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Home My WebLink About06/01/1988, 2 - MEETING AGENDA 'JUN ' � DATE ITEM # Suggested Procedures CITY COUNCIL CORRESPONDENCE - SUGGESTED ADDITION TO CITY COUNCIL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Letters that are addressed to the Mayor, the Mayor and Council , 'the City Council or individual Councilmembers regarding City business are to be copied and provided to all other members of the City Council and appropriate staff members. Correspondence that is personal, ceremonial , redundant, or inconsequential-need not be copied for other members of the City Council . Members of the City Council sending letters to outside parties on City stationery should draft and circulate the letter to their Council colleagues and appropriate staff members, indicating that the letter will go out by a specified date if no reservations or comments are received by then. In this way the balance of the City Council would be kept informed as to what is proposed to be sent. This is important because of its appearance under a City letterhead, since the letter will be presumed to represent the position of the City. 2- I COUNCIL LIAISON TO ADVISORY BODIES Chapter 2.44 of the Advisory Body Handbook briefly lists the Council Subcommittee assignments. Seven Advisory bodies are assigned nominating-liaison subcommittees: Architectural Review Commission Housing Authority Human Relations Commission Park and Recreation Commission Personnel Board Planning Commission Promotional Coordinating Committee Neither the Advisory Body Handbook nor the City Council and Management Policies and Procedures Manual addresses the role of the Liaison Subcommittee.. Role of City Council Liaison Members The City Council Liaison is designed to: Facilitate communication between the City Council and the advisory body Increase the City Council's familiarity with the membership, programs and issues of the advisory body Assist the City Council make the best possible appointments to the advisory body The Liaison Committee should maintain a passive relationship with the advisory body to assure the best opportunity for independent deliberation. The City Council as a whole, not the Liaison Committee, provides policy direction to the advisory body which is usually communicated directly, in writing or through staff. To avoid any potential for conflict of interest the Liaison Committee members should avoid participation in discussions at advisory body meetings which could eventually come before the City Council. 2 � ASSESSING THE STAFF TIME TO UNDERTAKE PROJECTS The City Council and staff both realize that projects take time and cost money. However, often when the City Council requests services or information neither the staff nor the City Council know how much time it will take. To avoid disrupting priorities or undertaking assignments that cost more than they are worth, the City Council has requested that staff estimate the staff time required to complete a new Council assignment. At the same time the City Council has agreed to resist giving staff new assignments without first knowing how much time they will take. Conceptually, the issue is simple: How to effectively use staff time? Practically, it is often very difficult in a public meeting to make those determinations. Staff doesn't want to seem unwilling to serve the City Council and the City Council is usually not aware of the level of staff effort required. Sueeested Action 1. Before directing staff to undertake new projects the City Council should ask: (a) How many hours of staff will be required to complete the task? (b) When could it be completed? (c) Would any other activities be delayed by the new project? (d) Are there any unusual costs associated with the project? 2. If the project would take more than eight hours of staff time; require more than a week to complete; delay another major project, or have significant costs then the request should be referred to the City Administrative Officer for analysis. 3. The City Administrative Officer could either authorize the project or report back to the City Council at the next available meeting. The report would include an assessment of the staff time and costs to complete the project and a recommendation. Usually the report would be placed on the consent agenda. 2-3 �lll��lllllll�lll�lllll� 11111111111 - IIIIIIIIIIII� li I I�IIII � at o San 99� p Luis aim Street/Post Office Box OB,s April 11, 1988 8100 • MEMOR San Luis Obispo, CA 93403- _ANDUH8100 To: From: City council John Du Subject: Staff's zic: aedia relations Roger and I feel Councilme appropriate for staff tubers may have to comment to different ideas When Roger the media, of when and ho relationswas hired the Ciw it is with t media relation the media WheCouncil encouraged him (Please see atta general rally, and relation1 was s th�heltY Coursto e more u s with cil asked meront' in his While not s Telegram-Tribune to Improve Press. RogerClfic• both of these In Particular as long as and I are entirelydirectives there , we know that We comfortable Imply an active rel 'e.latios general consens are opera tin With a ran ationshi us on the Coun g within City Co nc o1 aPProaches to the the cil Concerning guidelinesmedia ust g aPPro , and that so the Cit Priate staff/media ituation wh Y Council knows :rises" ere I was thrust a little more gave me a ver into about m �gularly vent ' y high frequent pressContactsy own attitude, Zoned in editor public profile . I come from a two things . (1 ) IaIs. even Additional) lia and, To ma . Since coming to the extent oP Y, a COUP1 of (2) to mainta ' lin friend] San Luis being fairly `Y councilmemhers In a low y and Productive Obis to have a higher a and, if relationso 1 have tried to ed upon my ex ghat visibility wgth en the opportunity, the Press and Press that experience jf he media. y' assist the we won't res Rogerger or I or fd suffer. This nt Pond any of the media, happens to be their inquiries, department and this heads war tell operates to their detriment. Citiesein media and public relations r and I feel that . ment, area ns to have an are perceived by explicitlunderstandin important subject for us and L, Council 's that this is a sub ' g With the City Council,e City's department s Part, then subject Worth your further i1 Procedures. I Will discussion add the item cussion to ensure to our forthcoming dis Consensus ss vent cussion of ' �tY Attorney nue sIItant City Administrative Officer 2-5 ��i►�III��IIIIN�IIIII� DII�i►►i�illl I Cl of Sa►1'1 �,11S oBispo 990 Palm Street/Post Office Box 8100 • San Luis Obispo,CA 93403-8100 April 1, 1988 MEMORANDUM To: John Dunn and Pam Voges From: Ron Dunin 0> Subject: Correspondence In the past year or so, the amount of paperwork that the Council has to cope with has steadily increased. I have tried on several occasions in the past to discuss this trend with the Councilmembers as well as with the members of the Executive Team. _ It seems that the consistent requests from the Council and Councilpersons for information are one of the causes of the mounds of paper that we. receive from our staff and other sources. To enable us to make our decisions in an informed and educated manner, we do need information.. This may be necessary - how much. I do not know. Does it have to be be so lengthy? I would like to request the CAO and the City Clerk to discuss this matter with their staffs and search for a resolution to this growing problem. Last week, Vice Mayor Penny Rappa handed me a memo which I put on the top of the pile of other papers, 23 in alli After a few telephone calls I remembered that I had only skimmed the Vice Mayor's memo. I began looking' for it among the 23 other pieces of paper, it jumped right at me as it was written on red paper. It definitely saved mg some time and frustration in not having to go through 23 pieces of paper. As I have suggested before, why not initiate color coding Council correspondence, avoiding colors that do not reproduce well (such as red) . Please consider avenues to reduce the overall production of paper. Thank you. RD:mp 2�� r� �►��I► I IIIIIIIII►I�II�� pll�l IIIA III IIII city of son lolls OBISPO 990 Palm Street/Post Office Box 8100 • San Luis Obispo, CA 93403-8100 April 20, 1988 MEMORANDUM To: Management Team From: John Dun Subject: Noti of parties regarding items on City Council agenda At the last City Council meeting a gentleman whose property was potentially affected by a prospective City study and follow-up implementation stated that he had not been notified that this item was on the City Council agenda . Mayor Dunin later spoke to that point. This is just a reminder that the staff responsibility is to anticipate, to the best of our ability, who would be interested in or potentially affected by a staff recommendation/City Council decision, and to make certain that these people are notified and invited to attend the City Council meeting. This would normally be the responsibility of the department preparing the staff report and recommendation, though the City Clerk's office will provide assistance if they are requested sufficiently in advance of the meeting. A contention that. "no one told me this item was going to be on the agenda" is always received quite negatively; let's do our best to see that the instances of this happening are very rare. It is recognized and appreciated that there are extensive present efforts to provide proper public notification. Pam is planning to explain these at a future Management Team meeting. Thank you for your assistance in this regard. JD:mp 2-'I