[MissoulaGov] Committee Update 8-3-08

[Janet Donahue]

RE: [MissoulaGov] Committee Update 8-3-08I think that is what Strategic Planning is all about.  The council could identify strategic issues such as a conservation staff person if you had a planning process (and maybe you do and I'm not aware of it).  Then it would be identified as a priority and become a part of the administrative budget.  
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Bob Jaffe<mailto:BJaffe at ci.missoula.mt.us> 
  To: Jim McGrath<mailto:jmcgrath at missoulahousing.org> ; missoulagov at cmslists.com<mailto:missoulagov at cmslists.com> 
  Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2008 12:47 PM
  Subject: Re: [MissoulaGov] Committee Update 8-3-08


  What the mayor has requested is that the council make requests like "we want a conservation staff person" sometime before February so those things can be incorporated into the executive budget. I think this year will go a lot better than last since we will be doing strategic planning. First quarter of this year it was hard to think past the next subdivision.

  bob



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  From: Jim McGrath [mailto:jmcgrath at missoulahousing.org]
  Sent: Thu 9/4/2008 9:02 AM
  To: Bob Jaffe; missoulagov at cmslists.com
  Subject: RE: [MissoulaGov] Committee Update 8-3-08


  "What choice do I have?" you ask twice. And you express frustration with the budget process.

  Bob, in general I agree that you should have staff in place that you trust and allow them to make recommendations that you have some confidence in following. But you always have a choice. If you are pinching pennies, the staff's recommendation that new cars are needed might be balanced out with the need to stretch funding - perhaps cycle the replacements over more years. 

  Whatever. 

  I also usually prefer the council to advise the administration on its direction (we should have a conservation staff person) and have them come back with the recommended approach (permanent or contract etc.) but to say that the mayor's direction to you makes it out of your control is not something I agree with - but it does explain why you might be frustrated during budget discussions. 




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  From: Bob Jaffe [mailto:BJaffe at ci.missoula.mt.us] 
  Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2008 8:25 AM
  To: Jim McGrath; missoulagov at cmslists.com
  Subject: RE: [MissoulaGov] Committee Update 8-3-08



  A majority on council are very receptive to the recommendations of this committee at this time.  The council was more or less talked out of the idea for the conservation coordinator by the Mayor. My understanding is that he is supportive of this idea but wants it to be planned out a little better. Is this going to be a long term position, full time or part time, what will they do? Would it be more effective to just contract this job?  If this is pushed as a priority while he is putting together the executive budget this year I would hope that it will be included. 

  Of course these things could have been figured out and implemented this year but I thought he made it clear this wasn't the way he wanted to do it and we don't really have any control over that sort of thing.



  Regarding police cars and the like; if the administration and department heads and maintenance department tell us the cars are worn out and need to be replaced to maintain basic public safety, efficiency, and employee safety what choice do we have?  I'm not a mechanic. To a large extent we have to trust our staff on most decisions. We also have to hope the administration is doing its best to ensure we have the best staff possible working for the city so they make the right recommendations. In general this is an area I feel pretty good about.



  bob 




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  From: Jim McGrath [mailto:jmcgrath at missoulahousing.org]
  Sent: Wed 9/3/2008 10:37 PM
  To: Bob Jaffe; missoulagov at cmslists.com
  Subject: RE: [MissoulaGov] Committee Update 8-3-08

  Bob and all, 

  Nancy is a great choice. And the committee is an important one-- perhaps the most important one nowadays, if it's advice is followed by the city. Having served on this committee and others, as well as your body, and having seen citizens burn their candles in vain serving on volunteer committees, can you perhaps speak to your sense of how the advice or recommendations of this body is currently likely to received and what folks can do to change (improve) that if they so wish? For example the city was able in a budget crunch to buy several hundred thousand dollars worth of police cars but couldn't "afford" a self-supporting staffer to save on energy costs. 



  -----Original Message----- 
  From: missoulagov-bounces at cmslists.com on behalf of Bob Jaffe 
  Sent: Wed 9/3/2008 10:14 PM 
  To: missoulagov at cmslists.com 
  Subject: [MissoulaGov] Committee Update 8-3-08 
    
  Greetings, 

  We had a short committee day today. Just conservation and A&F. 

  In conservation we voted to put Nancy Wilson on the Greenhouse Gas and 
  Energy Conservation Team as the representative from the transportation 
  community. I don't remember what her title is but she works for 
  transportation issues for ASUM. She helped in setting up the various park 
  and rides and the current bus programs at the U.  She spoke of how there is 
  much low hanging fruit for conservation efforts to be found in 
  transportation. She also talked about how a lot of people don't connect with 
  global warming, the environment, and saving the planet for future 
  generations. But they do understand that it is costing a fortune to keep 
  filling their tank. The economics of conservation are ultimately where we 
  can make the most progress. As an outspoken member of the conspiracy I had 
  some doubts about how the vote would go but her application was approved by 
  everyone but Dick. Lynn, John H. and Stacy were absent. 

  In A&F we approved the taxing for the downtown business improvement 
  district. We also approved a three year contract for union Park's employees. 
  As with most things that deal was already done before we heard about it. For 
  a number of reasons it's probably best we stay out of such things but it 
  pushes my relevancy button when it comes before us for a rubber stamp. 

  That was about it for committees. More next week. 

  Thanks for your interest, 

  Bob Jaffe 

  Missoula City Council, Ward 3 

   <mailto:bjaffe at ci.missoula.mt.us<mailto:bjaffe at ci.missoula.mt.us>> bjaffe at ci.missoula.mt.us 

  406-728-1052 



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