At the Jordan City Council tonight, Mike Shaw questioned whether the city should spend $3,500 on a consultant to facilitate a second annual council retreat. 

Last year, the council spent two days outside of the city hall talking about strategic planning, collective goals, city growth, unity among councilmembers, and other issues facing the city during a two-day session. This sort of retreat is common among elected city officials who want to informally get on the same page with city staff and their collegues on a particular board or council.

Councilmember Shaw, who asked to have discussion of the spending added to tonight's council meeting agenda, suggested that during a difficult financial time, the council ought to pinch pennies, holding its own informal meetings to set goals without the use of a consultant.

"Maybe this isn't so necessary in this format," Shaw said. 

Councilmembers Sally Schultz and Jeremy Goebel spoke about their interest in saving money on the consultant. Schultz suggested trimming the retreat from two days down to one by talking ahead of time about goals.

"Maybe we can make our time more effective, directed, specific," she said. 

Goebel said he sees a need for the council to talk in a place that is more comfortable that public meetings in the council chamber at the city hall -- "not a formal council setting." 

Then, Mayor Ron Jabs pointed out that the atmosphere created during last year's retreat helped build consensus and rapport among councilmembers. 

"You can get a full inventory of where you're at," Jabs said. 

He and City Administrator Ed Shukle convinced the council to agree to hearing a proposal from the consultant about what ought to be accomplished in a one- or two-day retreat.

Jabs urged against a hasty decision to cut funding for the retreat, adding that councilmembers David Hanson and Barry Ullmann were absent from tonight's meeting.