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OBSTACLES <br />Toward Meeting Goals and Priorities <br />STRATEGIES <br />For Overcoming Obstacles <br />#5 Ability To Regain The Trust Of The People <br />Regain Trust <br />Who Live In Our Community <br />• Have open, honest communication <br />• Conduct more neighborhood <br />informational meetings. <br />■ OST <br />■ Send clear, consistent messages <br />from staff and council. <br />• Allow healthy debate. <br />■ Share the facts, background more <br />readily. <br />■ Encourage referendums of presidential <br />elections on key issues -- to increase <br />participation. <br />#6 Change In Council /Staff And Their Working <br />Council & Staff: <br />Together <br />This takes time. Also, the ideas put forth <br />regarding how to improve the effectiveness <br />of both council and staff and the working <br />relationship between the two are the key <br />actions toward addressing this obstacle. <br />(See next section of report (below) that <br />address council and staff effectiveness.) <br />a. Strong administrative tendencies of <br />past will need to allow for strong <br />council <br />b. Disregarding staff's <br />input /experience /research. <br />c. Inability of Council to work together as <br />a team and agree (or agree to <br />disagree) on collective goals. <br />i. Lack of ownership in decisions <br />over time. <br />ii. Lack of trust /respect at Council <br />level. <br />iii. No unified City Council. <br />City of Ramsey <br />Council /Staff Retreat <br />February 1, 2, 2008 <br />Comment on Redevelopment: <br />In relation to the topic of redevelopment, there was discussion of adding the following <br />obstacle: "City Charter disallows the assessment of sewer and water when going through <br />an existing neighborhood with functioning sewer and water." It was determined that this is <br />a long -term financing issue, rather than an obstacle <br />Comment on Communication and Change; <br />The overriding theme in all of this is communication. Changing organizations and communities <br />need to triple the amount of communication you do; you cannot over - communicate, <br />especially when there is negative press. <br />11 <br />-205- <br />