Town of Barrington, RI
Town Council Goal-Setting Workshop
Bay Spring Community Center – 2nd Floor Community Room
170 Narragansett Ave.
Thursday, January 25, 2024; 7:00-9:00 PM
Each Agenda item is subject to action/vote by the Town Council
Number of participants: Five Town Council members. The public may also attend the meeting; number unknown. The Town Manager will also attend.
Where: Bay Spring Community Center – 2nd Floor Community Room. 170 Narragansett Ave.
Goals and Objectives: By the end of this session, we will accomplish the following:
1. Identify and define council members’ collective high-level public service priorities for 2024 (max 3-5). Establish a limited set of realistic action items for advancing each priority.
2. Identify actionable strategies for making the Town Council a more efficient, effective, and accessible governing body.
3. Review and agree on immediate next steps.
Pre-work: Town Manager will distribute these items to the Council in advance of the meeting.
1. An online survey, created by Ali Mitchell, that will:
a. solicit ideas for high-level priorities from each Council member. These ideas will be reviewed by the facilitator ahead of the meeting. Themes that arise from responses will be used to ground the goal setting session.
b. to solicit responses to questions related to the effectiveness and efficiency of the Council, i.e. “What are the barriers to serving on the Council (or a board, commission, etc.). “What is needed for the Council become more efficient and effective?”
2. A review of the outcomes of the past goal setting session, created by Phillip Hervey.
Workshop Agenda (with estimated times)
The estimated Workshop start time is 7:05 following the Town Council’s formal call to order and the pledge of allegiance.
7:05 Welcome and Introductions (President Kustell)
7:10 Introduce workshop goals, flow, norms (facilitator Ali Mitchell)
7:15 Identify Council Members’ 3-5 high-level goals for 2024.
· Review high-level goals provided by Council members through the pre-meeting survey. Surface additional goals/priorities. Identify themes.
· Voting/consensus building process to identify 3-5 highest level goals for 2024.
7:50 Agree upon a limited set of action items to advance each of the high-level goals.
· Generate 3-5 action items – reasonable, 1–2-year time horizon – for each goal.
· Identify partners and necessary resources for each.
8:20 Discuss Community Engagement initiatives, and DEI’s proposed Respectful Speech / Condemnation Statements (Council previously agreed to include these topics on goal-setting session agenda)
8:30 Reset for Workshop Part 2: Improving Town Council effectiveness and efficiency.
8:35 Clarify barriers to serving the Council. Identify strategies for mitigating those barriers and increasing Council efficiency and effectiveness.
· Present ideas generated by Council Members through the pre-meeting survey. Solicit additional barriers and needs.
· Identify themes.
· Generate actionable mitigation strategies and actions to be taken to address those themes.
8:55 Next Steps
9:00 Adjourn
The Town of Barrington will provide accommodation needed to ensure equal participation in all meetings. Please contact the Town Clerk’s office (401-247-1900, x1) 48 hours prior to the meeting so arrangements can be made to provide such assistance. Hearing impaired callers can dial RI Relay 1-800-745-5555 (TTY) for additional assistance. The Barrington Town Hall, Barrington Public Library, Barrington Middle School, and Barrington Public Safety Building are accessible to the disabled. Posted on January 22, 2024, at Barrington Town Hall, Barrington Public Library, Bay Spring Community Center and Town of Barrington Web Site and Secretary of State Web Site.