Spring House Summit

So, as Rick Smith reported Sunday, Cedar Rapids Mayor-elect Ron Corbett and City Manager Jim Prosser met at the Spring House Restaurant Saturday morning to get acquainted. Hunting for a column, I gave them each a call to get their impressions.

Let's get the important stuff out of the way first. Corbett ordered two eggs, over-easy, and hash browns, extra-crispy. Prosser stuck with iced tea. He had breakfast earlier in the day.

And this was not necessarily the most important political event in Spring House history. The restaurant's Web site has pictures of a visit by George W. Bush, sitting in a booth with U.S. Sen Chuck Grassley. I didn't see any photos of Saturday's summit.

Corbett and Prosser said the two-hour meeting was courteous and friendly and useful. They talked about broad brush concepts, such as the relationship between the city manager and City Council, but didn't get into specific city issues. They broke the ice and chewed the fat and sipped the tea.

“I think it was a good introductory meeting,” Corbett said Monday. “We didn't get into any specific issues. We talked a little bit about policy, and he believes that the council should set policy and feels that he is carrying out the council direction.

“I want to make sure the City Manager is getting clear direction,” Corbett said.

Prosser concurred.

“Mayor-elect Corbett was, I would say, very clear in expressing what he expected my role to be and what he expected his role to be,” Prosser said Monday. “I saw no inconsistencies in those expectations between what he expected and what I believe my role to be.

“Mayor-elect Corbett indicated his intent to be a strong public and political leader for this community, to establish the priorities for the community. And my commitment to him is it's going to be my job, once those priorities are established, to work with the council to make sure those priorities are achieved,” Prosser said.

City manager? Mayor-elect Corbett? I guess we're not cozy enough for Ron and Jim yet.

I didn't get much sense from either summiteer that there was any tension, even though it's no secret some people who supported Corbett last week want to bid adios to Prosser.

Corbett said they touched on the 90-day performance review the new mayor is planning for the city manager. Corbett now knows, for example, that if Prosser is let go without cause, his contract dictates that the city pays him a year's salary and health benefits.

But much of the policy landscape, taxes, city buildings etc., was left largely unplowed.

“We didn't get into any of the heavy stuff,” Corbett said. “Exchanging pleasantries and talking about the general public and what the electorate may have said or didn't say on Tuesday.

“ I think (Prosser) just feels he's a cog in the machinery of the city and he's there to make the machinery work as well as he possibly can. If the city council directs the machinery in a different direction, that's what his role and objective will be,” Corbett said.

But can a cog still come up with ideas and recommendations?

“I didn't hear Mr. Corbett ever indicate that he wanted me to hold back on recommendations or ideas,” Prosser said. “ I'm not expecting he will.”

Corbett said there was also some small talk, about the Hawkeyes etc. And when they were finished, Corbett got a taste of the difference between policy and operations.

“We got out in the parking lot and a couple of ladies cornered us and wanted to talk about a sewer problem. He ended up giving them his phone number,” Corbett said.