HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — The City of Holland’s recent boom in construction, the housing crunch, the lengthy Civic Center renovation planning process, the relatively swift changes in the city’s demographics, and of the city council itself, has had a crucible effect on Holland’s city council members.
“We’re out of sync,” said Councilman Jay Peters during Wednesday’s study session, devoted to their relationships.
As the first of three meetings led by consultant Dave Medema, the goal is to refresh the board’s understanding of their mission and vision, accountability and transparency.
”You can’t lead others if you can’t lead yourselves,” he told them.
The conversation could be compared to a kind of corporate therapy session. Medema emphasized the need for respectful discourse and active listening.
He started with a speed-dating-style series of small conversations between two or three board members, giving them a set of four questions to discuss, at three minutes each. From there, he led the board though several exercises to identify some guiding principles.
By the end of the evening, they were discussing some of the more consistent irritants — how to signal that a discussion has gone on too long, or not long enough; where the public comment section of the meeting belongs; how to deal with areas out of the control of council; why board members need to look to City Manager Keith Van Beek as their sole employee, and city employees as working for him, which Medema indicated would take some discipline.
The notion of bringing in a consultant started with former City Manager Ryan Cotton, before he left his position. Mayor Pro tem Mike Tretheway said he pressed for the session, agreeing with Peters that the work of governing the city has become difficult— in his own words, “Not fun any more.”
Medema kept the pace even through the session, keeping the group mostly focused on governance issues, with a promise that they would wrap up the session by 9 p.m. He wrapped at 8:52, with a promise to provide a draft of texts hammered out for further tweaking.
This process is considered essential for the relative health of the council, by clarifying they communicate amongst themselves and run meetings.
Councilman Brian Lynn cited the recent lengthy discussions before amending the city’s pet ordinance to add mini pigs.
