Whether your orientation program is formal or informal, you will want to cover information that specifically relates to councils as well as several other important topics, including finance, economic development, and emergency preparedness.

Council-specific Information

Council-specific information includes all the items that relate to council members themselves in their new role. Some topics are best covered by the government clerk or attorney, so including them in these discussions makes sense. Examples of council-specific information include

• Council member compensation (how they are paid), benefits received, expenses that are appropriate
• Legal requirements (including financial disclosure, conflicts of interest)
• Expectations regarding ethical conduct
• Provisions regarding sunshine laws or open meetings laws
• Council norms, policies, procedures, and regulations
• Council meeting protocols (seating, use of technology at the dais, meeting etiquette, Robert’s Rules of Order)
• Council members’ roles regarding council subcommittees and service on regional boards and committees
• Media relations (including social media) and protocol
• Conference and training opportunities
• Contact and communication with staff.

One of the most important and sensitive topics to review with newly elected members is the relationship between the individual council member, the city/county manager, and staff. The appropriate existing protocols regarding communication need to be as clear as possible from the start. Additionally, how to appropriately communicate citizen questions/concerns to the organization should also be established as early as possible.

Finance

New council members should be given the basics of the community’s financial structure and condition. They need to understand their fiduciary responsibilities. During this introduction to the subject, it is important to present

• The financial position of the local government
• An explanation of fund structure
• An overview of the most recent comprehensive audit and financial report (CAFR)
• The operating and capital budget cycle
• Investment and treasury policies
• A schedule for financial reporting to the council
• Unfunded liabilities (e.g., post-employment benefits).

Land Use, Economic Development, and Planning

The sooner new council members are brought up to speed on land use and related topics, the sooner they will be able to respond effectively to contacts from developers and neighborhood groups.

In as much detail as possible in the time allotted, the following materials and issues should be presented:

• Review of land use planning terms
• Role of council in land use matters
• Role of planning or zoning commissions/boards
• Schedule of general plan, precise plans, or other policy documents that are coming to the council in the upcoming year
• Status and trend of new development (infill or raw land) permits and building permits over the past five years
• Preview of development projects that will appear before the council in the upcoming year.

Personnel and Labor Relations

Although council members’ responsibility for personnel issues and labor relations will ideally be limited to overall policy direction, personnel issues and labor relations can be among the most difficult and challenging areas. An early and complete briefing on these topics can be critical.

Include in your orientation an overview of bargaining groups and the number of employees who are represented by each, the status of agreements, and the issues that management is hearing about from the labor groups.

Local Government Organizational Structure

Knowing which departments are responsible for specific services and who is responsible for what within departments is an important component for newly elected council members.

They also need to know what the critical issues are for each department. A list of department heads and their contact information should be provided during the meeting. How—and in what circumstances—it is appropriate to contact staff is information that can enable a smooth transition

Emergency Preparedness

Due to the unique and critical role local governments play in regard to emergency preparedness, a briefing on this topic needs to be a key part of orientation programs. The police chief and/or fire chief should give a high-level briefing and invite participants to attend a more in-depth briefing to be given by a public safety employee charged with emergency preparedness. And since an emergency incident can occur at any time, newly elected members should be briefed as soon as possible regarding their role in the event of a community emergency. Confusion or misunderstanding regarding this issue can be very challenging in the midst of an emergency event.

Biographical Information About the Executive Team

It will be important for newly elected council members to know and understand the leaders of the organization. In the beginning, knowing the background of the leaders is important to building a strong relationship with them. Communicating the education, professional training, and experience of key staff members helps develop elected officials’ confidence in the staff.

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Excerpted and adapted from “New Council Member Orientation: Developing a Positive Relationship,” by Kevin Duggan and Nadine Levin, an InFocus report that describes seven important topic areas to cover during orientation. The full InFocus report also includes reasons for conducting new council member orientation, the structure and components of an effective orientation program, examples of programs, how to plan a program that meets your needs, and leading practices in this area. You can purchase the full report (item e-43825) at ICMA’s online bookstore.