TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
George Gabriel, Assistant to the City Manager
Patricia Matson, Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of General Guidelines Concerning City Advisory Committees (City Manager Moe).
RECEIVE AND FILE
Body
_________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that City Council receive and file the attached internal policy
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action. However, it is important to note per the attached policy, if a committee is created that includes student members (under 18 years of age), all members of that body will need to complete a background check via an electronic fingerprinting process. The City would cover the costs of those background checks, which are approximately $50.00 per check. This practice is consistent with all City Boards and Commissions.
BACKGROUND:
At the March 14, 2023, meeting, City Council added a Work Plan item requesting that staff develop a policy that would provide guidelines for City advisory committees. Specifically, Council indicated that a policy would assist staff in managing current City advisory committees as well as any future bodies from inception to conclusion.
The Planning Commission and other advisory commissions (e.g., Parks and Recreation Commission) are governed by certain rules and regulations, while advisory committees are not.
DISCUSSION:
Staff has created an internal policy (Attachment) that provides general guidelines to assist in the operation of current and future bodies and includes information on topics such as:
• Membership (application and selection process, terms, meeting process, absences, resignations, removals, compensation, city property, communication with City Council, and background checks);
• Assignment of staff liaisons to meeting bodies;
• Agendas and minutes; and
• Dissolution of body
The guidelines also provide that each meeting body may supplement the policy by adopting other rules and procedures as it feels necessary to effectively and efficiently accomplish its duties. Such supplemental rules and procedures would be subject to City Council approval before becoming effective and should not be in conflict with the policy. If any rules or procedures are in conflict with the guidelines provided within the policy, the policy would control.
Staff acknowledges all committees can be unique in their subject matter, duration, and membership. Therefore, the policy was written to provide the committees with the flexibility to create more specific regulations when appropriate.
Senior Advisory Committee (SAC)
During the development of this policy, staff met with the committee to receive feedback regarding the proposed guidelines.
Staff is recommending that the Senior Advisory Committee revise their bylaws to incorporate staggered terms for their members. Several of their members have years of institutional knowledge regarding the committee. In an effort to maintain that historical perspective with their current members, the SAC would like to revise its bylaws and propose their own staggered terms (beginning on a date certain) to comply with the proposed policy.
City Manager Authority
The City Manager has the authority to adopt internal policies as needed. The content of the attached policy has been approved by the City Manager. However, staff wanted to ensure that City Council had the opportunity to review and provide any additional feedback as the request originated as a City Council Work Plan Item. The policy will be formalized once City Council receives and files the report. The City Manager would have the authority to update the policy in the future in the event any of the guidelines need to be updated for clarity.
The formalized policy will be posted to the City’s intranet for staff use, provided to all liaisons and department heads of existing committees, and provided to liaisons when new committees are formed.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that City Council receive and file the internal policy entitled, “General Guidelines Concerning City Advisory Committees,” as approved by the City Manager.
The revised Senior Advisory Committee bylaws will return to City Council at a later date for approval.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
After analysis, staff determined that public outreach was not required for this issue.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City Council’s consideration of the general guidelines concerning certain committees is not a “project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines, the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus no environmental review is necessary.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Policy - General Guidelines Concerning City Advisory Committees