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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpfld Main Street GT Protocols Main Street Governance Team Protocols -- Page 1 of 3 SPRINGFIELD MAIN STREET GOVERNANCE TEAM COMMITTEE PROTOCOLS DOCUMENT Updated 11/2/21 I. Purpose of Partnering Protocols The purpose of this document is to describe the Team’s expectations, outline partner roles and responsibilities, and establish communication and decision procedures. II. Participation The Team consists of the following agencies and jurisdictions (listed in alphabetical order): • City of Springfield (City): Mayor Sean VanGordon and Councilor Marilee Woodrow, Assistant City Manager (Niel Laudati, ex-officio) • Lane Transit District (LTD): Board Members (Gino Grimaldi and Michelle Webber), Interim General Manager (Mark Johnson, ex-officio) • Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT): Area 5 Manager (Frannie Brindle) This Team will be referred to as the “Main Street Governance Team.” Additional agencies and jurisdictions may be included in Team activities when and if it becomes appropriate. All members will agree upon any additional team organizations or agencies according to the decision protocols below. III. Team Mission Team members will provide informed direction and final collaborative decision making to support a range of current Main Street projects: Main Street Safety Project (MSSP); Main- McVay Transit Study (MMTS); Main Street Pedestrian Crossings; Downtown Lighting Project. Former guidance included past projects: SmartTrips and Main Street Corridor Vision Plan. IV. Team Goals The Team has two primary goals: • The Main Street projects will undertake a public involvement strategy that first works to identify existing and anticipated needs and issues and then identifies solutions. • The Main Street projects are well coordinated with each other to leverage project efficiencies and to provide a unified public outreach program that avoids duplication and confusion among the project activities. V. Partner Roles and Responsibilities Communication • The Governance Team will act as a communication link among jurisdictions and as liaison to their respective organizations. • Preferred method of communication to and among Members will be email. A header or subject line containing the terms “Main Street Governance Team” will be included with all emails related to the project. Main Street Governance Team Protocols -- Page 2 of 3 Good Faith Members are appointed by their respective agency leadership to represent their respective agencies and jurisdictions and act in good faith by: • Being informed on relevant issues; • Communicating issues to their organizations and governing bodies, and gathering feedback and agreement from governing bodies to communicate back to the project teams and Governance Team; • Communicating with each other with respect and candor; and • Following through with respective project responsibilities in a timely manner. Information Flow Expectations and Responsibilities • Members are free to speak about their own experience in the group as individuals, but not to speak for the group. Inquiries about the Governance Team requiring a comprehensive response should be referred to the Chair who is designated to speak on behalf of the Governance Team unless the Chair designates another Governance Team member to do so. When Governance Team members speak internally and externally about projects, they shall support the agreed upon decision-making process. • The Project Leaders Team (PLT), made up of the project leaders from the Main Street Projects, will coordinate and collaborate on project development and delivery and maintain regular communication with the Governance Team by sending brief quarterly e-mails detailing project progress, pending decisions, upcoming work, community feedback and emerging issues. • The Oversight Team (OT), made up of managers from the City, LTD, and ODOT, will provide a sounding board for project issues, either within one project or among more than one project and may provide issues resolution and task direction and/or bring forward to the Governance Team project issues for consideration and direction. • The Governance Team will be notified by e-mail about upcoming public events, including open houses and stakeholder meetings. • Governance Team alternates will receive all meeting packets and either attend Governance Team meetings or get briefed in between meetings by agency peers. Meetings • Meetings will take place in Springfield City Hall, unless otherwise determined by the Governance Team. The Mayor will chair the Governance Team meetings. • Governance Team meetings will be open to the public, and will be working meetings that do not involve public interaction. Multiple opportunities for public input will be scheduled and provided through the projects’ comprehensive community engagement processes. Written public comment can be provided via a comment box at the Governance Team meetings. Main Street Governance Team Protocols -- Page 3 of 3 • The Governance Team will meet as determined by the Governance Team and/or as requested by the Oversight Team. The Governance Team will only meet if all five voting members of the Team (or their designated alternates) are present. • Staff will provide agenda and packet materials prior to each meeting. • Staff will provide presentations to the Governance Team at key milestones and decision points as identified in the various projects’ scopes of work, or as requested by the Governance Team. VI. Decision-Making • Governance Team members understand and acknowledge that their individual organizations retain all final decision-making authority as provided under law with respect to the projects. • Decisions will be made by consensus. Consensus means all team members are sufficiently comfortable with a decision and can recommend it to their respective organizations. o When significant deliberative decisions are made, the Governance Team will follow a consensus-based decision-making model1. o For decisions other than ‘significant deliberative decisions,’ the Governance Team may use a thumbs-up/thumbs-down straw-pole vote based on a simple majority. o If consensus cannot readily be reached, the Governance Team will:  Examine interests that are behind the disagreement;  Focus on explaining why they have taken a specific position;  Focus on finding creative solutions when disagreements arise; and  Return issues to PLT for further consideration or information development to resolve conflicts and obtain consensus. 1 Consensus is defined as the broad agreement of the group to go ahead with the decision or choice. It does not imply that complete agreement with each aspect of the issue or proposal has been reached. However, it does imply that all members feel good about the choice even if they might have chosen other specific components.