11/27/2007 7:55:00 PM Column: New mayor prioritizes regional cooperation
By JACK D. WILSON Special to the Courier
"What is your top priority as the new mayor of Prescott?" I initially answered that question, when Prescott Valley Mayor Harvey Skoog asked, by saying, "regional smart growth planning."
But many of our problems are regional, and cooperation is necessary to resolve them. So my answer has evolved. Today, my top priority is "regional cooperation."
Regional cooperation is the foundation on which all regional issues rest. If that foundation is solid, like granite bedrock, then progress on the issues resting on that foundation will be solid. However, if that foundation has cracks, or shifts under the weight of regional issues placed on it, we will not achieve optimal regional solutions.
What is the current state of regional cooperation? I'll get to that.
First, I get rid of my desk.
As some know, I spent the past 30 years of my career at Amoco Corp. (now BP) in Chicago. As you climbed the management ladder, your office
got bigger. If you reached the executive floor, you had your own executive assistant with a large "desk" that more closely resembled something from Starship Enterprise - and the executive's desk was even larger.
All this was to convey the idea "I am powerful."
I passed this concept along at the recent AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) orientation with this PowerPoint slideshow:
• Power is an aphrodisiac, not a solution.
• Exercising power will not achieve effectiveness.
• Browbeating people is not effective (for very long).
• I had a successful career, I retired early; I am not interested in power.
I then said my goal as Prescott's mayor was effectiveness*, and described several tactics I thought would help me be effective.
The most important is collaboration. Soon after I take office, I will replace the desk with a small conference table. My aim is to set up a collaborative area for working meetings. You can expect my office to provide a businesslike environment, encourage collaboration and look like the office of Prescott's CEO.
Now, let's return to the current state of regional cooperation.
After the election, I asked Prescott City Manager Steve Norwood for briefings on about 30 issues. One of these was the state of cooperation between the local municipalities, both on a "public face" and on a "private face" basis. Suffice to say, we have some issues to resolve to make our regional cooperation foundation bedrock-solid. My approach will be to discuss those issues openly and honestly with my counterparts. We need to build trust in each other before our level of regional cooperation improves. This is my top priority; I will give it significant emphasis after my inauguration. I will conduct a series of meetings with my counterparts to open the dialogue on how we can improve regional cooperation.
My most limited resource is time. I need to allocate it to the most important issues facing Prescott and the region.
In her book "Fierce Conversations," author Susan Scott asks: "What is impossible to do that if it were possible would change everything?"
Applying her question to my top-priority issue, regional cooperation, I can see that with bedrock-solid cooperation we will be able to take regional approaches to:
• Smart Growth planning
• Affordable housing
• Sustainable water supplies
• Economic development and revenue sharing
• Regional amenities such as a world-class tennis venue.
Core issues for our region will determine our future success and quality of life, and they demand we have Fierce Conversations about regional cooperation. Hence, my desk leaves my office, with a small conference table replacement brought in to promote collaboration and a series of Fierce Conversations about pivotal issues.
So what is a Fierce Conversation? Here's how Susan Scott puts it in her book: "Doesn't 'fierce' suggest menacing, cruel, barbarous, threatening? Sounds like raised voices, frowns, and blood on the floor, no fun at all. In Roget's Thesaurus, however, the word 'fierce' has the following synonyms: robust, intense, strong, powerful, passionate, eager, unbridled. In its simplest form, a fierce conversation is one in which we come out from behind ourselves into the conversation and make it real."
We can do that here, and it will be to everyone's advantage.
* "Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things." -Peter Drucker
Posted: Thursday, November 29, 2007
Article comment by:
Kate Robinson
I hope we'll see regional, Quad-City cooperation on the Prescott airport - we certainly don't need airports and airparks in every nook and cranny of Yavapai County.
Posted: Thursday, November 29, 2007
Article comment by:
Tom Steele
Pvanonymous is correct on the revenue sharing issue. I ask Larry Tarkowski when I first questioned "tax givaways" in PV. I suggested an agreement between the towns and cities to cooperate and agree to share new sales tax revenue and let the business locate where it wanted; instead of seeing who the biggest "Whore" would be. LT said "It won't work as Prescott would never agree (2003)."
This is FY 2008 and it can work starting now.
I think PV with two (2) new "large" shopping areas approved and opening or opened; I think it's a good time for Mayor Wilson to set a new tone.
Posted: Thursday, November 29, 2007
Article comment by:
Nancy Shelton
PV - Well I pretty much agree with you about the conference center. Personally I wish that Mr. Wilson weren't supporting it. However, I do think that he's probably "picking his battles," and also he probably feels the conference center is a good idea. I support Jack but have decided I am just going to have to accept he's going do some things I may not personally agree with. I do also think the center is a better idea than the Lowe's though.
Posted: Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Article comment by:
pvanonymous
Nancy - you've made some good points, but how can a hotel/conference center diversify the economy and how can they quanitify that. The new hotel will simply cannibalize existing hotels and the conference center will canibalize the Tribe's conference center. How is it "regional cooperation" when you try and rob the Yavapai Prescott Indian Tribe of a revenue generator? And as to compromising with the Council on certain issues (such as agreeing to give $5 million to a wealthy corporation), some might consider that betraying your own values. That brings up the debate about whether dissension is good or bad. Does it foster debate and uncover underlying issues? Or is having unity in a community better? It is interesting to me that he didn't come out in support of the tax giveaway until after he was already elected. Would his position have been different if he was still running for office?
Posted: Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Article comment by:
Nancy Shelton
PV Anonymous - Jack Wilson is coming on board to a council which has shown a significant "bent" in the past. There is likely to be "dissension" in the ranks if Mr. Wilson were to oppose every project the rest of the Council favors. Although I am personally against the $5 million to the new conference center, it is my belief that Jack is willing to work with other council members in a spirit of "compromise" on certain projects. At least the conference center has been designed to be "somewhat green" and to "blend into the surroundings," as opposed to the Lowes project, which only provided another building supply store, as opposed to a conference center (which, arguably) will add diversification to the local economic base.
Posted: Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Article comment by:
James R. (Jim) Zant
It appears that Prescott has elected a very competent 'manager' as the new Mayor. Not much will ever change, however, until Mayors are allowed to lead for 4 year terms and council is elected by district where they will be forced to be responsive to citizens instead of being allowed to 'hide' under the so-called 'at-large system.
Posted: Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Article comment by:
pvanonymous
So revenue sharing is now one of Prescott's new mayor's five top priorities? Just when PV is finally getting some stores and becoming competitive in the retail market, THEN they want to talk about revenue sharing? Does that include sharing some of the sales tax from the mall and Costco to PV & Chino Valley since many of the residents of those cities shop there? Hmmm, sounds a little fishy. I've also been a little confused about Jack's philosophy on economic development. Wasn't Jack in support of the $5 million giveaway to a wealthy corporation for a new hotel conference center, yet publicly campaigned against the incumbents because of their support of Lowes? What is going to happen to the hillside when the hotel/conference center is built? And if he's supportive of a regional world class tennis facility, would he be supportive and contribute financially if the tennis facility were to be located in PV? I'd just like some clarity on this economic development strategy of his. Maybe if he reads this he can provide us with some more information that the Courier didn't have room to print.
