Catsavis: Assessments not necessary

More than 17 hours of providing food service for events at Kay Rodgers Park (rodeo-fair grounds) was the reason Fort Smith City Director George Catsavis was the only director to not attend the board’s retreat Saturday (April 16).

Team building, understanding expectations and discussing board operations were parts of the retreat agenda. The retreat facilitator was Ron Holifield, with Keller, Texas-based Strategic Government Resources. The almost 7-hour retreat focused primarily on making decisions that are vision driven, evidence based and part of long-term gains.

Prior to the retreat, the board members, Mayor Sanders and Gosack participated in an online assessment to create a “Team Dimensions Profile” that explains how each person approaches and interacts within the decision-making process.

“I had to work Saturday. That was an all-day and all-night event at the Fairgrounds,” Catsavis said Monday. “I told Ray (Fort Smith City Administrator Ray Gosack) about two months ago that I couldn’t do that (attend the retreat).”

Catsavis said he plans to attend a follow-up to the retreat that will focus on narrowing down more than 20 potential priority items the board will work to address in 2011. That meeting is expected to happen within the next 30 days.

As to the online assessment, Catsavis believes the board members are already familiar with the ideas and decision-making styles of other directors.

“I’ve got a pretty good feel for how they think. I pretty much know what their ideas are,” Catsavis said. “Nothing would be a surprise to me. I’ve been with them a few months. … I don’t think anybody’s going to change their decision-making tactics. And my assessment is pretty much what people know about me.”

Catsavis also declined to participate in a pre-retreat phone interview with Holifield in which he asked the board members questions that included the city’s long-term challenges, needed short-term improvements, threats to the city and organizational needs.

“I didn’t participate in that. I just felt that my ideas weren’t, well, you know, I just got the impression that we (Holifield) weren’t on the same page on stuff, to be honest with you, … that my ideas wouldn’t have made it,” Catsavis said, adding that Holifield is “kind of a status-quo type.”

Fort Smith City Director and Vice-Mayor Kevin Settle said he understood Catsavis could not attend the retreat, but was disappointed he didn’t do the pre-retreat work.

“I wish he would have participated in the two items before the meeting,” Settle said Monday. “As a team building exercise, I wish that all board members would have participated. It gives us a better idea of how we can all better interact together.”

Settle said he was pleased with the retreat and assessments, and believes the experience will improve communication between board members and with city staff.

“I thought it was very good. The idea coming into it was to build a team, and figure out how to work together. … We have, really, a whole new board in just the past few years, so I think it’s a good thing that we did this,” Settle explained.