Council Oversight, Staff & Consultants

Council direction in labor negotiations

At a February 2025 work meeting, Suzanne said staff should negotiate the terms the Council directs rather than independently deciding compensation policy. Other Council members agreed that negotiated terms still needed to return to Council for a decision.

Whether the EDA structure was producing enough value

At the same work meeting, Suzanne referred to her prior EDA service and questioned whether the Board had accomplished enough to justify its structure and meeting time. She supported moving toward more Council membership on the EDA; other officials raised the value of resident participation, and the Council continued debating the structure.

Consultants versus internal capacity

When staff proposed hiring a professional team for a facility-needs study in August 2025, Suzanne asked what the City expected the study to determine and why the work could not be completed by staff. The discussion highlighted the distinction between internal knowledge and outside facility-planning expertise.

Planner probation and reliance on Landform

In September 2025, Suzanne asked to extend the City Planner’s probationary period so there would be a six-month period to evaluate the position without assistance from Landform. The City Administrator responded that Landform was still being used as needed for more complicated planning and zoning work.

Planning ahead for election administration

During January 2026 planning for a possible fourth voting precinct, Suzanne said the City should start early in case of delays, asked about the election-budget increase, and asked how residents would be notified if precinct arrangements changed.