Time ran out at the Candidate Forum…

We are entering the final weeks of the campaign for the open Duluth City Council Posts.  Hopefully most of you had a chance to hear all the candidates speak at the Candidate Forum held last week at the Payne Corley House.  Special thanks go out to Michael and Krista Ganley for organizing and hosting the event and to Judge Barrett who moderated the forum.

There were a few questions that we did not have time to answer during the forum and I believe by providing my answers it will give insight into how I will govern as a city council member.

QUESTION

Recently the city manager was let go.  Is this a position the city needs?  If so, what would you be looking for in a city manager?

ANSWER

A central function of the city manager is to coordinate and unify the activities of the department heads, so yes this is a position the city needs.   Currently the city council is deeply involved in the details and execution of daily operations.  My intent as a council member will be to move away from this style of governance.  I will accomplish this by empowering the professionals we have hired and drawing upon their deeper knowledge and education we will be able to free up time for the council to focus on policy making and overall vision and goal setting.

There are many skills/qualifications the new city manager of Duluth should possess or be able to acquire in a short period of time.  In no order of priority; documented ability to operate within budgets, managed similarly sized cities (larger okay), familiarity with southern culture, ability to work with others, proven leadership skills and focus that will allow the candidate to build the best possible team with the resources at hand. 

To further identify how the candidate perceives the world and makes decisions we should administer a personality test, based on Briggs Myers type theory.  Most corporations use these tools when filling senior leadership positions.  With this information the council should be able to identify an individual who will best mesh with our leadership style.

QUESTION

How would each candidate improve communication between the city and the citizens?

ANSWER

There already is an existing policy from the Public Information and Marketing department that deals with communication between the city and its citizens.  Under the departments Mission, Goals and Objectives there are five communication principals for the city.

·         Open Two-Way Communication

o   Ensure that information is shared throughout the City emphasizing two-way information flow

·         Community Participation

o   Provide citizens with complete, accurate and timely information enabling them to make informed judgments.  This will help the City to make the best decisions.

·         Proactive Outreach

o   Allow the City to tell its story rather than rely exclusively on others to interpret our action, issues and decisions.

·         Inclusive Processes

o   Including everyone in the process builds a sense of teamwork and a feeling of belonging, breaking down feeling of “us vs. them”.  The goal is to include everyone who cares to participate and to motivate those who are not currently involved.

·         Strong and consistent Messages

o   A successful communication plan is built on strong themes and is more effective than one with unrelated and scattered messages.  The communication plan should support, reinforce and reflect the goals of the City of Duluth as established by the Mayor and Council, thus underscoring the idea of organization with a common purpose.

Using and following these existing procedures a city will build strong messaging and confidence in its leadership.

Please take the time to visit my web site www.davidcossette.com and if you have any questions contact me via email.  I look forward to hearing from you and I want your vote so that together we can make a difference for Duluth.

Sincerely,

David Cossette