The meeting was called to order by Mayor Clark at 12:05 PM.

ROLL CALL: Mayor Clark, Mayor ProTem Lorenzo, Council Members Bononi, Crawford, Csordas, DeRoche and Kramer

Member Csordas asked why Mr. Pierce applied for the position of Novi City Manager?

Mr. Pierce said this is a great community with a nice past and a lot of future. He felt that it would be exciting and had always enjoyed the opportunity to be in communities that were growing, vibrant and moving forward. He felt a quality job had been done in developing the community and there were endless opportunities ahead and he wanted to be a part of it.

Member Csordas asked what his most challenging responsibility was at his current position?

Mr. Pierce said Davenport was an old community with lots of traditions and about 100,000 plus population. They are very culturally diverse, economically diverse and there are a number of communities within the community which has been a part of the challenge. There are eleven elected officials including eight Council Members from eight different wards and each of the wards has a different flavor to them. It is a challenge to unify the community to do things on a citywide basis that are generally accepted by the community as a whole. It is a challenge maintaining unity of purpose and identifying those things in which the entire community could agree on.

Member Csordas asked what his leadership style was?

Mr. Pierce said he is a participatory type of individual. It is absolutely true that you only get to where you want by partnering and team effort both in terms of Mayor/Council as well as the administration having a good strong management team. Also, having the partnerships with the citizenry and business community that allows you, as a community, to achieve all those things you set out to achieve. He thought this was critical in terms of voting consensus, voting coalitions, fostering those alliances and partnerships to bring all the resources together to achieve those things that are most critical to the future of the community.

Member Csordas said there are a few significant newsworthy issues facing the City Council and the future City Manager. If familiar with any of those issues what would he consider to be the most important issue and why?

Mr. Pierce said he was in a Florida community that was very rapidly growing and thought they had some of the same types of problems Novi has in terms of traffic planning, master planning, infrastructure planning and all the elements of growth management. These insure that you not only maintain the quality of life but also enhance it. He said it was critical that the tax base and economy continue grow but it is also important it be done in a quality manner and account for all of the impacts that each development has.

Mr. Pierce said he was not familiar with the current issues of Novi.

Member Csordas said Novi’s build out is anticipated in 2020. He asked what his philosophy was regarding a developing rather than a mature community like Davenport?

Mr. Pierce said Davenport is mature and developing. Davenport is a 60 plus square mile community that is 60% developed with tremendous growth going on. It has a lot of historical preservation battles and lots of growth management struggles in other parts of the community. He said strategically you have to be very smart about that transition from a dynamic growing community to one that is looking at the build out and maturation of all of the elements that makes up the community. This strategically needed to be planned and provided for because it is a significant transition.

Member Csordas asked what his goal or objective would be if offered the position?

Mr. Pierce said his first goal and task would be to establish an effective and close working relationship with the Mayor and Council.

Ms. Gronlund-Fox asked what three words would people who knew him best, professionally and personally, use to describe him and why?

Mr. Pierce said they would be personable, capable and consensus-oriented because he hoped he demonstrated those traits as he did his business. He thought it was important to enjoy what he was doing and that the people around him should enjoy what they are doing which would produce more motivated and more productive people working to reach a common end. He said he had over 25 years of City Manager experience and felt it was critical to bring everyone together in true effective partnerships in order to achieve together what cannot be achieved independently.

Ms. Gronlund-Fox asked how he would go about bringing people together to meet common goals?

Mr. Pierce said good working relationships had to be built and then most of the problems are much more easily addressed and resolved.

Ms. Gronlund-Fox asked what work ethic and integrity meant to him?

Mr. Pierce said work ethic was that they were spending taxpayer dollars and that is a serious matter. You have to be very diligent and conscientious about making the very best effort. Everyone else is required and encouraged to make their very best effort to make the best return on investment that the taxpayers made in them. He said integrity was being open, honest and up front with everyone about how business is done on an ongoing basis.

Member Bononi asked why he wanted to leave his position in Davenport?

Mr. Pierce could not honestly say he wanted to and would be perfectly happy spending another five to eight years there. He said it is a great community from a family standpoint, has a tremendous educational system and a vast array of opportunities for young people. However, his wife is ten hours from her Mom and Dad and has ten brothers and sisters. Her Mom and Dad are not doing well, health wise, so certainly there is a lot of appeal from that standpoint.

Mr. Pierce said from a professional standpoint Novi is a great community and so is Grand Rapids. Beyond that there is not a lot that would be as professionally exciting to him as what Novi offers. He had not applied anywhere else and most likely wouldn’t unless a unique opportunity like Novi or Grand Rapids came up.

Member Bononi asked if the City was faced with a significant debt what approach would he take to correct the situation and minimize the impact on the taxpayers?

Mr. Pierce said first he would want to fully understand how the City got into that circumstance. He would want to get into some strategic planning interacting with the officials to identify a plan and approach that would offer a means by which the debt could be paid down in a way that would be acceptable to the community. It would not be easy and would involve some hurt and pain in the process but he would identify the course of action that was least painful and would get the results needed and then stay the course.

Member Bononi asked if the administration, agencies and Council routinely approved development proposals that promoted urban sprawl what would he do to try to influence the decision-makers?

Mr. Pierce said that was a big issue in his community. Some are focused on historic preservation and have a difficult time accepting any of the aspects associated with the new development that is occurring in the community. It is a problem across the country and he thought each community had to uniquely identify the balance that would be appropriate for their community, citizenry and business community.

Member Bononi said you are a new City Manager hired from the outside. A direct report City employee does not accept your authority and demonstrates non-productive, non-positive behavior toward your goals; how do you handle this situation?

Mr. Pierce said he hoped his goals would be explicitly tied to the Mayor and City Council’s goals so there is agreement on a plan of action that is understood to be the community’s plan of action. As a member of the management team it should be understood that is what is important to this community and everyone needed to fully and unequivocally buy into that. This way there is a common mission, goals and objectives and everybody is on the same agenda moving in the same direction. He said there are no options or alternatives. We need to be working together to move the City forward in the manner that the Mayor and City Council set forward.

Member Bononi asked if he expected the results of his performance evaluation to be available to interested parties?

Mr. Pierce said certainly; taxpayers have a right to know what is going on in their city government.

Member DeRoche asked how he would motivate his staff?

Mr. Pierce thought people would be hard pressed to find a better setting to practice their skills, talents and expertise. it would be easy in this kind of setting. He said there is a lot of opportunity, challenge, problems and positive things to deal with. He thought the context would be a very good one in which to work. Hopefully, everyone would be encouraged to take risks, come forward with their ideas, expertise and talents on how to best deal with those things the City would be confronted with. He felt this could be a very motivating environment.

He said motivation depended on the individual. He thought the hiring process and the ongoing training process was critical in terms of trying to individually equip all of the employees with the skills and psychology to continue to improve themselves. However, in the end it can only come from the employee.

Member DeRoche asked what motivated him?

Mr. Pierce said the opportunity to be in a community that is thriving, prosperous and has lots of challenge.

Member DeRoche said some people might argue that Novi Administration is due for some positive changes. There are new Council Members and a new Mayor and a City Manager who is retiring after 25 years. What would he do to instill confidence in this Council and the citizenry at large that he would be a positive agent of change in this City?

Mr. Pierce said in terms of the Mayor/Council/Administration relationship he would want to go through some team building, strategic planning and goal planning sessions that would fully identify and prioritize all of those things that are most critical from the elected officials perspective. Then, along with that it is critical to identify those processes, which can be utilized to positively interact and engage the citizenry. He said our jobs would be a lot easier if everyone knows what the community wants are and moving in that direction. This could be done through community surveys, focus groups and other interactions that engaged the citizenry in identifying what is important to them and could be very helpful in building that community alliance.

Member DeRoche asked him to tell Council about a time when his performance did not live up to his expectations and what he learned as a result and what action he took?

Mr. Pierce said Florida was his most enjoyable ten years but he did not end up the way he wanted. He was on the short end of a three to two vote by City Council and that was not unusual. In looking back he thought he was in step with the community but obviously needed to do a better job of figuring out how to deal more effectively with the three person Council majority.

Member DeRoche asked regarding the City needing some positive changes and coming off of a 25 year City Manager how many years would it take to make some positive changes?

Mr. Pierce said first would be to identify what the achievement should be and then committing and staying the course in order to achieve it. Almost anything that is of substance and significance is going to take some time to achieve. He said with a family of seven, he is looking for the right place and would stay for as long as the community would have him.

Member Kramer asked him to give a short synopsis of his educational and professional background focusing on the areas that would directly relate to being a Manager in Novi?

Mr. Pierce said he was educated in Michigan and grew up in Taylor and Dearborn Heights. He went to Alma College for his Bachelors in Public Service and Wayne State University on a scholarship. At Alma College he had the opportunity to work for the City of Saginaw for the Finance Director who later became City Manager for Three Rivers just as Mr. Pierce was graduating from graduate school. He became the administrative assistant to the City Manager of Three Rivers. He worked in Lapeer and Portage Michigan which is a lot like Novi. He said he was Assistant City Manager there for one and a half years and was offered their City Managers job but took a job in Lapeer. He also worked in Florida and Uber Heights and now Davenport. He felt he brought a lot of experience with all of the types of issues that Novi would be dealing with as far as managing finances, work force, growth, transition, etc.

Member Kramer asked him what his greatest accomplishment was?

Mr. Pierce said Uber Heights stands out. They had two huge referendums there that completely changed the tax system and one where they took over ownership of the water system. The water system was owned by American Water Works Company and they had never lost such a referendum before and had spent an inordinate amount of money insuring they did not lose in Uber Heights. However, it was something that had been identified by the Mayor and City Council as being absolutely critical to the future of the community and it was won by 73% to 27%.

Member Kramer asked what his approach would be to community outreach and citizen participation in City government?

Mr. Pierce said it was important to understand the community first of all. His expectation would be that this is a working community and those mechanisms and opportunities would have to be identified that reflect the time the people have available to interact with City government. He said for a working community you would have to be respectful of those times that are available for people to take care of their work responsibilities, time to deal with their family responsibilities and now have to interact with their community. There has to be an outreach on the City’s part that makes it as easy as possible for them to participate whether it’s using the Internet, cable, etc.

Member Kramer asked how he would find and implement Best Practices innovative ideas items of significant new initiatives?

Mr. Pierce said the communities he had been in had always been a part of the U.S. Innovation Group. It is a collection of about 450 of the most entrepreneurial cities in the United States and a great source of identifying the latest and greatest of everything that is going on with respect to municipal management. Another approach is to have, within the organization, a

task force of City employees that are committed to that type of undertaking with representation from each City Department.

Member Kramer asked coming from a City larger than Novi would ever build out to be, how would he relate to that and his own motivation and desires with regards to what would make him satisfied in this position?

Mr. Pierce said his perspective had changed considerably over the years and he understood the importance of family and it is most important that he be in a professional community that has the quality of life that they could enjoy on a personal level.

Member Crawford asked him about his experience with budget preparation, news media, Human Resources and computers?

Mr. Pierce felt the budget is critical from the standpoint of it being a genuine opportunity for the Council to decide on how to allocate the City’s resources to those things that are most important.

Mr. Pierce said they have over 1,000 employees in Davenport and have a very innovative quality improvement process that utilized employee teams to deal with various challenges. It promoted a good sense of cooperation between the eleven departments to effectively utilize all the talent that is available to bring to bear on whatever the challenges are. Most private sector and public sector organizations have come to understand that top down decision making is not always the best and probably pales next to utilizing and building from the bottom up. There are lots of different innovative approaches to employee training and development and organizational development. He said he had broad based experience in Human Resources.

Mr. Pierce said as far as technology he is currently in the process of finalizing a 500-page website that would put them on the Internet. They have a two-station, seven day, 24 hours a day, cable information network. He said technology is the only way to keep up with your business in today’s society. With the difficulty of finding good employees in a tight labor market, it just made sense to identify and utilize all the technology possible.

Mr. Pierce said the media has been the most challenging experience he had ever had. Davenport is the largest community in the metropolitan area with four papers and four TV stations and they all focus on the City daily. He said the principle paper and the one lead TV station has a very negative flavor to them. It is a constant challenge to feed information on all of the great things that are going on in the community they will not cover. It is why there is so much focus on developing those information sources that can be controlled so the other side of the story gets out. He thought a relationship had

to be developed with the different media sources to try to establish some process by which they would balance their coverage.

Member Crawford asked what his co-workers, department heads, business leaders and citizens would say about him?

Mr. Pierce said he would get great comments from the business communities because they have very innovative private sector leadership and it is a joy to work with them. In terms of the citizenry, he might still be considered as an outsider because with a City the size of Davenport he has not had a lot of opportunity to directly interact with a lot of citizenry. He said in terms of department heads, they had an excellent management team which is challenged by the diversity and the politics and the competing interests that exist in the community. There is a mixture of new department directors and some excellent department directors that have been there for quite a while and is a very good complimentary situation. It is an older work force considering the amount of retirements there will be.

Member Crawford asked how he felt about residency requirements for City employees?

Mr. Pierce said he would like to think they had done a successful enough job that people would voluntarily want to live here. In a situation like Detroit, it would be challenging to find the right mix of insuring that opportunities are not limited to attract the best work force with the desire to insure that everybody that is being paid for by the taxpayers of the community are in fact taxpayers themselves. He did not think there would be an easy answer but it was a highly desirable community so hopefully it would not be a big issue.

Member Crawford asked if there would be anything that could potentially interfere with his duties as a City Manager or community leader in the City of Novi?

Mr. Pierce said no but it is clear that he has family responsibilities. He has four boys and a sophomore girl in high school so he is very involved with his wife and all they do. He said they are involved in sports, music and drama and he tries to maintain that balance in terms that he is doing all he should be doing as a father and husband. He said in 20 years he and his wife have learned to balance all of this and they do a good job of it.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked if he had initiated or implemented any human resource or departmental policies that have either saved money or provided greater efficiency?

Mr. Pierce said they had a long range financial planning team that exclusively does that. They, on an ongoing basis, look to do our business better and more cost effectively. In Iowa on the capital side there is lots of money to build things but on the operating side there is no money to maintain anything. They have a property tax system that has been absolutely carved up owing to the strength of the Iowa Farm Bureau.

Mr. Pierce gave examples such as implementing a whole set of user fee increases that would appropriately identify those opportunities where people that are able to can pay directly for those services that they utilize and benefit from. As the community has been surveyed they prefer that to general taxation from the standpoint that they can associate what they are paying with what they are receiving.

There are also a lot of technical improvements. They are doing a multi million dollar project now with Scott County and their neighboring city to jointly do dispatching. In the past they had always done it independently with the assistance of a million dollar COPS Grant. They are in the process of buying the latest technology that would give them the very best system available and do it much more cost effectively than ever before. They have seen some real

bottom line cost saving which enabled them to continue the other things that needed to be done.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked when he empowered an employee and the employee’s decision results in or contributes to a financial loss for the City, an embarrassing situation or a less than quality development project what do you do?

Mr. Pierce said he would want to analyze the situation to find out precisely how and why it occurred. He would always want to guarantee that whatever unsuccessful experiences have happened, measures have been put in place to insure that it would not happen again. He said when trying to do a lot of things or a lot of new things there are going to be situations where there will be set backs. He did not think it should detour from the process of trying to continually improve and look at new ways of doing things. Some are going to work and some are not and the ones that do not work should be avoided. It would be critical to learn from that experience and not repeat it.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked what he thought an effective policy statement would be in terms of risk management?

Mr. Pierce thought it was important to have a commitment to risk management throughout the organization. It should not be the responsibility of any one department or any one set of employees. A mentality has to be established throughout the organization with respect to all of the services and functions performed and provided. As employees, they need to factor in that risk that is associated with how we are individually doing our jobs and how the city’s business is being conducted. He thought if there was a good citywide risk management team that kind of mentality could be created. It has to be a part of what it is we do as employees. To often a risk management division is set up and one or two people are responsible and it is their job to practice risk management and it is never going to be very successful in terms of its result organization wide.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked if the Mayor or a Council Member shared information that could be relevant to a future decision that the Council was going to make, would he share the information with the rest of the Council or leave it up to the Council Member to do so?

Mr. Pierce said he would talk with the Council Member regarding how that information would be provided to the rest of the Council because they are only effective in the end working as a team. If everyone is not privy to the same thing communications will break down real quick and as a result there will be mistrust and a lack of confidence in one another and it would get in the way of a good team approach on an ongoing basis. He said everyone needed the information that served as the foundation from which Council made decisions collectively.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked if the City was the unsuccessful party in a lawsuit and the media called for a response, and it has not yet been discussed with Council, how would you respond to the newspaper?

Mr. Pierce thought it was important for the news media to understand that policy is set by the Mayor and Council. The media is impatient but as unhappy as they would be there are times they have to be reminded of what the process is. Eventually they will come to understand and accept it.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked if potentially contaminating materials were illegally dumped on City property by City employees how would he handle the situation?

Mr. Pierce said he would move immediately with the right people to investigate it and precisely identify factually what and how it occurred. Then with the facts the appropriate action could be determined and the quicker that is done the better off everyone would be. He said no snap judgements should be made and an investigative action should be put into place that would identify those facts that could then be used as a basis to decide what the appropriate action or discipline would be.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked if there was an allegation of sexual harassment within a department how would he approach the situation?

Mr. Pierce said hopefully there is a good sexual harassment policy that identifies what is acceptable and what is not and what the discipline would be. If a policy has been put into place it would make it a lot easier to deal with if the expectations are pre-established. It would have to be properly and thoughtfully investigated and then appropriately acted on immediately.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked if there was sufficient evidence should the department head be aware of a situation like that and if so, should there be any disciplinary action?

Mr. Pierce felt strongly that it is important to depend on those people to properly manage their affairs. There is a high degree of responsibility and accountability that rests on key people selected to run departments.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked what he would least enjoy about this position?

Mr. Pierce said he really enjoyed being a City Manager and when it worked and there was a good relationship with the Mayor and Council, connection to the citizenry and the community was progressing in a way that made most people happy there is tremendous satisfaction. The downside would be when it does not work.

Mayor Clark asked what the most important attribute to be a successful City Manager would be?

Mr. Pierce said the ability to get things done and produce results.

Mayor Clark asked what were his major personal and professional qualifications that would make him a success as the next City Manager of the City of Novi?

Mr. Pierce said he had good communication skills and was comfortable in all types of settings. He said he was very good at marshalling the resources of the organization internally and externally building those relationships with county, state and federal governments and with the private sector, which helps keep some of the burden off of the taxpayers.

Mr. Pierce asked what the timetable was in completing the transition?

Mayor Clark said the initial set of interviews would be finished soon and a second round of interviews would be set up and the selection process would begin.

Mr. Pierce stated he was very interested in the community and felt blessed that he has the benefit of this Council, in a great community, interested in talking to him and at the same time has a real nice situation in Davenport. He considered this to be a unique opportunity that should be pursued. He had a genuine interest in the community while at the same time he enjoyed what he has in Davenport. He understood some of the questions in terms of the size of the community but from a professional standpoint this is a traditional Council/Manager form of government that has had good City management and has accomplished a lot of things. It probably has a little more straight forwardness to it even though he was sure there were challenges and differences of opinions like all communities. Structurally it was a lot more comfortable than what he was used to in his current situation.

Ms. Gronlund-Fox asked if hired for the position what would be the most challenging undertaking and how would he go about it?

Mr. Crawford said the first challenge would be getting to know the community, people in the community and the staff. He would get out among people in the community and staff. He would also consider specific training, employee attitudes and surveying the depths of the organization, set up groups and get into problem solving. He did this when he went to Boca Raton FL and found that it was a great tool and the employees understood he was interested in their part of the organization.

Ms. Gronlund-Fox asked what three words would those that know you use to describe you and why?

Mr. Crawford said they would say he was trustworthy. They can come to him and share their thoughts and know it would be kept confidential. They would say he is innovative and not afraid to try things that haven’t been tried. Lastly, they would say he is a facilitator. There is always conflict and he is good at mediating and finding the common ground in which to resolve a particular issue.

Ms. Gronlund-Fox asked what work ethic and integrity meant to him?

He said work ethic means to accomplish a large amount of high quality work. Integrity is basically being trustworthy that the basic ethics that fall upon a City Manager would not be compromised.

Member Kramer asked for a brief synopsis of his educational and professional background focusing on areas that would directly relate to being City Manager of Novi?

Mr. Crawford stated he has a Bachelors Degree in Political Science, Economics and Public Address from Nebraska Wesleyan University. He went to Northern University and earned his Masters Degree in Public Administration and a second Masters Degree in Advanced Study. He has had numerous training courses and had taught at Oakland University in the Public Administration Program and at U of M Dearborn in the Public Administration Program.

Mr. Crawford said his Boca Raton experience related to Novi. It was about the same size that Novi is today and he arrived in the middle of the biggest war over growth control. The residents had written a ballot question and placed it on the ballot that the community would be limited to 50,000 dwelling units. It passed. A lot of land use decisions had to be made that brought a lot of litigation. His task was how to keep sight of the goal, which was quality of life, and they pursued that. Mr. Crawford brought in experts to advise them about getting credibility. He approached the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and asked them to help develop a community impact statement. He said they funded it and developed a major impact statement that has since been used throughout Florida. Through that process they got everyone to agree that the goal was quality of life and the voters supported that. The zoning was changed; they supported bond issues to acquire open space and parkland, additional monies for roads, etc.

Mr. Crawford commented he also gained a lot of experience while doing consulting work.

Member Kramer asked what his greatest accomplishment was and why?

Mr. Crawford said it was Boca Raton being able to win the battle between growth and no growth.

Member Kramer asked what his approach would be to community outreach and citizen participation?

Mr. Crawford said in Streeter, IL he approached the International City County Management Association for an assistance grant under the COPS program for Community Oriented Public Safety. Then a core group of individuals were picked who had time and were willing to participate in activities. Goals and priorities were set and these groups started working involving a lot of people in community activities that were never involved before.

Member Kramer asked how he would go about finding and implementing innovative Best Practices new initiatives?

Mr. Crawford said he tried to stay attuned to that either by thinking about it himself and with one organization which is called the Innovations Group. They are based in FL but

there are a number of sub-groups around the country. They get cities that are on the cutting edge and share knowledge and they have a database, which can be reached through the Internet, and the cost is minimal. As a reward for employee’s performance, they are sent to conferences as a team. He found when the Police Chief, Fire Chief and Planning Director are sent off for three or four days to a conference they come back and are excited and they share it with the rest of the organization and things start happening.

Member Csordas asked what his most challenging responsibility was at his current position and why?

Mr. Crawford has been trying to instill community pride because it is a community that has had major problems. It started out as a coal mining town and the coal mines shut down, then it was a railroad community and the railroads vanished. Then it became the

greatest manufacturer of glass in the country employing thousands and now there is one glass plant that has 200 employees that make every Miller beer bottle sold and it is controlled by a computer in Toledo. So these people thought their community was quickly dying. Then the City Council got shipped off to Federal Prison. So there was a lot of pretty bad things which tends to beat a community down.

Mr. Crawford said he started pointing out the good things that they had and getting people involved and that things were not as bad as it seemed. They now make the Vector, which is a machine that cleans out sewers, and they produce salt sprayers and snow plows. He points out these things to people and it is taking hold.

Member Csordas asked him to describe his leadership style, would it be analytical, amiable or a driver? How could he improve in his style?

Mr. Crawford said his leadership style is to instill confidence in people and encourage them so they can proceed. He saw himself as more of a facilitator and teacher. People should be encouraged to try something new and everyone makes mistakes. There should be a lot of encouragement and teamwork. He is also analytical and expects the product that comes to him to be good.

Member Csordas asked him why he was applying for this position?

Mr. Crawford said he went to Streeter thinking he would be there for three years and has been there five. He has accomplished more than he intended to there. He liked a larger organization, people with skills and being on the forefront with challenges. He is ready for more exciting things in a larger community.

Member Csordas asked how large the staff was in his current City?

Mr. Crawford said there were 80 employees. He had appointed every department head and added other professional people.

Member Csordas said there were a few significant newsworthy issues facing the City Council and asked what he thought would be the most important issue facing Novi, the City Council and the new City Manager and why?

Mr. Crawford said the most important thing is to select a good City Manager. Then the task of the City Manager is the growth and redevelopment activities, which are going to be the most important to preparing the community for the future. He said the City would have to decide whether it is going to be the driving force to maintain the quality of the community or whether it is going to let outside forces do that. Roads, Sewer lines and Water Lines are going to need repair and there should be a process in place to do this.

Member Csordas asked what his first goal or objective would be if offered this position?

Mr. Crawford said he would get to know the community and organization first hand. He would want to do the employee attitude survey with all the employees.

Member Csordas said Novi’s build out is anticipated to be in the year 2020 and asked what his philosophy was of a developing community versus a mature community?

Mr. Crawford said he liked to be where the excitement is and a developing community always has more excitement than a mature community. He liked the growth issues, the financial planning issues and working with people and being the mediator in disputes.

Member DeRoche asked what he did to motivate his staff?

Mr. Crawford said he gave them encouragement, opportunities to develop, training and education opportunities. He tries to reward his employees with personal thanks. It has always been his experience that the most rewarding hour of the day was between five and six in the evening. People tended to migrate to his office and sit around the table and talk about things. His office is open to everyone. He pays attention to what people do and gets to know everyone. Sometimes he rides with Police Officers to see what they are doing and to hear about his family.

Member DeRoche asked how he would instill confidence in the Council and citizens at large and be a positive agent of change?

Mr. Crawford said first is communications especially with Council Members. He would explain the real basic things, avoid using big words, talk their language and get out among the people. He would make presentations, go to Lions Club, Kiwanis Club, Business Professional Women’s Organizations, church, etc. If going as a City Manager ask if you can bring someone along.

Member DeRoche asked him to tell Council about a time his performance did not live up to his expectations, what he learned from that and action he took?

Mr. Crawford said when he was in DeKalb, IL, a University town and there was unrest because of the Vietnam War and the Kent State incident they were fearful of a number of things. There was a confrontation on the bridge with 2000 students on one side and 2000 citizens on the other side of the bridge. There was a line of police officers on

each side of the bridge and people sitting in the middle including the University President discussing the Vietnam War. That was when he realized how important it was what was said and how it could be misinterpreted. He said he got out there and made the statement that "the most stupid place in the world to discuss the Vietnam War was in the middle of a federal highway". He said federal highway; he glued everyone even more because then it became a symbol it was against the federal government. He said no one had ever taught him how to deal with a problem like this and he learned from this to look at things and prepare earlier.

Members Bononi asked if, as City Manager, you were aware that the City was faced with significant debt what approach would you take to correct the situation and minimize the impact to the taxpayer?

Mr. Crawford said it would depend on the cause for the debt. He said he would work his way around the debt and find out why it occurred.

Member Bononi said the City agencies, boards and City Council routinely approve development proposals that promote urban sprawl and the quality of life is degrading in your city; what do you do to influence the decision makers?

Mr. Crawford said he would try to reach out and bring in experts in the field to start educating the decision-makers.

Member Bononi asked if you are the City Manager, hired from the outside, and a direct report City employee does not accept your authority and demonstrates negative behavior toward your stated goals how would you handle this situation?

Mr. Crawford said there would have to be a real frank discussion with that employee. Also, he had an employee evaluation system, which he used that had been developed over a number of years. He said forcing employee evaluations addresses a lot of these things. He said goals needed to be stated clearly, a time limit should be given and then the consequences if it does not get done.

Mr. Crawford said when he went through an evaluation he asked every employee if they are aware of any improprieties in the local government? Are you aware of any sexual harassment that is going on or have you ever been harassed? He said employees would not tell you these things unless you ask and then they tend to open up.

Member Bononi asked him about his own performance measure and whether he would expect the results of his performance evaluation to be available to interested parties?

Mr. Crawford said it is public knowledge under the Freedom of Information Act. He said he had operated under different systems and felt there were pros and cons to it. It can be very negative and can weaken the Manager’s position within the organization. It can hinder you with those who are trying to figure out how to zap you as a Manager because they perceive you as their problem. He said if it is constructive and goal oriented then it is something else because it’s good for an organization to see that Council and the Manager have agreed that the Manager’s performance is as expected.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo said if he empowered an employee and the employee’s decision resulted in or contributed to a financial loss for your City, an embarrassing situation or a less than quality development project what would you do?

Mr. Crawford said he would find out if the employee was skilled in the task he was asked to do. If they were skilled to do it but were negligent, then it needed to be dealt with more severely than if they did not understand and did not ask for help. He would try to use it as an educational process for them. When people are empowered one of the things to realize is that there might be failure. However, it is better to proceed and try something than to do nothing. If nothing were done it would definitely be failure. Be sure to find out and understand the real problem.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked if potentially contaminating materials were illegally dumped on City property by City employees how would he handle the situation?

Mr. Crawford said first thing would be to clean it up and find out all the circumstances of it, then make sure the employees know the proper procedure.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked if there should be any disciplinary action in those instances?

Mr. Crawford said definitely. He would want to know if the employee knew there was something wrong with it or was there a supervisor that failed to pass on instructions?

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked if there should be a policy statement from Risk Management and what he thought was an effective policy statement?

Mr. Crawford said Risk Management is how do we avoid paying out money either through a self-insured group, the City’s till, or through our insurance carriers. How do we minimize our costs? One area is Workers Compensation. In Workers Compensation employees are trained on how to be safe, proper equipment is provided and educational opportunities are provided for them and their supervisors. Then when someone is taking advantage of the City, make sure they are guarding a latrine in the park for a week because they are going to be at work.

There will be sexual harassment suits and employees have to know what it is. He goes through it with them and has them sign on their evaluation form that it was discussed. When they go to training they all sign that they have been to training to try to limit our liability. The policy statement would be to minimize liability on the part of the City.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked if the City was an unsuccessful party in a lawsuit and the media calls and you have not discussed the case with the Council yet how would you respond?

Mr. Crawford said first, respond to them and at the same time have someone notifying the Council Members that their phone is going to be ringing off the wall in a few seconds. Hopefully there are guidelines set up in advance regarding who would be the spokesperson. Usually a certain few facts could be given, there might be documents he could have but be sure your position is not going to be jeopardized in the future. What appears in the paper might be what the other side will use as soon as it goes to appeals.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked if there was an allegation of sexual harassment within a department how would he approach the situation and if there was sufficient evidence would there be any disciplinary action taken?

Mr. Crawford said sexual harassment or harassment of any type needed to be investigated thoroughly. He has found often times when an employee is accused of something that it is usually someone trying to get even with that employee. The employee deserves to have the record cleared and put in the file. If there were a problem disciplinary action would be required and could be a written statement put in their personnel file, time off to discharge. In some cases it is very much governed by personnel rules and regulations and might be affected by union contracts. He said to make sure the procedures are followed so that if it happens again the next step can be

taken or if an employee is discharged the City would not be sued and found liable for something.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo said if a situation does arise and a department head is unaware of it, do you think there should be any disciplinary action in that case?

Mr. Crawford said probably not if they were unaware of it. What do you do if you have a well house somewhere and someone walks in and finds a nude calendar? You might not have any idea how it got there. Some of these things are just going to happen.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked if the Mayor or Council shared information that could be relevant to a future decision that the Council was going to make would he share the information with the rest of the Council or leave it up to the Council Member to do so?

Mr. Crawford said as City Manager all Council Members have to have confidence that they can share things without it being repeated. Often times they have ideas they want to think about and propose at a later time. Maybe they are going to give a speech somewhere or it is some particular problem they have an interest in.

He said if there was going to be a proposal brought up on the floor and it was agreed that analysis should be done and a full package put together then it should be done and shared with the full Council. He always encouraged Council Members to work as a team and not to walk into a meeting and spring something on them.

Mr. Crawford said as far as treating Council Members equitably on sharing information from staff and from the Manager, that is a must.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked what he least enjoyed about the position of City Manager?

Mr. Crawford said having to deal with crisis especially when it involved employees where he had to be the tough guy and bearer of bad news.

Member Crawford said in Mr. Crawford’s resume he said that he regulated a cable TV system and asked him to expound on it?

Mr. Crawford said he had done this in DeKalb, Boca Raton and Streeter. He said right now they are putting together a new franchise with a new company.

Member Crawford asked what his co-workers would say about him?

Mr. Crawford said that he was sincere, hardworking, very professional, would always make time for them and that he was willing to give them responsibilities and encouragement.

Mayor Clark asked what he felt would be the most important attribute that any successful City Manager should have?

Mr. Crawford said they should be approachable and should not hide in their office. He felt it was important to be out in the community in the mornings doing things among the residents. It was important for the employees of Novi to know that things would probably change, that they were not going to be judged based on what has happened in the past but on where they go from here. He said they had to have that encouragement and support because if they felt threatened they just kind of dig in and trench themselves and are afraid to take actions.

Mayor Clark asked what major personal and professional qualifications he had that would qualify him to be the next City Manager?

Mr. Crawford said he has had a good background in City Management that is very broad based with a lot of knowledge of what goes on in a lot of places. He said he was well educated with a good background. He has had a variety of experiences and some that would relate to Novi. He felt that he had the personality that would make things happen. He would get along with the Council, get along with other communities and knew a lot of people in the metropolitan area and in the field that would be willing to help.

Mr. Crawford said, as a professional Manager, he belonged to I.C.M.A., which has a code of ethics, that clearly stated what they believed in, how they operated and that there is an ethical basis. They believe in sharing information, treating people equitably whether employees or citizens and staying in tune to what is going on. He said his life is an open book and he would look forward to coming to Novi and thought it would be exciting for everyone.

Mr. Booker said, in the best sense of the word, he was a bureaucrat by nature and training. He believed in attending to details, doing things by the book, working through the chain of command, setting goals and following up. He said he was very much detail and problem oriented. He stated he had spent his entire life in local government and has seen the good that can come from providing good municipal services and good government at the local level. He said he enjoyed what he does and had a high capacity for work.

Mr. Booker said there were about a half a dozen things Council could expect from him.

He said he is truly a hard worker and believed in putting forth whatever time and effort is needed to see a job to its conclusion. Council could expect to be kept informed and he would provide good staff background work for them, he is a team player and has high integrity. He also has a very strong commitment to municipal excellence.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked if he had initiated or implemented any human resource or departmental policies that have either saved money or provided greater efficiency?

Mr. Booker said he was in the process of reorganizing the police department. He met with the new Police Chief and started with the very basics. They have identified a handful of major objectives and are in the process of reorganizing. What they expect to get out of this is increased efficiency and they intend to change the perception of the

police department from the traditional law enforcement emphasizing more service and public relations.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked when he empowered an employee and the employee’s decision resulted in or contributed to a financial loss for the City, an embarrassing situation or a less than quality development project what do you do?

Mr. Booker said perimeters should be set ahead of time but there should be accountability when responsibility is given to a department. Part of that is working through a chain of command. He believed if a department head is going to be responsible for everything that does or does not happen in a department then they need the tools to work with. They also need to be accountable for it and there has to be some limits so you know when to cut your losses and let something hinge indefinitely; but you do have to back the department head. Part of the learning experience is making mistakes and getting yourself out of it. Department heads as corporate officers need to be given that opportunity as part of the internal development that is afforded to them.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked what he thought an effective policy statement would be in terms of risk management?

Mr. Booker said typically risk management involved several steps. One was to take a good hard look at the risks and categorize them. Once the exposures are identified the next step would be to identify which could be eliminated and eliminate those. Those that could be transferred would be transferred. For example, in all contracts he required certain levels of insurance on the part of the contractor to transfer a portion of that to someone else. He said to look at exposures you are willing to accept as the cost of doing business and then those left over are insured.

He said there had to be emphasis placed on employee and public safety throughout the organization. It starts with the Manager but is part of the department heads responsibility and should be something that is taken into account during regular evaluations and critique of department head performance.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked if the City was the unsuccessful party in a lawsuit and the media called for a response, and it had not yet been discussed with Council, how would you respond to the newspaper?

Mr. Booker said he would put them off. Mr. Booker said do what is best for the City as a corporate entity and do not be held to newspaper deadlines. He said he would ask them for time to talk with Council and promise to report back to them once Council had reached some sort of decision as to whether or not to accept it or challenge it. However, Council does need to have first opportunity to discuss it prior to making a public statement.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked if the Mayor or Council shared information that could be relevant to a future decision that the Council was going to make, would he share the information with the rest of the Council or leave it up to the Council Member to do so?

Mr. Booker said he would share the information unless he was specifically asked not to. He said communication is important and he does provide good staff background on decisions that are coming before Council. If there is an opinion that has been expressed he would include that in the background unless he was asked to keep it confidential.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked what aspects of the City Manager’s position do you think you would most enjoy?

Mr. Booker said he would tell Council what he most enjoyed where he worked now. In Marion, because it is small enough, he enjoys the opportunity to make house calls. They have an aging population and a lot of times the ordinary irritants of life become disproportionately important; things like pot holes, broken curbs and leaky water lines. The second thing is it is hard to say over the phone you will take care of it and be convincing. When you get someone that is having difficulty with something, typically what he would say is he would be out to take a look at their problem. He would give them a schedule of when they could expect it to be resolved and if it wasn’t ask them to call him back, tell them he appreciated their call and tell them it is important and something that needed to be taken care of.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked what he least enjoyed about his current position?

Mr. Booker thought the biggest disappointment was the Council, despite a number of years of effort on his part, really does not understand the importance of land use planning. They go through the motions but do not really understand it. He has worked very hard to try to raise that in terms of their internal priorities but it is just not important to them and that is somewhat of a personal disappointment.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked if potentially contaminating materials were illegally dumped on City property by City employees how would you handle the situation?

Mr. Booker said Council would have to be informed first. Then whatever laws Michigan had regarding notifying state agencies would have to be followed. Then responsible moves would have to be taken to get it contained and cleaned up. Once the crisis had passed then discuss it with the employees and find out if it was an accident or was done on purpose. Once the motivation was determined then he would deal with the employees according to the seriousness of the offense.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked if there would be any disciplinary action taken?

Mr. Booker said if it was intentional there would be action. If it was something where the City incurred a fine or other punitive action by state or federal agency, yes. He said the situation described, if it was intentional by the employee, it certainly is a violation of trust. The employees are acting as City agents and he thought there should be some form of disciplinary action on that.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked if there was an allegation of sexual harassment within a department how would he approach the situation and if there was sufficient evidence would there be any disciplinary action taken?

Mr. Booker said he would need both sides of the story. There needs to be a judgement made and if there looked like there was truly guilt involved as opposed to a fabricated or exaggerated story then it would have to be followed up with appropriate disciplinary action. There would need to be a sound record and follow up with the parties involved.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked if he believed a department head should be aware of these particular situations?

Mr. Booker said yes. He believed the department head should be responsible for whatever happened or failed to happen in his department.

Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo asked if the department head was unaware should any disciplinary action be taken?

Mr. Booker said it depended on how grievous the offense was. He did think it was a breakdown in responsibility if the department head was not aware.

Ms. Gronlund-Fox asked if hired for this position what would be his most challenging undertaking and what would he do to begin the process of facing that undertaking?

Mr. Booker said he would get to know the people involved and second he would get to know issues. The first hour first day he would have a department head meeting and he would introduce himself and try to get a feel for the departments. Later in the day or

week he would make individual visits to each of the departments to meet people and talk about departmental priorities to get some history, some feel and perspective of what they do and the scope of the work within the individual departments. Sometime early on he would like to meet with each of the individual Council people for the purpose of getting the perspective on the City and their expectations of him. He would want to get an idea of the issues that they felt they needed to be grappling with. Finally, early on there would be a number of courtesy visits he would want to make at the county, the

Director of the Chamber of Commerce and other community leaders of similar ilk.

Ms. Gronlund-Fox asked if people, who knew him best, personally and professionally, were asked to describe him in three words what would they be?

Mr. Booker said workaholic would be first because he truly does give the perception of working hard. Integrity would be included and dedicated to municipal work.

Ms. Gronlund-Fox asked what he believed the words work ethic and integrity mean?

Mr. Booker said integrity means being completely honest and being able to present things in an unvarnished manner. Work ethic means being loyal to your job, your employers and in a municipal setting it means being loyal to the greater community that you work for. Work ethic involved doing the right thing as opposed to doing things right. It involves adhering to the generally accepted social standards of good behavior and bringing those standards to the job. In this particular position it extended to having those types of expectations for those people that work directly for you.

Member Kramer asked him to give a brief synopsis of his educational and professional background focusing on the areas that would directly relate to being a Manager in Novi?

Mr. Booker spent his adult life working in local government. He started in Fulton County, GA in the personnel department and worked his way up to the Finance Department and ran the S.E.T.A. program for Fulton County. Then he went to the City of College Park, GA and worked as Personnel Director and had an opportunity to see municipal government working as an entity. While there he was involved in risk management and contract management and was in and out of every department every day. He then went to the City of Alfareta, GA as City Administrator and from there to Marion, VA as Town Manager.

Mr. Booker said along the way he went to night school and got an MBA at Georgia State University. He was a Lieutenant in the United States Army for two years.

Member Kramer asked what his greatest accomplishment was and why?

Mr. Booker said his greatest accomplishment was getting his daughter to the point that she is self-sufficient. He said he had been married for 29 years and it has been a very good marriage and he is still crazy about his wife. They have one very very strong willed child who cannot be told anything and who has been in as much mischief and trouble as a youngster can get into without running a foul of the law. As an example of her attitude and approach on life she had a propensity for driving faster than she should and lost her driver’s license. She could not get to her job. Her approach was to shrug her shoulders and say, "well I’ve always wanted to go to Alaska anyway". She called around, got a job in Alaska and got on a plane and went. She spent six months in Alaska working out in the National Forrest, living in a tent with a group of eight others, absolutely loved the experience and came back. By then her probation period for her license was over so she went back to Georgia. Last week she got a job with the State of Georgia working with incorrigible children and she is tickled to death with herself. She seems to have become somewhat self sufficient and he felt a great deal of pride in that and is immensely pleased.

Member Kramer asked what his approach would be to community outreach and citizen participation in City government?

Mr. Booker said at Marion they started a newsletter that came out on a quarterly basis and had been extremely well received by the community. They made a very conscientious effort to get on better relations with the newspaper and have been successful. They have a governmental access channel on cable TV. He said on their boards and commissions they started a "talent bank" where they go through a more formal application process. They would solicit people that have an interest and provide a conduit for them to get some sort of formal review by Council before getting on a board or commission. Concurrent with that they set up term limitations on boards and commissions with the intent of getting more turnovers. They work extremely well with volunteer groups. Their approach is they will take care of the legalities. If there is something that they can do, in kind, that a volunteer group cannot do on their own they would provide that. Beyond that they are given a lot of encouragement. One of the most successful projects that we have is a park with a trout stream that runs through the middle of town.

Member Kramer asked how he would find and implement Best Practices innovative ideas items of significant new initiatives?

Mr. Booker thought you had to get over the idea of pride of ownership. He said he was not above plagiarizing to look around to see what other people do, what has worked well elsewhere and see if it can be used here. He said the management staff needed the opportunity to try new things, to make mistakes. Prototyping is an accepted management technique where you try something on a small basis. He thought it was a series of those things and that management needed to be conducive to hearing new ideas. There needed to be a clear articulation of goals and then allowing resources, time and original thought to try to reach those goals.

Member Crawford asked him about his experience with budget preparation, news media, Human Resources and computers?

Mr. Booker said both at Alfareta and Marion he took the lead in budget preparation. He had a process he felt very comfortable with. He published a budget schedule around the first of the year. As soon as the six-month actual figures were out, they would prepare budget work sheets for each of the departments. This would show historically what they have budgeted and spent for the past two years, where they are in mid year and it asks for a projection of what they anticipate to spend, by line item, through June 30^th. It then asks for their request for next year by line item. It is done on a zero basis budget in which expenditures are tied to expectations of levels of service. They have a period of time to grapple with that and bring it back in. Concurrently he would get together with the Finance Officer and they would go through and do revenue projections, on a line item basis. When the budget requests come back from the department heads he sits down with each department head and goes over it focusing on levels of service and what they are asking for in terms of capital expenditures and their justification for it. Once he received the budget requests from the departments and revenue projections he would come up with a proposed balanced budget. Both at Marion and Alfareta it was a budget committee that consisted of two people on Council. He would then make a presentation to the budget committee, which is done in two workshop sessions, and they would come up with a committee recommendation. It would then go before a full Council, usually in two or three work sessions, where he would go through each line item and explain. Once it gets Council’s approval there is a public hearing and approval of the budget. Towards the end he prepares a budget letter regarding what had been done in the past and what they are going to do this year and it made a nice annual report. He showed Council a sample of his budget.

Mr. Booker said he tried to develop a level of rapport with the news media where he could say something is coming up but we are not ready for this to be published just yet. He thought it was important for them to have some of the background information to help them understand some of the silliness going on in the municipal building.

Mr. Booker said he tries to keep the newspaper informed and has made it a practice to drop in on them at least once a week and visit with the Editor or the reporter that covers Marion. It has done an immense amount of good in generating some trust and rapport between the two.

Regarding television we are on the fringe area of Bristol and Bristol television does cover them but on a sporadic basis. The key to that is to have enough items in the back of your head to

make their trip to Marion worth while. Basically, its realizing that they too have job related needs and find some area that accommodates both their needs and what you want to do for the municipality in terms of public relations and getting the good news out.

Mr. Booker said he spent a number of years in personnel management and truly enjoyed that side of the business. He believed in merit principles and having an orderly personnel system on which there are career ladders to provide proper incentives for the employees to do the right thing. He believed in record keeping and following up and being honest with employees. He had never been exposed to labor relations or working with unions. He stated when he looked for a job he tried to find something that the new employer can offer that would help his inventory of skills. With Novi labor relation is that one element he would like to have more exposure to.

Mr. Booker said he can use computers but he does not fix them. He uses the basic canned programs.

Member Crawford asked how he felt about residency for the City Manager and other employees?

Mr. Booker said he would hope to find a place in Novi and for him it would be important to be near his work and to be accessible. He was not sure that he felt that way about other employees. Those that are periodically on stand by or on call do need to be close enough that

they can get in in a reasonable amount of time. He did not see the wisdom in compelling residency within the City of other employees.

Member Crawford asked what his co-workers would have to say about him?

Mr. Booker thought the employees would say that he was fair, accessible, willing to give them a fair hearing and may not always give them the answer they want but will give them the opportunity to say what they want to say.

He thought contractors of Marion would probably say that he is a stickler for detail, unyielding from contract provisions and that he takes a hard line in negotiating contracts.

The general citizenry would say he is accessible, willing to listen to them, willing to make house calls, willing to share information and willing to provide what he can when he can.

Member Crawford asked if there was anything he saw that could be a potential interference with his effectiveness as City Manager of Novi?

Mr. Booker said no.

Member Csordas asked what the population of Marion was, how many employees work for the City and what is the annual budget?

Mr. Booker said the annual budget is slightly over $7 million, there are 6,600 residents and a service area of approximately 9,000. They do provide a number of services beyond their corporate limits. Marion is a blue-collar industrial town in the mountains of middle Appalachia. Traditionally it has been a very poor area, with very proud people and the work ethic is

extremely high. There are 78 full time employees of the City and approximately 40 seasonal part time.

Member Csordas asked what his most challenging responsibility is in his current position?

Mr. Booker said they are currently going through some difficulties with a contractor on a Fire Station that has just been completed. The contractor was substantially over his contract. He said the City had been holding firm on the liquidated damages and he, in turn, has taken the position that he would not pay the sub-contractors. It has gotten to the point of impasse. It would probably be resolved next week when he wrote to the bond company and told them that the contractor had been given adequate opportunity to complete his project and ask that the bond company step in and take over to finish the list and to pay the sub-contractors.

Member Csordas asked how he would describe his leadership style? Would it be analytical, driver, amiable?

Mr. Booker thought it was a blended approach. He believed in management by the numbers and thought there should be an orderly way of doing things and following through on a step by step basis. He pays attention to reports. He believed in management by objectives in which he would sit down with Council and department heads and come to some kind of understanding on goals, objectives and levels of performance and then follow up on that. He truly believed that you have to inspect what you expect. He is accessible and still tries to get in every department every day and believed in the chain of command but his approach is sort of a humanistic bureaucratic approach to life.

Member Csordas asked why he was applying for this position and why was he considering leaving his current position?

Mr. Booker said he was ready for another step in growth. He said he was very happy in Marion and very settled but was ready to move on and learn new skills and apply what he had learned up to now. He said Novi did offer a number of opportunities. There is a good history here and Novi has a reputation for good customer service. There are certainly a lot of accomplishments that have come out of the City in the past ten years and your record of growth and dealing with growth management has been good. Also, as mentioned before, it is an opportunity to expand personal knowledge of labor relations.

Member Csordas said there are a few significant newsworthy issues facing the City Council and the future City Manager. If familiar with any of those issues what would you consider to be the most important issue and why?

Mr. Booker said he did not have a good answer for that because he does not know a lot about Novi. He did, however, understand that there was some litigation that might not have gone to your liking. He thought given the proximity to Detroit and the growth that you have that land use issues, zoning and land use planning would take a lot of your attention both immediately and in the near future.

He thought there might be challenges with infrastructure. He thought traffic management would be one and working through the five year plan would be something that would be high on the agenda.

Member Csordas said Novi’s build out is anticipated in 2020. How would you take Novi to that end?

Mr. Booker said the Master Plan would have to be used as a guide. There needed to be some basic understanding of what would be required of Novi and this body in terms of providing municipal services. There would need to be some conscientious effort in working towards the infrastructure improvement to be able to service the build out population in the year 2020.

Member DeRoche asked what motivated him and where did he get his work ethic?

Mr. Booker said he enjoyed the sense of accomplishment that comes with doing a good job. He got an immense amount of satisfaction out of being able to take a problem, set up an idealized goal, to get a grasp on the resources, problems and constraints that go into it and arrange those various components so that it approximated a goal he wanted. Then putting the pieces together is immensely satisfying for him. He truly believed in local government and has seen the good that comes out of providing good government and good municipal services. He said he is here because he wanted to be. He believed whether you are writing grants, patching streets or riding on the tailboard of a garbage truck there is no higher calling than working for a municipal government.

Member DeRoche asked how he motivated his staff?

Mr. Booker said they have staff meetings the day after Council meetings. It gives an opportunity to recount what happened at the meeting the night before and to talk about Council decisions and what the staff needs to do to implement those decisions. It provides an opportunity to talk about the priorities within the individual departments and gives them a chance to celebrate achievements, victories and successes. It gives an opportunity to work together on projects that transcend individual departmental lines. He said the personnel manual and the safety manual, for example, came out of these department head committees. Beyond that, typically at budget time, setting goals and accomplishments that they want to do and working for it and finally it is giving them on an individual basis an opportunity for some sort of self development. He believed once at the department head level the things that they do fall into one of three categories. Those groups of things that are done that show up in the job description and become the inherent nature of the job and are the reason you get paid for what you do. The group of things that have nothing to do with your job but the boss says do them so you do. Then there are the things that you do for yourself which could be taking an active role in a professional organization, writing an article, trying out a new management principle on a prototype basis, etc. He believed that as long as there was some tangible benefit or reason to believe there would be a benefit coming out of it or if it is job related then resources, time and encouragement should be afforded for that.

Member DeRoche asked if he had ever acted as an agent of change and if so how did you instill confidence in people as you sought to implement the change?

Mr. Booker said when he came to Marion they had no formalized personnel system. Two of the things that were severely lacking was a coherent classification plan and a pay plan. He was instrumental in establishing both of those, which took an awful lot of work, visiting with the departments, meetings with the individual employees to get it accepted at the employee level. Council passed it and it became the rule everyone lived by.

Member DeRoche asked if there was a time when his performance did not live up to his expectations?

Mr. Booker said several years ago they purchased a street sweeper, which was $84,000. Council told the constituents how good it was and what a benefit it would be. They assigned Alvin, a retired Navy man, to take care of the equipment and tend to details. They set up a schedule for running the street sweeper so that the central downtown area and Main Street would be swept twice a week and other high traffic areas that would be done once a week. The balance of town would be divided into quadrants that would be done once a month. When he did Main Street in the downtown area he would roll out at 4 AM because it was important to get the equipment through and off the streets before traffic started building up. This system worked very well. Fast forward 6 or 7 months in the middle of the winter and there was a snowstorm over the weekend. Mr. Booker said he spent most of Sunday down at the town shop riding with the drivers on the snowplows and bringing in food for the men and doing what he could around the shop when the equipment came in. He was there until a little after

midnight, went home and got up at 5 AM to go back to work and turned down Main Street. The first vehicle on Main Street was one of the snowplows pushing snow to the edge of the road and spreading salt and sand like he was supposed to. About 100 yards behind the snowplow Alvin was coming with the street sweeper sweeping up the salt and sand that the snowplow had just put down. Mr. Booker radioed him to pull over and he did and Mr. Booker pulled up behind him and asked him what he was doing out with the street sweeper. Alvin said "it’s Monday morning boss this is the time I’m supposed to be out here." Mr. Booker told him that was weak and that he was being entrusted with an $80,000 piece of equipment and was expected to have some good judgement and common sense. Alvin reminded him that good judgement and common sense were not in his job description. Mr. Booker sent him home for the rest of the day and is not sure that anything took with him and he is still not sure that unless specifically told to run the snowplow that Alvin would not be out there again in the snow with the street sweeper. He said it was frustrating to deal with that type of situation.

Member Bononi asked if he was aware that the City was faced with significant debt, what approach would he take to correct the situation and minimize the impact to the taxpayers?

Mr. Booker said first of all, debt is not necessarily bad if it is done for the right reason. Debt is a way, if put into capital improvements such as road improvements, sewer plants, municipal buildings, of shifting the cost of a facility to future users as opposed to making current users shoulder the whole cost. Where it becomes bad is if the City is going into debt for current operation expenses. If that happens then it needs to be determined if the deficits are long term or short term. If it looks like a short-term anomaly then you take some short term approaches. For example, freeze vacant positions or look for areas where maintenance can be deferred. If it is a long-term situation then take a critical look at the level of services that are provided and if necessary, cut back in selected areas. Secondly, look for ways to generate more revenue, which might be through grants, using volunteers more intensely and as a last resort reviewing taxes or fee structures.

Member Bononi asked if the administration, agencies and Council routinely approved development proposals that promoted urban sprawl and the quality of life was degrading as a result what would he do to try to influence the decision-makers?

He said for every item on the agenda, he provided a background paper that talked about the situation as it currently existed, the range of decisions that Council could make and any laws, precedence or background values that go into that. He would talk to Council about the reasonable scenario for each of the possible decisions they could make and then follow it up with staff recommendations. The staff recommendations are important because it meant they had done sufficient homework to be able to step out on a limb and say this, as staff, is what we think Council should do and these are the reasons. He provided Council with an example of his staff work background paper.

Member Bononi said you are a new City Manager hired from the outside. A direct report City employee does not accept your authority and demonstrates non-productive, non-positive behavior toward your stated goals; how do you handle this situation?

Mr. Booker said first he would try to overcome it by being polite, understanding and allowing a time of adjustment. If that did not work, then it would be time to sit down with the employee for a frank and straightforward discussion about chain of command and who has responsibility for doing what. If that did not work then it needed to be followed up with some sort of formal action maybe disciplinary, reassignment or something else.

Member Bononi asked what the population ranges were in the other cities he has served?

Mr. Booker said Alfareto currently is 25,000, the City of College Park is in the low 20,000’s and Fulton County is close to two million people.

Member Bononi asked if he would expect the results of his performance evaluation to be available to interested parties?

Mr. Booker said yes. He said if someone asked to see it he would share it for a couple reasons. One, from a legalistic standpoint, it is a public document and he would not want to shield behind the personnel exception from full disclosure. Secondly, on a personal level, he said he had been in public service long enough to know that he did not have any secrets and he is quite proud of what he does and would see it as a way to share what he does with others.

Mayor Clark asked what he thought was the single most important attribute you would have to have to be successful as a City Manager?

Mr. Booker said honesty and unquestionable integrity.

Mayor Clark asked what major personal and professional qualifications did he possess that would qualify him to be the next City Manager of Novi?

Mr. Booker said he would go back to the core values. He felt that he had the skills, attributes, abilities and the necessary tools to do the job. He said he valued a sense of sharing both professionally and personally. He thought everyone had an obligation to do something on a day by day basis to make the world better around us and that municipal government offered an unprecedented opportunity to do that. Secondly, he believed that he personally could make a difference in the world around him. It is one of the reasons he is in municipal government in the first place and one of the reasons he enjoyed working with non-profit organizations to the

extent that he does. Mr. Booker said very valuable is a sense of mutual trust and respect with those he works with and for. He said he valued the love he had for his job and the sense of pride that came with doing the job well. He believed that planning for the future is another core value. He valued the commitment to follow through on promises made and above all he is honest with a background of complete integrity.

Mr. Booker said he understood that there had been an election and a number of the Council Members were new. He asked what, individually or collectively, are some of the issues on your agendas that you feel should be addressed in the next couple of months.

Mayor Clark said personally and one that all of Council agrees on is the concern for traffic that is generated by growth both in the residential population and the increased in traffic from development. Risk management is also high on the agenda and he wants to address the incidents in the future.

There being no further business to come before Council, the meeting was adjourned at 5:05 PM.

__________________________________ ________________________________

Richard J. Clark, Mayor Tonni L. Bartholomew, City Clerk

Transcriber by: _____________________

Charlene Mc Lean

Date approved: February 7, 2000