It was a retreat, but it was anything but. During the Morgan
Hill City Council’s goal setting retreat, held Friday and Saturday,
the body discussed how to work with other governments like the
Morgan Hill Unified School District and the City of Gilroy in order
to make the most of the regional economy during these trying
times.
Morgan Hill
It was a retreat, but it was anything but.
During the Morgan Hill City Council’s goal setting retreat, held Friday and Saturday, the body discussed how to work with other governments like the Morgan Hill Unified School District and the City of Gilroy in order to make the most of the regional economy during these trying times.
And despite mixed results from last year’s goals, the council showed no reserve in setting ambitious goals for 2009.
Headlining those goals are becoming more business friendly, studying options for increased housing downtown and identifying new revenue to pay for additional police.
Economic development
Tentative goals include bettering economic development, making gains on downtown redevelopment, streamlining government, police staffing and recapping the sustainable budget principles the council first adopted in 2006.
Preliminary goals include positioning Morgan Hill so that it’s welcoming to businesses with strategies including improved infrastructure and subsidies.
Downtown
City officials will review how Redevelopment Agency dollars could be spent to fast track development downtown. City Attorney Danny Wan will study whether the agency’s money can be used to develop properties the agency bought last year or for lending to a developer.
“In the past, we’ve always been more than willing to wait for other people to catch up. I’m willing to tolerate the flack we will get from not waiting for others,” Councilman Larry Carr said of taking a more hands-on approach to downtown redevelopment.
City Manager Ed Tewes has been charged with reviewing election options for a second measure, to increase housing downtown after Measure H failed in the November General Election. The council said that a re-tooled Measure H, with a solid campaign for it, could lead to its passage.
Governance
As a cost reduction strategy, the council will forego its five standing committees for a year and replace them with once-in-a-while workshops, the first of which may be a meeting with District Superintendent Alan Nishino.
The council’s second main goal around governance is improving the city’s relations with the school district including a proposed workshop between the council and the Morgan Hill Unified School District Board of Trustees.
Police staffing
Agreeing that the city still needs more police, in spite or especially because of the economic turmoil, the council directed staff to identify possible new revenue sources to pay for increases to the force.
As one of its main 2008 goals, the council added Measure G, requesting voter approval for a utility tax to add seven police officers, to the city ballot in the November General Election. The measure failed with 65 percent of voters choosing against it.
Budget strategy
No goals have been solidified for the budget as of yet, but working with Gilroy officials has been the one prominent step taken. The two cities agreed to study whether joint fire, dispatch, recreation or environmental services would lead to cost savings or improved service. These studies will take up to three years to complete.
Perhaps more revealing about the council’s direction is what’s not on the goal-setting agenda this year. Environmental sustainability and Upper Llagas Creek flood protection, both keystones of the council’s 2008 goals, were set aside for the most part this year, although the council also vowed to improve its relationship with the Santa Clara Valley Water District, which is the entity responsible for building the flood protection channel. The council batted around the possibility of sharing the $600,000 cost of conducting an environmental impact report for the project using redevelopment agency funds.
The goal-setting workshop was held in the Community and Cultural Center’s Madrone Conference Room.
The council will likely adopt its goals at one of its February meetings, either Feb. 4, 18 or 25.
Mayor Steve Tate will give the 2009 State of the City Address at 6 p.m. Feb. 23 in the El Toro Room at the Community and Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road.
