ITEM TITLE:
#21-10 - Amending Title 2, Chapter 2.60 of the Valdez Municipal Code, Titled Economic Diversification Commission. Second Reading. Adoption.
SUBMITTED BY: Allie Ferko, MMC, Deputy City Clerk
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: N/A
Unencumbered Balance: N/A
Funding Source: N/A
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve Ordinance #21-10. Second reading. Adoption.
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
During the City Council’s July 2021 strategic planning retreat, streamlining the city citizen advisory group program and addressing current challenges with city boards/commissions were discussed.
During a follow-on Council work session on August 31, 2021, Council discussed potential barriers to recruitment and retention of city commissioners and board members. Barriers to participation were identified and several options to reduce/remove those barriers prioritized as short-term goals, including enforcement of attendance policies to allow those able to commit with an opportunity to serve, reduction in term limits to two-years for certain boards/commissions, and removal of the specific industry sector seat requirement for the Economic Diversification Commission.
Council directed staff to bring forth a series of ordinances to address Code changes necessary to accomplish those short-term goals. The Economic Diversification Commission chapter revision is being presented for consideration first, as it has the most substantial changes and will have the most immediate impact on recruitment for upcoming vacancies.
Synopsis of changes included in this ordinance:
• Adjustment in language to reflect the current functional process for commissioner appointment by city council.
• Reduction in commissioner term length from three to two years. Current commissioners shall serve out the remainder of the term for which they were appointed. The two-year term length change will be incorporated for new appointments.
• Removal of language stating no more than three members may be appointed in the same year (necessary adjustment due to the term length change).
As the reduction in commissioner term lengths to two years is implemented over time, terms for three commissioners will eventually expire in one year and terms for the other four commissioners (a quorum) will eventually expire in the next.
Avoiding appointments of potential quorum voting blocks in the same year is especially important for politically appointed commissions who hold quasi-judicial authority, boards with fiduciary responsibilities, etc.
In the case of strictly advisory boards like the Economic Diversification Commission, staff do not feel the potential for quorum voting block appointments are a serious concern and can be managed adequately through the commissioner appointment process.
• Removal of language requiring that no two members may be appointed to serve concurrently from the same industry sector, while adding language to retain the original intent of broad representation on the commission.
• Removal of the term “nonprofessional” from paragraph 2.60.010.C.6.
Based on documentation from 2014, it appears the original intent behind using the term “nonprofessional” was to differentiate between the industry seat for professional services (like an attorney or accountant who might also be a sole proprietor) and the industry seat for other types of small business sole proprietors.
With the removal of the industry seat requirement from this chapter, that differentiation is no longer necessary. Staff have also received citizen feedback that this descriptor could be interpreted as offensive when taken out of context. Staff believes the word “nonprofessional” is no longer necessary and should be removed.