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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-04-08 SpecialMINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA APRIL 8, 2013 CALLED TO ORDER SOUTHWEST SENIOR CENTER 2201 W. MCFADDEN AVENUE SANTA ANA, CA 5:13 P.M. ATTENDANCE COUNCILMEMBERS Present: SAL TINAJERO, Mayor Pro Tern ANGELICA AMEZCUA P. DAVID BENAVIDES MICHELE MARTINEZ ROMAN A. REYNA VINCENT F. SARMIENTO COUNCILMEMBERS Absent: MIGUEL A. PULIDO, Mayor STAFF Present: KEVIN O'ROURKE, Interim City Manager SONIA R. CARVALHO, City Attorney MARIA D. HUIZAR, Clerk of the Council PUBLIC COMMENTS • Peter Katz, opined that City Council communicates well; focus on social issues including senior and lunch programs. WORK STUDY SESSION WS1 REVIEW AND DISCUSSION OF COUNCIL PRACTICES, POLICIES, AND PROTOCOLS Presentation by Interim City Manager O'Rourke, City Attorney Carvalho and Clerk of the Council Huizar: Agenda 1. Public Comments 2. Introduction of Purpose of Study Session by City Manager 3. Develop Meeting Ground Rules 4. Long Term Goal and Objectives 5. Review current practices, policies and protocols CITY COUNCIL MINUTES 1 APRIL 8, 2013 6. Discussion of roles and expectations 7. Wrap up and next steps Suggested Ground Rules • Listen to each other • Focus on issues not on people • There are no bad ideas or bad questions • Be completely honest • Be respectful but do not filter comments • Keep phones off • Have fun • Councilmember Reyna added - One speaker at a time Long Term Goal • Develop and Approve City Council Norms and Operating Guidelines Meeting Objectives: • Review and discuss current practices, policies, and protocols • Strengthen Council and staff communication and identify expectations • Develop Issue Bin items for later discussion Current Policies • Council Code of Ethics and Conduct • Requirement of Measure D approved by Voters in February 2008 • City Council Adopted Resolution in June 2008 • Rules and Procedures for City Council Meetings ?ity Most recent Resolution adopted June 2012 • Council Orientation Manual Agenda Process - Ceremonial Items • Invocations • Pledge of Allegiance • Councilmember Reyna suggested community groups such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, etc. lead Pledge of Allegiance at City Council Meetings. • Council unanimously concurred with suggestion. Special Presentations • City Manager receives all requests and determines appropriateness of topic • Councilmember Benavides proposed that Special Presentations be scheduled the 2nd meeting of the month to receive special attention and not interfere with City Council recognitions. Presentations and Recognitions Policy implemented in 2010 • Presentations on first meeting of the month • Maximum of 2 presentations per councilmember per meeting • Policy identifies qualifications for groups to be recognized • Councilmember Reyna proposed that the names of all Councilmembers be included on all proclamations and CITY COUNCIL MINUTES 2 APRIL 8, 2013 certificates and allowing community groups to co-present along with City Councilmember. City Council unanimously agreed with proposal; also, proposed setting time limit of 3-5 minutes per presentation and limiting to one presentation for each councilmember. Agenda Process - Council Comments • City Council Travel Report • Must be reported out under Council Comments as a requirement of AB 1234 Staff Recommendation: • Add oral reports of major actions considered by regional boards on Agenda • Add oral reports on Council Committee meetings • City Council unanimously agreed with staff recommendation to include Oral Report-Out as placeholder on agendas. Agenda Approval Process • City Manager approves items to be placed on City Council, and Council Committee Meetings • Preliminary Agenda emailed City Council 10 days in advance • Final Agenda and staff reports emailed 4 days (96 hours) in advance to City Council, posted and distributed to community • Mayor Pro Tern Tinajero requested standing meetings between the Mayor Pro Tern and Mayor with City Manager to review Preliminary Agenda prior to release. • Councilmember Martinez proposed changing City Council Meeting date to 1 st and 3rd Tuesday of the Month. Requests by Councilmembers to Add Agenda Items Charter Section 411: "Any member of the City Council may place items on the City Council agenda to be considered by the City Council." • Any Councilmember may request an item be placed on the agenda under Item 85 • Contact City Clerk with title at least 4 days (96 hours) in advance • No agenda report provided Proposed Change • Councilmembers identify issues for future Item 85 agenda items at a meeting • Staff proposed a new section can be added to the agenda for this purpose Request an estimate from the City Manager of amount of staff time required and time frame to prepare an agenda report General requests for information that require more than one hour of staff time will require the member to bring it before the Council for direction as an Item 85 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES 3 APRIL 8, 2013 • Councilmember Sarmiento noted importance of quantifying staff time/resources expended on each request; Councilmembers should limit requests, however, flexibility on time sensitive/critical items • Councilmember Martinez commented that agendized matters usually require some analysis. • Mayor Pro Tern Tinajero suggested items be monitored through Robert's Rules of Order. • Council concurred that staff should draft language for City Council consideration on how to handle items that require staff analysis - policy should include options for council consideration such as council majority vote required to direct staff to prepare information. • Interim City Manager O'Rourke proposed adding language that allowed City Manager some discretion and also proposed that recommendations be included in Council Norms Policy. Agenda Process - Requests from Public to Add Agenda Items • A member of the public may address the Council on any subject matter jurisdiction of the City under public comments o Council may not take action on any matter not agendized • Members of the public do not place items on the Agenda • Councilmember Martinez suggested that language on who is able to call for Special Meetings be included in Council Norms. Agenda Process - Study Sessions • Open to the Public • Purpose is informal discussions by City Council with staff on topics of interest • Council may provide direction • No formal action may be taken; however direction may be given to agendize action item for future meeting • Items Scheduled for future Study Sessions: • AB1234 Ethics Training • Fiscal Year 2013-14 Budget Workshop • Medical Cannabis Supreme Court Decision / Ballot Measure • Strategic Plan • Councilmember Reyna suggested Work Study session on proposed alcohol and entertainment ordinance. • Councilmember Martinez proposed that once Strategic Plan is adopted by the City Council that all Request for Council Action include section on Impacts to Strategic Plan. Communication Methods to the City Council • Legislative Matters • League of California Cities Legislative Update (email) • Councilmember Martinez noted that League membership also benefits staff and staff involvement in League committees. • Annual Updates by State and Federal Lobbyists CITY COUNCIL MINUTES 4 APRIL 8, 2013 • Councilmember Sarmiento suggested special presentation by lobbyist and include analysis and impact to City of Santa Ana. • Councilmember Martinez inquired as to who was providing direction to lobbyist to seek/monitor grants? Important to set Council goals and objectives as well as adopt strategic plan that would guide lobbyist; allow for efficient use of limited resources. • Interim City Manager O'Rourke proposed adding Council Committee to review Legislative matters. Council/Staff Communication • Council Requests for Information Request for information through the City Manager or Department Heads with cc to City Manager Councilmembers will have full access to any information requested, unless personnel related • Councilmember Sarmiento asked that City Manager/City Council staff be apprised of any policy changes. • Information Distribution from Staff City Manager will provide copies of the material requested to all Councilmembers Councilmembers will be informed by appropriate staff when unusual events i.e. Saddleback fire, police shooting, explosions, etc. • Council asked to be notified by phone and include in weekly newsletter when commercials, movies etc. are filmed in City; staff directed to review current permit policy - streamline process and promote City. Communication between Councilmembers • What is expectation of staff and role in facilitating communication between members? • Share weekly Council calendars? • How to handle reporting on Council Committee or Regional Committee items? Councilmember Martinez suggested that community events in addition to scheduled meetings be included on calendar. Council Committees • Development and Transportation Committee • Benavides, Sarmiento, Martinez • Public Safety and Neighborhood Improvement Committee • Benavides, Martinez, Reyna • Parks, Recreation, Education & Youth Committee; and Joint Santa Ana Unified School District /City Council Committee • Amezcua, Reyna, Tinajero • Code of Ethics and Conduct Committee • Tinajero and Amezcua • Finance, Economic Development and Technology Committee CITY COUNCIL MINUTES 5 APRIL 8, 2013 • Sarmiento, Martinez, Benavides Councilmembers Martinez and Sarmiento commented on need for bylaws; effective and efficient use for committees. City Manager O'Rourke noted that best practice for implementing both a strategic plan and council committees begins with a balance budget. Councilmember Martinez indicated that both Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) and Transportation Corridor Agency (TCA) follow this process, but thus far the budget has not incorporated Council and community input, which are important. Also, Council priorities need to be aligned; Council committees have broad policy issues pending. Councilmember Tinajero echoed sentiment that budget, including Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) has not included council or community input. Email Policy and Brown Act Provisions • City email may be subject to: • public disclosure • Brown Act • California Brown Act • Closed Session Confidentiality • What are the Councilmembers' expectations in handling unauthorized disclosure of information? • Council requested that Code of Conduct and Ethics Council Committee review best practices and develop policy for Council approval - include sanctions/censure for violations and reporting methods. Review Issue Bin items: Action Items City Council Meeting Changes: • Provide mechanism to change Council Meeting days to the first and third Tuesdays of the month • Provide information on how to call a special meeting of the Council • Put a placeholder on the agenda for oral reports on council committees and regional board meetings • Reprint proclamations and certificates to include the names of all Councilmembers. Council Committees: • Create a Legislative Council Committee • Legislative program needs to tie to strategic plan. • Request reports from lobbyist regarding impact Next Steps Approve resolution incorporating all these changes. Revise Presentation Policy Amend Resolution and add new Committee. City Manager will work with consultants CITY COUNCIL MINUTES 6 APRIL 8, 2013 on City, State and Federal. Prepare language of best practices for enforcement options for code of ethics for review by Ethics Committee Council Meetings - Recognitions & Presentations: • Structure and agendize recognitions with the following parameters: o Number - 1 per meeting per Councilmember o Timing - 5 minutes. Try to group large recognitions. For example, give to coach. o Exceptions only if time sensitive o Allow community members to help facilitate presentation • Reprint proclamations and certificates to include the names of all Councilmembers • Schedule presentations from outside groups on the 2" d meeting of month Council/Manager Coordination: • City Manager reviews with Mayor/Mayor Pro Tern agenda Wednesday or Thursday of Council Meeting week • Institute mechanism to share council calendars - helps with special events attendance Completed Items: • Include Entertainment Ordinance on list of study session potential items • Ensure information on filming in town shared with City Council • Affirmed maintaining current process for placing 85A items on agenda City Attorney and City Clerk will schedule meeting with Ethics Committee and present options Revise administrative policy To be implemented Options currently being explored Staff to follow up Potential Next Steps • Schedule follow-up session • Develop Council Norms and Operating Guidelines • Incorporate information received at Work Study Session • Schedule annual team-building session • Opportunity to review operations, strategic plan, communication improvements, etc. Agree on goals and objectives; have clear vision Build strong relationships between the City Manager and staff based on trust, communication and accountability Conduct Strategic Plan Meetings CITY COUNCIL MINUTES 7 APRIL 8, 2013 COMMENTS 90A CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS - None 90B CITY COUNCILMEMBER COMMENTS - None ADJOURNED- 7:26 p.m. Maria D. Huizar, = Clerk of the Council CITY COUNCIL MINUTES 8 APRIL 8, 2013