ITEM TITLE:
Approval of Amendments to City Council Policies and Procedures (Regarding Citizen Advisory Groups)
SUBMITTED BY: Allie Ferko, MMC, Deputy City Clerk
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: N/A
Unencumbered Balance: N/A
Funding Source: N/A
RECOMMENDATION:
Approval of amendment to City Council Policies and Procedures
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
City Council Policies and Procedures are adopted pursuant to City Charter Section 3.6(i) and may be amended as directed by Council.
During the City Council’s July 2021 strategic planning retreat, streamlining the city citizen advisory group program was discussed.
During a follow-on Council work session on August 31, 2021, Council discussed their desire to formalize the process for establishment of temporary citizen advisory groups (“task forces”) by Council resolution. Council also expressed a desire to adhere more closely to the citizen advisory group attendance policy to help with recruitment/retention and ensure maximum, engaged participation by those appointed to serve.
Council directed staff to bring forth a revision to the City Council Policies and Procedures documenting these changes.
Synopsis of changes included in this draft revision:
• XIII.C.3 - Corrected the name Economic Development Commission to the correct name of Economic Diversification Commission.
• XIII.C.7 & 8 - Addition of the Permanent Fund Investment Committee and soon to be formed Beautification Commission, which were missing from the list of established and standing advisory groups.
• XIII.D. - Added considerations for assignment of work to citizen advisory groups, basic criteria for creation of a temporary task force, required content of the Council resolution establishing a task force, and guidelines for management and process for conducting task force business.
• XIII.E.2 - Provided an allowance for the VMHA Board to follow attendance policies as established in their By-Laws approved by VHMA Corporation (City Council), as the VMHA board is managed slightly differently than other city citizen advisory groups.
• XIII.E.3 - Added “boards” and task forces to the attendance section, as they were boards were inadvertently omitted during the previous version.
• XIII.E.18 - Added ability of the citizen advisory boards to formally vote and authorize an extended absence of one of its members. This is the current process codified in Planning & Zoning Commission policy, which staff feels is appropriate to allow for all city citizen advisory groups.
Staff feels this adjustment appropriately:
o Holds members accountable for engaged participation and attendance, while providing recognition that members are volunteers with lives outside of city service which may warrant absences from time to time;
o Provides a clear avenue to accommodate a legitimate request for an extended absence, due to causes such as a short term family emergency or health issue, without forcing the resignation of the member;
o Creates ownership on the part of the citizen advisory group to work together and ensure a quorum can still be met during the extended absence of the member; and
o Provides a formal process (and accompanying member education) on the process for removal of a member due to lack of attendance at three consecutive regular meetings without advance authorization.
• XIII.E.18 - Added process for documenting member resignations from citizen advisory groups. This is already standard internal staff practice, but it is appropriate to include in this section for transparency and clarity.
Following approval of these amendments, and in conjunction with Council direction in during the above mentioned work sessions, the following actions will occur:
• The Clerk’s Office will educate established and standing citizen advisory groups on the changes to the attendance section, how it may impact them directly, and why those changes are to the benefit of the group and community.
• Impacts to existing citizen advisory groups which were not established by Council resolution:
o Beautification Task Force: Second reading of ordinance shifting Beautification Task Force into the Beautification Commission occurs on this agenda.
o Flood Mitigation Task Force: Council expressed support of near term continuation of the work of this task force until flood mitigation efforts shift from emergency response into regular maintenance/project management. Council members currently serving on this task force will shift into an ad-hoc, non-voting role. Scope of task force will include permitting, project for flood protection, and maintenance plans. Administration will bring forth a resolution formally establishing the task force and outlining its parameters in the next couple of months.
o Hospital Expansion Task Force: Now that an architect has been selected for the Hospital Campus Master Plan, this task force will sunset and its work will shift to the Providence Valdez Medical Center Community Advisory Council.