HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/6/2018 Item 9, Lopes
912 Bluebell Way
San Luis Obispo, California 93401
February 5, 2018
City Council
City of San Luis Obispo
RE: February 6, 2018 meeting: Item 9: AMENDMENTS TO THE BICYCLE
ADVISORY COMMITTEE BYLAWS AND ADOPTING A REVISED ADVISORY BODY
HANDBOOK
Dear Mayor Harmon and Council Members:
Some further definition of duties should be provided in the guidebook to
guide advisory body members to attend to and represent the City’s policies,
ordinance standards and guidelines.
Too often I have seen members unsure or even confused about what
discretion or allegiance they have to the City’s policies and ordinances and, in
particular, the design guidelines. In the Oath of Office (page 6, Agenda page
167) a phrase should be added, as follows: “I will faithfully seek to uphold the
policies, ordinances and guidelines of the City of San Luis Obispo,” or to that
effect. This will “round out” the generic oath and remind members that their
duty is to the public’s adopted policies, standards, and preferences.
Discretion will always be allowed where needed, to interpret how to
implement these without failing to attend to them. Your direction is needed
here to bring back an amendment to the Oath of Office.
The second concern is that the section, J. Ethics and Conflict of Interest,
should also remind members to attend to implementing and conforming to
the City’s ordinances, policies and guidelines. The duties of a member should
be more precisely described so that there is no question that it is not optional
whether to endorse, implement or even address one of these.
Thank you for your consideration.
James Lopes