The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About65A - BOARDS AND COMMISSIONSMEMORANDUM To: Mayor and Councilmembers Date: February 25, 2009 From: Pat Healy, Clerk of the Council Subject: RESTRUCTURE CITY BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND COMMITTEES -SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION At its meeting of February 2, 2009, the City Council continued the staff report related to modification of the structure of the City's boards, commissions, and committees for thirty days. The Council further invited commissioners to submit recommendations regarding the structure of the appointive boards to the Clerk of the Council prior to the March 2, 2009 Council meeting. An a-mail and follow-up letter was sent to all members of the appointive boards. To date my office has received sixteen responses from members of the various boards. Following is a summary of the suggestions received: • Eliminate meals and refreshments • Eliminate meeting stipend • Initiate "flex" schedules for employees who need to attend the meetings/ reduce the number of staff at meetings • Change the structure of some commissions to task force format • Hold meetings less often; eliminate night meetings • Eliminate hard copies of agendas and staff reports; transmit all materials electronically • Eliminate committees and sub-committees If the above suggestions were implemented, the cost savings would be approximately $68,000 to $90,000 on an annual basis. Other than the recommendation related to "flex" schedules which has already been implemented by the various agencies, the suggestions from the commissioners generally do not address the issue of employee costs associated with supporting the various commissions. As previously reported, these costs would be approximately $566,000 annually. We hope this information is useful as you determine what direction to provide staff on this matter. 65A-1 REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: FEBRUARY 2, 2009 TITLE: RESTRUCTURE CITY BOARDS, CONIl~iISSIONS, AND CON~lITTEES (APPOINTIVE BOARDS) CI MANAGE CLERK OF COUNCIL USE ONLY: APPROVED ~ As Recommended [] As Amended ^ Ordinance on 1S` Reading ^ Ordinance on 2"d Reading ^ Implementing Resolution ^ Set Public Hearing For CONTINUED TO -~~1~~L FILE NUMBER RECOMMENDED ACTION Direct the City Attorney to modify the structure of the Committees (appointive boards) draft the documents necessary to City's boards, commissions, and as per Council direction. DISCUSSION Over the last several months, the City's Executive Management team has been discussing the City's budget challenges and the potential impacts on the City's ability to preserve high quality core services to the public. As part of these discussions, the current structure of the City's appointive boards and their cost has been examined. The City Charter establishes three appointive boards, including the Personnel Board, Planning Commission, and the Board of Recreation and Parks, which were empowered with specified duties contained within the Charter. The City Charter also authorized the City Council to create other appointive bodies as needed to render counsel on municipal matters. The Council has used this Charter authority to respond to the changing needs of the City. There are currently ten appointive boards established by ordinance, resolution, or Joint Powers Agreement, in addition to the three entities created by the City Charter. Each appointive board is assigned to a liaison City agency, which provides administrative staff support. Additionally, the Clerk of the Council and the City Attorney provide support or advice to all appointive boards. 65A-2 Restructure City Boards and Commissions February 2, 2009 Page 2 The respective agencies have reviewed all costs associated with providing support to the appointive boards including materials and supplies, training and travel, staff time, and member compensation. In the 2007-08 Fiscal Year, the total cost of supporting the various appointive boards was $656,615.72. Attached is a cost breakdown by board (Exhibit A). Agencies also reviewed the priority issues traditionally considered by the various appointive boards, as well as those commonly discussed by City Council Committees (e.g., Public Safety Committee, Development Committee, Transportation Committee, and Parks, Recreation, Education and Youth Committee) and identified opportunities for realignment or reassignment of functions and responsibilities. Based upon this review, the City's Executive Management team recommends that the ordinances or resolutions establishing the Early Prevention and Intervention Commission (EPIC), Environmental and Transportation Advisory Committee, Historic Resources Commission, Human Resources Commission, Library Board, and Youth Commission be repealed. It is further recommended that all powers and duties conferred on the Historic Resources Commission and the responsibilities currently provided by the Environmental and Transportation Advisory Committee (ETAC) regarding removal or disposition of public trees be transferred to the Planning Commission. The remaining responsibilities of ETAC, as well as the duties of EPIC and the Youth Commission should be assumed by the appropriate City Council Committee. Duties currently performed by the Library Board, including all matters regarding programs, usages and services of the library other than administrative matters should be transferred to the Recreation and Parks Board. There are no recommended changes to the duties or responsibilities of the Community Redevelopment and Housing Commission, Personnel Board, Workforce Investment Board, Civic Center Commission, or Santa Ana Empowerment Corporation Board at this time. However, staff is recommending that Municipal Code Section 2-325 related to compensation for members of boards and commissions be amended to limit the number of meetings for which members will receive compensation. Finally, the structure of the City's appointive boards should be reviewed by the City Manager and the City Council periodically to ensure that the diverse issues and challenges facing the City are adequately addressed. In the past, the Council has established single purpose citizen committees, such as the Charter Review Committee, to address topical issues. The review of social 65A-3 Restructure City Boards and Commissions February 2, 2009 Page 3 service programs for Community Development Block Grant funds is also an example of a task that could be performed by a citizen committee appointed on an annual basis. FISCAL IMPACT Realignment of the City's Boards and Commissions as recommended above will save the City's General Fund approximately $280,000, will save approximately $72,000 in City Enterprise Funds, and will save approximately $72,250 in Community Redevelopment Funds. 6 5A-4 M M M M O M V ~ N N O O O wa. 41 QO b Q M n b O ~} N O ~I 1~ h. N N N N VM1 . °m °m °m n b ti n b ri a ai ~c 'ON N ~O/1. b N .y A l0 r1 q 41 Q O n O of ui ~'i b N 1~ h M n O oD n N M N M O Q Op n N ~~f . N N ~ I. 65A-6