). I submit that this would support activities that are beyond the traditional scope of city functions. The City should choose vendors in a competitive process based solely on economics. If the City suspects unfair treatment of employees by vendors, then the City should alert the Montana State Department of Labor and Industry or the Federal EEOC. It should not duplicate a State or Federal function at the expense of the local citizenry. SECOND AMENDMENT: 6.4 Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation - Increase the community’s resiliency and preparedness in response to climate change. [delete entire section] REASONS: The climate may well be changing, but it is changing at a slow, virtually imperceptible, rate and the forces responsible for such change are global. This proposed subheading seems to be directed to a problem that does not exist in the day-to-day lives, or even the lifetimes, of ordinary Bozeman citizens. What is it exactly that we need to have resiliency against, and what exactly would we be increasing our preparedness for? Section 6.4 is an exceeding vague statement and could justify inappropriate and arbitrary city actions contrary to the desires of Bozeman citizens. 6.4 should be removed from the otherwise well-elaborated list of subheadings under the “A Sustainable Environment” vision statement. THIRD AMENDMENT: 7. A High Performance Organization We operate as an ethical high performance organization, anticipating future needs, utilizing best practices and striving for continuous improvement. 7.1 Values-Driven Culture - Promote a values-driven organizational culture that reinforces ethical behavior, exercises transparency and maintains the community’s trust. a) Develop a Cross-Functional Team Culture. Use cross-functional teams to meet Bozeman’s future opportunities and challenges. b) Create a culture of innovation. 7.2 Employee Excellence - Recruit, retain and value a diverse, well-trained, qualified and motivated team capable of delivering superior performance. Be accountable and expect accountability from others. Make demonstrated use of good judgement a part of the evaluation process for promotions. a) Be a “Best in Class” Employer. Enhance the attractiveness of the City as a place to work through salary and benefit packages, workplace amenities and facilities, as well as professional development. b) Develop and Implement an Innovative Onboarding Program for New Employees. Work with partners to develop new tools to recruit and provide assistance to new employees so they feel welcome and prepared. c) Implement an Employee Excellence Recognition Program. d) Set Diversity Goals. Define the type of diversity the City seeks to achieve as an organization (e.g. reflecting the community-at-large) and develop a program to achieve these goals. 7.3 Best Practices, Creativity & Foresight - Utilize best practices, innovative approaches, and constantly anticipate new directions and changes relevant to the governance of the City. Be also adaptable and flexible with an outward focus on the customer and an external understanding of the issues as others may see them. a) Implement Department Staffing Plans. Compile departmental staffing plans and create a system to implement the plans to address current and future work load. b) System Integration. Identify key systems that if integrated would improve efficiency and effectiveness. c) Improve Departmental Collaboration. Identify opportunities to improve collaboration between City departments and create subgroups on communications, community interactions, long-range planning, and other matters of common concern. d) Update Departmental Plans. Proceed with updates of the next generation of departmental plans scheduled for review and update during the 5-year timeframe of this strategic plan. e) High-level Policy Conversations. Develop a structure to foster regular, ongoing dialogue on innovative ideas and information to assist the Commission with high level policy deliberation and decisions. REASONS: Everything beyond the single sentence of vision statement No. 7 is an unnecessary word salad of HR-speak, fraught with undefined and ill-defined terms, jargon and miscellaneous gobbledygook. For example, if the City of Bozeman follows the Montana Human Rights Act, why would there be any necessity to “Define the type of diversity the City seeks to achieve as an organization (e.g. reflecting the community-at-large) and develop a program to achieve these goals.” [emphasis added] I submit that it would be entirely unnecessary; it would happen automatically. For another example, item b) under section 7.2 (Employee Excellence) contains a completely nonsensical concept: “Work with partners to develop new tools to recruit and provide assistance to new employees so they feel welcome and prepared.” Why would the City ever consider recruiting and hiring someone who is not prepared to do their job? And what kind of “partnering” or “tools” or “assistance” is required beyond ordinary human courtesy—of which I have found Bozeman has in abundance--to make a new employee feel welcome? Sincerely, Steve Macevicz