LAWRENCE — City officials spent three days at a hotel conference center in Westford at a cost of $30,000 working on a plan for the city's future called Vision 2020.

But not one city councilor attended the workshops last week and at least one of them was concerned that the event was not in the city itself.

"If we are going to talk about leadership and do a conference, there are places in Lawrence to do this," District D Councilor Nick Kolofoles, the council vice president, said yesterday.

On the flip side, fellow City Councilor Frank Moran described the leadership conference as a essential tool for effective management. He didn't attend the workshops due to his own work commitments, but Moran, a former computer production manager turned real estate agent, said, "I've already taken this class four times. I could almost teach this class."

He said the workshops are successful because they are held off-site. "It's all about teamwork and making sure everyone buys into your mission," said Moran, a councilor-at-large.

Mayor Michael Sullivan said the three-day workshop and the locale, the Westford Regency 15 miles away, allowed leaders a chance to leave Lawrence but not be too far away.

"So we wouldn't be getting phone calls and running back to City Hall," Sullivan said.

Nineteen department heads, including city attorneys, the finance director, comptroller, police and fire chiefs, community development, library, planning and economic development directors, and Sullivan's chief of staff were among those who attended.

The conference was run by Cambridge College, and according to Sullivan, afforded leaders three days of intense team-building, planning and networking.

The event gave city department heads a chance to get to know each other better and "know where each of us is coming from. ... And it breaks through all that political stuff that drags you down," Sullivan said.

The price tag was about $30,000; $25,000 was paid to Cambridge College and another $5,000 to the Westford Regency, according to city records. Sullivan eyed "formal training and a retreat of some sort" for department heads for the past 18 months.

"So we could focus on where the city will be in 2020 and how do we plan for that now," he said. "So all department heads are working towards the same goal."

Later this week, Sullivan said he plans to formally unveil and explain the plan leaders created.

Kolofoles said he made "tongue-in-cheek" comments to the mayor about the conference in a meeting earlier last week. In an interview yesterday, the councilor said he did not attend because he was working in the city.

"I wanted to take care of my constituents. I work daily here in my city," he said. "That is the leadership role I play."

He added that there "are many, many facets" that makes someone a community leader.

Council President Patrick Blanchette (District A) did not attend because he "didn't want to take time off from my full-time job being unsure of the scope of this seminar."

"I am a big fan of professional development, however, the purpose of seminars and conferences is to bring back new ideas and strategies to better the workplace," Blanchette said. "Time will tell if we got the best bang for the buck with this conference. It's tough fiscal times to be spending anything additional, but I hope the money went towards progress."

Moran said he believes the conference "was worth every penny."

"I'm definitely onboard. I think it works really well," Moran said.