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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-20-2017 Item 16 Community Budget Task Force Meeting Date: 6/20/2017 FROM: Derek Johnson, Assistant City Manager SUBJECT: COMMUNITY BUDGET TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION Adopt a Resolution (Attachment A) to create a Community Budget Task Force and define the term, responsibilities and the process for Council appointments. DISCUSSION Background The adoption of Fiscal Sustainability and Responsibility Major City Goal for the 2017-19 fiscal years marks the third consecutive financial planning period that features financial sustainability as an organizational and community priority. The City has a history of fiscal responsibility and the activities described in the goal work plan build on the progress made as part of implementing the 2013-15 and 2015-2017 Major City Goals. A significant component of the 2017-2019 work program includes the establishment of an ad hoc Community Budget Task Force (“Task Force”) to provide direct input on priorities and strategies for the City Council to consider as the City continues its path of fiscal sustainability. Community Budget Task Force Scope of Work The scope of the Task Force effort is broken down into five phases: 1) Task Force selection and appointment; 2) Task Force background and information; 3) Task Force recommendations; 4) City Council review of Task Force recommendations; and 5) Implementation of recommended actions. The Task Force is proposed to be advisory to the City Council with the following charter: Provide recommendations to the City Council on priorities and strategies to close the budget gap and address structural budget challenges to maintain fiscal health and sustainability. Community Budget Task Force Members Staff is recommending that the Council approve the attached Resolution (Attachment A) forming a nine-member task force. It is recommended that each Council Member directly appoint one member and the remaining four be appointed by an ad-hoc committee of two Council Members. Staff recommends that the Council consider the following qualities when considering the direct and ad-hoc committee appointments of Task Force members: 1. City Resident 2. General understanding of City function(s) Packet Pg 235 16 3. Direct or indirect financial or accounting experience 4. Demonstrated success working on committees, task force or other bodies 5. Passion and eagerness to participate 6. Willing to prepare for meetings and attend schedule meetings 7. Supportive of process and willing to express their own opinion 8. Interest in learning as much as possible The Resolution also adopts guidelines (Exhibit A) to clarify the respective roles of each participant in the citizen advisory committee process. The guidelines outline the roles, responsibilities and relationship of the Task Force and staff. This helps to clarify expectations and understanding of the overall process so that the Task Force and staff can collaboratively move toward accomplishing the specific goals within the required schedule and budget. Selection Process The following is a recommended appointment schedule: 1. Formation of Community Budget Task Force June 20 2. City Council Ad-Hoc Committee Appointment June 20 3. Individual City Council Appointment July 18 4. At-Large Ad-Hoc Committee Appointment Application Period June 21-July 25 5. Ad-Hoc Appointments July 30 Once Council selects a two-member ad-hoc committee, applicants will be interviewed using the process established for all City advisory bodies, except that the ad-hoc committee will have authority to make the final appointments for all four positions. The purpose is to allow the Council to make appointments so that the orientation can begin in August and the meetings can begin in September with enough time to provide recommendations to the City Council by December 2018. If the council wishes, a staff member with knowledge of the City’s financial situation could be an advisor to the ad-hoc council committee. The Council should provide such direction if this is desired assistance requested from staff. Work Effort by Budget Task Force It is estimated that the Community Task Force will meet two times per month during the months of September, October and November in order to provide recommendations to the City Council in time for consideration for the preparation of the 2018-2019 supplemental budget. Attachment B shows the proposed approach for the anticipated six Task Force meetings. The Task Force will self-appoint a Chairperson who will be the spokesperson for the group. Staff is recommending that Task Force meetings be facilitated by an independent facilitator so that staff can be actively engaged in the discussion and focus attention on providing supportive information. Task Force members should anticipate spending approximately 10-15 hours per month in preparation and attendance of meetings. More time will be required for members who decide to actively work on shaping the recommendations for City Council consideration. Packet Pg 236 16 It has been staff’s experience that successful public and stakeholder participation in the budget process depends not only on the informed financial analysis by professional City staff and in this case, actuarial consultants; but also on meaningful community participation about strategies and priorities to maintain fiscal sustainability. Typical factors that contribute to the acceptance of decisions made by appointed bodies include: being treated with respect, transparency, perceived lack of bias, and decisions that are responsive to public input and information. The community and all stakeholders have a reasonable expectation that any process that affects the outcome the City’s finances should be transparent and fair. To that end, Task Force guidelines describes the framework for collaborative communication amongst the task force, staff and the public. Task Force meetings will be open to the public and will have meeting notes and recommendations posted at the City’s website. Updates to Council will be provided by staff as needed. CONCURRENCES The proposed Task Force framework was discussed by Department Heads who provided insight s and input into an advisory structure that could offer a broad range of perspectives and interests FISCAL IMPACT It is estimated that an independent facilitator will cost approximately $10,000-$15,000. This cost can be covered in the Financial Plan. ALTERNATIVES The approach described above has been used successfully in many other jurisdictions. The City Council could decide to appoint all members through an application process or appoint a different number of members. Staff recommends that the Task Force not exceed 13 members as too large of group complicates scheduling and is considered the maximum size for optimal discussion and decisions. Lastly the council could change the purpose (narrow or broaden) or could decide that the task force is not needed to support this Major City Goal. Attachments: a - Citizen's Task Force Resolution b - Timeline Packet Pg 237 16 R ______ RESOLUTION NO. (2017 Series) A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, CREATING THE COMMUNITY BUDGET TASK FORCE TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRIORITIES AND OPTIONS TO MAINTAIN FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY WHEREAS, the City Council adopted Fiscal Sustainability and Responsibility Major City Goal for the 2017-2019 Financial Plan; and WHEREAS, the work-program for the Fiscal Sustainability and Responsibility Goal has 29 key strategies identified in the action plan to maintain fiscal sustainability; and WHEREAS, one of the 29 action items are to establish a Citizen Task Force to make recommendations to the City Council to address budget challenges; and WHEREAS, the Council of the City of San Luis Obispo has a long history of engaging the community about topics of community wide interest; and WHEREAS, the City’s Public Engagement Manual identifies three communication strategies, inform, consult and collaborate depending on the complexity and important of the issue; and WHEREAS, fiscal matters that have the potential to impacts employees, capital investments, levels of services and the overall financial position of the City requires an interactive and collaborative process that actively engages the public to develop thoughtful recommendations; and WHEREAS, the creation of a Community Budget Task Force will provide the opportunity to directly engage the community about important budget issues; and WHEREAS, the composition of the Community Budget Task Force should be representative of the community interests with a requirement that participants live in the City; and WHEREAS, establishing Ground Rules and Terms of Engagement will provide a framework for collaborative communication; and WHEREAS, the City Council has duly considered all evidence, including the testimony of interested parties, and the evaluation and recommendations by staff presented at said hearing. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of San Luis Obispo that a Community Budget Task Force is hereby created with a composition, term, charge, ground rules and staff support as follows: SECTION 1. COMMUNITY BUDGET TASK FORCE. Packet Pg 238 16 Resolution No. _____ (2017 Series) Page 2 R ______ 1. The purpose of is to Provide recommendations to the City Council on priorities and strategies close the budget gap and address structural budget challenges to maintain fiscal health and sustainability SECTION 2. MEMBERSHIP AND APPOINTMENT PROCESS 2. The Community Budget Task Force shall be comprised of nine members. 3. Each Council member shall submit one appointment to the City Clerk’s Office by 5:00 p.m. on July 18, 2017. 4. A Council Ad-Hoc committee comprised of Council members ____________________ and ___________________ shall review applications and appoint the remaining four members by August 1, 2017. 5. The application period for the four Ad-Hoc Committee appointments shall be from June 21-July 25, 2017. 6. All appointees shall be City residents. 7. The Community Budget Task Force is hereby established until January 1, 2018. SECTION 3. COMMUNITY TASK FORCE ADMINISTRATION 1. The City will provide staff support to the Community Budget Task Force with the Assistant City Manager to be primarily responsible for providing this support, including but not limited to the preparation of agendas, and minutes, compilation of material for discussion at Task Force meetings, and assistance with public outreach efforts. 2. Staff is authorized to retain a meeting facilitator within purchasing policies and the role of the facilitator will be to support the Community Budget Task Force. 3. The Community Budget Task Force Guidelines as shown in Exhibit A, and as may be amended by the City Council, shall apply. Upon motion of , seconded by , and on the following roll call vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: The foregoing resolution was adopted this ___ day of ____________, 2017. Packet Pg 239 16 Resolution No. _____ (2017 Series) Page 3 R ______ ____________________________________ Mayor Heidi Harmon ATTEST: ____________________________________ Carrie Gallagher City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: _____________________________________ J. Christine Dietrick City Attorney IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of San Luis Obispo, California, this ______ day of ______________, _________. ____________________________________ Carrie Gallagher City Clerk Packet Pg 240 16 Resolution No. _____ (2017 Series) Page 4 R ______ EXHIBIT A COMMUNITY BUDGET TASK FORCE GUIDELINES City of San Luis Obispo 1. Introduction The purpose of these Guidelines is twofold: 1) To clarify the respective roles of each participant in the Community Budget Task Force (“Task Force”) process; and 2) To outline the roles, responsibilities and relationship of Community Budget Task Force and Staff to clarify expectations and understanding of the overall process, so that Task Force and Staff contribute to moving toward accomplishing the committee’s specific goals within an appropriate schedule and budget. The advisory committee process is a collaborative one involving an often diverse array of individuals, stakeholders, and viewpoints, levels of expertise and matters of concern. The public, Task Force appointees, and respective staff all benefit in having a clear understanding of their respective roles and responsibilities. An effort has been made to cover all essential aspects of the task force activities, such as how appointments are made, how long each member’s term is, the responsibilities of different participants, conflict of interest issues, and meeting procedures. Nonetheless, these Guidelines are not exhaustive, they do not incorporate statutes and regulations which may apply to Task Force activities. The Guidelines strive to make adequate reference to other rules, as appropriate. 2. Applicability These Guidelines apply to the Council-appointed Task Force whose mission is to: Provide recommendations to the City Council on priorities and strategies close the budget gap and address structural budget challenges to maintain fiscal health and sustainability. 3. Establishment of Community Budget Task Force The Task Force is advisory to the City Council. This Task Force is established by the City Council and is not specifically required by any State laws or regulations. Therefore, the City Council has discretion to create, modify, and terminate the Task Force, its membership, mission statement, schedule, etc. at any time. The Task Force is an agent of the City of San Luis Obispo Packet Pg 241 16 Resolution No. _____ (2017 Series) Page 5 R ______ and members should be cognizant that their actions as individuals or as a whole can have consequences to the City. 4. Task Force Authority The Task Force is advisory in nature and has no authority to approve, deny, or require modify any policy within the general purview of the Task Force. The Task Force’s advice shall be conveyed to the City Council via a staff report. When recording votes in meeting minutes, members voting for and against items will be noted. Staff is assigned responsibility for working with the Task Force to present recommendations by January 1, 2018. 5. Appointment Process and Membership Term A) Size The size of a Task Force shall be established by the City. The Task Force shall have an odd number of members; this eliminates ambiguity as to what constitutes a quorum, and minimizes the possibility of tie votes. B) Composition The composition of a Task Force shall be determined at the time of its creation, to ensure that specific community segments and/or other interest groups are represented in the membership. The Task Force will be created by Council resolution. C) Vacancies and Application Process A vacancy or vacancies on a Task Force shall exist: 1) When the committee is created 2) When a member or members is/are formally removed by the City Council, or 3) When the Council receives and acknowledges a letter of resignation from an incumbent. Vacancies on the Task Force shall be advertised by the City Clerk. Applications for Task Force membership shall be submitted on forms provided by the City Clerk, and shall be accepted by the Clerk. Vacancies shall be filled by the Ad-Hoc committee that selected members through the at-large application process. The temporary absence of members to fill vacancies as described in this section shall not affect any recommendations nor cause any delay in the process. Packet Pg 242 16 Resolution No. _____ (2017 Series) Page 6 R ______ D) Selection Process Each Council member shall select one member. Four members shall be selected by an Ad-Hoc Council committee. The Ad-Hoc Committee, upon the close of an application period, shall review and interview each applicant and appoint four members. All Task Force members shall be City residents. Additionally, when selecting all members, the following qualities should be taken into consideration: 1. General understanding of City function(s) 2. Direct or indirect financial experience 3. Demonstrated success working on committees, task force or other bodies 4. Pre-existing passion and eagerness to participate 5. Willing to prepare ahead for meetings 6. Supportive of process and City and willing to express their own opinion 7. Strive to learn as much as possible E) Term of Office The term of office for a Task Force and its members is established by the City Council when it creates Task Force. The Task Force shall serve at the discretion of the Council for the term of appointment outlined in a resolution. 6. Task Force Operations A) Officers and Rules of Conduct The responsibilities of the Task Force also include an election of least a Chair, and Vice-Chair. The Chair shall lead all meetings, be the primary spokesperson for the Task Force, and be the primary committee liaison to City staff and the public. Staff in consultation with the Chairperson shall develop the agenda for each Task Force meeting. The Vice-Chair shall fulfill the duties of Chair in the latter’s absence. Meetings shall be facilitated by an independent facilitator. The Recording Secretary will be the Assistant City Manager or his/her designee, who will take action minutes of motions and make a digital recording of each meeting. At a minimum, these minutes shall clearly convey actions and motions taken by the Task Force. These minutes are to be considered, amended as needed and approved by the full task force at the earliest possible time, and signed by the Chairperson. In addition, the task force may adopt specific rules of conduct and procedure, as long as such rules are consistent with applicable laws and regulations (including these Guidelines). B) Meeting Procedure The Task Force is subject to the Brown Act, which set standards for public notice as to meeting time, date and location as well as items to be discussed. Significant implications are as follows: Packet Pg 243 16 Resolution No. _____ (2017 Series) Page 7 R ______ 1) Noticing of all Task Force meetings, including time, location and an agenda, must be posted in a public place within the applicable area. Efforts should be made to provide adequate public notice beyond minimum Brown Act requirements of seventy-two (72) hours. 2) All Task Force meetings must be open and public. Meetings are to be held in a facility which makes adequate provision for attendance by all interested members of the public. 3) Members of the public are to be given an opportunity to speak to the Task Force on any regular agenda item at the time it is being discussed. Members of the public will also be given an opportunity to speak to any relevant non-agenda item. All public speakers are subject to reasonable time constraints established by the Task Force Chairperson and any adopted procedures. All public speakers are to identify their names and relevant business and/or personal interests they are representing for the record. 4) The Task Force will attempt to establish a consistent regular meeting time and location in their rules of conduct. 5) Minutes of Task Force meetings will be kept on file by Administration. These minutes shall be available for any interested person to examine. 6) The Task Forces Force elect officers no later than its second meeting and until such time, the Assistant City Manager shall serve as the Chair Pro-Tem. 7) Meetings shall run in a parliamentary style. Substantive issues will have higher priority than matters of procedural detail. The Chair has discretion in guiding discussion of items among Task Force members while allowing for appropriate public input. 8) Staff may address the Task Force at any time, with timely recognition by the Chair. 9) Quorum: A majority of the members of the Task Force constitute a quorum. Decisions are made by a majority of the members present and voting. No business may be transacted if fewer than a quorum is present. Formal votes by a committee are to have a motion and second, prior to allowing further discussion and a vote. 10) Members of the Task Force shall not vote on issues which involve a legal or ethical conflict of interest or duty (See section 7) 11) Subcommittees: Task Forces may select subcommittees to focus on issues or subjects meriting more detailed work outside of the full task force. Subcommittees are made up of Task Force members only, and must number fewer than a quorum of the full Task Force. Subcommittee meeting arrangements may be set by either the staff or the Task Force. Such meetings are not legally required to be noticed or posted, but every effort should be made by a subcommittee officer or member to notice and/or post the meetings, as they are open to any interested member of the public. Information about their time and location is to be made available through the overall Task Force secretary and through Administration staff. Subcommittees shall choose a Chair and a Vice-Chair, and may choose a Recording Secretary for preparing informal minutes. A report from any subcommittee meeting shall be made at the next full Task Force meeting. Staff support for subcommittee meetings may be provided, but is not required. Packet Pg 244 16 Resolution No. _____ (2017 Series) Page 8 R ______ C) Attendance Community Budget Task Force members shall make every effort to attend regular meetings. Any member who is unable to attend any meeting shall contact the Community Budget Task Force Chair or Assistant City Manager at least seventy-two (72) hours prior to the meeting. Three (3) consecutive absences or absences by a member shall be grounds for dismissal from the Task Force, subject to the discretion of the Council. D) Appearance on Community Budget Task Force’s behalf The Chair, Vice-Chair, or other duly authorized Task Force member shall speak for the task force at any applicable public hearing or other meeting as authorized by the Task Force. Individual members of Community Budget Task Force not so designated, who do testify at a public hearing or other meeting, shall clearly identify themselves as speaking individually as a member of Task Force, and shall clearly indicate that they are not authorized to speak for the full group. E) Timely adjournment of evening meetings To encourage public participation, evening meetings of Task Force will be organized, agendized, and run to finish at a reasonable hour. If evening meetings habitually running past 9:30 PM, staff and the Chair will work together to shorten the agendas and if necessary, to expedite task force discussion and action on items. 7. Conflicts of Interest Community Budget Task Force members are not considered to be “public officials” as defined in § 82048 of the California Government Code, and therefore are not subject to the State Political Reform Act and its disclosure provisions (Government Code §§ 81000 et seq.). Nevertheless, Community Budget Task Force members shall remove themselves from all discussions and votes on matters in which they have any direct personal financial interest, or where the member’s professional allegiance and/or personal bias cannot be set aside to allow the member’s fair consideration of the issue(s) at hand. In gauging such extra-legal conflicts of interest and/or duty, each member shall exercise careful judgment and introspection in giving priority to the interests of fairness and objectivity; if there is any reasonable doubt that the member has a conflict, the member shall refrain from participation in the task force’s deliberations and vote(s). Should a member not refrain voluntarily, and should the member’s participation specifically be challenged by another Task Force member, staff, or the public, the member’s participation on any item of official task force business may be prevented by a two-thirds majority vote of the full Task Force (i.e., at least two- thirds of the total incumbent membership, including the member in question). Pervasive or recurring conflicts of interest and/or duty should lead a member to resign voluntarily from a Task Force, and may be grounds for a dismissal by the Council. Packet Pg 245 16 Resolution No. _____ (2017 Series) Page 9 R ______ 8. Community Budget Task Force and Staff Responsibilities A) Community Budget Task Force Member Responsibilities The responsibilities of the individual Task Force members include: 1) Punctually and fully attend all regular and special meetings of the Task Force and all relevant subcommittee meetings, to the maximum possible extent; 2) Come to all meetings fully prepared, having reviewed the agenda and all related written/graphic material available before the meeting; 3) Conscientiously follow high ethical standards in putting the broad public interest ahead of any personal interest and/or bias, and to abstain from all discussions and votes where this is not possible; 4) Promote full and open discussion of all matters of official task force business; 5) Support the task force Chair, Vice-Chair, and staff in maintaining order, keeping discussions relevant to the business at hand, and following proper procedures, while giving primary attention to matters of substance. 6) Be cognizant of the time line and constraints and strive to deliver a recommendation to the City Council by January 1, 2018. B) ADMINISTRATION Staff Responsibilities Staff responsibilities in supporting the Task Force include: 1) Timely completion of deliverables within budget. 2) Schedule all Task Force meetings and plan for all facilities, distribute written/graphic materials, notices, agendas, etc. For such meetings, coordinate necessary staff participation and guest speakers; 3) For Task Force meetings, as appropriate, prepare recommendations and other material for Task Force review and comment. Advise the Task Force on matters of both substance and procedure; 4) Assist the Task Force Chair in promoting full and open participation by all Task Force members and other people in attendance at any meeting, keeping discussion pertinent to the business at hand; 5) Handle information requests for material and general information related to the official business of the Task Force; C) City Attorney Staff support to the Task Force will not be provided by the City Attorney. Specific legal issues are to be directed through Administration to the City Attorney for response. Packet Pg 246 16 Jun-17 Jan-18 Jul-17 Aug-17 Sep-17 Oct-17 Nov-17 Dec-17 COMMUNITY BUDGET TASK FORCE WORK PROGRAM November 2017 Meeting #5 Draft Recommendations 10/5/2017 Meeting #3 CalPERS Sep-17 Meeting #2-Financial Overview and Background 6/20/2017 City Council Task Force Approval 6/20/2017 - 7/25/2017 Task Force Application Period October 2017 Meeting #4 Brainstorm Recommendations Sep-17 Task Force Meeting #1 Orientation & Background 7/30/2017 Ad-Hoc Council Appointments November 2017 Meeting #6 Final Recommendations December 17 City Council Receives Recommendations July 18, 2017 Individual Council Appointment Deadline Packet Pg 247 16 Page intentionally left blank. Packet Pg 248 16