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Attributes of Exceptional Councils <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> 2 <br /> <br />2. Exceptional councils have clear <br />roles and responsibilities that are <br />understood and adhered. <br /> <br />Exceptional councils understand their role is to serve as <br />policy maker - to represent the values, beliefs and priorities <br />of their community while serving in the community’s be st <br />interest. They carry out a variety of responsibilities including: <br />developing and adopting a vision for the city; focusing <br />and aligning plans, policies, agreements and budgets in <br />furtherance of this vision; and holding themselves and <br />the city manager accountable for results. <br /> <br />Exceptional councils understand that the city manager <br />is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the city. <br />The city manager is responsible for undertaking and <br />accomplishing the policy objectives of the council. <br />Exceptional councils recognize the subject matter expertise <br />of staff and utilize their knowledge and experience to <br />guide and inform decision making. <br />KEY CHARACTERISTICS <br /> <br /> Understand the role of local <br />government and their responsibilities. <br /> Know their role- to set vision and policy, <br />avoid micromanagement. <br /> Councilmembers should strive to be <br />informed about the issues facing the <br />city and be prepared to ask questions of <br />staff and each other. <br /> <br />BEST PRACTICE TIPS <br /> <br />Create a shared understanding of the city manager’s role and the council’s expectations to optimize <br />the working relationships. This shared understanding is informed by local charter and ordinance <br />provisions that provide the overall framework for the relationship. The council should make time to <br />have conversations during retreats and or study sessions to define and/or reveal and refine their <br />role and responsibilities. Since role clarity between the city council and city management is critical to <br />mutual success, having clear protocols helps avoid misunderstandings. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />4.A. - Page 2 of 21 <br />4