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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResponses to Interview Question RECEIVED May 30,2005 MAY ~1; 1. 2005 Dear Ashland City Council, In response to the question posed of how I approach making decisions, I start out by pointing out the obvious steps, Before making any decision, it's always best to listen to all opinions, look at every angle, gather all possible information, contemplate e:very outcome and debate all points prior coming to a conclusion, In such an environment, the decision made is most often best possible and, in all likelihood, final. This, howe:ver, is the easy and most obvious answer. For anyone who has been involved in making critical and time sensitive decisions, it is certainly not reality. The reality of the decision making progress, however, is that the worst thing a person can do when faced with an important decision is to not make one, Many will continually analyze the situation refusing to move forward until the time to act has passed, rendering any positive effects of the decision minimal. This is 44paralysis by over-analysis" and is seen all to often in such situations. The other fatal flaw is to make a decision and to let one's ego get involved, This keeps the decision maker from continually evaluating the outcome of the decision that was made and making the necessary changes, Most decisions are not final and can be adjusted if they result in unintended or unforese:eable consequences, Failing to -do so can be catastrophic and be linked directly to a person's inability to be flexible and 44adjust fire," For the past 1 0 years, I have been placed daily in the position to make crucial and often life or death decisions. Police officers make dozens of decisions every day that directly affect the lives of those they come in contact with, whether it is solving a neighborhood dispute ,or the taking ofa human life, In many cases, the information that is used to make these decisions is incomplete at best. Decisions however must be made, often over the span of only a few seconds and the margin for error is minimal. Each of these decisions must be made with the level of seriousness appropriate for the situation and the decision maker must be willing to face the consequences or fall out from decisions that result in unwanted outcomes. As a supervisor, I have been placed in many situations where the decisions I have made have not only affected the lives of an individual but those under my command, These decisions are never taken lightly. The information available to me at thetilneis processed and input is sought from others. Options are then pondered and consequences are considered prior to my decisions being set forth and acted on. This can be a vel)' streamlined and time sensitive process or one that may take several days. In each case, my decisions are made with confidence, knowing that I am making the best decisionat the time, given the information for which I have to work and the course of action is committed to 100%, That being said, in each case I have also maintained flexibil ity and the ability to change course as the situation progresses, knowing that I neverhave the market cornered on the best decisions. I have had the opportunity to make many of these decisions, not only in times of crisis, but dealing with people that I supervise, which can be just as critical, as the wrong decision can drastically effect the morale, confidence and self-worth of the group and of the individual. Ihave also hadthe opportunity to serve on several committees and chaired others, In each case consensus building is key, but in the end the importance of making' a decision, committing to it and being flexible in regards to the outcome are just as important. In an effort to build a consensus, I believe it is important to seek varied opinions and hear as many alternative arguments as possible. It is certain that everyone brings with them to the table a personal bias or opinion based on their life's experience, This often shapes our beliefs and opinions. In my experience, if my opinion can stand up logically to any and all alternative arguments, then I feel confident in my position, If it doesn't, then I have to consider the arguments and make the appropriate changes. Such is life when working with others in a committee or council setting, It is accepted that each will have a different view on the same subject, but each must be flexible and willing to listen to alternative views and change if necessary. Ultimately though, a decision must be made in a timely matter whether through consensus or majority vote. In any case, everyone's views and opinions must be respected and taken into account prior to the decision being made. I also strongly believe that a decision must be made that is best for all, even if it is in opposition to my own beliefs, There may be times when one must stand on his principle and his belief system, but the role of a council member is to represent the entire community and come to a decision, taking into account the information on hand and current situation, which has the best results for the most people. These decisions must be made simply because they are the right thing to do, not what is best for me or the small group which I feel I most directly represent.s R/;-tfu~ :::i::luse 2850 'Wedge,}Vood Ln Ashland,-oR From: To: Date: Subject: Tracy Harding <reclamation@riseup.net> Barbara Christensen <barbarac@ashland,or,us> 6/1/20056:04:18 PM Decision Making Eric Navickas 711 Faith Ave. Ashland OR 97520 To the Mayor and Council: I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to describe my personal process toward decision making, I feel decisions made by council need to begin with a thorough understanding of the forces and realities effecting our city, We live in a rare city whose character, natural environment, small businesses, theaters, and actively involved citizenry make it unique and have made Ashland very popular for tourists and residents alike, This popularity has created various problems including increased property values, accelerated growth, and a polarized political climate where council has become the mediator to opposing sides, Water, economic health, density, and affordability are the four most critical issues that will drive my decisions as a councilor. Water is our most vital necessity that could arguable drive all other decisions. We have a very limited 15,000 acre watershed that supplies most of our drinking water, As a city we need to make every effort to protect our watershed from the forces of commercial extraction and recreational development. The city has regressed substantially from the strong position it has historically taken toward protecting our watershed, I will place this value as a top priority. At the same time, however, we need to realize the benefits of limited water as a restricting factor. We have no right to ship water from miles away to supply our city, Aggressive conservation and development patterns that look to limiting water use need to always supersede the desire to acquire more water from other watersheds, The economic health of our city is heavily dependent on its character and charm, As development throughout our city continues, the council needs to be very conscious of retaining this character, Scale of development, especially within downtown areas, has too often destroyed the character of American cities. My decisions will be very conscious that scale and historically congruent development patterns are not only an aesthetic desire but are also critical to the economic health of our city, Density and maintenance of our Urban Growth Boundary is a third priority for myself as a potential decision maker in our city, Continued sprawl is not an acceptable alternative to continued growth in my opinion, There are many opportunities for in-fill within our city especially within the downtown area. Simultaneously, however, we must be confident that the proposed in-fill is not over-scaled or results in the deterioration of the character or diversity of our city. My final commitment is to maintaining affordability. Ashland is expensive and will continue to be expensive and there is no easy answer to this problem. Although I do not claim to have a solution, I will make every effort possible to promote affordable housing, living wages for all our citizens, and an economically diverse community. Ashland needs to playa stronger role in state politics to promote progressive legislation that addresses these needs and we need to not fear investing in solutions. These problems will not disappear, but we need councilors who give them priority if we hope to see any level of change. I will prioritize confronting this serious problem. I have lived in Ashland for many years and have a deep love for this community and the character of our city. I was educated at the University of Oregon where I received a degree in Architecture, Our state leads the nation in progressive land use planning and social responsibility, We need leaders in our communities that understand these values that separate Oregon form other States and are willing to continue to stretch the boundaries towards creating a healthy, just society. Sincerely, Eric Navickas Decision-Making Question From: Colin Swales To: Ashland City Recorder (cc Mayor and Council) 5/29/05 Barbara, Thanks for your letter of May 24 with the interview schedule for Wednesday June 8, Please let me know at your earliest convenience if this should change, I note from your letter that in addition, Council has asked that I answer the follo'wing question: "The decision-making process of Council is to discuss issues before us and try to reach consensus. Yet many decisions require a majority votefor approval. Please describe how you approach decision-making. " I'm not sure if this is meant to be a trick question or just if the two preamble sentences are designed to elicit a certain required answer. 1) I agree that reaching consensus is a worthy goal worth striving for. 2) The second statement needs clarification, Our charter (Article VIII -Council Section 9 ) requires ".... the concurrence of a majority of the members of the Council present at a Council meeting shall be necessary to decide any question before the Council. fl. So its not just many decisions that require such a majority - but all of them, 3) How I approach decision-making: I learn from the expertise of those with a specialized knowledge, be it colle~lgues on the decision-making body or witnesses who testify. I then mix that with my own understanding and experience and weigh everything against the goals to be achieved. After debate and deliberation, I make my decisions based on the roost efficient and fiscally responsible path of action. Decisions by all City officials on City business should be based on what is p'~rceived to be in the best interests of the City and its citizens. Colin Swales P,S, I strive at all times to uphold ethical principles that are embodied in the following ordinance of the City of Portland's (which I have previously shared with Council and a version of which our legal department had hoped to bring before you last March for consideration, ) City of Portland. Ethics Ordinance. 1.03.010 Definitions. A. "City official" means any elected official, employee, appointee to a board or commission, or citizen volunteer authorized to act on behalf of the City of Portland, Oregon, B. "Ethics" means positive principles of conduct. Some ethical requirements an:: enforced by federal, state, or local law; others rely on training, or on individuals' desire to do the right thing, The provisions of this Chapter which are not elsewhere enforced by law shall be considered advisory only, 1.03.020 Trust. The purpose of City government is to serve the public, City officials treat their office as a public trust. A. The City's powers and resources are used for the benefit of the public rather than any official's personal benefit. B. City officials promote public respect by avoiding even the appearance of impropriety, C. Policymakers place long-term benefit to the public as a whole above all other considerations, including the concerns of important individuals and special inten:sts. However, the public interest includes protecting the rights of under-represented minorities, D. Administrators implement policies in good faith as equitably and economically as possible, regardless of their personal views, E. Whistle-blowing is appropriate on unlawful or improper actions. F. Citizens hav(~ a fair and equal opportunity to express their views to City officials, G. City officials do not give the appearance of impropriety or personal gain by accepting personal gifts, H. City officials devote City resources, including paid time, working supplies and capital assets, to benefit the public, I. Political campaigns are not conducted on City time or property, 1.03.030 Obiectivity. City officials' decisions are based on the merits of the issues, Judgment is independent and objective, A. City officials avoid financial conflict of interest and do not accept benefits from people requesting to affect decisions, B. If an individual officials financial or personal interests will be specifically afft~cted by a decision, the official is to withdraw from participating in the decision, c. City officials avoid bias or favoritism, and respect cultural differences as part of decision-making, D. Intervention on behalf of constituents or friends is limited to assuring fairness of procedures, clarifying policies or improving service for citizens, 1.03.040 Accountability. Open government allows citizens to make informed judgments and to hold officials accountable, A. City officials exercise their authority with open meetings and public records. B. Officials who delegate responsibilities make sure the work is carried out efficiently and ethically, C. Campaigns for election allow the voters to make an informed choice on appropriate criteria, D. Each City employee and appointee is encouraged to improve City systems by identifying problems and proposing improvements, E. City governnlent systems are self-monitoring, with procedures in place to prOlnote appropriate actions, 1.03.050 Leadership. A. City officials obey all laws and regulations, B. City officials do not exploit loopholes, C. Leadership :filcilitates, rather than blocks, open discussion, D. Officials avoid discreditable personal conduct and are personally honest. E. All City bureaus and work teams are encouraged to develop detailed ethical standards, training, and enforcement, F. The City Auditor will publish a pamphlet containing explanations and examples of sethical principles, From: To: Date: Subject: Steve Hauck <stephenhauck@yahoo.com> Barbara Christensen <barbarac@ashland,or.us> 6/1/2005 8:37:51 PM Interview question Here is my answer to the interview question. When it comes to decision-making, my approach has been to study all the pertinent facts and opinions on both sides of an issue, bring whatever background or experience I might personally have and then make my personal decision as to what the proper course of action appears to be.. As the group deliberates and expresses their stands or questions about possible directions, I try to listen to those statements or questions and then do my best to help craft a solution that, most, if not all, of the group could support, without sacrificing my core beliefs of the right choice to make. If consensus or near-consensus is not possible, or I find myself as the sole opinion on the opposite side, I will remain with that decision if I am convinced by my research and listening that it remains the only course I can take. I also respect those that do the same when I am on the majority side, I've found that the key to good decision-making is not if consensus is always reached, but that all opinions are listened to and respected in the final outcome, That means that those other viewpoints are acknowledged, even if not accepted in the final decision. Steve Hauck The plain and simple truth is rarely plain and never simple. Oscar Wilde "The decision-making process of the Council is to discuss issues before us and try to reach consensus. Yet many decisions require a majority vote for approval. Please describe how you approach decision- making. " David R. Chapman June 1, 2005 The key to a good informed decision is information and knowledge. The model that I tend to use for structuring a decision is an iterative process borrowed from design and planning. 1. Formulate goals and objectives. 2. IdentifY and design alternative solutions. 3. Predict the positive and negative consequences for each alternative. 4. Evaluate consequences in relationship to goals and objectives. 5. Decide based on the information obtained from above. 6. Implement the: decision. 7. Assess the effi~ctiveness of the result. The source of goals may be operational or strategic. Consensus begins in strategic goals with full Council participation in choosing important problems. But whether the goals are staff generated or Council generated, you must try to work together to understand the conditions and causes of the problem and to generate a set of possible solutions and alternatives. While identifying alternative solutions, it is important for each member to have a Icommon understanding of the ba(:kground and purpose of the action. History and expertise may come from city staff: residents, consultants and other members. Cooperation and trust, consideration and respect, and the ability to determine the strengths and expertise of other members are vital traits for developing this understanding. It is necessary to determine how much information is enough for a good decision, on what part of the information to place your focus, and to have a realistic time line for gathering information. It is clear that it 'will be necessary to manage some conflict to get key decisions made. Negotiation to advance your interests, explaining issues or concerns, while monitoring your biases is required. The legal and fmancial constraints must be understood. The process must explore and communicate underlying concerns, identifY potential areas of agreement and disagreement and, if possible, find some common ground for the majority. Some notions that I keep in mind during a decision process are: 1. Seek the best advice. 2. Clearly state what you are trying to achieve. 3. Keep it simpl(~ and elegant, easy to understand and fix. 4. Consider all options and reasons for acceptance and rejection. 5. Capture your thoughts and ideas; organize your thinking. 6. Explore to understand key assumptions and areas of conflict. 7. Does a problem exist? Does it solve the problem (without negative consequences)? (J. Morrison) 8. Does my decision reflect the community will? Do I feel their will is correct? cy~~~v '~rCv RECEIVED JUN 01 2005 ,-. 6 05/31/05 Submission for vacated Council Position #6 Council members, "The decision-making process of Council is to discuss issues before us and try to reach consensus. Yet many decisions require a majority vote for approval. Please describe how you approach decision-making." Interesting-- I don't know that I've ever considered the legislative b.ody of a representative democracy to be a consensus-seeking organization. I would prefer that it come up with practical or just solutions. Consensus can be serendipitous or hammered-out, but not a necessary precondition to success. History is replete with disastrous consensus decisions. Consequently, in my own process I don't use consensus as an a priori for gauging the success or rightness of my decisions. For exanlple, I don't see any value in pre-supposing a consensus is possible between a faith-based approach and a fact-based approach, As regards my own decision-making process, I start by determining just how useful roy input might be. If it strikes me that I don't have anything useful to contribute, I'm perfectly happy to let those who have more interest in the matter run with it. Once involved, I like to use whatever resources are available to know what I can about the history, precedents, and personalities involved, I want to know what the social, economic, legal and physical constraints are bearing on the matter. Towards that, I seek out people VlTith expertise in those areas, Additionally, for a city council the input of interested parties is vital. As the stakes rise in severity and impact on others for making a correct decision, I gi ve more credence to input that can be examined, quantified, and tested, It should also be legal. As I gain more knowledge about the issue, I look to fit it into patterns or contexts to see if there are any guidelines to be had that way. The above lays the groundwork from which I seek new knowledge, insights, and solutions. I try to do some cost/benefit considerations, weigh the risks, and assess the chances for success and failure of various courses of action. Then, I rank the options in terms of their likelihood of bringing about the desired results. It's a pretty straightforward process to state but not always so straightforward to implement-and certainly not infallible as practiced by me, RE(~EIVED MAY 31 20U~ MEMO TO: CITY COlJNCIL FROM: DON LAWS SUBJECT: ANSWER TO WRITTEN QUESTION FOR COUNCIL CANDIDA~TES June 1, 2005 MY APPROACH TO COUNCIL DECISION-MAKING Consensus is a useful goal for Council decision-making, It implies neither unanimity nor simple majority rule, It does imply an effort to work together in v/ays that do not lead to decisions that will alienate members of the Councilor significant numbers of the public. Even if unanimity were possible in this community it is frequently not desirable. We need a variety of ideas to promote a dialogue that may result in better decisions than any of the Councilors start with, Majority rule must be relied on with great care, If a majority constantly overrides a minority on issues that really matter to the minority, it can easily result in bitterness and even revolt, Members of the Council who may frequently be in the minority quite likely represent the views of a significant portion of our Idtizens, The Council wants to avoid making decisions in a manner that turns off large nUJmbers of people, We need to make decisions that maintain at least a minimum level of cohesiveness in both the Council and the community, This requires that the Council look for possible concessions and compromises that may not be what the Council thinks is "perfect," but that will make policies that all members of the Council and public can live with. Finding solutions that may seem less than perfect, but which the whole Council can tolerate, is the road to real consensus, Obviously, reaching consensus requires careful listening to one another until we understand as \vell as hear what the others are saying, We also must understand how strongly they feel about it. To help with this it might be useful to do around-the-table comments from all Councilors both at the beginning and near the conclusion of all controversial questions, One last suggestion, aimed especially at myself, is the need for patience in letting issues evolve, I think patience will help considerably in listening to and understanding others, From: To: Date: Subject: tom dimitre <tdimitre@earthlink,net> "Barbara Christensen" <barbarac@ashland.or.us> 6/1/2005 10:15:35 PM Re: Council Position #6 Hi Barbara: Here is the answer to question #5, as you requested. Thanks, One last (hopefully) question for you, Will the questions on Monday come from the list that you provided, or will there be questions not on the list? Thanks again, Tom Dimitre 5, The decision-making process of the Council is to discuss issues before us and try to reach consensus. Yet many decisions require a majority vote for approval. Please describe how you approach decision-making. One of the primary duties of my current job is to listen to all sides of an issue and ask questions to ensure that I understand the issue as well as ensure that I have heard diverse opinions. I am a good listener. I also gather information and do research on issues to make sure that I am well informed. As a City Councilor I would endeavor to continue the good work of this Council and Mayor by encouraging public input and a large diversity of opinion. I want to hear what the citizens have to say. Gathering this information is the first part of my decision making process. There are many issues where I would make my decision by weighing the public input that is received. I also have personal values and beliefs on some key issues. For example, I believe that Ashland's downtown should be preserved and kept as unique. I strongly support the big box ordinance and would like to see it strengthened, It would be difficult to sway my value on this issue, I also strongly believe in equal rights for all human beings - no matter their gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, etc, This is a core value that cannot be compromised or swayed by public opinion to the contrary, Through any decision making process, I would feel free to be part of a consensus; however I would also feel free to be a lone dissenting vote. On May 31, 2005, at 7:56 AM, Barbara Christensen wrote: > Tom, also because you will be available for interviewing on Monday, > please just return the one question to me regarding decision-making on > June 1 s1. Thank you, Barbara > > Barbara Christensen > City RecorderlTreasurer > City of Ashland > Ashland OR 97520 Andrew Ainsworth 928 Beswick Way Ashland, OR 97520 "The decision-making process of Council is to discuss issues before us and tr~( to reach consensus. Yet many decisions require a majority vote for approval. I~lease describe how you approach decision-making." Since, first and foremost, I am a representative of the people, I would listen to my constituents' thoughts and feelings on an issue. However, one can only listen for so long. To hear every citizen's stance on every issue would take too long and, thus, halt government. There comes a point when I, as a representative trusted with the du~y of making an inforrned decision, must listen to my thoughts on the matter, taking into account the well being of the town and all of its people, not just the vocal ones. It is only then, after listening to the facts, the people, and myself, that I can make an infonned decision that I will not regret. R;E(~EIVED M~~Y 3 1 2005 '.. . From: To: Date: Subject: <DFWi@aol.com> <ch risteb@ashland.or. us> 6/1/2005 1: 1 0:44 PM Decision Question Hi Barbara, Council candidates were to respond to the question about decision making by today ("Please describe how you approach decision-making"). My response is below. ****************************************************************************** *************************, I believe whole-heartedly that an attempt to reach a consensus as a Council is absolutely the way that the Council should proceed, However, I also believe that each Council member should attempt to approach decision-making with an intellectually honest intent to maintain Ashland as a superior place in which to live. To my mind, this means that decision-making should not occur within the confines of a particular specious cause, or within the limits of a particular political ideology, Of course, a Council member should always approach controversial decisions in the knowledge that a preconceived position may not be the best long-term one for our City, and be willing to modify his or her initial position during a debate as may be appropriate, As has been amply demonstrated in past Council decisions, in the final analysis each Council member will, and I believe should, vote according to his or her conscience, whether or not that vote is consistent with the votes of other Council members, However, one must always be prepared to debate issues courteously, and to accept in good faith any vote that does not happen to be consistent with one's own views. ****************************************************************************** ************************** Regards, Dave Williams 6/01/2005 Barbara: Answer to the council question I have always tried to use consensus in decision making whenever possible. Unlike building alliances or other methods of reaching for decisions, this keeps all parties involved and results in decisions that can benefit more people. I also feel that tirneliness is very important in decision making. If a window is missaL oftentimes the decision will be made by outside circumstances In making decisions, I prefer to do as much research as possible into the problem and the proposed solution before it comes up for discussion and vote on a decision. It should not be a liability to be prepared. With this done, it becomes easier to evaluate the risks and benefits of the proposal in group discussion and to understand others concerns without having to learn as you go. All decisions must be evaluated against each person's core values and the community values. Even though these values are not always universally agreed upo~ they mlust be respected by all participants. At this point the ramifications of the decision can be evaluated and the decision can be arrived at with everyone providing their input on the proposal and the final decision acceptable to all. Mike Morris RECEIVED JUN 0 1 2005 From: To: Date: Subject: "Iau relmaccu rdy@jeffnet.org" <Iau rei maccu rdy@jeffnet.org> <barbarac@ashland.or.us> 6/2/2005 11 :38:07 AM RE: Council question Greetings, I have an extensive background working and living in situations that involve collective decision making, and I have used and taught a number of versions of consensus decision making with informal groups and nonprofit organizations. As a project director for the Oxygen Collective and a board member of the Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands Center, I regularly practice the consensus process for arriving at a decision everyone is comfortable with. I understand that as a part of this process it is often necessary to make compromises and be open to diverse perspectives and respond with flexibility to pragmatic realities. Consensus means that everyone involved agrees to accept and endorse the choice made, not necessarily that it is their personal highest outcome, I am committed to working closely with others to have my voice heard while responding with respect and earnest attention to opposing opinions from those I am working with. I am familiar with the majority vote system and know that time contraints and work load will frequently necessitate an up or down decision. It is my intention to discuss issues in a concise and thorough manner as possible with the goal of reaching consensus before resorting to a majority vote, while accepting the result of those votes when they occur. Thank you, Laurel ~ Original Message: From: Barbara Christensen barbarac@ashland.or.us Date: Thu, 02 Jun 2005 11 :15:18 -0700 To: laurelmaccurdy@jeffnet.org Subject: Council question "The decision-making process of Council is to discuss issues before us and try to reach consensus, Yet many decisions require a mojority vote for approval. Please describe how you approach decision-making." Laurel.,you have until 1 pm to return this to me, Thank you. Barbara Barbara Christensen City Recorder/Treasurer City of Ashland Ashland OR 97520 (541) 488-5307 PUBLIC RECORDS LAW DiSCLOSURE This is a public document. This email is subject to the State Retention Schedule and will be made available to the Public. From: To: Date: Subject: <arrylay57@aol.com> <christeb@ashland,or,us> 6/2/2005 11 :39:36 AM council question Dear Barbara, Following is my reply to Council question: It is definitely important to try for consensus in any decision making situation, Staff reports are valuable contributors to starting the consensus seeking process in that they should provide enough background information that decision makers need to make good choices, It is especially important that the regulatory background be expressed in staff reports so that the actual range of decision available to the local entity is clear and the discussion can center within realistic parameters. The drive to reach consensus is important because it gives each decision maker the chance to bring up their particular concerns and make suggestions to others making use of their unique perspective and background information. I have always enjoyed this process, both in private life, and on committees, commissions and boards on which I have served. I enjoy the "genius of the group" wherein the creative process is enhanced by the input of many different perspectives. And I think, in my experience anyway, that the process results in a constantly renewed respect for different points of view, That being said, the time for the vote does have to happen, and everyone has to vote their conscience and best judgement. I don't think it is necessary or even healthy to have unanimous consensus on every issue, But the genius is in the consensus seeking process, and we must have that to come to the best decisions possible. Larry Medinger