The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About02-06-26 Retreat102 Dunn City Council Special Meeting — Budget Planning Retreat Friday, February 6 - Saturday, February 7, 2026 8:30 a.m., Lumina, Wrightsville Beach NC MINUTES PRESENT: Mayor William P. Elmore Jr., Mayor Pro Tern April Gaulden, Council Members J. Wesley Sills, Raquel McNeil, Billy N. Tart, Alan Hargis, and Dr. David L. Bradham. ALSO PRESENT: City Manager Justin Hembree, Assistant City Manager Billy Godwin, Finance Director Cary McNallan, Chief of Police Lynn Gay, Major Nick Simmons, Parks and Recreation Director Brian McNeill, Human Resources Director Connie Jernigan, Planner Stephanie Goodrich, Public Works Director Dwayne Williams, Building Inspector Slater Johnson, Collections & Distribution Manager, Billy Cottle, Water Treatment Plant Manager Ian Stroud, Administrative Support Specialist, Christy Sweeney, and City Clerk, Melissa Matti. The Dunn City Council held a retreat with key staff to establish goals & priorities for fiscal year 2026-2027. Chad Sary with KCI Associates of North Carolina facilitated the retreat. DAY ONE - FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2026: Session 1- Getting Started The sessions of day one started with the call to order and opening remarks by Mayor - William Elmore, Jr., City Manager - Justin Hembree, and Facilitator - Chad Sary. Session 1- Pre -Retreat Questions The first activity involved three (3) questions for all participants to answer. The questions are listed below, along with a summarization of the answers provided: Question 1- What is one thingyou learned in 2025 as a City Official? Making complex decisions in the best interest of Dunn. Valuing high -quality staff and strong teamwork. • Adapting effectively to change. • Navigating complex laws and ordinances. • Recognizing that the limits and pace of government can be frustrating. Question do you see as the most critical issue or trend (internal and external) facing theCity of Dunn over the next year or two? Adequate and reliable infrastructure. • Balanced, high -quality growth. • Retaining and attracting talented city staff. Maintaining public trust. • Securing funding for needed projects. • Supporting social and community health. Question 3 - What is the one thing you hope to take away from this retreat? • Consensus on goals and projects. • Clear direction and unity. • Actionable goals • Short- and long-term wins Session 1- Four Tendencies & Decision Making in Government The Four Tendencies is a research -based framework developed by Gretchen Rubin that explains habits & how people are likely to follow through with commitments. According to Rubin's research, people fall into one of four types (Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, or Rebel) based on whether they are more likely to meet or resist these expectations. City Council members responded to a series of questions designed to identify the leadership or decision -making tendencies that most closely align with their perspectives. 103 FOUR TENDENCIES Upholders Obligers • Embrace both internal and external • The "people pleaser" - easily meets outer expectations easily. expectations but struggles to meet inner • Do not' want to fail others, but they don't believe expectations. in failing themselves either = balance + • Creating outer accountability is the key to boundaries success. • Comforted by meeting expectations • Susceptible to overwork & burnout. • Watch for "tightening" — becoming overly rigid • Risk "obliger rebellion" when overwhelmed. with routines and expectations. City Council members who align with this tendency: City Council members who align with this tendency: - William Elmore - Wes Sills — Billy Tart - Raquel McNeil Questioners Rebels Do well in achieving their own expectations but • Independent thinkers often fail to live up to those of others. • Resist internal and external expectations. • Understanding the "why" is key - need to meet Motivated by freedom and authenticity. an information threshold. • Can do anything the WANT to do. Y • Value effective and efficient systems. • Struggle with routines and planning. • Can struggle with "analysis paralysis" when answers aren't complete. Respond best to information +consequences + choice. City Council members who align with this tendency: City Council members who align with this tendency: Alan Hargis - April Gaulden -• David Bmdham Session 1- Decision Making in Government This session, grounded in the work of public administration scholar John Nalbandian, explored the complex nature of decision -making in local government, not as a search for "right' answers, but as a process of balancing legitimate, often competing values. Participants examined four core values that shape public service: • Accountability and Representation • Efficiency and Professionalism • Social Equity and Diversity • Justice and Individual Rights These values frequently exist in tension, requiring elected officials to navigate trade-offs rather than seek perfect solutions. Dr. Nalbandian expanded on this framework in partnership with Julia Novak, and introduced six (6) governance "hats" that elected officials wear: • Big Picture Thinker - strategic thinking long-term and big -picture about the communitys future. • Trustee/Steward - making decisions that serve the whole community (or future community), even when they're unpopular. • Customer Service - responding to individual concerns and being a voice for residents. • Community Builder- fostering relationships and bringing people together across differences. Decision -Maker- weighing evidence and casting votes. • Oversight - ensuring accountability and transparency in government operations. Each member of the Council was asked to consider which value and hat feels most dominant to them. In other words, how do they most often come to the table to do the business of city government? Council members reflected on their dominant values and roles, identifying how these influence their approach to governance and teamwork. Understanding values can give the governing body a common language to use for healthy debate of conflicting perspectives instead of allowing conflict to get personal. Core Value Governance Hat William Elmore Efficiency & Professionalism Big Picture Thinker Billy Tart Efficiency & Professionalism Big Picture Thinker 104 Wes Sills Accountability & Representation Customer Service Raquel McNeil Accountability & Representation Community Builder Alan Hargis Accountability & Representation Community Builder April Gaulden Accountability & Representation Customer Service David Bradham Efficiency & Professionalism Big Picture Thinker Session 2 - Reflecting Finance Director, Cary McNallan, provided a presentation of the mid -year and overall financial outlook of the City. The City Manager and Assistant City Manager provided updates on major capital projects, spending priorities, and the revenue policy. In addition, Dr. AR EI-Khattabi from the UNC School of Government provided a presentation on utility rates. The following projects were discussed: Major Capital Projects: • Water Treatment Plant • Wastewater Treatment Plant • New Public Services Building • Cotton Gin Property • Stewart Theater • Paving Project - Phase II Spending Priorities Personnel Priorities • General Utility & Stormwater Projects • Neighborhood Improvements • Codrington Park Enhancements • General Equipment Maintenance, Repairs, Additions & Upgrades • Marketing & Public Outreach • Beautification • Railroad Building • Wayfinding Project Phase II • Park to Park Trail Project Phase II Revenue Policy • Enterprise Fund • General Fund • Vehicle & Equipment Session 3 - Specific Projects Prioritization Exercise For the purposes of the budget retreat, it was agreed upon that discussions would be consistent with the City's vision statement (Core Value) & strategic themes (Focus Areas) from the City's Strategic Plan [Imagine Dunn], illustrated below. The specific projects discussed in Session 2 were categorized into these themes. Dunn is a dynamic, engaged community where a diuctsPy of people want to live, visit, play and do business. the embrace growth, opportunity and progress while preserving the hometown character that makes our community proud. wWm...,mrypan. nn avMy u. M1.v`M nrrTY PAN*x. ux.p.wrn xIM�-vinnul.dny .,.q/n« u.�, 6.MgaiW �.Yny.n. W-a.w.wr.Nuex.+Y,...rw �r prn v. millRlil.7nTN[N•JhO21- uu�0.nrup.MJ/.umv�u fxwa+4w W Muµyu.,„u,,,buL p.m�l4n p',n.r�.irMw�w. Wa. n '.W �w.Jb�W xw4xi-�uArr�.n.Ixxr�W While ALL these projects are important, the council members had the opportunity to vote on which projects were considered priorities for FY 26-27. The voting occurred through the "dot democracy" method, with each 105 member getting a total of 7 dots. The chart below illustrates these priorities and their connection to implementing Imagine Dunn's goals. Priority Votes Goal Imagine Dunn Theme 8 Water Treatment Plant Upgrades Quality of Life 6 Stormwater Projects Quality of Life 6 Marketing & Public Outreach Efforts Marketing Positioning 4 Personnel Priorities Planning for Growth 4 Codrington Park Enhancements Community Character 3 City Hall Improvements Planning for Growth 3 Stewart Theater Renovations Community Character 2 Utility System Replacement Projects Quality of Life 2 General Equipment Maintenance & Repairs Planning for Growth 2 Police Tech Upgrades Planning for Growth 2 Vehicle Equipment Updates Planning for Growth 2 Neighborhood Improvements Community Character 2 Wayfinding Project- Phase 2 Marketing Positioning 1 Permitting Software Improvements Business Development 1 Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades Quality of Life 1 Railroad Building Improvements Community Character 0 Cotton Gin Improvements Community Character 0 Beautification Projects Community Character 0 Park to Park Trail Project Phase Community Character 0 New Public Services Facility Planning for Growth Session 4 - Keep, Toss, Complete Exercise Facilitator Sary reviewed the goals and priorities from the previous year's retreat, and a category of"Keep, Toss or Complete" was agreed upon by the City Council. A consensus was formed to delete the goals that were complete or no longer a priority and to keep the ones that remain as relevant goals. The following illustrates the outcome of this exercise: FY 25-26 Goal Status Water, Sewer, WWTP • Flocculator replacement Keep/progress made • Building updates Keep/progress made • Digester Building Keep/progress made • Asphalt milling Complete Community Center Bathrooms Update Keep/progress made Police Department • Retention Plan Complete • Special Response Team Toss KeepKeep • Research Drone Use • Vehicle Replacement Schedule Strategy for 107 S. Railroad Street Building Keep Improvements Public Works Grapple Truck Replacement Complete Planning & Inspections Building Rehab Keep 106 Parks & Recreation • FTE as program coordinator • Cemetery lighting process • Plan for pickleball courts • Greenwood Cemetery beautification Keep Keep Complete Keep Sidewalk Repairs Keep/progress made Historic Preservation District/Ordinance Keep Economic Development Zones Keep Increased focus on code enforcement Keep/progress made Boarded Window Ordinance Keep Research )uneteenth Holiday Costs Complete Session 4 - Goal Setting & Prioritization Facilitator Sary compiled all priorities discussed in previous sessions, aligned them with the six (6) focus areas identified in Imagine Dunn, and organized them into primary and secondary goal categories. While all the identified projects are important, Council members were asked to prioritize those they believe should receive the greatest focus in FY 2026-2027. To do this, members participated in a structured voting exercise using a dot allocation system tied to monetary values. Each Council member received a total of $0.82 to allocate across the goals (two pennies, two nickels, two dimes, and two quarters). • Quarters ($0.25) represented top priorities. • Dimes ($0.10) represented very important initiatives. • Nickels ($0.05) represented helpful but secondary efforts. • Pennies ($0.01) represented "nice to have" items. All coins were required to be used, and members could allocate multiple coins to a single goal if they felt it warranted stronger emphasis. The intent of the exercise was to simulate real -world funding decisions and encourage thoughtful prioritization of where the city should concentrate resources in the upcoming fiscal year. The chart below illustrates the results of the Council's voting priorities. PRIORITIZED GOALS: Rank & Voting Goal & Action Steps Water Treatment Plant Upgrades ➢ Identify funding opportunities. #1($1.50) ➢ Develop a phased engineering & financial report ➢ Develop agreements with partners to purchase water. ➢ Create a plan for short-term actions. Responsible Party: Public Utilities Stormwater Projects #2 ($0.90) ➢ Continue to look for grant funding. ➢ Complete projects along Merry Street & Friendly Road. Responsible Party: Administration Personnel Priorities ➢ Review workforce pay & structure to assure competitiveness. #3 ($0.75) ➢ Include policy for COLA & merit increases. ➢ Look at targeted market adjustments for specific positions. 0 Review and make budget recommendations. Responsible Party: Administration & Human Resources 107 Codrington Park Enhancements Pursue PARTF grant #4 ($0.71) ➢ Complete concept plan ➢ Move or sell the house on the property. ➢ Look at selling the Magnolia Street property for redevelopment Responsible Party: Administration & Parks/Recreation General Marketing & Public Outreach ➢ Merge marketing & communications responsibilities with Downtown Dunn and other administrative duties. ➢ Proactive outreach on special events regulations & policies. #5 ($0.57) ➢ Proactive outreach on leaf collection. ➢ Look for opportunities for city employees to help with brand awareness through clothing & accessories. ➢ Hire for position (budgeted in FY 25-26). Responsible Party: Administration Police Tech Upgrades ➢ Purchase drone and cameras. #6 ($0.35) ➢ Replace side -by -side. ➢ Pursue grants for purchases. Responsible Party: Police Stewart Theater Renovations #7 ($0.25) Contribute $50K annually Responsible Party. Administration & Finance City Hall Improvements ➢ Create an overall improvement plan to address appearance & privacy. #8 ($0.13) ➢ Repair roof & replace HVAC. ➢ Install new/additional landscaping and exterior improvements. Responsible Party: Administration General Equipment Maintenance/Repairs #9 ($0.10) ➢ Identify needs & develop a maintenance schedule for equipment ➢ Should be managed by each department. 0 Look at the replacement of older vehicles to address continual maintenance = R01 of buying new vs. repair costs. Responsible Party: All Departments Railroad Building Upgrades ➢ Develop a concept plan for best use. #9 ($0.10) ➢ Look for funding opportunities and partnerships. ➢ Paint exterior Responsible Party. Administration Vehicle & Equipment Replacement ➢ Develop Replacement Schedule #10($0.06) ➢ ImplementVERF ➢ Look at the pricing of the new leaf truck ➢ Look for other alternatives to help with citizen concerns Responsible Party: Administration & Finance 108 Neighborhood Improvements ➢ Create a comprehensive list of actions and provide them with them to the city council ➢ Should include general maintenance, tree removal/replacement, trash cans, #11 ($0.04) planters, etc. ➢ Continue to focus on code enforcement. ➢ Focus on pavement markings and sidewalk improvements. Responsible Party: Public Works Beautification Projects #12 ($0.02) ➢ Implement adopt -a -street program. ➢ Develop a city-wide cleanup day Responsible Party: Planning & Inspections Permitting Software Improvements ➢ Create opportunities to educate & train external users. #13 (0.01) ➢ Look for ways to refine software for ease. ➢ Focus on customer service Responsible Party: Planning & Inspections CONCLUSION The Dunn City Council Budget Retreat, held on February 6-7, 2026, focused on strengthening team dynamics and identifying the City's top strategic priorities for the upcoming fiscal year and beyond. Through guided discussions, Council members explored personal tendencies and governance styles, fostering a better understanding of how they work individually and collectively. The Council reached consensus on its highest priorities and identified specific goals and action items to achieve them. This process provides City staff with a clear, consensus -driven work plan and budgeting guidance for FY 2026-2027. ADJOURNMENT With no further business to discuss, the meeting was concluded at 11:15 a.m. Vz William P. Elmore, Jc, unu11 Mayor elissa R. Matti, City Clerk .'pORPoii zz SEAL 'CAROB- ,o '�nnlnn01